The Justice, August 26, 2014 Issue by The Justice

ARTS PAGES 19

FORUM End partisan culture in DC 11

ROSE REVAMP

SPORTS Judges to focus on team races 13 The IndependenT STudenT newSpaper

the

BrandeIS unIverSITy SInce 1949

Justice

Volume LXVII, Number 1

www.thejustice.org

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

STUDENT LIFE

DRAWING A CROWD

Sexual assault policy shuffles ■ The Special Examiner’s

Process left the two students involved with concerns on the University’s protocol. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

This summer, the University’s protocol regarding cases of sexual misconduct among students has been publicly scrutinized—by both a student who claims to have survived multiple sexual assaults and the student he accused of assaulting him. The accused student was found guilty after the Special Examiner’s Process, but only received a disciplinary warning and sanctions to complete a special educational cur-

Waltham, Mass.

riculum. However, both students involved claimed that the University mishandled their case. Since the University’s actions during the investigation process have been reported on by the national media, several measures to reevaluate and improve the way in which Brandeis handles reported sexual assault cases have been taken. Since Joseph Babeu ’15, who initially filed a Community Standards Report against the accused student, posted a letter that the University sent to him explaining the results of the Special Examiner’s Process for his case to Facebook, the Brandeis community has led an outcry via social media rallying support for him. The accused student has asked to remain anonymous. Many students reposted the let-

See PROTOCOL, 7 ☛

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

LaFarr chosen as executive director ■ The University has hired

Michael LaFarr to manage the Psychological Counseling Center and Health Center. By KATHRYN BRODY AND MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EDITORIAl ASSISTANT AND EDITOR

This July, the University appointed Michael LaFarr, the former associate director of the Psychological Counseling Center, to take over the position of executive director of the University’s Health and Wellness Resources. LaFarr will oversee the Psychological Counseling Center and the Golding Health Center, and work closely with Assistant Vice President for Health and Wellness and Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa ’90. The position was created after Hodgins Beckley Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in higher education health care management, released a review of Brandeis’ health and wellness resources last November. The review was commissioned by the administration in order to give a detailed overview of the status of the

health and wellness resources. Various organizational problems were revealed by the review, according to a November 5 Justice article, and the administration stated then that it hoped to address these problems by installing an executive director. Among the problems noted was a lack of communication within the Health Center. At the PCC, the review stated that the “wait times for intake appointments can be a serious concern.” Most students who are new patients to the PCC, according to the report, are not necessarily seen within the oneweek period that the center advertises as its maximum admittance time. In an email to the Justice, LaFarr wrote that his new position is concerned with a “wellness component [that] is about proactive/health education and outreach efforts in ... three areas,” which include the PCC, the Health Center and nutrition thereby solving the communication gap noted in the report. Dr. Robert Berlin, the former senior director of the PCC, has retired. And in addition to her current position as senior associate director, Joy von Steiger has been named clinical

See LAFARR, 7 ☛

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel addressed incoming first-years at the convocation ceremony this Sunday afternoon on Chapels Field.

STUDENT ACTIVISM

University responds to petition

■ The University published a

plan to address the concerns of Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence. By HANNAH WULKAN JUSTICE EDITORIAl ASSISTANT

On June 12, the University published a response to a petition created on April 8 by Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence—a group that formed in the spring and is not recognized by the University as a club or group—which garnered 2,706 signatures as of press time. The petition listed a set of demands made to the University, calling for it to revise and expand protocols and resources for handling reported sexual assaults. In the petition, B.SASV listed 11 specific demands, asking for clear and accessible information on existing reporting paths, options and resources,

a permanent on-call crisis response counselor, a psychologist on the Psychological Counseling Center staff who specializes in sexual trauma, violence and assault for long-term counseling and proper training of University staff, faculty and administrators on the roles and responsibilities of mandated reporters and responsible employees under Title IX. The group also asked for workshops addressing pro-social bystander intervention, effective consent and healthy relationships at Orientation and throughout the entire school year, specific sexual assault response training of Brandeis police, an effective campus-wide campaign to combat rape culture, awareness of non-abusive sexual behavior and list of resources as part of party registration process, safety networks for students and engaging broader campus resources and a permanent rape crisis center. On the University’s website, a webpage posted in June responded to each

See B.SASV, 3 ☛

Iconic professor passes

Into the box

Provost departs

Former English Professor Allen Grossman was a champion for poetry and the humanities.

The men’s soccer team begins the year ranked No. 17 in the country

Steve Goldstein ’78 will leave the position after serving for about four years

FEATURES 8 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

request individually, explaining exactly what they have planned. On Aug. 21, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel wrote in an email to students that the University has created a website that lists sexual assault services and reporting procedures and processes. They have also published two different resource guides that will be widely available around campus called “A Resource Guide for Sexual Assault Survivors” and “Sexual Assault on Campus: Supporting Our Students—A Step-by-Step Guide for Faculty and Staff.” In the response, the University said it also plans to work with Sheila McMahon, the first sexual assault services and prevention specialist who was hired last academic year to expand sexual assault emergency response services to a 24/7 model. They have established a new student-run Rape Crisis Center located by McMahon’s

Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org

INDEX

SPORTS 16 ARTS SPORTS

17 16

EDITORIAL FEATURES

10 8

OPINION POLICE LOG

10 2

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

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THE JUSTICE

NEWS BRIEF

Center for Ethics board member steps down after Al-Quds conflict

In the aftermath of the controversy surrounding the University’s severance of its educational partnership with Al-Quds University last November, several members of the Brandeis community took to pubic forums to express their discontent with how the situation unfolded—including a longtime member of the advisory board of Brandeis’ International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, Michael Ratner ’66. On May 28, The Jewish Daily Forward’s website published an open letter from Ratner to University President Frederick Lawrence, announcing and explaining his resignation from the advisory board. “While I appreciate that you were willing to reappoint me for another term, I do not feel my service on that board is compatible with your suspension of Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, the President of Al-Quds University, from that board,” Ratner’s letter reads. “In addition, in light of your suspension of Dr. Nusseibeh and of Brandeis’ relationship with Al-Quds, I will not be making further donations to Brandeis. My reasons, which I am making public, are set forth below.” Ratner graduated from Brandeis in 1966 with a degree in English and then attended Columbia University Law School. In 2006, he was awarded one of two Alumni Achievement Awards by the University, an honor given to graduates who have made “distinguished contributions to their professions or fields of endeavor,” according to an Aug. 28, 2006 BrandeisNOW article.

POLICE LOG Medical Emergency

July 19—University Police requested an ambulance for a voluntary psychiatric transport to the hospital from the Faculty Center Lodge. The Psychological Counseling Center notified Newton-Wellesley Hospital and the party was transported without incident. Aug. 15—A party with a nosebleed was transported to urgent care at the request of BEMCo.

Sex Crimes

July 19—A resident in the Village reported an assault to University Police, who compiled a report to prepare for the ensuing investigation.

Larceny

May 21—A party reported a theft from a locked locker in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. University Police compiled a report of the incident. May 23—A party reported that her iPhone was stolen from the

Intercultural Center. University Police compiled a report. July 23—A party reported that one of his students’ clarinets was missing from an unattended common area in Slosberg Music Center. University Police compiled a report on the incident. July 24—A manager in Sherman Dining Hall reported a theft of money from one of her employees. University Police compiled a report on the theft. Aug. 7—A party reported that the door to his Bobcat heavy equipment machine was stolen while he was parked in the rear of the Epstein Parking Lot. University Police compiled a report and reviewed CCTV footage with a negative result on a possible suspect.

Harassment

July 12—A party reported that his girlfriend was the victim of verbal harassment by some high school sports campers who had since departed campus. University Police compiled a report.

Miscellaneous

May 21—A party reported that 10 rat pups valued at $200 were missing from in the Foster Biomedical Labs. University Police compiled a report on the theft. May 21—A caller reported a baby raccoon outside of the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center, concerned that it may have been orphaned. The raccoon was removed by Waltham Animal Control and taken to the veterinarian to be rehydrated. July 7—A woman was found taking pictures in the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center. University Police identified the woman as a Brandeis employee. July 29—The burglar alarm went off at the Campus Bookstore in the Shapiro Campus Center. The alarm company called to say that a manager had set it off by accident. University Police confirmed and no further action was taken. Aug. 8—A staff member reported that someone may have

MOVING ON UP

Barnes & Noble replaced The University has replaced Barnes & Noble Booksellers with Follett to take over bookstore operations, Director of Strategic Procurement John Storti wrote in an email to the Justice. Storti wrote that the contract between Follett and the University is a 10-year agreement, and took effect in mid-July. He did not specify when the decision to switch from Barnes & Noble to Follett was made. “They are the largest campus bookstore provider with over 900 campus stores,” Storti wrote of Follett. He did not, however, address whether or not the same products would be sold under the new provider. In addition to the change in operations, Storti wrote, there will be a renovation to the bookstore as well as to Einstein Bros. Bagels, some time after Thanksgiving break. He did not specify what sort of renovations these would include.

BRIEF

Staff member melts Tupperware in dorm A University security officer was transported to the hospital on Aug. 5 after a Tupperware container on a stovetop melted and created a significant amount of smoke in Pomerantz Hall. The security officer was exposed to a moderate amount of smoke after a University staff member accidently melted a Tupperware container on a stovetop. The University staff member, who lives on the dorm’s first floor, placed the container on the stovetop and accidently turned on the wrong burner. According to Executive Director of Integrated Media Bill Schaller in an Aug. 5 Boston Globe article, the Tupperware container produced only smoke. Waltham Fire Department responded to the scene at 8:15 a.m., where Waltham Fire Lt. Scott Perry observed a “moderate smoke condition,” according to the Globe article. The University staff member who accidently melted the Tupperware container was evaluated on the scene for smoke inhalation. The staff member, however, was not taken to the hospital. The University security officer was evaluated on site for smoke inhalation, headache and shortness of breath and then transported to the hospital for treatment. The security officer was treated at an undisclosed local hospital and subsequently released later that day. Firefighters used fans to remove the smoke from the residence hall, and no lasting damage was caused by the accident.

—Marissa Ditkowsky

BRIEF

Peace Corps recognizes University fellowship

—Avi Gold

The Justice will be launching a brand new website on Sept. 4.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.

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—compiled by Hannah Wulkan

BRIEF

—Rachel Hughes

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entered her office through the exterior window and exited through the interior door, as when she left her office the window was closed and her door was locked. Nothing was reported missing. University Police compiled a report. Aug. 12—A community development coordinator in the Village reported a possible lost black lab dog in the Village and Ziv quad area. Waltham Animal Control was notified. The dog exited through the fence in to the Cedarwood area. Aug. 12—A party reported a hawk striking the window of the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center. University Police located the hawk and it appeared uninjured. Aug. 14—A party reported a large snapping turtle approaching on Chapels Field toward Rosenthal North. The turtle was relocated to wetlands.

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

Incoming first-years moved into their residence halls on Sunday, trekking luggage across the hallways in a hurry to attend the rest of the New Student Orientation events planned for the remainder of the day.

Brandeis is the third-ranked school among Paul D. Coverdell Fellows, according to a list released this summer by the Peace Corps. Fifty-three fellows are currently enrolled in Brandeis’ program at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Through the Coverdell Fellows Program, partner schools offer financial support to returned Peace Corps volunteers who enroll in their graduate degree programs and “complete substantive internships related to their program of study in underserved American communities,” according to the Peace Corps’ website. The Brandeis partnership was established in 2011. The Coverdell Fellows Program operates in partnership with 88 individual programs at schools nationwide, from Babson College to Yale University. Among undergraduate volunteers, Brandeis ranks 14th among small schools in the U.S., with 318 alumni having served since 1961 and 12 currently serving. —Tate Herbert

ANNOUNCEMENTS Beyond the Wall Poster Sale

Find the perfect poster to decorate a room and make it feel like home. From music to movies to art, Beyond the Wall is sure to have a poster to add extra personality to any dorm room. Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium.

Complex Rheology of Nematogenic Fluids

Hosted by the Brandeis Material Research Science Research and Engineering Center, this seminar hosts speaker Chandan Dasgupta from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. The rheological behaviour of complex fluids under shear exhibits many interesting features arising from the strong coupling between mesoscopic structure and flow. Complex temporal response indicating the occurrence of deterministic chaos has been observed in experiments on sheared wormlike micelles. The chaotic behaviour in this system, known as “rheochaos,” occurs

at very small values of the Reynolds number and arises from nonlinearities in the rheological constitutive equations. Similarly, sheared polymeric liquids show irregular flow behavior with fluid motion excited over a large range of spatial and temporal scales. To develop a theoretical understanding of these phenomena, we have studied numerically the full non-linear hydrodynamic equations of a sheared nematic fluid under shearstress and strain-rate controlled situations, incorporating spatial heterogeneity in the velocity gradient direction. We find irregular, dynamic shear-banding and establish by decisive numerical tests that the chaos we observe in the model is spatiotemporal in nature. In the chaotic regime, the power spectra of the order parameter stress and the total injected power show power-law behavior and the total injected power shows a nongaussian, skewed probability distribution, which bear striking resemblance to elastic turbulence phenomena observed in polymer

solutions, suggesting an intriguing connection between our model system and systems which are studied in experiments on elastic turbulence. Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. in Abelson-BassYalem 229.

Brandeis Community Dinner

Join the entire Brandeis community for dinner with the new undergraduate students. Faculty, staff and all students are welcome. Bring a blanket or towel to make yourself comfortable. Meet new people and learn what the Brandeis community means to them. Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. on the Great Lawn.

Activities Fair

There are many opportunities to be involved at Brandeis. Check out some of the student organizations that can help you find your passion. A full list of all clubs at Brandeis can be found at www.brandeis.edu. Monday from 1 to 3 p.m. on the Great Lawn.

THE JUSTICE

ADMINISTRATION

president for communications has taken a position at University of Missouri. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EdITor

Former Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid’s last day at the University was Aug. 15, according to a July 24 email to Brandeis faculty from University President Frederick Lawrence. Her departure takes place about one-and-a-half years after her hire went into effect on Feb. 1, 2013. De Graffenreid has accepted the position of vice chancellor of marketing and communications at the University of Missouri. “Ellen has served us very well during her time at Brandeis and I am grateful for all she has accomplished,” Lawrence wrote. “This new move represents a homecoming for her—U. of Missouri is her parents’ alma mater and will enable her to be close to extended family.” According to the email, Lawrence will discuss the details of the search for her replacement during the Board of Trustees call next Wednesday. Executive Director for Integrated Media Bill Schaller, who worked under de Graffenreid, will lead the Office of Communications under the direction of Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel in the interim. Lawrence wrote that Flagel “has been deeply involved with our ongoing brand positioning and graphic identity project and will provide leadership continuity for this effort moving forward.” When asked about Flagel’s past involvement in the Office of Communications,

de Graffenreid added in an email to the Justice that she and Flagel “work closely on a regular basis.” The University will also contract with a local public de Graffenreid relations firm until someone is hired to take de Graffenreid’s place. De Graffenreid also was a part of the Honorary Degree Committee. Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff and Chief Legal Officer David Bunis ’83 will take her place on the committee. Although de Graffenreid did not provide any additional comments to the Justice on her departure, she did write that her understanding is that her replacement will maintain the same responsibilities that she had. However, when asked if the University plans to maintain the organizational structure that de Graffenreid implemented within the Office of Communications, she wrote that the organizational structure is up to the new hire. According to a July 24 article in the Columbia Daily Tribune, de Graffenreid will start at the University of Missouri on Sept. 2. The article reported that University of Missouri spokesman Christian Basi said de Graffenreid’s salary there will be $220,000. Lawrence first announced that de Graffenreid would take on the position of senior vice president for Communications in December 2012, about six months after Andrew Gully vacated the position to become senior vice president and worldwide director of communications for Sotheby’s, according to a Jan. 14, 2013 Justice article.

ADMINISTRATION

Provost Goldstein leaving University ■ Goldstein said that he

wishes to return to a career in academic medicine. He will assist the University in finding a new provost. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EdITor

Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 will leave the University after this academic year and will facilitate in the hiring of a new provost. Goldstein will have served about four years at the University upon his departure. The announcement was released in a June 30 email from University President Frederick Lawrence to faculty and staff. “[Goldstein] has agreed to serve Brandeis for one additional year to facilitate the search for his replacement and a smooth administrative transition,” Lawrence wrote in the email. “A search process for a new provost will proceed expeditiously to facilitate this transition.” Lawrence explained that he would share details regarding the search process as soon as they are finalized. Although Goldstein wrote in an email to the Justice that he wishes to return to a career in academic medicine, he wrote that he cannot share specifics at this time, noting that it would not “be appropriate as I am fully dedicated to helping Brandeis manage a smooth transition in the Office of the Provost.” Lawrence noted Goldstein’s leadership in the strategic planning process, institutional budgets and planning and his introduction of “a

mission-based budgeting process that has reduced Brandeis’ annual operating deficit while increasing investment in deferred maintenance of the campus and strategic priorities,” according Goldstein to Lawrence’s email. “I am proud of the redesign of our budgeting process, which will have a long-term impact on the university,” Goldstein wrote. “We have increased investment steadily now over three years in the faculty, the residence halls, the library, new technology, new programs, new classrooms, and energy efficiency—and that is just the beginning of a ten year plan!” According to Lawrence, the University launched seven new graduate programs, five new undergraduateto-graduate dual degree programs and has doubled bachelor’s to master’s degrees slots under Goldstein’s leadership. Goldstein also made several faculty, directorship and administrative hires during his time as provost, including key hires like Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren and Director of the Rose Art Museum Christopher Bedford. “In many ways, I am sad to leave, but also very proud of what we have accomplished together during my time at Brandeis,” Goldstein wrote. “I returned to give back to a university that gave me so much as a young man. Once again, I have been the beneficiary.”

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

A NEW DINING DESTINATION

De Graffenreid leaves position ■ The former senior vice

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MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

FRESH AND CLEAN: Usdan Student Center received an update over the summer, one of several changes across dining services.

Usdan renovation nearly complete ■ The Stein was also

renovated, and Shawn Monaghan has taken over as general manager of dining. By SAM MINTZ JUSTICE EdITor

As the University enters a new academic year, dining services is continuing with a theme of change that began last year when Sodexo took over control from Aramark as dining services provider. General Manager Jay DeGioia left this summer and was replaced by Shawn Monaghan, who has worked for Sodexo since 2002 and was most recently general manager for dining services at Bryant University. Nutritionist Kate Moran also left the University as of July 18, with Karen Jew to take over as district dietitian. In addition to personnel, dining facilities are also in a state of flux. Ac-

cording to a University-wide email from Vice President of Operations Jim Gray on Aug. 14, the renovation of the Usdan Student Center is almost complete. The dining hall opened for breakfast for first-year students yesterday. In his email, Gray wrote that the project is not quite complete, despite the opening of the facility. “As in many major building renovation projects, we discovered a few surprises during this one that had some minor schedule impacts. As a result, we may open Usdan with less than 100 percent completion of all dining components, but I am confident we will be near completion when we open. Even at less than 100 percent, you will see a tremendously improved environment when you visit Usdan,” Gray wrote. Monaghan confirmed that Lower Usdan is 95 percent complete, and will be fully functional by Thursday, the first day of classes. In Upper Usdan, the grill will not be open until the second week of September. Monaghan

also announced the opening of Currito, a burrito station in Upper Usdan. The Stein has also been renovated, and will open on Aug. 28. “During this time of transition and renovation to so many University Services operations, there may be some difficulties encountered as new service providers and new employees acclimate to the campus community, and we to them,” wrote Gray. He continued, “I ask for your patience during this period of change. My hope and expectation is that all of these changes will contribute to a more efficient and positive campus experience in the future.” “Dining services [sic] goal is to be part of the community,” wrote Monaghan in an email to the Justice. He added, “We are here to enhance the overall experience at Brandeis, we pledge to offer quality food and excellent service. We are dedicated to providing top quality food in a nutritionally balanced diet and we take great pride in the meals we serve.”

B.SASV: Student group raises multiple concerns CONTINUED FROM 1 office in the Usdan Student Center near the Gender and Sexuality center, for which McMahon will serve as an adviser, wrote Flagel in his email to students. They will do this by hiring and training student rape crisis advocates and building a network of volunteers to provide both phone and in-person help. The student counselors will work primarily on students’ concerns about sexual assault, intimate partner violence, sexual harassment and stalking. In addition to in-person hours, the group will rotate a pager, allowing for crisis response to student survivors of sexual violence 24/7, explained former Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid in an email to the Justice. Ava Blustein ’15, one of the B.SASV student leaders, wrote in an email to the Justice on Aug. 24, “While we are excited about student advocates creating a safe space where their peers can get information and support anytime and feel they are essential to the rape crisis center, we remain firm in our belief that the rape crisis center must also have professional staff.” Another student leader in B.SASV Evelyn Milford ’16 wrote in an Aug. 24 email to the Justice, “These services should be provided by people whose expertise is such and who can put all their energy into providing full-time support for those affected by sexual violence on our campus.” In response to B.SASV’s request for a new counselor trained in sexual trauma, the University has hired a specialist in trauma and sexual violence, Dr. Kristin Huang, according to an email from Flagel. In addition, Dr. Joy Von Steiger, a part-time staff psychologist at the PCC, has been trained in emergency rape counseling and trauma treatment both with children and adults and is available in these matters, according to de Graffenreid. De Graffenreid wrote that PCC part-time staff psychotherapist Dr.

Amy Engel also “has years of experience working with those who have experienced sexual violence.” She added that the PCC is working to hire one to two new counselors who have expertise in this area. In response to B.SASV’s request for proper training of staff, the University explained that all its faculty and staff go through a mandatory human resources training when they are hired, which “includes review and awareness of the issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault.” The University is also putting together a resource guide and bystander training program on sexual assault that is available to staff and students this fall and will be required to be completed by all new employees, according to de Graffenreid. “Bystander education challenges us as individuals and as a community to move beyond viewing sexual violence as a one to one relationship between a victim and a perpetrator to a total community response,” de Graffenreid explained in an email to the Justice. “It invites each of us to use our awareness of incidents that could escalate to sexual assault to intervene before an incident occurs.” To reach the student body, beginning this fall, the University instituted a bystander-training course as part of a mandatory Orientation program for incoming students. On Monday students gathered at the Speak About It training, a “performance-based presentation about consent, boundaries and healthy relationships” according to the University website. This program will also be offered to student club leaders and sports teams, and trainings will be available to students frequently throughout the school year, according to de Graffenreid. Moving forward in bystander education, Brandeis is implementing a “train the trainer” format. Student leaders are being trained as trainers, and will then be able to offer the training to a wide variety of student orga-

nizations and programs, de Graffenreid wrote. Campus security also attended training over the summer about these issues with D. Stafford & Associates, a firm focused on campus security and safety issues. A campus-wide Task Force for Sexual Assault Response, Services and Prevention is also being established to build a public safety awareness campaign, and will most likely launch during the spring 2015 semester, according to the University response. Brandeis is also looking into creating a mobile phone application customized for students to help keep them safe on and near campus and have made emergency contraception available at the Health Center free of charge beginning in the fall. Blustein wrote in an email to the Justice on July 9 that although she is grateful that the administration has considered all of B.SASV’s proposals, the University must continue to work on its policies. “Going forward, we really want to push for the administration to take measures that respond not just adequately, but comprehensively and groundbreakingly, to a problem that has the potential to affect any student.” Blustein wrote that B.SASV future plans include advocating for revisions to Section 3 in the Rights and Responsibilities handbook “to include clear definitions of actions that constitute sexual misconduct and examples, as well as a range of possible disciplinary actions that follow violations,” and “to continue collaboration with the administration to ensure initiatives and changes are implemented in a timely and effective manner.” “New protocols and rules are only as good as their enforcement, and just because policy has changed on paper does not necessarily mean that they will be well implemented,” wrote Cecile Afable ’16, another student involved with B.SASV. “We are cautiously optimistic, and hope that the administration will follow through with their commitments to making real change.”

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

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THE JUSTICE

STAFF

Canon employees not retained ■ The University’s switch from

using Canon to Xerox led to an outcry regarding employee job security and benefits. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

The University’s switch from Canon to Xerox Corporation as its provider for mail services, the Copy Center and student print solutions accrued backlash from the Brandeis community after longtime employees were terminated from Canon this spring and not automatically rehired by Xerox. Some employees that Xerox offered to rehire after the turnover also came forward to the University, the Brandeis community and the Justice to express concerns about the low wages that the new provider was offering, despite their years of service at the University, which ranges up to over 30 years for some. Director of Strategic Procurement John Storti first announced in an April 24 email to the Brandeis community that the turnover from Canon to Xerox for mail and copy services would occur on June 1. According to the email, the transition in providers will also bring about the digitalization of the package alert system and the replacement of old equipment in the Copy Center. However, unlike previous turnovers at the University, such as its change in dining service providers from Aramark to Sodexo last year and others in the mailroom and Copy Center that former Copy Center manager Barry Hayes recalled for the Justice, the transition process was interrupted. Hayes described the situation and the reason behind the University’s lack of a Copy Center for several weeks over the summer. “Xerox…supposedly [took] over the Copy Center on Monday, [June 2]…and when I left that space on Tuesday, [May 27], it was an unusable space. They would have to take out the equipment, put in all the new equipment, have a staff in there that’s ready to go that knows what to do.” Executive Director of Integrated Media Bill Schaller confirmed that the

center was closed at that time “while the temporary space [was] completed.” As Hayes explained, the employees were “released [from employment by Canon] as a result of reduction in service. “The [University’s] contract was given to Xerox, and as a result, our positions were eliminated because there was nowhere for us to go within the Canon organization. There were no positions for us to be placed into,” he said. Due to the changeover, Hayes said that he and his colleagues “fully expected” to receive offers from Xerox, as this had been the practice in all previous turnovers from one company to another at the University, according to Hayes as he described his past experiences going through turnovers as a Copy Center employee. In addition, Hayes said that past turnovers, such as the one to AMS Printing, a company that previously was used to run the Copy Center, led to “absolutely no interruption of service.” When asked if Xerox’s plan was to rehire employees and if Xerox had been interviewing new prospects to fill these positions, Hayes replied, “We’re all confused.” According to Hayes, the University’s Vice President for Human Resources Scot Bemis sent an email to the now former Canon employees several weeks after the announcement came that the University had sealed its partnership with Xerox, “telling us that he had just found out about our situation,” Hayes said. “So clearly, no one in Brandeis HR had ever been informed there was going to be a possible employment issue with the staff at the Copy Center.” Bemis’ email stated that the University would allow the employees to utilize the Hiatt Career Center and other job searching resources, and that the University would help them apply for and obtain interviews for other jobs on campus, Hayes said. However, according to Hayes, Bemis wrote that he could not guarantee that they would be hired. Bemis did not respond to requests for comment to by press time. When an employee called Storti expressing his concern that none of the employees had received job offers from Xerox, Hayes said that the employee

was told to reach out to Xerox. Hayes proceeded to describe an instance during which Xerox employees were in the Copy Center looking at the space to assess which machines could be placed in the center. Hayes told the employees that the mailroom and Copy Center staff would be out of jobs, and according to Hayes, “they looked at me and sort of tilted their head and said, ‘Really?’ They didn’t know anything about it. They assumed that we were taken care of. And one particular man said, ‘I’m really glad you told us that, because that’s important and I need to get on top of that, and I’m gonna tell our HR people that right away. I’m really glad you told me.’” Almost two weeks after that, Hayes said that he was finally informed that people from Xerox were going to be interviewing the staff about possible opportunities at Xerox. Former Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid could not respond to requests for comment by press time in the Justice’s initial report, writing in an email to the Justice that “there are many issues that are not yet resolved,” which prevented her from providing a statement. The University later provided the Justice with a letter intended to explain the situation to staff and faculty from Chief Operating Officer Steve Manos, which reiterated the University’s efforts to help the nine former Canon employees who worked in the mailroom and Copy Center. According to Manos, Canon has found and offered several new positions to its employees who will be leaving Brandeis. Manos also wrote that “the [U]niversity is working closely with Canon to ensure that affected employees are treated fairly and receive transition assistance.” According to Manos, the University will provide each individual with a payment equivalent to what they would have received had they been Brandeis employees and subject to the University’s severance policy “in recognition of the service by these employees to the University community, although they were employed by another entity.” The policy provides four weeks of pay for up to two years of service, eight weeks for two to five years of service,

12 weeks for five to 10 years of service and 16 weeks for more than 10 years of service, according to Manos. However, he added that any severance provided by Canon to its employees would be offset against payments by Brandeis. Similar to Bemis’ email to the former employees, Manos also wrote that the University would allow the former employees to utilize resume, mock interview and job search support through the Hiatt Career Center and access the Brandeis Employee Assistance Program. Manos also wrote that the University would set up interviews for other jobs on campus for which they are qualified, as well as interviews with Xerox for “possible positions at Brandeis.” When asked why the University and Xerox did not guarantee positions in the turnover, Schaller wrote that “[we] cannot speak for Xerox, but the company met a while ago with the Canon employees to discuss the requirements of the new positions and to determine their qualifications. We hired Xerox for its expertise in mailroom and copy center operations, and we are not in a position to dictate how they staff and manage these services.” Although several sources who came forward to the Justice and have worked in the mailroom in the past have claimed that Xerox is planning to cut full-time employment, and that employees from the Copy Center and mailroom that worked for Canon are only being offered part-time work or temporary work, Hayes said that he could not confirm this information, especially on behalf of other employees who received offers different from his own. However, Hayes did say that “the University, through Xerox and a Xerox outsourced party, offered us jobs which were far below what we were making.” Mailroom workers are not unionized, according to Prof. Gordon Fellman (SOC) in an interview with the Justice. He said that only three groups of employees at Brandeis are unionized, including library workers, dining services employees and buildings and grounds employees. —Kathryn Brody contributed reporting.

BRANDEIS PRIDE

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

Incoming first-year students gathered for the welcome fair outside of Usdan Student Center on Sunday afternoon.

RESIDENCE LIFE

Touchette hired as director of DCL ■ The Department of

Community Living hired a new director, who took over on Aug. 11. By HANNAH WULKAN JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

On Aug. 11, Timothy Touchette took over the position of director of the Department of Community Living, after the previous director of about 10-and-a-half years Jeremy Leiferman left the University this January. Associate Dean of Student Life Maggie Balch has served as interim director since Leiferman’s departure. For the past six years Touchette has worked at Northeastern University, most recently as the associate director of housing services and operations. Touchette wrote in an email to the Justice that he made the move to Brandeis because he wanted to take the next step in his career. “The pace at Northeastern as well as the volume of students made it very difficult to get to know people. It was more transactions by nature of the flow of business,” he wrote. “Here I feel I will be able to better connect with students, staff and faculty, which will better enable me to immerse myself into the Brandeis experience.” While he said that he has been impressed with many of the facilities at Brandeis, continuing to improve residence halls is one of Touchette’s main priorities coming into the role of director. “Some of my career background is in hotel and hospitality management, so I have a keen eye for quality and clean appearance while also keeping an eye on the bottom line. I look forward to watching our facilities grow and change over my time here at Brandeis,” he explained. Touchette wrote that he is extremely excited to take on this new role at Brandeis, largely due to the people he will work with and because he looks forward to personal interactions with students. “I’m excited to be at a place that [‘gets it’] on so many levels. But most of all, I’m excited to be somewhere where everyone matters and each person has a voice,” he wrote. In addition to years of experience in higher education, Touchette also brings with him a bachelor’s degree in public and professional communications from Rhode Island College, a master’s degree in communications studies from the University of Rhode Island and a doctorate in higher education administration from Northeastern University.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

New trustee committee will focus on technology ■ The Board of Trustees will

now incorporate a committee intended to oversee library and technology services. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EDITOR

At its final meeting of the past academic year in May, the Board of Trustees approved the creation of a new committee that will focus on Library and Technology Services. According to Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff and Chief Legal

Officer David Bunis ’83 in an email to the Justice, the committee will hold its first meeting this October. University President Frederick Lawrence has already appointed both a chair and members of the committee. Jeffrey Flier will act as the chair and Curtis Tearte ’73 will act as the vice chair. Members will include Henry Aboodi ’86, Steven Bunson ’82, Daniel Elkaim ’81, Olaf Olafsson ’85, Prof. Wendy Cadge (SC) and Senior Representative to the Board Alex Thompson ’15. Vice Provost, Chief Information Officer and University Librarian John Unsworth initially requested

that the Board consider adding a committee on library and technology services, and he became involved in the formation of the committee. Unsworth wrote in an email to the Justice that he participated in a teleconference with the Audit Committee in January. “The idea of the committee came up in that context because I thought that there was an enterprise risk in these core university functions—information resources, services, and technologies—proceeding without direct governance from the Board,” he wrote. During the spring, the Audit Com-

mittee sent a recommendation to the executive committee, asking that it consider forming a standing committee on LTS, according to Unsworth. During the Board of Trustees meeting in May, the executive committee acted on this recommendation, and the full Board approved the formation of the standing committee. Unsworth added that only fragments of LTS activities have been visible to the Board despite the service constituting up to five percent of the University’s spending each year. Items under physical facilities, such as library space, network infrastructure and academic affairs

were the only LTS expenditures that were visible to the Board, according to Unsworth. “By having a committee focused on library and technology services, I think Brandeis can more strategically and more effectively manage the future development and funding of those services, and since information technology is a make-or-break component of most university systems, and information resources are the foundation of new research and scholarship, getting these things to the right level of support and funding is mission-critical,” Unsworth wrote.

THE JUSTICE

ALUMNI

Former PhD student mentioned in Foley note ■ Aafia Siddiqui’s Ph.D. ’01

name appeared in a ransom note sent to American journalist James Foley’s family. By MARISSA DITKOWSKY JUSTICE EdITor

Aafia Siddiqui Ph.D. ’01, who was suspected of having played a role in the execution and planning of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, was mentioned in the Aug. 12 ransom note that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) sent to American journalist James Foley’s family prior to beheading him. ISIS posted a video of the beheading to YouTube on Aug. 19, with a warning that the group would kill another American in captivity should America continue airstrikes in the region. Siddiqui, who lived in the Boston area for several years, earned her bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1995 and received her doctorate from Brandeis in 2001, according

to an Aug. 22 Boston Globe article. Siddiqui researched biology and neurology, the Associated Press reported in 2003. The Boston Globe reported that Siddiqui immigrated to the United States as a teenager in 1990. She later had an arranged marriage. Her family lived in the Boston area until 2002, when she returned to Pakistan and divorced her husband. She went on to marry Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s nephew Ammar al-Baluchi. Mohammed is alleged as one of the leaders behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, as well as most al-Qaida attacks between 1993 and 2003, according to a Dec. 16 CNN article. After disappearing in 2003, Siddiqui was arrested by Afghan police five years later. The Globe reported that Siddiqui had been carrying poison and chemicals often used in making bombs and detailed plans for potential weapons. When American soldiers attempted to take custody of Siddiqui in 2008, she grabbed a rifle and fired at them. Siddiqui was found guilty of attempted murder and assault in 2010. Siddiqui is

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

BRIEF Prof. Eric Chasalow (MUS) takes over as graduate dean

currently being held at the Carswell Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, the Globe reported. In the note that Foley’s family released to the public, ISIS referred to Sidiqqi as its “sister,” and noted that ISIS had offered a prisoner exchange between Siddiqi and Foley, as Siddiqi is an individual in the United States’ “detention.” “[H]owever you proved very quickly to us that this is NOT what you are interested in,” the note read. ISIS demanded 100 million euros, or about $132 million, in exchange for Foley. “You were given many chances to negotiate the release of your people via cash transactions as other governments have accepted,” the note read. Foley was abducted in Syria on Nov. 22, 2012, the New York Times reported in an Aug. 20 article. He was a freelance journalist working for GlobalPost and Agence FrancePresse. “You and your citizens will pay the price of your bombings!” the note read. “The first of which being the blood of the American citizen, James Foley!”

Prof. Eric Chasalow (MUS), a former chair of the Music department, replaced Prof. Mick Watson (PSYC) as the dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in July, according to a BrandeisNOW article posted on July 1. Watson retired in June after dedicating 37 years as a Brandeis faculty member, four of those as dean. Chasalow serves as the Irving Fine Professor of Music and is well known worldwide for his innovative compositions—namely, acoustic music that utilizes electronic sounds. Prior to this appointment, Chasalow served as a member of the Strategic Planning and Steering Committee and the Provost’s University Advisory Committee, and has also been acting as the chair of the Faculty Senate, a twoyear post. Susan Birren, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences was quoted in the article that she is excited that Chasalow accepted the position, and noted that “he has distinguished himself as a composer, advisor, teacher and member of the university community.” Birren also stated that she believes Chasalow’s “experi-

ence in graduate education, combined with his vision and drive” will continue to improve the graduate programs at the University. Birren, in Chasalow the article, noted that Watson has been wonderful in his career of “a teacher, researcher and administrator.” Before becoming dean, Watson was the George and Frances Levin Professor of Psychology and as dean, he was a key member who shaped Fulfilling the Promise: The Brandeis University Strategic Plan, a plan to enhance the learning experience at Brandeis by empowering collaborative opportunities in the University community and supporting innovative academic initiatives as well as other goals designed to maintain the high standards denoted by a Brandeis education. Chasalow did not respond to requests for comment by press time. —Kathryn Brody

FACULTY

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

Kamensky leaves position as chair ■ Prof. Jane Kamensky

(HIST) left the University after 20 years. A new department chair was selected. By KATHRYN BRODY JUSTICE EdITorIAL ASSISTANT

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

University President Frederick Lawrence spoke to new students on Sunday at the convocation ceremony at Chapels Field, giving advice to the eager first-years.

NEWS ?

Prof. Jane Kamensky (HIST) has left the University after serving as a professor at Brandeis for 20 years. Prof. David Engerman (HIST) took over as chair for the History department in her stead. The American history professor wrote in an email to the Justice that she will be taking a teaching position at Brown University as the university’s first incumbent of the Mary Ann Lippitt Chair in American History. The chair was established under the name of Mary Ann Lippitt, a pilot who worked as one of few female flight instructors before founding Lippitt Aviation following World War II, according to the Rhode Island Hall of Fame. As a member of Brown’s faculty, she wrote that she is excited about having access to many of the university’s resources, including many particular to her field of American history such as the John Carter Brown Library, the John Hay Library and the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, which also serves as Brown’s teaching museum. “It was a tough decision, but change is good for all concerned,”

K a m e n s k y wrote. She wrote that she plans to continue working with her current group of graduate students at Brandeis until they complete their dissertaKamensky tions, but otherwise will commence her teaching at Brown. Kamensky will be spending her first year at Brown on leave as Cornille Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Newhouse Center for Humanities at Wellesley College. The American history professor plans to finish her latest publication while on leave, the biography of John Singleton Copley, an American painter from the 18th century, many of whose works chronicle the history of Boston during his lifetime. The book, Copley: A Life in Color, will be published by W. W. Norton & Co. Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren wrote in an email to the Justice that since Kamensky had come to the end of her second term as chair, the History department was already in the process of selecting a new chair. “Professor Engerman was proposed by members of the History department, a recommendation that I was happy to accept,” Birren wrote. Engerman officially began his role as chair on July 1.

WANT TO WRITE FOR

Contact Marissa Ditkowsky at news@thejustice.org

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

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THE JUSTICE

BEAUTIFUL BEGINNINGS

BRIEF University hosts conference on opioid abuse in New England Amid what some experts are calling epidemic levels of opioid abuse in New England, researchers at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management have joined forces with several state governors to search for a solution. The Heller School was originally selected in 2010 by the Department of Justice as the home of an initiative to reduce prescription drug abuse and diversion, called the prescription drug monitoring program Center for Excellence. A training and technical assistance grant from the Bureau of Justice at the DOJ helped the center begin its work according to a March 29, 2010 BrandeisNOW article. The purpose of the center was originally to “develop an informational clearinghouse and help to identify best practices in prescription monitoring, while serving as a forum to exchange ideas and foster partnerships that increase PMP effectiveness,” the article explained. On June 17 of this year, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick visited the University along with Governors Lincoln Chafee, D-R.I.; Maggie Hassan,

D–N.H.; Peter Shumlin, D–Vt. and Dannel P. Malloy, D-Conn. The governors’ visit was coupled with Patrick’s announcement of a partnership between the officials and two Brandeis staff members—senior scientist at the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Principal Investigator at the Center for Excellence Peter Kreiner and the Director of the Center of Excellence John Eadie—according to a June 17 BrandeisNOW article. The collaboration between the Center for Excellence and the governors has warranted national media attention, and is a relationship that, as a June 18 New York Times article explained, will be expanding. Further collaborative efforts look to include Maine Governor Paul LePage. The researchers at Brandeis showed the governors maps indicating that areas with high levels of prescription drug abuse frequently showed high levels of heroin abuse after three years, the New York Times reported. The center will continue to aid the governors in analyzing data for their states. —Rachel Hughes

BRIEF Retired art history professor passes away at the age of 85 Associate Professor Emerita of Art History Elaine P. Loeffler passed away on Feb. 5 of this year at the Hattie Ide Chaffee Home in East Providence, R.I. She was 85. News of Loeffler’s death reached Brandeis belatedly, Provost Steve Goldstein ’78 wrote in a June 17 email to members of the faculty and staff, adding that she had no surviving family. “She is remembered as an extraordinary teacher and delightful colleague,” wrote Goldstein. “[She was] quick and witty, as well as knowledgeable, and with a special ability to inspire her students.” A May 11 obituary published in the Providence Journal noted that

while she was born in Rochester, N.Y, Loeffler spent much of her professional career at Universities throughout New England. After graduating from Smith College in 1950, she worked as an archaeologist and then became the chief curator of the Rhode Island School of Design Museum in Providence, according to the obituary. In 1967, Loeffler came to Waltham, where she taught art history to generations of Brandeis students until her retirement in 1990. A graveside service was held in May at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence. —Tate Herbert

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

First-years moving into Massell Quad take a break and get to know their neighbors at a picnic table by Massell Pond on Sunday afternoon, shortly after arriving on campus.

BRIEF Prof. Jané Kondev (PHYS) awarded grant to promote interdisciplinary research among undergraduates In order to promote interdisciplinary undergraduate research in the sciences, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute awarded one million dollars Kondev to Prof. Jané Kondev (PHYS) in June. The HHMI gave grants to 15 professors around the country this year; each professor will receive their award over the next five years. According to the institute’s website, the grants are offered to professors in order to “integrate their research with student learning in ways that enhance undergraduate students’ understanding of science.”

After applying in summer 2013, Kondev went through a process that involved submitting a resume detailing his research and teaching accomplishments along with a project proposal. After being chosen as one of 30 finalists from a pool of between 100 to 200 applicants, he traveled to HHMI headquarters in Chevy Chase, Md. and presented his proposal. “I was incredibly lucky to have been chosen from among many excellent scientists that applied,” Kondev wrote in an email to the Justice. Kondev wrote that he plans to start an undergraduate science community on campus in order to foster work between the different scientific fields. He added that he hopes students will work on common scientific problems while utilizing the different perspectives offered by the

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different sciences. “Interdisciplinary research at the [doctoral] level is a strength for which Brandeis is recognized around the world,” Kondev wrote. “Unfortunately I think our undergraduates do not benefit from this and my hope is that the new program will change this.” Kondev wrote that he hopes his program reaches a steady state of about 20 students within a few years and continues at that pace. He also hopes that it can serve as an example and that other schools will follow suit in creating similar interdisciplinary programs. “Brandeis is an amazing place to do science and I hope we continue to attract an amazing cadre of talented students interested in pursuing one of our science majors,” Kondev wrote. —Hannah Wulkan

THE JUSTICE

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

PROTOCOL: University’s handling of sexual assault case proves unsystematic CONTINUED FROM 1 ter and expressed their own concerns about the results of the process. According to Babeu, the accused student sexually assaulted him multiple times over Babeu’s first two years at Brandeis, but he did not officially report these incidents until Jan. 14, 2014. The University’s procedure for handling sexual assault cases involving students—the Special Examiner’s Process, by which an external investigator determines who is responsible for committing violations—was initiated in response to this report. At the conclusion of this process, the University determines what sanctions are placed on the guilty party. In Babeu’s case, the process, which is estimated to take 60 days according to Brandeis’ Rights and Responsibilities handbook, was not completed until May 30, spanning over four months in total. According to the accused student, upon counsel’s advice, he initially filed his own CSR with the University against Babeu for false claims, invasion of personal privacy—as he “considered this investigation to be a violation of that privacy”—and sexual harassment, although he dropped this claim one week later, leaving only concerns filed regarding false claims and invasion of privacy. The letter addressed to Babeu, which was dated May 30, 2014 and signed by Dean of Academic Services Lisa Boes, stated that the accused student was found guilty of “physical harm, invasion of personal privacy, consent and sexual misconduct, taking advantage of someone’s incapacitation, lack of consent and sexual harassment.” Following a June 24 Justice article chronicling these two students’ experiences with the University’s Special Examiner’s Process, as well as articles appearing in the Boston Globe, Huffington Post and the Washington Post reporting on the same case, the Univer-

sity provided clarification for the Justice regarding its handling of the case and execution of its procedure.

Rights and Responsibilities

Dean of Students Jamele Adams sent an email on Saturday to the Brandeis community to explain that “extensive” revisions will be made to the sections regarding sexual misconduct and the Special Examiner's Process for the 2014 to 2015 handbook. However, he wrote that “[w]hile these revisions do not impact the spirit of our code, they are so extensive that editing is not yet complete.” Until the handbook is updated, the University will follow the 2013 to 2014 handbook, Adams wrote. He added that once the handbook is updated, it will be sent to students via email and will be posted online. Adams did not respond to requests for comment on what changes students should anticipate and if there is a timeline in place by press time. Former Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid noted in an email to the Justice several changes in the way that the University has handled sexual misconduct cases over the past few years. As recent as the 2011 to 2012 academic year, De Graffenreid wrote, the Student Conduct Board ran the sexual misconduct process. “Students on that board expressed grave concerns about being responsible for conducting hearings regarding sexual misconduct,” she wrote. Finally, in 2012, the University introduced the Special Examiner’s Process for sexual misconduct cases, which utilizes a special examiner who is brought in from outside the University. Brandeis also adopted a “preponderance of the evidence” standard at this time, “adhering closely to the Department of Education’s instructions,” de Graffenreid wrote. As the process was introduced, decisions about the

outcomes of cases were left to the dean of students and the vice president for student affairs “but without a Conduct Board, faculty members raised concerns about decisions being made by a single individual,” she wrote. In 2013, the University changed the process and left the decision-making role—that of the senior student affairs officer—to the senior vice president for students and enrollment, who can also select a designee to handle the case. This senior student affairs officer or a designee works with a panel of three staff and faculty members that recommend sanctions. However, according to Rights and Responsibilities handbook, the senior student affairs officer or designee also selects these panel members. “No process on such complex matters will be perfect, and universities are not designed as criminal justice systems. That being said, the process that has been established at Brandeis exemplifies the best practices as they are currently understood,” de Graffenreid wrote.

Who Makes the Decisions

De Graffenreid described a specific protocol regarding who is selected to help carry out the process. According to de Graffenreid, “[t]he individuals that Brandeis has identified for the examiner role have usually been external to Brandeis, and attorneys with deep experience in conducting investigations into sexual misconduct.” Director of Student Rights and Community Standards Dean Gendron oversees the receipt of CSRs and refers them to either the Student Conduct Process or the Special Examiner’s Process depending upon the nature of the report, de Graffenreid wrote. In most cases, the Special Examiner’s Process is coordinated by the Dean of Students Office, which reports to the SVP for students and enrollment.

LAFARR: Health Center to undergo multiple changes CONTINUED FROM 1 director of the PCC, which is a brand new position created to “oversee all clinical matters” at the PCC. Furthermore, the PCC has hired a new psychologist, Kristin Huang, who specializes in trauma and sexual violence. Huang has recently completed a postdoctoral clinical fellowship focusing on post-traumatic stress disorder at the Veterans Administration Boston Healthcare System. She has also worked with veterans struggling with sexual trauma as well as other forms of trauma. LaFarr also wrote that this summer he will “make offers to additional therapists.” So far, he reported that he has hired five new part-time clinicians and is looking for a sixth. The health and wellness facilities have also undergone a technological revamping over the summer. Students will be able to check in via iPads and schedule appointments online through Titanium, an electronic medical record system that is designed for use by college counseling centers. According to LaFarr, “the PCC had purchased Titanium a couple of years ago, [however,] the entire package had not been implemented and is now fully implemented.” He wrote in the email that he hopes that the program will “speed up the check in process and give students more efficient service.” In the coming year, LaFarr wrote that the PCC will “continue work to train faculty in student support in the classroom,” which includes recognizing signs of distress in their students and knowing how to go about supporting those students. The PCC will also expand its group program offerings, he wrote, which include meditation and mindfulness, as well as an emotion management

group and a group focused on working through trauma. Along with changes in staffing, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel sent an email to the Brandeis community last Thursday with updates on additional changes that have occurred with the Health Center and the PCC. Although LaFarr said in an interview with the Justice that the University’s health plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, which students must have if they do not have an alternate and comparable private insurance plan, has remained relatively similar compared to last year. LaFarr said that any changes in coverage have been on the state level in compliance with state regulations, and not at the University level. The University, however, will be implementing an insurance billing system in the fall “that will eliminate, in most instances, students having to pay out-of-pocket expenses for primary care services,” according to Flagel’s email. The University will bill students’ insurance companies for all services, and students will have to present their insurance cards at every appointment. Because students are paying to fund the Health Center contract as a part of student fees, the University will pay for co-payments, co-insurance or deductibles of both private and University insurance plans after the student’s insurance plan has been billed, according to the email. “The school is simply able to off set some of the costs of health services by collecting reimbursement from insurance agencies for covered services,” wrote Nurse Manager and Administrative Director of the Health Center Diana Denning in an email to the Justice on how the University will recapture these funds.

One of the critiques in the review of the University’s health services included burdens placed on graduate students. The University has now expanded all services to graduate students and removed the additional graduate student health fee. LaFarr said in an interview with the Justice that services for graduate students were “harder to access with private plans and sometimes involved paying a co-pay.” The University will now cover graduate students as they cover undergraduate students, and graduate students also had the option of taking the University insurance plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Although non-University insurance plans must comply with their respective rules, the one exception, according to LaFarr, remains the 12 free sessions at the PCC. Graduate students will now be allowed 12 free sessions as well, as opposed to having to pay through insurance from session one, according to LaFarr. After 12 sessions, however, all students must pay through insurance for counseling. In regard to the University's psychological counseling coverage plan, LaFarr said that “[i]t’s a very generous plan.” Flagel’s email also noted additional benefits to students including no outof-pocket expenses for vaccinations or emergency contraception and access to physicians or nurse practitioners by appointment for all students presenting for illness, injury or routine preventative exams. In addition, electronic health records will be implemented for easier access, and improvements will be made for appointment scheduling and access, as well as to insurance services, insurance billing and electronic records management.

She added that the designee is often a member of the Dean of Students Office, although the SVP for students and enrollment or another staff member may also act as the decision maker. “Efforts are made to have a Designee handling no more than one case at a time, and to select a Designee who is not strongly engaged with principal parties to the case,” de Graffenreid wrote. As reported in the June 24 Justice article, according to the accused student, Adams recused himself from involvement in the Special Examiner’s Process for that particular case because he knew both students involved in the case. However, the accused student claimed that Adams “didn’t properly follow protocol” and continued to send restrictions to him by email as part of a no contact order after subsequent CSRs were filed by Babeu. In an interview with the Justice, as reported in the June 24 article, Sexual Assault and Prevention Specialist Sheila McMahon expressed that her understanding was that Boes was appointed as the designee in this particular case because other administrators knew the students personally and it would “not be appropriate” for them to make the final decision as to the sanctions or punishments.

Appealing the Decision

The accused student wrote that he planned to appeal the University’s decision, as reported in the June 24 article. He claimed that the University “ignored” several of his statements and witnesses whom he presented during the Special Examiner’s Process. He wrote in an email to the Justice that he believes he “was found responsible for these instances with little regard for any fairness during the process.” The student noted several procedural errors that he plans to appeal, such as a lack of hearing on issues not under

the Special Examiner’s Process that he claims should have been subject to the Student Conduct Board. According to a July 3 letter from Boes provided to the Justice by Babeu, the University Appeals Board on Student Conduct convened twice to discuss the decision, and found no basis for the appeal. The case, according to the letter, has therefore been concluded. The appeals process requires that the UAB submit “opinions, thoughts, and suggestions about the appeal” to the senior student affairs officer or designee, according to the Rights and Responsibilities handbook. However, the senior student affairs officer or designee will “retain the discretion to amend or uphold the original final decision,” as described in the Rights and Responsibilities handbook. According to de Graffenreid, the dean of students selects faculty and staff members to serve on the UAB, and staff or faculty members involved in the case may not serve on the UAB. Student members of the UAB do not participate in the Special Examiner’s Process. Although it was reported in the June 24 article that McMahon said that she was asked questions throughout the Special Examiner’s Process, she has no role in the decision process for assigning sanctions. McMahon described her role as “separate from the judicial process,” primarily due to the fact that her role is to support students and being involved in the process would be a conflict of interest. However, she remains the sole sexual assault and prevention specialist on campus. De Graffenreid wrote that “[t]he Brandeis conduct process is led by individuals who care deeply about our students, and have committed their lives to their safety, development and success.”

FOCUS ON CONSENT

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

Sheila McMahon, the sexual assault and prevention specialist, led the first ever first-year orientation program to bring light to the importance of consent.

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THE JUSTICE

VERBATIM | WILLA CATHER What was any art but a mold to imprison for a moment the shining elusive element which is life itself—life hurrying past us, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose.

ON THIS DAY…

FUN FACT

In 1970, Betty Friedan leads a nation-wide Women’s Strike for Equality.

Billboards have been banned in the state of Vermont for over 45 years.

Legendary Professor Passes The late Prof. Emeritus Allen Grossman Ph.D. ’60 (ENG) leaves a monumental legacy By JAIME KAISER JUSTICE EDITOR

Brandeis Prof. Emeritus Allen Grossman Ph.D. ’60 (ENG) passed away in Chelsea, Mass. on Friday, June 27 at the age of 82 as a result of Alzheimer’s complications. The late professor had a monumental impact in shaping the humanities at Brandeis, was an accomplished poet and inspiring mentor to his students. Grossman was born in 1932 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received his doctorate at Brandeis in 1960, and began teaching here while he was still a graduate student. He went on to join the Brandeis faculty, where he remained for the next three decades. In 1991, he became the Andrew W. Mellon professor of humanities at Johns Hopkins University, where he taught until his retirement in 2005. Prof. William Flesch (ENG) started teaching at Brandeis in 1985, when Grossman was a senior faculty member. In an interview with the Justice, Flesch described Grossman, saying, “It was like talking to a Hebrew prophet a little bit, talking to him. And he had a sense of humor, but what he didn’t have was irony about himself. ... Most brilliant people are disappointed in the world and the way they handle that disappointment is by being ironic, but he wasn’t and he didn’t.” Grossman came to epitomize not only the English department but also the humanities at the University more broadly. In an address to incoming students, a 30-year-old

Grossman described the humanities as, in a sense, “a means of coming to life by way of the dead.” Prof. John Burt (ENG) explained that Grossman was “instrumental” in shaping a year-long introductory humanities course called “University Studies in Humanities,” or UHUM for short, required for new students from 1981 to 1991. The first semester dealt with classical and biblical literature and the second with literature after the fall of the Roman Empire. The first-year students who landed in the UHUM section taught by Grossman had no idea they were audience to one of the most legendary professors to set foot on campus. They were in for an experience that, for many, would define their Brandeis education. Paul Solman ’66, former Justice Editor In Chief and the business and economics correspondent for PBS NewsHour, reflected on the sense of awe he felt under the late professor’s tutelage. As an underclassman, Solman took a course with Grossman predominantly focused on Irish literature. It was when he witnessed Grossman casually describe Irish poet William Butler Yeates as being on the “thither side of the eschatological watershed” that he realized how fortunate he was to have snagged a seat in Grossman’s classroom. “It was a parenthetical statement, it wasn’t part of the lecture,” said Solman. “I realized I was in the presence of an intellect that I could only dream ... of fully understanding.” In some cases, his students quite

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROBERT D. FARBER UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES & SPECIAL COLLECTIONS DEPARTMENT

POET AND SCHOLAR: Professor Allen Grossman was a passionate lecturer and met with each on of his students individually. literally did not understand him. Grossman had an unusual accent that, according to Solman, was a means of learning to speak around a speech impediment. In one famous instance, a student from Grossman’s 19th century literature class turned in a paper that

ACCOMPLISHED TEACHER: The late professor Grossman is the author of several volumes of critically acclaimed lyric poetry.

used the phrase “fantasy echo.” “[Grossman] breaks down at times, because he would be so overcome by a phrase in a poem that he would just experience it while you were listening to him,” said Solman. Such a moment occurred when Grossman read this bizarre phrase in one of his student’s essays. As it turned out, the student had not come up with the phrase at all —he’d borrowed it from a phrase he heard Grossman himself say in a lecture. He’d been saying “fin de siecle,” a French phrase meaning end of the century, commonly used to reference the cultural spirit of the late 19th century. Grossman found himself easily enamored with poetry in part because he experienced it as something of a secular religion. However, unlike many others, who see poetry as a means of quasi-religious worship, Grossman was also “insistent on poetry’s intellectual content,” said Flesch. Grossman made poetry a vital piece of Brandeis. “His poetry readings were hugely important cultural events,” wrote Burt in an email to the Justice. Burt also suggested that the strong focus the current incarnation of the Brandeis English department places on poetry is a result of Grossman’s influence. According to the Poetry Foundation’s biography on Grossman, he “did not align himself with any one poetic community. Instead, his poetry is often described as coming out of the modern Romantic tradition of lyric poetry, and he writes

in a high style, reflecting the influence of William Butler Yeats, Wallace Stevens, and Hart Crane.” Among his many awards are the Bassine Citation of the Academy of American Poets, the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Award, the Witter Bynner Prize and a nomination for the National Book Critics Circle Award for his book The Ether Dome (1992). In 2009, he was awarded the Bollingen Prize, one of the most prestigious poetry prizes in the country. In some ways, the humanities legacy Grossman worked to instill in the University has fizzled. The University studies of humanities program ended the same year Grossman left. There continues to be a University humanities requirement, but it doesn’t provide the depth of grounding in Western literary culture that the UHUM program provided. Yet Burt explained that everyone who graduated after taking the course cited it as something valuable. Grossman met individually with nearly every one of his students and was a legendary figure in academic poetic spheres as well as among his students. “Grossman was an utter phenomenon,” Solman said. “If you had any intellectual pretensions, you had to take a course with him.” Grossman is survived by his second wife, the former Judith Spink PhD. ’60, sons Lev, Austin, Jon and Adam, a daughter Bathsheba, six grandchildren and a great-grandson.

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A CIRCLE, NOT POLARITY: students participating in the al-Quds dialogue initiative that took place in israel over the summer circle up for a intercultural group discussion. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CATIE STEWART

Kinship across s r b a r ri e By ROSE GITTELL Justice editorial assistant

How much responsibility do you have to the culture in which you live? If Brandeis students turn their heads and choose not to see what is uncomfortable, will this perpetuate a culture of ignorance within the American Jewish community? Eli Philip ’15 and Catie Stewart ’16, founders of the Al-Quds Student Dialogue Initiative, believe that this is the case. This June, Stewart and Philip led a five-day intensive trip for a group of Brandeis students to visit Al-Quds University, a Palestinian university with locations in Jerusalem, Abu Dis and the Central West Bank, with the hope that while administrators may let these precarious ties slip, students would find a foothold before it was too late. Stewart believes this foothold will be gained through young people focusing on what they have in common. “We [at Al-Quds and Brandeis] are all students, we’re all young, we’re all doing the same things every day. Despite different ideologies, we are able to move past obvious discomfort and engage on a personal level,” Stewart said. This seemingly insurmountable discomfort stems from the administrative friction that occurred in November 2013 following an Islamic Jihad-affiliated political rally on the Al-Quds campus and the subsequent response of Sari Nusseibeh, the recently-retired president of Al-Quds. Nusseibeh called media coverage of

Catie Stewart ’16 and Eli Philip ’15 built dialogue between Al-Quds and Brandeis students despite larger tensions

the rally a “vilification campaign by Jewish extremists,” a characterization that University President Frederick Lawrence deemed intolerable when he suspended the decade-long partnership between the two universities. Brandeis’ official statement on the issue read: “While Brandeis has an unwavering commitment to open dialogue on difficult issues, we are also obliged to recognize intolerance when we see it, and we cannot—and will not turn a blind eye to intolerance.” Lawrence’s decision exposed dissension within the Brandeis community towards not only the practical and moral nature of such a controversial partnership, but also the longdisputed role of American Jews in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Stewart’s hope for kinship despite deep ideological differences was the spirit upon which the former partnership was founded. The partnership was founded in 2003 to act as a symbol of cooperation and peace between Jews and Palestinians during the second intifada. Philip, who was living in Israel, recalls a precarious time. “There was terrorism, the mood was very different, very intense. Negotiation in that region did not exist. Creating, and standing by, this unprecedented partnership required very bold leaders,” Philip said. These bold leaders were Nusseibeh and President Emeritus Jehuda Reinharz. In a series of conferences taking place in 2003, they formed an unprecedented link between an Arab

UNIVERSAL EMOTION: al-Quds student dialogue initiative participants took turns drawing their emotions during a peace-building workshop, eliminating language barriers.

institution in Jerusalem and a Jewish-sponsored American institution. Funded initially by the Ford Foundation, this partnership involved administrative exchange and academic exchange. Following the events of November 2013, partnership founder Nusseibeh was asked to step down from the international advisory board of the Brandeis Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, an action which heightened Stewart’s urgency toward this issue. To Stewart and Philip, Nusseibeh and his academic community represent the most secular and moderate sector of Palestinian politics—Stewart feels that if we cannot find common ground in this liberal academic environment, there is little hope for Jewish-Palestinian relations in a broader context. “[Nusseibeh] is really well-respected in Israel, really well-respected in America. If we can’t get along with him, I’m just disappointed. There is justified discomfort, but we have to find ways to move past that, or else the divides between us will continue to grow,” said Stewart. Stewart and Philip’s sincere admiration for these leaders does not take convincing—they embodied Reinharz and Nusseibeh during their stay at Al-Quds, doggedly seeking out difficult dialogue. Discussion topics ranged from Palestinian prisoners to the Holocaust, to anything that was on their mind—the crux being they were talking at all, close enough to read each other’s facial expressions,

to reach out and touch an arm. In addition, the group participated in structured team-building activities and workshops led by students and professors from both universities, including Brandeis professor Susan Lanser (ENG). During their stay, which was sponsored by a Davis Projects for Peace Prize—a grant for projects which address the root cause of conflicts worldwide—Stewart and Philip witnessed how deep the Al-Quds and Brandeis ties ran. “Many of the faculty members at Al-Quds have long professional relationships and friendships with Brandeis professors, and have spent a lot of time at Brandeis. They saw the partnership as something very solid,” Philip said. Before the events of Nov. 2013, Philip was not aware of the partnership, but it became evident to him how important the relationship was to the students of Al-Quds. “They saw Brandeis as an ideal—as a Jewish and American institution that believed in social justice, and promoted equality, and whose ideals were in line with those of Al-Quds. To have the partnership severed, and to have it happen in the way that it did, was very disappointing for the students at Al-Quds,” Philip said. Yasmeen Khatib, an Al-Quds student, shared with the Justice a letter that she wrote to Lawrence after the Al-Quds Student Dialogue Initiative. “Our discussions were governed by understanding, as we created during our meetings a small community,” she wrote. “But, who can help us

achieve this holy mission? Who is responsible for helping us?” Khatib’s letter expresses the same urgency Stewart and Philip feel. However, they acknowledge the difficulties of such a task—engaging in dialogue with people whose ideologies differ dramatically from their own. “I don’t blame people who find it really difficult to have this type of dialogue. I find it difficult,” Stewart said. “Especially as someone who identifies as a Zionist, who grew up in an American Jewish community, I really want Israel to be perfect. It’s hard to accept that Israel is perpetuating an occupation, that Israel does things that are not right.” Stewart argues that there is a way to care about Jewish issues but remain empathetic to the plight of humans everywhere. “To me, being pro-Israel encompasses being proPalestine,” said Stewart. “If we want to see Israel be the best it can be, that means being pro-Palestinian. I would love it if everyone on campus understood that.” Al-Quds Student Dialogue Initiative was founded upon the belief that the difference between tolerance and intolerance is simple: It’s a matter of meeting someone, face-to-face. “It’s easy to not think about what is happening on the ground. But when you go there, you can’t not feel how important this is,” Stewart said. “If our top administrators traveled there, and had the same face-to-face interaction that we had, they would come to the same conclusion that we did.”

ACADEMIC PRECEDENT: dialogue founders catie stewart ’16 (left) and eli Philip ’15 (right), al-Quds president imad abukishek and former president sari nusseibeh were instrumental in the success of the al-Quds Peace Prize

10 TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014 ● THE JUSTICE

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Justice

Brandeis University

Established 1949

Rachel Hughes, Editor in Chief Tate Herbert, Senior Editor Glen Chagi Chesir, Managing Editor Sam Mintz, Deputy Editor Jessie Miller and Olivia Pobiel, Associate Editors Marissa Ditkowsky, News Editor Jaime Kaiser, Features Editor Max Moran, Forum Editor Avi Gold, Sports Editor Emily Wishingrad, Arts Editor Morgan Brill, Photography Editor Rebecca Lantner, Layout Editor Brittany Joyce, Copy Editor

Fully evaluate sexual assault charges In response to student demands for more effective sexual assault services on campus, most notably through a petition by Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence, a slew of changes to campus services have been announced for the fall 2014 semester. As outlined by Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel in an email to students on Thursday, the changes include establishing a student-run Rape Crisis Center, creating a new website to increase awareness for sexual assault services and conducting bystander training sessions for staff and student leadership groups, such as community advisors and orientation leaders. This board supports these new preventative measures and services to combat sexual assault on campus. However, we urge administrators and students involved in these services to recognize that sexual assault is an issue as complex as it is personal and emotionally charged; incidents do not always fit a clear, black-and-white narrative of perpetrator and victim, and our campus services must be prepared to handle such cases. Over the summer break, a student posted a letter he’d received from Dean of Academic Services Lisa Boes on Facebook, which was meant to conclude a sexual assault case the student had filed in January. The letter stated that despite the student’s attacker being found responsible for, among other things, “physical harm, consent and sexual misconduct,” and “lack of consent,” the attacker would receive no punitive measures besides a “disciplinary warning” and an “educational assessment.” Furthermore, the letter was dated May 30, 2014, meaning it took almost six months for the student’s case to be decided, as opposed to the 60 days at most the process is meant to take. Despite the months-long complaint process, very little is still clear about the case; somehow, both accuser and accused attest to feeling unsatisfied with the conclusion reached by the administration, and this

Consider all angles is unacceptable. Moreover, this board wonders how a student can be both found guilty of a “lack of consent” and “physical harm,” yet only be reprimanded with glorified warnings. In the few cases of sexual assault from the past few years whose results this board is aware of, the University has not shown a history of light sentencing. Assuming no ulterior motives on the University’s behalf, we must assume the details or circumstances of this case differentiated this from those preceding. The details of the case imply a lack of a clear answer; there may be gray between the black and white. Situations like this are likely to occur again in a community as small as ours. And regardless of the verdict, there are complaints from both parties involved that are distressing. Both students reported to multiple news outlets that they were often confused by and unclear on rules throughout the process; the case dragged on for almost three times as long as it should have, according to the guidelines in the 2013 to 2014 Rights and Responsibilities handbook; and the seemingly contradictory ruling and punishment left many questions unanswered. These are issues that contribute to a cultural fear of reporting sexual assault to universities—a fear the University is trying to quell. When students file sexual assault reports and seek out counseling, they are placing a tremendous amount of trust in the University to handle one of the most heinous crimes of which one can be a victim. The University must make sure that this trust is not misplaced, while also deciphering the hard call to do what is appropriate, and not necessarily popular. As the administration prepares to release an updated community code of conduct with extensive revisions on sections covering sexual misconduct, we hope that the updated policies will improve this crucial process.

GABRIELA YESHUA/the Justice

Views the News on

This past summer, Israel launched a military campaign within the Gaza of three Israeli teenagers. Beginning on July 8 with an aerial bombing

has killed an estimated 2,016 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians, and 67 Israelis, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Multiple efforts at peace talks have failed, after Hamas and other militant groups launched rockets on Israeli cities. The war has made tens of thousands of Palestinians homeless, sends Israeli families to bomb shelters routinely and has received massive international media coverage. How and

Prof. Avigdor Levy (NEJS) Regrettably, I do not see this conflict concluding any time soon. It seems to have degenerated into an asymmetric war of attrition, which might last for months, perhaps years. Hamas fires rockets and mortar shells at Israel indiscriminately and Israel responds with assassinations and bombings of Hamas facilities. Although Hamas’ arsenal has been degraded, it still has 3,000 rockets by some estimates and it continues to manufacture its own low-grade missiles. As long as it can, it will fire them at Israel. Hamas is bolstered by its ideology which calls for the destruction of Israel by divine command, by funding from several Middle Eastern countries and by the sympathy around the world at the sight of the large numbers of civilian casualties. This is why Hamas places their rocket launchers among the civilian population as human shields, although there are plenty of sparsely-populated areas in the Gaza Strip. Israel may have to resort again to limited ground operations and hold some strategically-important areas. Prof. Avigdor Levy (NEJS) teaches “Jews in the World of Islam.”

Prof. Ilan Troen ’63 (NEJS) The number of civilian casualties on either side is not the measure of right or wrong. Nor can the facile invocation of occupation extenuate terrorism. Hamas is designated “terrorist” by the U.S., Japan, Egypt and others. Its methods have matured from explosives strapped to suicide bombers to launching missiles against civilians. It uses fellow Palestinians as human shields, breaks cease-fires and cynically accuses Israel with human rights abuses even as it blatantly engages in them. Unchecked, Hamas will surely do worse. Hamas defines its program as authentically Islamic. This profoundly anti-Semitic organization endorses Jihad, not Islam, opposes a two-state solution and a democratic state. Like its Middle Eastern cousins, Hamas seeks an Islamic polity in which respect for diversity is a non-starter. Unless Gaza is disarmed and the Palestinian National Authority returns, I can expect to spend more summers in my home bomb shelter in Israel’s Negev as misplaced calls for proportionality seek to limit legitimate response. Prof. Ilan Troen ’63 (NEJS) is the Stoll professor of Israel studies and director of the Schusterman Center for Israel studies.

Protect professors’ free speech rights

This July, many Brandeisians may have been surprised to see a fellow classmate, Daniel Mael ’15, publishing the contents of a long-running faculty listserv on Breitbart.com—the springboard for an outpouring of media attention from online publications such as the Washington Free Beacon, the Daily Caller and TruthRevolt. Selections from the “Concerned” faculty listserv, in which professors commented on subjects ranging from Israel to Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s potential commencement appearance, contained some offensive and inflammatory remarks. In a letter to faculty in response to these remarks, University President Frederick Lawrence characterized the remarks as “anti-Semitic epithets, personal attacks, denigration of the Catholic faith, and the use of crude and vulgar terms in discussions about Israel.” Over the summer, students, alumni and parents proceeded to mull the question: To what level of respectful discourse must we hold faculty? While hate speech and derogatory remarks should certainly not be endorsed or protected by the University, a professor’s right to free speech does not expire when they enter the campus gates. A university is a place for the free exchange of ideas, and only serious transgressions merit the interruption of that exchange. In this sense, it is a good thing

Uphold respectful debate that Brandeis employs a faculty with a broad range of opinions and ideas—as long as those opinions and ideas do not diverge into hate speech. Unfortunately, some of the “Concerned” emails crossed that line. We urge the community to join us in condemning those remarks, and rather rededicate ourselves to respectful debate. Our support for free speech extends to both faculty and students. Both have a right to a safe space at Brandeis to express themselves; there must be room for dissent and respectful discussion. We hope those faculty who regularly contribute to the “Concerned” listserv understand this necessity. While this board regrets that such remarks, made by a handful of faculty members over several years, has caused immediate pain and damage to the University as a whole, we applaud Lawrence’s response. And, in the spirit of free speech, we agree with his statement that “it is necessary for us all to take responsibility for debating and challenging opinions with which we disagree in a full, open, civil and decent manner.” We invite our fellow students to knock on their professor’s door and do just that.

Eli Philip ’15 With the current war in Gaza, every Israeli child has now survived three wars and thousands of rockets or airstrikes. Following the same failed strategy of military campaigns has not made Israeli citizens any safer. Moreover, the wars have decimated Gaza’s infrastructure and economy, not to mention the hundreds of innocents killed. In order to provide safety to the residents of south Israel, the Israeli government must change its policies. Short term, Israel’s closures on Gaza—essentially banning all imports and exports—must be eased, alleviating the humanitarian crisis and instilling a sense of hope for the people of Gaza. In the long run, Israel must engage seriously with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and reach a deal which addresses borders and other key issues. Only this will ensure children in the Holy Land grow up in a world of peace. Eli Philip ’15 is the co-founder of the Brandeis University - Al-Quds University Student Dialogue Initiative.

Zachary Anziska ’16 This summer’s escalation of violence only reinforces the urgency for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through direct negotiations to achieve a two-state solution. Hamas’ rocket attacks and Israel’s response to them, which led to civilian causalities, only harm those in Gaza and in Israel who want to live in peace. As proIsrael students who are deeply concerned about Israel’s security, as well as its Jewish, democratic character—which has been threatened by a disturbing increase in racism and radicalism over the past several weeks—we know that there is no military or short-term solution to this conflict. We must not return to the status quo, but instead work for a better future for Israelis and Palestinians through a long-term, political solution. Only then can the cycle of violence be broken, so that another escalation does not happen again in another two years. Zachary Anziska ’16 is co-president of J Street U Brandeis.

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End partisan culture in Washington to refocus government Catherine

ROSCH THE CYNICAL IDEALIST

This summer, I was lucky enough to intern in Washington, D.C. for Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, my hometown representative from California’s Bay Area. It wasn’t my first time interning for a member of Congress; I did work for a senator last summer, but in her San Francisco office. I knew what to expect as an intern, but not what to expect out of D.C. I went in armed with several blazers, a C-SPAN addiction and two seasons of House of Cards under my belt. A quick disclosure: Because of the nature of my internship, I heard, saw and worked on a lot of things that are either still active legislation that is being debated and voted on or just can’t really be shared until after the 2014 midterms and beyond. One thing I can share? Paul Ryan is, in fact, gorgeous enough that I started questioning my belief in the social safety net and a woman’s right to choose. But something was nagging at me all summer. Thanks to House of Cards, my parents thought that living and working in D.C. would make me a cynical, ruthless person. I wasn’t so worried. After all, I’m already about as jaded as a white liberal elite girl can be. How on Earth could I become more pessimistic about the state of our highly dysfunctional political system? Much as I loved working on the Hill, I’ve realized I am more cynical, more suspicious, more partisan—the exact opposite of what I thought and hoped would happen. That makes me nervous, especially since this is what I plan on doing for the rest of my life. I want to be a staffer, a wonk, to help write policy and work for elected officials. The thing is, even if you try, it’s just so hard to avoid the toxic culture of hyper-partisanship and frustration that Congress produces. Anything, even the most uncontroversial bill with wide bipartisan support, like legislation to help veterans pay off student loans, can

MOZELLE SHAMASH-ROSENTHAL/the Justice

suddenly get shut down over petty debate. Somehow, legislation can become a battle about how something as uncontroversial as expanding research for vector-based diseases is government overreach. The things that need to be addressed get kicked down the road. Brinksmanship, not bipartisanship, is seen as more important. Even when I stood by my party decrying the lack of humanity being shown to teenage migrants, I couldn’t help but wonder if mocking the other side was the most productive way to spend the last day of a Congressional session. And it’s impossible to escape. I went to a briefing on domestic human trafficking, an issue that you think everyone would want to combat, and the questions become vitriolic: Republicans attacking Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth, Democrats claiming the Republicans are against victims of human trafficking. I went to supposedly non-partisan

intern lectures and had to sit through people on both sides of the aisle demonizing the other party when the speakers explicitly say they won’t answer political questions. Without realizing it, you become part of that culture. You get annoyed when members of the other party want to sign onto a bill or letter your boss is working on. You roll your eyes and doodle on a notepad, only feigning interest when a constituent calls in with legitimate concerns. You don’t care that your boss is an outlier in that she reads and hand-signs every single thing that leaves the office. It’s just the way the world is, and you try not to think about it too much on the weekends or when you are at home. It’s scary, realizing you’ve found the one thing that makes you tick and that it is going to make you a horrible person, the very sort of person you are afraid of becoming. It scares me to know that after only two months

at this, I’m already on the road to becoming the worst part of Washington, the cynical insider who has no faith in the system and will do anything to tear down the other side. And what scares me even more is that it took me such a long time, nearly the whole summer to realize it. This isn’t what I want with my career. I want to be part of a system that works, that does its job, that doesn’t get approval ratings lower than an Adam Sandler comedy. I believe in helping the American people, and I believe I can help the American people by serving my country through policy. But the reality is that it is seemingly impossible with the current state of political discourse to achieve these goals. And partisan gridlock is a problem for which I honestly have no fix. It’s almost enough to make me reconsider what I love. Almost.

Alleviate local poverty through voluntary University tax payments Max

MORAN THE BOTTOM BUNK

A few weeks ago, I went to a stand-up comedy show with my cousin Josh. As we were talking on the car ride home, he stumbled upon what I think might be the most simple way to combat municipal poverty that I have ever heard, as well as a truly brilliant public relations strategy for whatever school is crazy enough to try it. The following are his ideas. Josh is from Providence, R.I., the home of Brown University, one of the most prestigious Ivy League institutions in the country. Brown attracts some of the most highly gifted students in the world, but like almost all university students, they pay an exorbitant amount of money for their degree. The university’s website estimates the total cost of attending one year at Brown (books, room and board included) to be $62,694, meaning that a four-year bachelor’s degree student is paying over $250,000 to the college. To be fair, 46 percent of Brown’s class of 2017 receives needbased financial aid with an average package of around $40,000, but that is still over $50 million dollars being paid into the school each year by the sophomore class alone. And that’s after some generous rounding. Brown, like most private universities, is exempt from paying taxes to the city of Providence. The school pays $1.274 million to the city voluntarily but does not pay any property tax on any of its 146 acres or 236 buildings. To give some perspective on the city’s poverty,

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Providence currently totes a 9.5 percent unemployment rate, the fifth highest in a state that only last week lost the dubious title of most unemployed state in the union. Providence Mayor Angel Tavares noted in February 2012 that “It takes the revenue collected from 19,000 taxpayers…to account for the $38 million in property taxes not paid by Brown University.” That was two years ago, when the city deficit was roughly $22.5 million, instead of it’s currently projected $38 million deficit for the 2014 to 2015 fiscal year, according to the Providence Journal. It’s a cruel irony that often the most wealthy and prestigious colleges are housed in poverty-stricken cities. Walk three blocks away from the colossal towers and grand brick walls of Yale University in my hometown of New Haven, Conn., and you are surrounded by some of the poorest low-cost housing projects in Connecticut. Many of the occupants of these neighborhoods work for Yale as janitors, cooks or secretaries, and very few of their children are among the lucky 7.1 percent of admitted Yalies. The university is one of the driving forces of New Haven’s economy, yet under federal tax law it is not strictly considered to be a business. Why? What separates the modern university from any other business? It’s an institution that takes in money from a consumer base in order to perform a service; giving that consumer skills and knowledge which make them a more capable worker and member of society. Colleges spend thousands of dollars on advertising each year, and they carefully cultivate a brand in the minds of their applicants—party school, sports school, arts school, the all-important, completely meaningless title of “Ivy League”—in order to appeal to whatever subset of their market a school thinks they can earn. The currently understood definition of a “for-profit university” is a despicable thing,

Fine Print

The opinions stated in the editorial(s) under the masthead on the opposing page represent the opinion of a majority of the voting members of the editorial board; all other articles, columns, comics and advertisements do not necessarily. For the Brandeis Talks Back feature on the last page of the newspaper, staff interview four randomly selected students each week and print only those four answers. The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,500 undergraduates, 900 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff. In addition, the Justice is mailed weekly to paid subscribers and distributed throughout Waltham, Mass. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods. Advertising deadlines: All insertion orders and advertising copy must be received by the Justice no later than 5 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the date of publication. All advertising copy is subject to approval of the editor in chief and the managing and advertising editors. A publication schedule and rate card is available upon request. Subscription rate: $35 per semester, $55 per year.

but there are few fundamental differences in the mechanics of how for-profit and nonprofit schools work. It’s hard to see a practical reason for why universities need tax exemptions. How can a college, a towering multimillion dollar icon, be considered the same as a church or library? Many places of worship accept small fees from their congregants, yes, but they are also heavily reliant on donations to make ends meet. Libraries charge for overdue books but never more than a few dollars. Certainly, no one has ever had to take out a federal loan because they kept a book for too long or because they can’t afford to attend services. Colleges rely on donations, sure, but they also own hundreds of buildings and employ hundreds of workers. Churches and libraries need charity just to keep their basic functions running. The reason, therefore, that universities are tax-exempt is purely ethical. The government wishes to support the efforts of citizens who educate those around them. And while this is a perfectly noble goal, in a time of staggering economic downturn, it isn’t exactly practical. However, it may be even less practical to suddenly change the tax code and immediately charge universities. A shift like that would inevitably mean massive layoffs, probably at the expense of the very working-class people such a change would try to help. It would mean higher tuitions and reduced financial aid opportunities for those working-class people’s children, as schools scramble to meet a bottom line. It would make the problem even worse in the name of trying to solve it. Thus we arrive back at my cousin, and his public relations genius. Think for a moment what would happen if a wealthy, four-year university suddenly announced its decision to give back to the community around it, and to voluntarily pay even a part of its would-

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be full tax payments to the city. Think what would happen if that university decided to do this without raising tuition, at least more than the amount by which tuition already rises per year. Think what would happen if the school demanded that the money be used to rebuild and improve poverty-stricken areas. In the short term, it would be financial suicide for the college. In the long term, it would be one of the most powerful images of a university living up to the lofty ideals of charity, trust and democracy which its professors and presidents preach. It would shatter the old cliché of the ivory tower of education. It would implicitly challenge similar universities to do the same, while ensuring that the first school is remembered as a trend setter. Think how many alienated alumni would be inspired by such a move. Think how many wealthy donors would want to be associated with such a bold university. Think how many high school seniors, casting out aimlessly into the sea of schools to apply to, would become interested in a college they see making positive headlines. Would it be an instant solution to all problems in the city? Of course not. Would it permanently sanctify a university’s public image? No. But it would give municipal governments the funds they need to significantly combat important issues, and would make quite an impression on anyone that sees the news coverage. Waltham’s unemployment rate is 4.4 percent, and Brandeis owns 236 acres of its land. Given time and careful planning, a strategy like this could go a long way toward helping the people of Waltham, and healing Brandeis’ recently troubled public image. As I said at the top, my cousin Josh came up with this, and all credit goes to him. Then again, if it does happen and all fails, he’s the one you want to blame.

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News: Kathryn Brody and Hannah Wulkan

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staff News: Jay Feinstein, Samantha Topper Features: Elior Moskowitz, Casey Pearlman, Aditi Shah Forum: Jennie Bromberg, Jessica Goldstein, Kahlil Oppenheimer, Jassen Lu Sports: Elan Kane, Daniel Kanovich Arts: Carly Chernomorets, Kiran Gill, Ilana Kruger, Rachel Liff, Nate Shaffer Photography: Zach Anziska, Shayna Hertz, Annie Kim, Abby

Rosenthal, Gabriela Yeshua

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

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THE JUSTICE

FORUM

Volunteer tourism fails to truly aid foreign countries By CHRISTA CAGGIANO JUSTICE ConTrIbUTIng WrITEr

In the age of British imperialism, Rudyard Kipling wrote his famous poem “The White Man’s Burden,” which starts with the lines, “Take up the White Man’s burden—/Send forth the best ye breed—/Go bind your sons to exile/To serve your captives’ need.” Whether you perceive this poem to be satirical or serious, the words echo true today, in a new guise. “White Savior” is a new term coined to describe the tendency for (primarily white) citizens of Western nations to believe they need to save the (primarily not white) citizens of third world countries. To be fair, the average American college student doesn’t rape, pillage and leave a flaming cultural wreck behind him or her. But we do celebrate ourselves for making a difference in the lives of others, while rarely stopping to consider the impact on anyone but ourselves. These bold missions are frequently accomplished through some sort of volunteer work in exotic locations—part volunteer work, part spectacle. This is “voluntourism,” the prerogative of the white savior. College campuses are flush with wannabe voluntourists. We actively encourage our “very best” college students to travel to other countries to solve the natives’ problems. It is very possible that most voluntourists know nothing about the people they are trying to save, and even more possible that they have no idea how to do it. A popular blog post by Pippa Biddle, a nonprofit administrator, illustrates exactly this. It is sensationally titled, “The Problem with Little White Girls (And Boys): Why I Stopped Being a Voluntourist.” Biddle described her experiences paying $3000 to go to Tanzania to build an orphanage. While this seems like a noble thing to do, Biddle writes that it “[t] urns out that we, a group of highly educated private boarding school students were so bad at the most basic construction work that each night the men had to take down the structurally unsound bricks we had laid and rebuild the structure so that, when we woke up in the morning, we would be unaware of our failure.” Much like the imperialists of the past, who caused ruin in countries when they attempted to fix problems they weren’t prepared to fix, American college students’ efforts at voluntourism tend to do more harm than good. They spend thousands of dollars getting there, money that could have been used to give locals the resources to make actually meaningful change themselves. Even worse, many college students come up with grandiose plans for saving communities without consulting the locals. Last fall, I attended the Millennium Campus Conference at Northeastern University, and listened to the story of a girl who tried to bring recycling to students in Egypt. The initiative failed spectacularly. The students rarely had enough to eat—recycling was far from their priority. I fear that many cross-cultural volunteering efforts on the part of American college students are in danger of ending this way. Improving a culture requires intimate knowledge of what needs to be improved. Yet, American students keep going to Africa or South America or

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

wherever else is trendy, imposing values on populaces because they can reap the benefits when they return. Medical and law schools smile favorably on the experiences, and many competitive pre-professional students would do anything to enter a prestigious graduate school. But even more important than the educational benefits is the brag factor. It is so common to see Facebook profile pictures with smiling African orphans, or declarative Instagram photos about how building a house in Equatorial Guinea changed someone’s life. Volunteering has become a form of social currency, a way to show that you have time, money, and good values. As the journalist Teju Cole writes, “The White Savior Industrial Complex is not about justice. It is about having a big emotional experience that validates privilege.” These attitudes toward volunteering are not limited to an international scope. Every day we are encouraged to volunteer for reasons that go beyond the denotation of the word (which is “to freely offer to do something” emphasis on the “freely”). I frequently meet students who will openly

admit to me that they are only acting as emergency medical technicians to pad their resumes, or that their charity initiative was a good way to get a job offer. These students are extolled for their work and offered up as poster children for a productive society. I am not saying that one must remove all self-interest from volunteering. That would be nearly impossible. Volunteering only out of self-interest, however, is a problem. It is unsustainable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall rates of volunteerism are dropping, despite a majority of college and high school students participating in some sort of volunteer effort, indicating that many Americans stop volunteering as soon as they are no longer obligated to do so. If we volunteer as undergrads, and then stop caring when we are rich investment bankers, we will never solve any of the problems we set out to fix. Even more unfortunate is that this seems, to me, distinctly un-Brandeisian. Social justice is about enabling people to have the opportunities to live equal, fair and fulfilling lives. It is not about bettering the lives of people for one day, a week or even a month; it is long term. I

think Brandeis can do better with its efforts toward volunteering. Programs like the Commitment to Service Award, that gives participants medals at graduation for tracking their volunteer hours, or Celebrations of Service, that celebrate coups in helping the hungry with a party consisting of plates full of food, are not fostering sustainable and effective attitudes toward volunteering. They are a means to an end, which only serve to enhance the prestige of their participants and the University. I would like to see our campus be more involved in promoting formal and school sponsored nights of reflection, that call upon volunteers to consider how they helped people and how they could better help people in the future, or ways to get involved in volunteering projects that may last a lifetime instead of one Sunday. A truly Brandeisian idea would be to institute community events, where various clubs across campus meet to discuss social justice, and how they can help each other in accomplishing significant service. Only when we are thoughtfully prepared to volunteer—in it for the justice of it all—will we be able to make the change we wish to see.

Consider diplomatic consequences of ordinary people’s actions Jassen

A JUDGE’S VIEW

Over the summer, I read Hillary Clinton’s new memoir, Hard Choices, which chronicled her tenure as secretary of state. Her book gives a glimpse of professional diplomacy in practice, but also highlights that, in today’s world, international relations are more than just meetings among professional diplomats. Thanks to globalization and the Internet, ordinary citizens nowadays conduct international relations without even realizing it, and their messages and actions can even be more forceful than formal diplomacy. If not conducted prudently and carefully, however, the actions of ordinary citizens can harm both America and the rest of the world. The violence and instability caused by the Mexican drug war, for example, are rooted in the choices of ordinary Americans. For three decades, Mexican drug cartels have fought the Mexican government and one another to smuggle drugs into the United States. They have killed over 120,000 people, including many civilians. Although the Mexican government is ultimately responsible for protecting Mexico, America has not made this any easier. As Clinton recalls in her book, Mexico’s for-

mer President Felipe Calderón once asked how he can fight the cartels if “[America] won’t stop the weapons [the cartels] buy across the border.” Clinton claims that Mexican drug cartels traffic about 90 percent of the illegal drugs that Americans consume. The cartels draw their power from the decisions and actions of many ordinary Americans, whose thirst for drugs continues to fund the gangs. A study by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates that Mexican drug cartels receive $19 to $29 billion of revenue from the United States annually. This is money paid by ordinary Americans who make ordinary bad choices and do not think about the broader consequences; their money is fueling a war that is ruthlessly destroying innocent people. Both Mexico’s president and ambassador to the United States blame the expiration of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 2004 for the rise of drug violence in Mexico. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stated in 2012 that the United States was the source of 70 percent of the 99,000 illegal weapons confiscated in Mexico between 2007 and 2011. A lack of strong federal assault weapon and gun trafficking bans, which multiple American gun rights groups oppose, has meant that cartels can more easily buy those weapons and move them over the border. Many weapons are stolen, but many are also legally purchased, often by Americans at gun shows, which then transfer the weapons to the cartels. Americans who oppose weapons bans often do not think about how a lack of regulation affects not just

their own country, but the world. Stopping America’s drug addiction is difficult, but Americans need to see how satisfying their personal addictions and their unwillingness to address gun reform are fueling a war that is destroying our neighbor and ally. This affects us when instability on the Mexican border pours across into America, taxing our law enforcement and socioeconomic stability. The drug cartels are directly responsible for most of the destruction, but Americans should not perpetuate it, either. We should not fuel a war that maliciously and indiscriminately destroys innocent people, solely so that we can get a quick buzz. A second example of careless behavior having dangerous repercussions is in the anti-Islam acts that many Americans have conducted, ultimately causing loss of life. A number of Americans have burned the Quran, the Islamic holy text, and set off dangerous protests among angry Muslims. One case involved Terry Jones, a Florida pastor who publicly burned a Quran in March 2011. In retaliation, angry protesters gathered outside a UN office in Afghanistan. These peaceful demonstrations eventually turned violent, causing the deaths of seven people. Another case occurred in February 2012 when American soldiers at the Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan burned Muslim holy texts and unleashed a protest that killed four Americans. Although this burning was meant to dispose of texts with extremist messages rather than to spite, it was still careless and led to the same consequences as those of Jones’ Quran burning. Jones’ attack, though,

was even more repulsive since he was told of the potential consequences but still chose to act foolishly. These attacks show how hateful personal acts can have deadly consequences. With the advent of international and online media, messages and actions from one country are instantaeously received a continent away. Videos of Quran burnings are posted online and quickly seen worldwide, increasing the rapidity and intensity of the protests and violence that follow. Interconnectivity between ordinary peoples has linked together formerly separated communities, making international incidents more unpredictable and sudden than they used to be. Ordinary people must now be aware of how other nations may perceive their actions. Although some critics may believe that it is not our responsibility to worry about what happens in other countries, we must ultimately be responsible for the consequences resulting from our own actions. In the era of advanced communications, each American who makes a political statement has the world watching him, including audiences he never intended. He needs to understand how his actions can affect the world, and in turn how the world sees America. Clinton noted in her memoir that everyone has hard choices in life, and in diplomacy, they are inevitable. Undoubtedly, with ordinary citizens playing greater roles worldwide, hard choices will become more common. Of course, choosing to be tactful and considerate of the consequences of our actions worldwide should not be a hard choice.

THE JUSTICE

VBALL: Vaccari has plan to help lineup improve

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AUGUST 26, 2014

BURST OF SPEED

CONTINUED FROM 16 “[I’m aiming for an] at-large bid; I would love to achieve it in my first year and even though it is tough it is not impossible,” Vaccari said. Regardless of the NCAA Tournament, Vaccari has smaller goals for the squad as well, including finishing the season with a record above a .500 winning percentage and passing above 2.5 percent per game. Above all, Vaccari sees defense as the key to a successful season. “If we can out-dig our opponents then we are on the right track,” she explained. Vaccari said she will stress defense in practice and hopes to mold the team to outwait an opponent and exploit their weaknesses through a strong defense. “We are practicing really hard and I hope that overflows into [the opening] game,” she said. The role of coach brings an additional challenge—serving as a mentor off the court as well. Vaccari hopes to get to know her team off the court to better serve as a mentor. “Working in higher education is a great atmosphere,” she said. “I want to get to know Brandeis and what kind of student athlete can be successful here.” Vaccari has goals for herself as coach as well, including recruiting new players from outside the New England region. She hopes to target players from California, ones who play against stronger competition than the rest of the country at an earlier age. Vaccari will have her hands full in her first year as head coach, but she seems to be up for the challenge. “[The Brandeis job is] a great opportunity and I’m honored to be a part of the staff,” she said.

RAFAELLA SCHOR/Justice File Photo

THROUGH TRAFFIC: Forward Melissa Darling ’16 (center) dribbles between two Castleton State defenders during the Judges’ loss in the ECAC Tournament last November.

WSOCCER: Team looks to exceed fifth-place finish in conference CONTINUED FROM 16 Goalie Michelle Savuto ’15 will return in net with a 1.12 goals against average and a 10-6-3 record. Savuto helped the Judges set a school record in shutouts two years ago but was not the beneficiary of the same luck last year, twice giving up just one goal. The squad found goals at a premium after Spital went down with injury, scoring multiple goals just twice in the six games that followed. Relying more on the midfielders rather than the forwards, the Judg-

es fought through an inconsistent offense to finish at 10-6-3 overall, 2-3-2 in conference games. Though the squad missed out on an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, they returned to the postseason with the second seed in the eight-team ECAC Tournament and hosted the Castleton State College Spartans in the quarterfinals. Armed with a 7-1-3 record on Gordon Field, the Judges looked to sneak past Castleton State at home, but were held to a 2-2 draw after extra time. Castleton State, ranked seventh

in the tournament, pulled out the upset with a seven-round shootout victory over the Judges, ending the squad’s postseason hopes. Although their season ended before the squad hoped, a veteran core should give them the ability to stay competitive in a tough UAA, if not make a run for the conference title. The conference features two teams in the top 25 at the beginning of the season—last year’s champion Washington University in St. Louis at the No. 4 ranking and Emory University at the No. 11 ranking. The Judges should see another

successful season behind a core group of seniors and eight of 11 returning starters. Paired with a deep bench, the squad should have little trouble putting up goals and staying in the attacking third of the field. The squad will look to improve on its fifth-place finish in the UAA and possibly even contend for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid should the team not win the UAA. The Judges will open their season Friday against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Gordon Field at 6 p.m.

CROSS COUNTRY

Judges target team success in fall races against top foes

■ Maddie Dolins ’16 leads the women’s squad into the cross country season with a goal of the NCAA Championships. By AVI GOLD JUSTICE EDITor

The men’s and women’s cross country teams both excelled at individual events last year, even though the small squads were unable to compete overall with larger squads in the region. The women’s team sent at least one runner to the NCAA Championships in each of the three phases of the season—the outdoor fall season, indoor winter season and outdoor spring season— and the men’s team sent an athlete to the NCAA Championships last spring. Under the direction of second-year coach Sinead Evans, who took over following the resignation of the former coach last December, the Judges look once again for strong individual years from their top athletes.

The women’s squad, led by distance runner Kelsey Whitaker ’16, will look to its team depth for a strong year. The Judges return 13 runners from last year, having graduated distance runners Amelia Lundkvist ’14 and Victoria Sanford ’14. The pair of graduates, along with Whitaker, both qualified for the 1500-meter run at the NCAA Tournament following the winter season, and their leadership and expertise will be a challenge to overcome. Whitaker should pace the team and once again will be in contention for a spot at the 1500-meter race in the NCAA Tournament. The squad will also return captain Kristi Pisarik ’15, the lone senior on the team, and her leadership will help mold a team comprised mostly of sophomores. “The women went to cross country nationals last year, [and] obviously we lost two strong seniors but we have the [core] of a very strong team,” Evans said. “We’re hoping the women will continue to be competitive, [and] to make nationals again will be our goal. It’s always hard to go to nationals, especially

out of the northeast region.” Other members of the team also turned in impressive stretches last year and their return will help guide the team to a successful season. Maggie Hensel ’16 and Molly Paris ’16 will return alongside Whitaker and Maddie Dolins ’17 and Ashley Piccirillo-Horan ’17 will pace the sophomore class. Dolins outpaced Whitaker at the six kilometer race in the New England Division III Regional Championships last November, finishing in 20th place at 21:53:20, and continued through strong winter and spring seasons. “We’re just going to take it one race at a time, and if the team doesn’t make it again we definitely have a couple individuals who can make it, but the goal is to get the team back,” Evans remarked. The men’s team will be heavily concentrated with first-years, most likely using the fall season to test out new runners. Greg Bray ’15, one of two returning seniors, will serve as captain and help mentor the young squad and is one of just five upperclassmen returning for

the fall season. Liban Aden ’16, Matt Becker ’16, Grady Ward ’16 and Jarret Harrigan ’15 round out the upperclassmen on the team. Harrigan looks to once again have a strong year, sneaking in to the top 50 of the eight kilometer race last year at the New England Division III Championships with a time of 25 minutes, 54.55 seconds and paced the squad at the University Athletic Association Championships last November. Five sophomores will also return for the Judges, and the runners should produce strong outdoor seasons. Quinton Hoey ’17 finished the UAA Championships five seconds behind Harrigan and turned in impressive races during the indoor winter season. Matt Doran ’17 and Omar Scruggs ’17 both improved as the year progressed and look to take the next step forward as sophomores. Both Daniel Leon ’17 and Brad Payne ’17 only saw limited action last fall and look for increased roles this year. The men’s team will have 11 firstyears on the squad, though not all will feature during the fall season.

The performance of the new runners, coupled with strong seasons from returning runners, will determine the overall outcome of the squad, according to Evans. “We have a bunch of talent that has just come in; it’s about how they’ll respond to the 8K [race],” she said. “It’s exciting because it’s an unknown, but no doubt they’ll be competitive in all their races.” Though neither team will be able to put up the team stats necessary for team wins, an unfortunate feature of a small team, both squads will look for one or two runners to challenge for a bid to the NCAA Championships. Each squad will face an early-season test during the Dartmouth Invitational in midSeptember and both will travel to Washington University in St. Louis for the UAA Championships on November 15. The men’s squad will open their season at the Emmanuel Invitational on Saturday, while the women will host the University of Southern Maine in their season-opening meet on Friday.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

VOLLEYBALL

JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS MEN’S SOCCER UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Goals

2013-2014 statistics uAA conf. W L rochester 5 1 carnegie 4 1 emory 4 1 Washu 3 2 JUDGES 3 3 chicago 3 4 case 1 5 NYu 0 6

D 1 2 2 2 1 0 1 1

W L 15 3 12 3 11 5 10 4 16 5 9 6 6 7 6 8

overall D Pct. 2 .800 3 .750 2 .667 3 .676 1 .750 2 .588 4 .471 3 .441

tyler savonen ’15 led the team with 12 goals. Player Goals tyler savonen 12 Kyle Feather 9 Michael soboff 6 evan Jastremski 5

Assists with 10 assists.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Player

Assists

saturday vs. Hobart college sunday at Keene state sat., sept. 6 vs. Bridgewater

Michael soboff Kyle Feather

10 5

WOMEN’S SOCCER UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS

2013-2014 statistics

Goals

uAA conf. W L Washu 7 0 emory 6 1 chicago 3 2 carnegie 3 3 JUDGES 2 3 rochester 1 3 case 0 5 NYu 0 5

D 0 0 2 1 2 3 2 2

W L 20 1 16 4 11 5 9 5 10 6 6 6 8 9 7 8

overall D Pct. 1 .932 1 .786 3 .658 2 .625 3 .605 5 .500 2 .474 3 .472

UPCOMING GAMES: Friday vs. Mit sunday at clark university sat., sept. 6 vs. Lasell college

sapir edalati ’15 led the team with nine goals. Player Goals sapir edalati 9 dara spital 9 Holly szafran 4 Melissa darling 3

Assists dara spital ’15 led the team with six assists. Player Assists dara spital 6 Melissa darling 3 Holly szafran 3

VOLLEYBALL UAA STANDINGS

TEAM STATS Kills

2013-2014 statistics uAA conf. W L chicago 6 1 emory 5 2 carnegie 4 3 Washu 6 1 NYu 4 3 case 2 5 rochester 0 7 JUDGES 1 6

W 27 34 25 27 28 16 9 10

L 11 5 10 8 8 17 27 25

overall Pct. .711 .872 .714 .771 .778 .485 .250 .286

UPCOMING GAMES: Friday vs. rivier university saturday vs. Mount ida college saturday at Western conn. state

Liz Hood ’15 led the team in kills with 434. Player Kills Liz Hood 434 si-si Hensley 227 carly Gutner-davis 174 rachael dye 136

RAFAELLA SCHOR/Justice File Photo

ON POINT: outside hitter Liz Hood ’15 (center) and teammates celebrate after winning a point over Washu last November.

Squad seeks to improve upon last year’s results By AVI GOLD

Digs

Justice editor

elsie Bernaiche ’15 leads the team in digs with 541. Player Digs elsie Bernaiche 541 si-si Hensley 389 Liz Hood 336 Amaris Brown 236

CROSS COUNTRY Results from last year’s UAA Championships at Carnegie Mellon University

TOP FINISHERS (Men’s)

TOP FINISHERS (Women’s)

RUNNER TIME Jarret Harrigan 26:53.5 Quinton Hoey 26:58.9 Grady Ward 27:19.1 Michael rosenbach 27:30.0

RUNNER Amelia Lundkvist Maddie dolins Victoria sanford Kelsey Whitaker

TIME 22:02.5 22:35.4 22:43.0 23:18.9

UPCOMING EVENTS: Friday vs. university of southern Maine saturday at the emmanuel invitational

Midway through last September, outside hitter Liz Hood ’15 recorded her 1,000th career kill for the women’s volleyball team, a high point of the year. Even though the team sputtered to a 10-25 record overall and went just 1-6 against University Athletic Association opponents, the Judges will look to a returning core of seniors and a new coach to bring them back to winning ways. The Judges lost two players to graduation, Yael Einhorn ’14 and SiSi Hensley ’14, both four-year starters for the squad. Einhorn played in 12 matches before her season ended early due to injury and Hensley was an offensive stalwart for the Judges, posting 227 kills and 389 digs over the course of the season. Alongside Hood, who led the team with 434 kills, the most of all UAA players, and recorded 336 digs, the team will be able to replace the lost production with defensive setter Elsie Bernaiche ’15. Bernaiche record-

ed a team-high 541 digs, second of all UAA players last year. The Judges will also return middle blocker Carly Gutner-Davis ’15 whose 0.36 blocks per set led the squad. The squad will look for defensive setter Amaris Brown ’16, middle blocker Summer Koop ’16 and setter Maggie Swenson ’16 to all once again play important roles on the team. Brown recorded 236 digs, good for fourth-most on the team. Swenson contributed a nice blend of both offense and defense to the squad with 26 kills, 138 digs and 11 blocks. Koop, used primarily in an offensive role, added 123 kills for the team to go along with 29 digs and 25 blocks. Middle blocker Maddie Engler ’16 will return from injury, and new coach Aleisa Vaccari thinks her presence will help replace the production lost from graduating players. “Engler got hurt at the beginning of the season last year and her stepping back and watching [on the sideline] made her even hungrier and will let us run a dominant middle offense,” she said. “We’ll make up for the losses in our defense. [The team is] looking to have more of a focus on defense, outdigging them and outhitting [their opponents],” she continued With complimentary pieces alongside the offensive talent of Hood, the

Judges could play spoiler for a number of UAA teams. The Judges will once again have to contend with nationally ranked teams, as the UAA features three ranked teams to open the season. Emory University, last year’s champion, begins the year ranked second in the nation; Washington University in St. Louis begins at No. 11; and the University of Chicago opens the year ranked 17th. The Judges will also face a tough test in New York University, who finished just outside the top 25 in the first poll. Though the UAA will once again be a difficult conference, Vaccari thinks the team is up for the challenge. “Instead of having to play the number two team in the country, we get [challenged] to play the number two team in the country,” she said. “We’re embracing the underdog motto, we have nothing to lose [because] to be the best you have to play the best.” Vaccari joins the squad after three years as the head coach at Simmons College, following the promotion of former head coach Michelle Kim to assistant athletic director last May. The Judges open their season this weekend at the Western Connecticut State Invitational before their home opener in the Brandeis Invitational next weekend.

PRO SPORTS BRIEF Boston Red Sox revamp team for next season with a bevy of trades and expensive international signing The Boston Red Sox made a record signing last week by signing outfielder Rusney Castillo to a seven-year deal worth $72.5 million dollars. The deal is just one in a series of moves since the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline that have signified the Red Sox intent on focusing on the future and giving up on the 2014 to 2015 season, as they currently hold a 56-74 record overall. Runsey will join left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, acquired on July 31, in a revamped outfield when he joins the team later this year. Cespedes was traded from the Oakland Athletics for starting pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Jonny Gomes to cap a hectic trade deadline that saw Boston trade away most of its starting rotation. In addition to sending Lester

to Oakland, starting pitcher John Lackey was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Joe Kelly and outfielder Allen Craig. Lackey, who clinched last year’s World Series for Boston, was traded to allow the Red Sox to have a younger core going into next year. Starting pitcher Felix Doubront, once considered the Red Sox top pitching prospect, was shipped off to the Chicago Cubs on July 30 for a player to be named later. Pitcher Jake Peavy was traded to the San Francisco Giants on July 26 for a pair of pitchers—Heath Hembree and Edwin Escobar. Boston also traded away left-handed relief pitcher Andrew Miller to the division-rival Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitching prospect Eduardo Rodriguez. The 21-year-old left

hander has spent most of the year playing at the AA-club Bowie Baysox and is not expected to join the big league club for a few years. The moves over the past month signify a near complete retooling of the Red Sox roster for both next season and beyond. Gone are four of the five members of a World Series winning rotation, shipped off for players that can help the team next year. The outfield has only one member who was on the active roster on opening day, though outfielder Shane Victorino is currently on the 15-day disabled list. Over the past month, the average age of a player on the Red Sox roster has dropped from 31 years to 29 years, transforming the team from one of the top-five oldest teams to one

in the middle of the pack and will get younger when prospects like outfieders Jackie Bradley, Jr. and Mookie Betts are called up to the Red Sox. No player recently acquired— spare Cespedes—has the same potential for stardom as Castillo. The power-hitting outfielder can play above-average defense in center field, bat leadoff and steal bases. Castillo still needs to secure a work visa before he can take the field for the Red Sox and therefore is not expected to play an inning before midSeptember. That did not stop Boston from giving him a contract through his season at age 34. Cespedes, meanwhile, has lived up to his status as one of the top outfielders in Major League Baseball. In the 20 games since his trade, Cespedes has hit at a .455 slugging percentage,

a .701 on base percentage and mashed four home runs, giving him 30 total for the season. The outfielder made a name for himself while with Oakland by producing a number of stellar defensive plays in left field and cemented his status as a superstar by winning back-to-back home run derbys. Boston has traded away the core of an aging team to retool for next year and beyond, snagging two top outfielders and a surplus of pitching and outfield talent that will help the club moving forward. Though the Red Sox have confined themsleves to the cellar of the American League East Division this year, they have positioned themselves well to compete in the next few years. — Avi Gold

just

Sports

Page 16

OVERHEAD SLAM The women’s volleyball team will look to improve on mixed results from last year, p. 15.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

SWEEPING DEFENSE

Waltham, Mass.

VOLLEYBALL

Vaccari announced as volleyball coach ■ New head coach Alesia

Vaccari hopes to lead the Judges back to a winning season in her first year. By AVI GOLD JUSTICE EDITor

MORGAN BRILL/Justice File Photo

BALL HAWK: Defender Josh Hacunda ’16 (left) keeps the ball away from a Williams College opponent in a 2-0 loss last November.

Judges aim for another postseason opportunity ■ The team is one of four

University Athletic Association sides to be ranked within the top 25 in the year’s first poll. By AVI GOLD JUSTICE EDITor

The past two years have ended with nearly identical losses in the third round of the NCAA Tournament for the men’s soccer team, with the Judges’ usually high-scoring offense being shut out by Williams College. The Judges should have no problem generating offense and shutting down the opposition this year even though the team graduated several key members of both the offense and defense. The Judges’ offense, whose 2.5 goals per game were second overall in the University Athletic Association, will once again be anchored by forward Tyler Savonen ’15, the team’s leading goal scorer last year. Savonen netted 12 goals in 22 games last year and was tied for the team lead with four game-winning goals. Forward Foti Andreo ’15 should get more opportunities along the wing, as he managed just one assist in 10 starts last year, but was a key substitute off the bench. Forward Evan Jastremski ’17 will look to improve his individual game after contributing five goals and three assists in an attacking winger role last year. Jas-

tremski was one of only six Judges to play in all 22 games, alongside Savonen, defensemen Ben Applefield ’14 and Josh Hacunda ’16, and forwards Tudor Livadaru ’14 and Sam Ocel ’13, M.A. ’14. The loss of Applefield, who earned D3soccer.com All-American honors last year, will be a challenge to overcome. In addition to his defensive prowess among the back four, Applefield was a major contributor on offense as well. Applefield led the team with 10 assists and added a pair of goals, including the lone assist in the Judges’ 1-0 win over Roger Williams University in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Judges defense will be anchored this year by the pairing of Hacunda and defenseman Conor Lanahan ’16, who will try and keep shots away from goalkeeper Joe Graffy ’15. Graffy posted an impressive 13-5-1 record last year with a stellar 0.94 goals against average and posted three shutouts during the season. In the midfield, the squad will see the return of forward Michael Soboff ’15, who was tied for the team lead with 10 assists and added six goals for the Judges. Four of Soboff’s six goals were game winners, including a second-minute goal against Johnson & Wales University in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Judges will also look to midfielder Brandon Miskin ’18, one of eight first-years on the squad, to play a big part of the midfield.

Miskin captained Needham High School to a state championship in 2012 before spending a year at Worcester Academy in a center midfield role. Though the squad failed to defend their share of the UAA championship last year, the team gained an atlarge bid to the postseason. Their 165-1 record (3-3-1 in UAA play) earned the squad a fifth-place finish in the division and the 15th spot in the national rankings at the end of last year. The Judges began the year on a seven-game winning streak before dropping a 2-1 decision at Tufts University midway through September. The squad’s UAA schedule began with a win at Case Western Reserve University, but the team struggled through a midseason road trip with losses at Carnegie Mellon University and Emory University. The team will once again have a difficult conference schedule as the UAA put four of its eight teams in the season’s first top-25 rankings, including an early 17th place ranking for the Judges. The UAA also features Rochester University (13th), Carnegie Mellon (18th) and Washington University in St. Louis (24th). Behind a balanced offense and a strong defense, the Judges will once again look to contend for both the UAA division crown and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The squad has the depth to contend for both and should be able to put together another winning season.

New volleyball coach Alesia Vaccari has a simple game plan for the Judges in her first year on the job and is setting a high bar for a successful season. Vaccari hopes to transform the squad into a defensive minded team, one that can outlast opponents through digs and blocks, and hopefully guide her new team to at least a dark horse role in the University Athletic Association. Vaccari was announced as head coach in a press release on June 27, and takes over as volleyball coach with the promotion of former head coach Michelle Kim to assistant athletic director. Kim spent 10 years as head coach of the squad with a career 172-177 record overall. Vaccari played college volleyball as a setter at Springfield College, where she holds the all-time school record for assists. She spent two years as an assistant coach at Clarkson University—during which the team earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament—and served as head coach at Simmons College from the 2011 to 2012 season to the 2013 to 2014 season. While at Simmons, Vaccari guided the program from last place to fourth place in her first year as coach and was named conference coach of the year. The decision to join the Brandeis program was an easy one according to Vaccari. “The school is well renowned in

the country, one of the best academic schools in New England,” she explained. “The conference [was a big factor in the decision] and being able to travel and play the best Vaccari teams is an opportunity not many other places can offer.” To help a team that went just 10-26 last year, Vaccari wants to rebuild the team’s techniques from the ground up. “We’ve been going over basic techniques [in practice] and breaking out of bad techniques, so only good things can happen,” she said. Vaccari demands that her players give their all no matter what— be it on or off the practice court. She explained that giving 100 percent effort in practice overflows not only to the game, but also off the court, be it at school or a job. “I’m looking to continue to teach the girls to work hard, hold each other accountable and value teamwork,” she said. “I think all good things come when the girls are on the same page,” she remarked. A resident of Boston’s North End, Vaccari did not have to travel far for her new job, but with the team she will need to travel crosscountry to square off against some of Division III’s top programs, including Emory University—the second-ranked team in the country—and Washington University in St. Louis. Even with the tall task of playing in the UAA, Vaccari has her goals one step further ahead—the NCAA Tournament postseason.

See VBALL, 13 ☛

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Squad poised for strong year in solid conference ■ The women will return eight

of 11 starting players from last year’s team that had a 7-1-3 record on Gordon Field. By AVI GOLD JUSTICE EDITor

The core of the women’s soccer team comes from the Class of 2015, and this season they will have one more shot at postseason glory. The team’s leaders in goal, at defense, in the midfield, and forwards are all seniors and will look for a possible return to the NCAA Tournament this year after crashing out of the quarterfinals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament last year. Once again, the Judges will look to midfielder Sapir Edalati ’15 to lead the team from the top of the formation. The midfielder was tied for the team lead with nine goals and added a pair of assists, appearing in all 19 games for the squad. Though she naturally plays more of an attacking midfield role, Edalati was forced into a becoming a striker when forward Dara Spital’s ’15 season was cut short due to

injury midway through October. The team will also return forward Holly Szafran ’16, who finished third on the team in both goals, four, and assists, three, and made apperances in all 19 games for the Judges. Midfielder Alyssa Fenenbock ’15 will once again patrol the Judges’ midfield alongside Edalati in an attacking role, with a number of other returning midfielders. The Judges will see midfielders Sara Isaacson ’16, Ally Parziale ’16 and Haley Schachter ’16 split time in a defensive midfield position. Both Shachter and Isaacson appeared in all 19 games for the Judges, while Parziale made 16 appearances and was a key substitute off the bench. The Judges’ defense returns three of last year’s four starters, graduating captain Kelly Peterson ’14. The back four will be run by defensemen Emma Eddy ’15 and Alec Spivack ’15. The squad will also see increased roles for defensemen Jessica Morana ’17 and Julia McDermott ’17, both of whom appeared in more than half of the Judges’ games last year off of the bench.

See WSOCCER, 13 ☛

JustArts “Light of Reason” Initiation: Orientation holds candle lighting ceremony in front of “Light of Reason” - P. 19

New modern-American style Moody Street » 23

justARTS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014 | THE JUSTICE

CALENDAR

INTERVIEW

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

ON-CAMPUS EVENTS

OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS

Which music ensemble should I audition for? What’s the difference between the theater clubs and the Theater department? How can I get involved with the Rose Art Museum? What does arts and social justice mean? Your fellow arts students will share their insights and experience. Friday from 2 to 2:50 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater. Sponsored by the Office of the Arts..

A celebration of Latin music and culture, Caliente was launched in 2008 to provide programming for this growing demographic. The event features local music and dance troupes as well as a nationally known headliner Grupo Mania. Partners include IBA, Berklee College of Music and the Boston Parks Department. Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at City Hall Plaza in Boston.

All-Arts Welcome Party

Boston Harbor Fireworks

Find Your Arts Genius

Join us for the annual welcomeback party for the Brandeis arts community. Meet students, faculty and staff. This event is co-sponsored by Student Activities, Office of the Arts and the Undergraduate Theater Collective. Friday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Shapiro Campus Center. This event is free and open to the public.

Anneke Reich ’13 Alum performs in Speak About It

Dueling Pianos with Howl at the Moon

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

Sing along or just enjoy the sounds of two pianos playing together and going against each other. Start the year with some great food and friends. This event is sponsored by the Department of Student Activities. Friday from 9 a.m. to noon in the atrium of the Shapiro Science Center. This event is free and open to the public.

This week, justArts spoke with Anneke Reich ’13, who is now working with Speak About It, a theatrical organization that deals with sexual consent awareness. Speak About It will also perform during First-year Orientation. JustArts: Can you tell me a little bit about your studies at Brandeis? Anneke Reich: I double majored in Theater and American Studies. I initially thought I was going to be a Music major. I was definitely really interested in getting an education in urban studies, but I didn’t really know where that would put me. And it ended up being American Studies because you could kind of design what you want. I love doing that. I ended up not doing music and sort of switching gears to theater because theater used to be a big part of my life when I was younger, in high school but I was very serious originally about music… [In Speak About It] I was able to combine my interests in performance and in education.

Indomitable Spirit: Juanita McNeely

The Women’s Studies Research Center presents a survey of works by feminist artist Juanita McNeely that span more than 40 years. Unabashed in her vision of woman that is both sensual and macabre, McNeely portrays her monumental figures with a visceral dexterity. Showing through Oct. 8 in the Kniznick Gallery of the Women’s Studies Research Center. The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

JA: Can you describe what the Speak About It show looks like? AR: It covers a lot of ground. I think it is very impressive. Basically we cover a lot of ground and talk a lot about what it means to have a healthy relationship and healthy encounters. And a lot of it focuses on consent and what consent means and about really emphasizing the fact that consent is not the absence of “no” but an enthusiastic “yes,” which isn’t clear to a lot of people. And I think things are changing in our culture—slowly but surely. But also the show talks about sexual assault because something that I feel very strongly about is that you can’t heal everything with positivity. You have to give people voices [that] have been denied it in the past … I love that the show spends time focusing on people’s stories. JA: How did you get involved in Speak About It? AR: So to be honest, this is not the most interesting story. Because basically I auditioned at Stage Source, which pretty much has all the information about all the auditions that are going on and has this annual gigantic audition… So I auditioned at StageSource and [Speak About It] contacted me. And what was cool was their audition process isn’t like a normal audition. I was Skyping with them. And before I even read through any monologues, I had to talk to them and talk to them about why I connected to the organization, why I’m passionate about the issues that Speak About It deals with so it was a job interview, it wasn’t an audition initially. And then the callbacks were the auditions. JA: What is your favorite part of the show? AR: There is this piece of the show where I am having this back-and-forth dialogue with this guy… and he is playing a version of himself. We all play different versions of ourselves. He’s acting like he’s new to a lot of issues that I’m introducing. And we’re having a dialogue where he’s asking me questions and he’s saying it back to me but in his own language—affirming it back at me like, “this is what you’re getting at right?” I just feel like it’s a realistic conversation that friends would have. Because the thing about the show is that it really helps people who are in college figure out how to have conversations with each other, not just see a show about it and not talk about it. So I think that that piece really which I am part of really encourages and really simulates what the dialogue would look like with a friend … I feel like it’s something refreshing for people to see. JA: What do you hope new students get out of the show? AR: Most importantly, most people who have ever felt silenced about any experience that they’ve had (even if it’s people who haven’t been silenced in this sort of epic way, but silenced in which they just say, “something happened to me and I didn’t quite feel right but I don’t think there’s a place for me to think that it was wrong), I really hope that every person at Brandeis feels empowered who sees the show and the conversations they have about it afterword and the right to speak out about it and do whatever it is they want to do to make it heard and make their community better… I hope that people feel empowered to really think about what it means to build exciting and fun communities and that it takes some effort but the pay-offs are so real and so amazing. —Emily Wishingrad

Caliente

For the second year in a row, Boston and Summer on the Waterfront are holding Boston Harbor fireworks on the Saturday night of Labor Day Weekend. The full, professional fireworks display marks a highlight of the Boston Arts Festival and the finale of the three-month-long Summer on the Waterfront. The fireworks barge will be moored off Fan Pier on the South Boston Seaport. Saturday starting at 9 p.m. at the Boston Harbor. This event is free and open to the public.

(ahts): The Boston Arts Festival

(ähts): The Boston Arts Festival is designed to launch Boston’s arts season. The free festival is a showcase of more than 40-juried visual artists who exhibit and sell one-of-a-kind and limited edition works of art including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, pottery, jewelry, fine glasswork, woodwork, mixed media and photography. The visual arts are complemented by a performing arts and interactive arts program. Past performing arts groups include Boston Ballet, Blue Man Group, Boston Lyric Opera, and larger music groups Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Mean Creek and Gentlemen Hall. The event lasts from Saturday

to Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park in Boston.

‘Finding Neverland’

Based on the Miramax motion picture by David Magee and the play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee, Finding Neverland follows the relationship between playwright J. M. Barrie and the family that inspired Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up, one of the most beloved stories of all time. Staged by American Repertory Theater Artistic Director Diane Paulus with music by U.K. pop sensation Gary Barlow and choreography by Emmy Award-winner Mia Michaels (So You Think You Can Dance), this new musical explores the power of imagination to open up new worlds, and the pressures put upon those worlds by the inevitability of growing up. Finding Neverland is presented by the ART by special arrangement with Harvey Weinstein. Showing through Sept. 28 at the Oberon Theater in Cambridge. Tickets range from $25 to $85.

Shinique Smith: Bright Matter

“Shinique Smith: BRIGHT MATTER” surveys 30 key works from the past decade while debuting more than a dozen new pieces, including painting, sculpture, full-room installation, video and performance. The exhibition marks a significant return to Boston for Smith, who completed her master’s in teaching at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and Tufts in 2000 while working full-time with high school students. Her exhibition at the MFA fosters connections to the Boston community, inspiring family art activities at the museum, projects with the MFA’s Teen Arts Council and more. Showing through March 1 at the Museum of Fine Arts in the Henry and Lois Foster Gallery. Admission is free with a Brandeis ID.

POP CULTURE n !

ww Welcome back, fellow Brandeisians. As we are getting back into the swing of things, one major event that resonates with me from this summer is Robin Williams’ death. Williams was one of Hollywood’s most admired actors, with a career spanning decades and genres. On Aug. 11, Williams, 63, was found dead in his apartment and medical reports later confirmed that Williams committed suicide. The overall outpour of love and respect for Williams was astonishing; Facebook was teeming with posts mourning the loss of the actor. Those who have worked with and knew him personally, including fellow comedians Steve Martin and Ellen DeGeneres expressed their shock and sadness for the actor on Twitter. We lost an iconic actor and comedian who was able to transcend genre and exceed in every role that he was given. He got his start on the ’80s sitcom (and Happy Days spin-off) Mork & Mindy, but for the Millennial generation his roles that seem to stick the most are the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin, John Keating in Dead Poets Society and of course, the title role in Mrs. Doubtfire. The 1989 drama Dead Poets Society, with Williams playing the inspiring English teacher with unusual teaching methods, always makes me cry, and now has even more tragedy added to its history. The iconic scene of Williams as Keating leaving his class after being fired and his students standing on their desks, proclaiming “O Captain! My Captain!” has always stuck with me. I’m not going to spoil the plot for anyone who for some reason has not seen it yet; that’s your first homework assignment of the year. Proving his ability to portray unique, multifaceted characters in both comic and dramatic roles, Williams gave a gender-bending performance in Mrs. Doubtfire, playing a father trying to retain custody of his children by posing as their female housekeeper. Williams won a Golden Globe for the role in the unlikely hit. Many people might not give much credit to voice actors in animated

By Ilana Kruger

Abaca Press/MCT

FRIEND LIKE ME: This August, the world mourned the loss of talented actor Robin Williams. movies, but Williams helped usher in an era of celebrities and well-known performers lending their voices to Disney movies. Aladdin would not be the same without the blue Genie’s celebrity impressions and the over-the-top musical number “Friend Like Me,” both voiced by Williams. Images of Aladdin hugging the Genie and clips of “Friend Like Me” circulated social media shortly after Williams’ death, along with the quote, “Genie, you’re free.” The cast of the new Broadway version of Aladdin even did a sing-along version of the song in tribute to Williams the day after his passing. The media’s reaction, of course, was not without its faults and controversies. As more details were revealed about the end of his life, including his continued

struggles with depression and dealing with the early stages of Parkinson’s disease, as well as the way in which he was found dead, the coverage turned from reverent and respectful to contentious. There were arguments about which specifics should have been released and about how to celebrate an actor’s life and work without heralding his suicide. It is difficult to know where to draw the line. Williams was in the middle of several projects at the time of his death, some of which will still make their way onto the big screen, including the third Night at the Museum installment and the comedy A Merry Friggin’ Christmas. The upcoming films and his celebrated roles are the gifts that he left us to remember him by.

ARTS COVER IMAGES: MORGAN BRILL and ABBY KNECHTt/the Justice, Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department and Daniel Stokes. DESIGN: MORGAN BRILL/the Justice.

ON CAMPUS

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

BRIEF

“Light of Reason” takes on two separate openings The first lighting of the new installation for the Rose Art Museum, Chris Burden’s “Light of Reason” would be sooner than expected, Andrew Flagel, senior vice president for students and enrollment told a room full of community advisors and orientation leaders on Sunday, Aug. 17. Flagel announced that the official lighting that was planned for Sept. 10 would actually be the second lighting, as new students engaged in the first lighting of the antiquated lamps on Sunday, their first night on campus. The event, planned by Brandeis Orientation, was spearheaded by one of its core planning committee members, Brendan Weintraub ’16. Weintraub noted in an address to

the orientation leaders that he got his inspiration from a similar event this past school year on the first night of Orientation—a communal lighting in front of the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Admissions Center. Last year, students lit electronic lights, but this year Weintraub worked to receive authorization from the city of Waltham to use actual candles. He noted that safety services were on call. At 8 p.m., students gathered on the lawn in front of Spingold Theater Center for the lighting. Flagel spoke to the crowd, telling the incoming students that they were the first people ever to see this installation lit. “You are the meaning of why these lights exist,” he said. The installation of “Light of Rea-

son” was still a work in progress as of Sunday night, so Flagel told the crowd that about five lights probably would not go on. Orientation leaders lit the new students’ candles as the community engaged in a moment of reflection. As Weintraub told the students to raise their candles to the sky, “Light of Reason” was lit. The official opening of the installation will take place as planned on September 10, an event that is open to the entire community. Burden will attend the lighting ceremony. Entertainment will include the Lydian String Quartet, and the indie rock band The Antlers will perform. —Emily Wishingrad

CREATIVE COMMONS

MAGIC MIC:

Mike Posner and band Magic! will perform for Fall Concerts As the new year of classes starts up, Brandeis students are already planning ways to wind down, starting with a stellar lineup for the annual Fall Concert Series. Sponsored by Student Events, the series will feature American pop and hip-hop performer Mike Posner and Canadian reggae-fusion band Magic! While most students were in the middle of packing up and moving back to campus, Student Events broke the news of the Fall Concert lineup. They posted a YouTube video, which they shared on their Facebook page on Thursday, August 21, and was subsequently shared all over Facebook by returning Brandeis students. Mike Posner is first on deck to perform, and will take over Usdan Student Center’s Levin Ballroom on Saturday, Sept. 20. According to the Brandeis Tickets

MORGAN BRILL/the Justice

LIGHT IT UP: on sunday, new students gathered on sunday for a communal lighting of the new chris Burden installation, “Light of

website, tickets for the show will be on sale starting on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at the box office in the Shapiro Campus Center. Mike Posner previously performed on campus in February 2010 at the Student Events spring concert, which also benefitted the Haiti Relief Effort. Posner performed with Big Sean and special guest Tha Jist but will perform solo in his upcoming concert. Advance ticket purchases will be five dollars for Brandeis students and $15 at the door. Each Brandeis student can buy two guest tickets so they can bring their friends along for the show. Students who save their ticket stubs from the Mike Posner concert can even get early access to ticket sales for the Magic! show. Magic! will be coming to campus later in the semester, on Nov. 16. —Rachel Hughes

OBITUARY

Founder of the Rose passes away at 91 By JESSIE MILLER justice editor

Sam Hunter, the founder and inaugural director of the Rose Art Museum, passed way on July 27 in Princeton, N.J. Hunter spent five years at Brandeis, building the Rose’s initial art collection with a $50,000 donation from Leon Mnuchin and his wife, Harriet Gevirtz-Mnuchin. According to a July BrandeisNOW article, Hunter collected artwork from artists including Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. The article noted how works from this original collection of artists “form the core of the Rose’s beloved collection and continue to set the tone for the museum’s collecting and exhibition practices.” Hunter’s first role at Brandeis was not director of the Rose, however. In 1960, he served as director of the Poses Institute of Fine Arts, a predecessor to the Rose. The institute, funded by Jack and Lillian Poses, was “dedicated to presenting major art exhibitions and sponsoring seminars with important contemporary artists,” according to the Rose’s website. For Hunter’s first contemporary art collection at the Rose, the Mnuchins set a limit of $5,000 per painting, therefore focusing the search on younger artists and lesser known works. For four months in 1962 and 1963 Hunter and Mnuchin visited countless galleries, often straight to artists’ workshops, to gather artwork. According to the Rose website, the Gevirtz-Mnuchin collection, original-

ly purchased for $50,000, is now worth over $200,000,000. By focusing on the integrity of each individual piece, Hunter assembled an impressive collection of art that still holds an important place in the art world today. According to the Rose’s website, Hunter’s “shrewd collecting sensibilities were not based on luck and timing, as is often said, but intimately linked with their writing, curating and constant looking at new work,” which has left a remarkable impression on the museum. But Hunter’s influence in art curation went far beyond the realm of Brandeis. Around the same time he joined Brandeis, Hunter also curated the Fine Arts Pavilion at the 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle, drawing on much of the same artwork for the collection. Later, the World’s Fair Collection, which included 87 artists and 114 works, was also displayed at the Rose. Born in Springfield, Mass., Hunter graduated from Williams College in 1943 and then served in World War II. According to a Princeton University article, Hunter “studied art history in Florence and at the American Academy in Rome on a Hubbard Hutchinson Fellowship in art history and criticism.” Hunter also worked as an art critic at the New York Times, contributed to numerous articles and textbooks and wrote exhibition catalogues. In 1972, Hunter wrote American Art of the 20th Century, his survey of modern American art. Five years later, Hunter combined his book with Mil-

ton Brown’s History of American Art to 1900 to publish a complete account of American art history. Notably, Hunter wrote the original 1984 edition of the Museum of Modern Art’s collection catalogue. Hunter worked in many capacities at different museums, such as the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Jewish Museum in New York. Hunter also took on the academic world while serving as associate professor of art history at University of California, Los Angeles, a visiting professor at Cornell University, New York and a professor of art history at Princeton University where he retired from in 1991. In the July BrandeisNOW article, current director of the Rose, Christopher Bedford, explained that Hunter “had one foot in the world of museums and one foot in the world of scholarship, a model for how the Rose thinks of itself today. He was as much a director/curator as he was a scholar, and that dual commitment continues to represent the Rose in the work we do today.” Bedford also said in the article that the Rose’s latest emerging artists fund will be named in Hunter’s memory: “It’s only just that we would perpetuate Hunter’s legacy with a fund that boasts his name,” he said. Hunter’s dedication to art positively impacted the organizations and individuals he worked with, including the Rose. Though his time at Brandeis was short, Hunter laid the groundwork for the thriving art museum we have today.

PHOTO COURTESY OF Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections

SOMBER FAREWELL:

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014 | THE JUSTICE

ARTS CLASSES

Fall Semester Arts Course Preview One of the best parts of college is that you can take classes on an endless number of topics, regardless of previous knowledge, or even your major. Brandeis, with its diverse course offerings, is no exception. Who knew there could be a whole class on the niche subject of Israeli video art?

Did you know that a class exists in which students sit around and discuss Instagram and ironic videos? Did you even know there was such a thing as scenography? There is—and you can take a class on it! Here are four upcoming courses that we thought were especially intriguing.

Prof. Gannit Ankori (FA) “Moving Images: Israeli Video Art” “Moving Images: Israeli Video Art in Context” will take a historical, formal, regional and political examination of Israeli video art. Prof. Gannit Ankori (FA) writes in her course description that the course title “deliberately alludes to both the literal and figurative attributes of Israeli video art—its use of visual images in motion, and its profound emotive affect.” Among their course materials, students in this class will read a book coauthored by President Emeritus Jehuda Reinharz, titled Israel in the Middle East: Documents and Readings on Society, Politics And Foreign Relations, Pre-1948 to the Present. Video texts will include Zionist propaganda films, German films from the early 20th century and narrative video art. “Israeli video artists have become world renowned for their innovative contributions to the genre,” Ankori said in the course description, “Their pathbreaking videos are featured in the most prestigious venues across the globe to great critical acclaim.”

Using the hipster as a case study, Prof. Kyle Stevens (ENG) will guide his class through examinations of post-1960s subcultures. The class will examine what it means to belong to a subculture, how subcultures differ from the dominant culture and what roles themes like irony and digital environments have played in subcultures taking place during the 20th and early 21st centuries. The class will also focus on how the modern-day hipster subculture goes beyond the spheres of Instagram and amusingly ironic videos, and delves into social and political criticism. “We will study how the hipster is positioned at the intersection of mainstream culture and counterculture, and how it is used both to impose and to subvert dominant constructions of race, class, gender, and sexuality,” Stevens wrote in his tentative course description. The class will look deeply into irony in our culture and why, as Stevens writes in his course description, “we are often ready to click on anything that promises ironic humor.” The class will examine the problem of what happens to the truth when irony takes over our lives. “Is irony an

PHOTO COURTESTY OF KYLE STEVENS

immature way to hold the world at arm’s length?” Stevens writes, “or is it… a mature ability to grasp beyond the obvious?” “Hipsters on Trial: Irony, Meaning, and Style in the Digital Age” will meet on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. —Emily Wishingrad

PHOTO COURTESY OF GANNIT ANKORI

“Moving Images: Israeli Video Art” will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.” —Emily Wishingrad

Prof. Cameron Anderson (THA) “The Art of Scenography: Scenic Design and Invention for Performance” Taught by Prof. Cameron Anderson (THA), “The Art of Scenography” exposes students to the process of scenic design for theater. In an email to the Justice, Anderson explained that students will work with a variety of sources to “explore how to develop ideas and striking theatrical images that tell the story of the text.” Scenic design involves many components to create the perfect set for a play including the psychological process of creating a set that transports the audience to a different time and place. In the course, students will “use installation art, sculptural thinking, and creative writing” as they are “introduced to methods and craft of set design—including research, sketching, model making and drafting,” Cameron explained. The course also addresses how new technologies, such video and projection, influence the scenic design process. Anderson’s idea for this experiential learning course comes from her own interest in “teaching scenic design as an interdisciplinary subject—drawing upon all of the arts to inspire our projects,” she wrote. The course is open to both majors

Prof. Kyle Stevens (ENG) “Hipsters on Trial: Irony, Meaning and Style in the Digital Age”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAMERON ANDERSON

and non-majors, essentially to anyone interested in the creation of visual art for the stage. Anderson hopes that the course will allow students to take risks as they develop their own style of artistic vision, something she has found for herself after years in the design industry. “The Art of Scenography” will meet on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

Prof. Neal Hampton (MUS) “Broadway Bound: The Craft of Composing Music and Lyrics for the Theater” This semester, Prof. Neil Hampton (MUS) will teach “Broadway Bound: The Craft of Composing Music and Lyrics for the Theater,” a class that teaches students the building blocks of composing music. According to the course description, students will “learn how music functions in a dramatic context by writing songs” and presenting their original work to both Hampton and their peers. Students will also have the opportunity to work collaboratively or alone. Hampton, in an email to the Justice hopes that students “will feel proud of their contributions during collaborations and ... will come away with a greater confidence in their creative abilities and a heightened appreciation of the theater.” In addition to teaching at Brandeis, Hampton also conducts the BrandeisWellesley Orchestra and composes music, mostly for musical theater. In 2013, his musical rendition of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility premiered at the Denver Center Theater Company to positive reviews. Hampton has composed many other works for the stage, as well as for ballet recitals. His composition “Splendor of Creation” was included in the 2003 movie Mona Lisa Smile. In an email to the Justice, Hampton explained that he “want[s] participants to

JOIN —Jessie Miller

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEAL HAMPTON

gain a better understanding of dramatic form and of the craft of writing lyrics...and the myriad ways that music can function in a theatrical piece.” He also hopes that students will “feel proud of their contributions” to the collaborations and gain confidence in their creative abilities, while building their appreciation for theater. “Broadway Bound” will meet on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. —Jessie Miller

the Justice Contact Rachel Hughes at editor@thejustice.org

THE JUSTICE | TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

THEATER

UTC unveils fall 2014 productions SEPTEMBER 6-7

OCTOBER 11 23-26

NOVEMBER 6-9 13-16 20-23

DECEMBER 5-6 7

Boris’ Kitchen Old Sh*t Show

Boris’ Kitchen Fall Show

Sponsored by Boris’ Kitchen Directed by TBD

TBA

‘Lost Girls’