The Brandeis Hoot 11/22/2019

Volume 16 Issue 24

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe” www.brandeishoot.com

November 22, 2019

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper · Waltham, Mass.

Gosman to add locker rooms

ITS says wifi issues are fixed

By Sabrina Chow

By Rachel Saal editor

editor

ITS has resolved the source of the issue that was affecting the campus wireless network as of Thursday at 10:35, according to Information Technology Services’ status updates.

“We did an upgrade configuration over the summer and overtime, the configuration kind of faltered,” said Chief Information Officer Jim La Creta. “When we got to the point where we realized it was faltering, we started trying to fix and then it was reconfigured this past week.”

The switches, controllers that allow networked devices to “talk to each other efficiently,” accord-

Gender-inclusive locker rooms will be added as part of a renovation program to Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, Athletic Director Lauren Haynie told The Brandeis Hoot in an interview. The two phase renovation will not only allow each varsity program to have its own locker room but will also modernize the current locker rooms.

The goal of the renovations is to ensure “equity for all varsity programs,” Haynie told The Hoot in an interview. She said that with the current locker room system, only some varsity teams are allowed to keep their locker room for the See GOSMAN, page 3

GOSMAN Women’s

locker room to be downsized with new rennovations.

Greek life requires bystander training for all new members

By Celia Young editor

Student violence prevention educators trained the 77 new members of Brandeis’ fraternities and sororities this semester. The bystander trainings, required at Brandeis by all Brandeis club officers but not members of Greek life, are aimed at preventing violence by providing students with skills to address different situations.

The students, Lexi Foman ’21 and Aaron Pins ’21, are members of two of the 10 fraternities and sororities Brandeis students can join, however, the organizations are not recognized by the university itself. Because fraternities and sororities aren’t recognized as organizations at Brandeis, Greek life leaders aren’t required to undergo bystander training like other Brandeis chartered clubs. The organizations cannot become chartered clubs at Brandeis because clubs are required to be non-exclusionary, according to the club leaders handbook, so students recruit, advertise and host events independently.

But in 2018, Samantha Jean ’19 reached out to the Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center (PARC) to start bystander trainings for members of Greek life— trainings that have been continued by Foman and Pins.

Foman serves as the Sergeantat-Arms for the Greek Awareness Council (GAC), a group made up of different fraternity and sorority members that connects Greek life with the Brandeis campus, and hopes that the trainings will continue after she graduates in 2021.

“All of us as members of Greek life, but also just as students at Brandeis and people in the world, have a responsibility to prevent violence when we see it even if it’s uncomfortable,” said Foman in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot.

“In a short amount of time as students turnover and graduate, it will be that 100 percent of the Greek life community will have been bystander trained,” Vice President for the GAC Anna Greenberg ’21 added in the interview. “That’s actual change.”

The bystander training sessions See GREEK, page 5

Inside This Issue:

News: Former Oman ambassador visits Brandeis.

Ops: What is the best Thanksgiving food?

Features: Becoming global.

Sports: Ten named All-UAA in soccer.

EDITORIAL: We can learn from Northwestern.

See WIFI, page 4

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

Renovations planned in Usdan Student Center

By Tim Dillon staff

Usdan Student Center will be renovated to consolidate Chaplaincy and Hillel personnel and areas on the ground level and first floor respectively, according to blueprints obtained by The Brandeis Hoot. Robert Avalle Jr., vice president of the Department of Facilities Services, acknowl-

USDAN Usdan

edged that the work will be disruptive to the current occupants of the space being renovated and said that it will be necessary to relocate some of the offices.

Avalle described the renovation as “[revising] some office layouts for better efficiency” and said that it would also include “some finish improvements in the areas of work.” He said that the Department of Facilities Services “will work with staff to develop and im-

plement a schedule and [that] the temporary locations will be communicated with students.” Avalle said there is not yet a planned start date.

Rabbi Seth Winberg, the director of spiritual life, senior Jewish chaplain and executive director of Hillel, said that the goal of the renovation was to “provide better

will be rennovated to consolidate the Chaplaincy and Hillel.

Women’s bball

Page 2 Page 11 Basketball stays undefeated.

Page 10 SPORTS: PAGE 6 Page 6 Page 9

Adagio Adagio performance brings joy.

ARTS: PAGE 16

See USDAN, page 3

PHOTO BY GRACE ZHOU/THE HOOT

NEWS

2 The Brandeis Hoot

November 22, 2019

Campus Climate listening sessions have low attendance

By Emily Botto and Rachel Saal editors

Coordinators for Brandeis’ various inclusion and equity organizations held listening sessions on Friday, Nov. 15 and Sunday, Nov. 17 to answer questions and hear concerns from students following the release of the Campus Climate Survey on Thursday, Nov. 14. Although the events were meant for the entire student body, no students on Friday were there for the sole purpose of voicing their concerns. Instead, the only students who attended that event were a peer advocate from Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center (PARC) and a reporter from the Brandeis Hoot.

There was higher attendance on Sunday, with seven students, including a reporter from The Hoot, a reporter from the Justice and a representative from PARC. Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mark Brimhall-Vargas, one of the leaders of these sessions, cited the length of the report and a lack of time between the release of the results and the event for the low attendance on Friday.

The survey was created to better understand the climate of sexual misconduct and violence committed by and against Brandeis students. The survey took 20 to 30 minutes to finish and was released to the Brandeis population through email on March 5, 2019.

The results showed that LGBTQ people, other marginalized populations, those involved in Greek life and varsity athletes are groups that are more affected than the larger population.

“These issues impact our community in inequitable ways,” Brimhall-Vargas said about the survey’s results concerning student demographics.

Brimhall-Vargas highlighted the fact that the statistics on varsity athletes have improved and attributed this to the extensive training athletes go through, especially following the termination of Coach Meehan in 2018. Brimhall-Vargas said that Vice Provost of Student Affairs Raymond Ou “is thinking about how to engage Greek life more to make sure they receive the kind of training and support that would be needed to improve the kind of results that we’ve seen here.”

A student said during the listening session on Sunday that she was concerned with the lack of data provided about the sexual violence facing disabled students.

“I’m appalled,” they said about the study’s failure to assess the trends in sexual violence among students with disabilities. “To not see [statistics] even reported is upsetting to me.”

Eighty-three percent of women with disabilities will be sexually assaulted in their lives, according to Disability Justice, whereas in general, 33 percent of women will experience some form of contact with sexual violence in their life, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

Brimhall-Vargas said that he wasn’t sure why that measure was not included and that he will look into it.

A student on Sunday asked why the word “trans” was put in quotes in the report whereas the words “men” and “women,” were not. Brimhall-Vargas said that he wasn’t sure but he speculated that it was because several different categories in the report are “rolled into” trans.

Brimhall-Vargas also highlighted the responses of LGBTQ students. “The GSC [Gender and Sexuality Center] is going to have more staffing, and that’s a result of a need that we have been aware of for some time…

We’re trying to be proactive about meeting the needs of students in particular that are telling us that they experience and observe things at a higher rate than other students.”

According to Brimhall-Vargas, a lot has changed since the first campus climate survey in 2015, especially since the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) did not exist at that time.

There have also been changes in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI) infrastructure to support people of color and LGBTQ people. Brimhall-Vargas said that these changes show that Brandeis is working to address the problem.

Director of the Intercultural Center Madeline Lopez said that a lot of the credit for the university’s improvement goes to PARC and the support they give to the community. Because of PARC, Lopez said, “the word is out about who to turn to.” Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity Sonia Jurado attributed bystander awareness and training efforts to

PARC as well.

Brimhall-Vargas admitted that there was a selection bias in the report, since a relatively low percentage of students took the survey—22 percent of the total student population—which is not a large enough sample size “to generalize to the larger Brandeis population.” However, as there is no way to know what that bias is, the results still tell “a clear story about student experience,” said Brimhall-Vargas. He added that regardless of who or how many students have experienced sexual misconduct, harassment or rape on campus, “we do know that members of our community have said ‘this happened,’ and we have to take that seriously.”

Brimhall-Vargas also proposed the possibility of extending invitations to clubs or organizations to have private meetings to discuss the climate survey and give them a brief update, since he had previously mentioned the length of the report as a barrier to student awareness. He said this might make it easier for students to engage with the survey and with the ODEI. “We are a part of the larger society,” Brimhall-Vargas said. “We are not immune by virtue of the fact that we are at a university and we hold certain values.” According to Brimhall-Vargas, although Brandeis’ values may not make it invulnerable to influence from the larger society, they do ensure that the university will attempt to provide the resources and support necessary for students to handle these issues.

Jurado said that they are constantly trying to find the best way to inform the community about available resources in the most effective way possible.

She said that they don’t want to bombard students with information, but they want to make sure that they know where to go to address their needs. Brimhall-Vargas said that the flyers on bathroom stalls have proven to be very effective.

Brimhall-Vargas gave credit to the team of Brandeis faculty and students that have improved the campus climate in the years since the last survey.

Lopez added that even though students did not attend this meeting, anyone is welcome to come to the ODEI, the Intercultural Center, the OEO or PARC—which is a 24/7 resource—to discuss the report.

IN THE SENATE: Nov 17, 2019 • •

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Vice President Kendall Chapman ’22 was sworn into office at the start of the senate meeting.

At the Executive Board meeting, the board discussed having a second racial minority senator. Senator Joseph Coles ’22, who was in attendance at the Executive Board meeting, said that the official complaint will come out in a public report. The Senate entered an executive session to decide whether to recommend if the special election should take place during this semester or next semester.

Coles read a resolution which said that the Union was in violation of its own constitution by not holding a special election to fill the position within the required 15-day period. The Senate voted by roll call to pass a resolution recommending that the election be held as soon as possible. It passed unanimously.

Coles said that at the Executive Board meeting, they also discussed providing coffee for “take your professor to coffee” and the possibility of hosting sledding events on snow days. They also reported that 260 people used the Lyft subsidy which allowed students to get a $5 discount on rides between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and that it will be extended into next semester.

Coles also said that surveys showed that 72 percent of clubs don’t agree with the consultant bylaw and so he will be hosting office hours to explain it.

The Rules Committee will be working with Senator for Charles River Apartments Oliver Price ’20 to word an amendment that would allow secured club leaders to be paid. The Social Justice Committee will be putting up display cases in the library with books by authors of color.

Senator-at-Large Nancy Zhai ’22 said that the Senate Dining Committee is fixing Lower Usdan stations, so that it is consistent with the menu online, and they will be drafting a request for proposals (RFP) next week and vendors will be able to send proposals in early December.

The Health and Safety Committee will be putting posters in first-year quads with information about the permanent effects of alcohol consumption. Senator Topaz Fragoso ’22 asked if the posters could be put up in other quads as well, and Hoffman said that it would depend on how much funding they get. He also said that more people have reported broken gym equipment and that it has “lawsuit potential.”

Senator Trevor Filseth ’20 said that people have been putting in work orders and DCL has been responding to the wrong rooms. East beautification funding just got approved, according to Senator for East Quad Leah Fernandez ’22. Senator Scott Halper ‘20 said that President Simran Tatuskar ’21 apologized to former Vice President Guillermo Caballero ’20 and Executive Senator Jake Rong ’21, the final steps in the sanction against her following her judicial hearing.

Senator for North Quad Krupa Sourirajan ’23 proposed a Senate Money Resolution (SMR) to supply Polaris with cooking tools. Filseth asked if she is worried about the tools getting stolen, and Sourirajan said that there are already some supplies there now. Proposals are typically voted on the week after they’re proposed, and the Senate voted to suspend the rules so that Souriajan could talk to DCL about the supplies and potentially have them available before Thanksgiving.

-Rachel Saal

Various cultures meet in SCC

By Gavi Klein special to the hoot

The more you know about someone else’s culture, the better it is for you to understand, communicate and appreciate them, according to Imani McFarlane, founder of House of Tafari Collections on Thursday evening at the Global Bazaar event hosted in the Shapiro Campus Center (SCC) atrium.

Many cultures, nationalities and traditions that make up the Brandeis community were represented at the event. Over a dozen tables filled the ground floor of

the SCC, hosting signs, games, food and more from academic departments to student clubs to local businesses. Seated behind her table, laden with the headwraps her company makes, McFarlane said that the event was “a great display of various cultures.”

Jae Seo ’20, treasurer of the Japanese Student Association (JSA), said that global awareness means gaining more than just a surface-level understanding of other cultures. He explained how the event gives the club an avenue to help people understand Japanese culture beyond “just anime or manga.” The Bazaar offered guests the opportunity to taste foods

and learn more about immersive programs like study abroad or United World College Scholars.

Language booths were a large presence at the event. German Studies Undergraduate Departmental Representative (UDR) Natalie Hattan ’22 said that taking a foreign language forces people out of their comfort zones.

“When we can’t have a full-on cultural immersion everyday, forcing someone to think outside of their native language, speak outside of their native language, is really important. It reminds people that there is a world outside Brandeis,” said Hattan.

PHOTO BY CELIA YOUNG/THE HOOT

November 22, 2019

NEWS 3

The Brandeis Hoot

Gosman to add gender-inclusive locker rooms, locker rooms for all varsity sports GOSMAN, from page 1

entire academic year. Other teams were forced to vacate their space in order to make space for other teams. Haynie said that space had always been a concern in Gosman.

“Some of the team room spaces weren’t designed with the number of students that we have on our rosters,” she said. “This [renovation] gave us the opportunity to right size and also the potential for growth in the future, both in the locker room space and the actual teams.”

The first phase of the renovations will ensure that all varsity programs will have their own locker rooms and the creation of a gender-inclusive locker room.

“The building [Gosman] was built at a time when we didn’t have as many women’s programs,” Haynie said, which is why many teams are required to share locker rooms.

The expansion of the team lockers comes from a downsizing of the women’s general locker room. Currently, the general use men’s and women’s locker rooms are equally sized, but there is a significant difference in the populations that use each locker room, according to Haynie.

She further explained that staff members are able to track how many lockers are rented, so while downsizing the women’s locker room, they are able

to ensure an ample amount of space for students to utilize the locker room if they redesign.

“We don’t lack in locker room space,” said Haynie. “We’re just able to use that for a better use.”

One of the spaces that is currently being used for officials will be converted into a gender-inclusive locker room, Haynie told The Hoot. These locker rooms currently do not exist at Gosman.

“Users will be able to enter that space without having to go through either the men’s or women’s locker rooms first,” she said.

This space also will not be split up by varsity sport but open to all, according to Haynie.

“I really give credit to students for making a gender-inclusive locker room space a priority for them,” Haynie told The Hoot. “Once that question came up, it seemed like a no brainer to us since we’re already doing work in the space and something that would impact our community positively.”

In addition, any of the current spaces that have tile flooring will be replaced with carpet. Haynie said that carpet is much cleaner and easier to maintain compared to tile, which is why Gosman decided to make the change.

Haynie said that the first phase of renovations will begin on Dec. 1, 2019 and is expected to be finished Feb. 1, 2020.

A majority of the work will

be completed during winter break to ensure that the least number of students are impacted by the renovations, but Gosman will still be open with ample locker room space for all users, according to Haynie.

Haynie estimated that the cost of the first phase of the renovations will cost around $250,000 to $310,000. This price includes

the creation of five new team rooms, each costing around $35,000 to $50,000 each. Extra costs would also include any previously unseen issues that may arise during the construction.

A majority of the costs for the renovations will be paid for by the university, Haynie told The Hoot.

The rest will come from athletics, mostly through alumni donations.

The second phase will be a more long-term project, taking at least two to three years to complete, Haynie estimated. Projects in the second phase are focused towards modernizing the locker room spaces for all varsity programs.

The modernization will include adding new paint jobs to most of the current locker rooms and adding new modern lockers.

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

Usdan to renovated to consolidate Chaplaincy and Hillel personnel USDAN, from page 1

multi-purpose space for students and to make the space as welcoming and functional as possible.”

Dated Oct. 16, 2019, the summary further states that the Peace Room is not in the “scope of this concept” and will remain on the ground level.

A description of the new ground floor also mentions that the Chaplaincy staff will be consolidated on the ground level,

the Multifaith Lounge will be relocated to the ground floor and the two existing offices will each be divided to create a total of four offices. A description of the new first floor says that “an additional office is constructed in the Hillel administration area” in the space formerly occupied by the Multifaith Lounge.

An old office will be combined with a storage area to form a larger storage area. The descriptions also mention that the plumbing in the area will need to be examined to determine where the sink

in the Multifaith Lounge can go and that “under-stairway storage in the Student Lounge is pending review of building code.”

The work will be carried out by a private contractor under the oversight of the Department of Facilities Services.

The renovation was announced in an email to the student body from Provost Lisa Lynch on June 25, 2019.

The email from Lynch, with the subject line “INFORMATIONAL: Update on the Director of Spiritual Life Search,” mentions

PHOTO OBTAINED BY HE HOOT

the university’s intent to renovate the building “over the upcoming academic year” with the goal of “[enhancing] spiritual life and the Hillel experience by expanding the multipurpose space available to students and making it as welcoming as possible.”

Lynch wrote that this was in service of the broader goal of “[developing] a center that helps young adults explore their spirituality in a safe space and find their place in the world.”

The Hoot reached out to Center for Spiritual Life Office Coordina-

tor Diane Lauber, Brandeis Hillel President Lindsay Biebelberg ’21, and Senior Project Manager of Design and Construction James McCormack, but none of them responded.

The Hoot heard back from Associate Director of Operations and Maintenance Ryan Donahue, who referred The Hoot to Associate Director of Design and Construction Michael McGarry.

McGarry did not provide a statement of his own, but referred The Hoot to the answers given by Avalle.

PHOTO BY GRACE ZHOU/THE HOOT

4 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

November 22, 2019

Professors from Berklee School of Music discuss sexual assault on their campus

By Hannah Pederson special to the hoot

After the #MeToo movement erupted in November of 2017, the Berklee School of Music in Boston started to notice sexual violence on its own campus, according to a developmental psychologist at the university who spoke at Brandeis on Wednesday in Epstein.

Professor Alicia Bower showed charts and demographics of the student population broken down into the different ethnicities and races of full-time students on

campus. She said that 85 percent of the student population is between the ages of 18 and 24, and 60 percent of the population is male while 40 percent is female.

“We see an interesting trend such that female students do tend to be younger than male students on average. So, the largest percentage of female identified students is between 18 and 19, and the largest percentage of our male identifying students are between 20 and 21,” said Bower. “And although this seems like a small distinction, it’s important to point out and bare in mind the amount of development that occurs be-

tween 18 to 21. So although we know that female students do tend to mature academically earlier than male students, male students tend to develop self-confidence and self-esteem earlier than female students.”

Bower went over when Berklee let a teacher quietly leave after alleged sexual abuse and pushed students to be silent, and she also covered the different timelines of the sexual misconduct events that happened on campus starting on Nov. 8, 2017. She followed this with other instances of sexual abuse that had occurred on the campus, a multitude of different

events that all happened within three days. Some of these instances were between students, and some were between students and professors. She provided a list of quotes from professors that spoke upon the events that were happening on campus and that were involved in the matters.

“Only an idiot would sleep with students, and I am not an idiot; I would not do that. But after they graduate, it’s open season,” said a professor that was let go by the university for sexual misconduct.

“Bottom line is, and this is a bit harsh, if anyone saw my girlfriend at that time and saw [my accuser],

that would probably end the argument. Why would I jeopardize my career for somebody like that?”

Next to speak was Kelly Downes who is the chief equity officer and Title IX coordinator at Berklee.

She talked about the different goals that the university had and things that people can do to help this issue. She shared the different initiatives and organizations such as the Feminist Faculty Alliance (FFA) that are on campus to help address this issue and those that are affected by it.

Former United States ambassador to Oman discusses the country’s future

By Adian Vinograd and Rachel Saal special to the hoot and editor

Brexit is part of a history of tensions between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (U.K.), according to panelists who spoke as the second part of a panel series hosted by the Brandeis Center for German and European Studies (CGES) and the Department of Politics.

This event’s panelists included Professor Graham Wilson from Boston University. Originally from England, Wilson was there to provide an “in-house sense” of the situation and explain the ideology of those in favor of Brexit. Professor Daniela

Caruso from Boston University provided insight into the legality of Brexit, discussing the entanglement of the U.K. and the EU. Professor Mai’a Cross from Northeastern University spoke about potential catalysts of the desire to leave and explained the potential effects of the situation.

Wilson started the lecture by stating that the EU agreed to a further extension of Britain staying in the EU earlier that day. He then mentioned the background of Brexit, saying it won by a vote of 52 to 48 percent in a national referendum. (The referendum was advisory, or not legally binding that the U.K. leave the EU, according to a BBC article.) He recounted potential ways that Brexit could have been avoided, saying repeatedly that if David Cameron

PHOTO COURTESY INTERMOUNTAIN JEWISH NEWS

PHOTO BY RACHEL SAAL/THE HOOT

hadn’t been elected, then likely none of this would be happening.

He continued by commenting on how the U.K. and the EU haven’t always gotten along. The first example he shared is how England refused to give up the British pound in favor of the euro. He went on to discuss how England was often uncomfortable with the EU’s open door policy; English people are against immigrants from other countries, said Wilson. Conservative English people also didn’t like that non-English people were deciding on English policy outside of England, according to Wilson.

Professor Caruso then began her lecture on the legal aspects of Brexit. She said that the support of Brexit came from a feeling of being caged. She began by expanding on Wilson’s earlier point about negative feelings arising from decisions being made outside of England.

English people used to be satisfied with the voting system in the EU because votes needed to

be unanimous to go into effect, said Caruso. She explained that with a change in the EU system, which required only a majority of the vote, England lost some of its power and reacted poorly.

She then pointed out that while the U.K.’s economy was doing well in certain aspects due to the EU, some other parts of the economy (like construction) were being left behind, further adding to the resentment towards the EU. The last panelist to talk was Cross. She started by talking about how the Brexit vote was unfair, as lies and propaganda about the situation were fed to the public. She also suspected cheating in the election.

The Electoral Commission of the U.K. found that the Vote Leave campaign, led by the now Prime Minister of the U.K. Boris Johnson, illegally exceeded the campaign funding limit and fined the group 61,000 pounds, according to a BBC article.

She spoke about how this was a terrible decision for the U.K.,

since the EU is “overwhelmingly stronger” than the U.K. She also mentioned that this exit will allow the EU to pass desired reforms that the U.K. resisted.

Changing topics, she examined the catalysts for the EU’s acquisition of power, identifying four: the Cold War, the Vulcan Wars, the Iraq War and the current political climate. She argues that the Cold War helped to create EU relations because the U.S. was starting to get involved in international affairs and the EU needed to remain strong and united.

In the Vulcan wars of the 1990s, the power of decision-making went to the U.S. rather than the EU, she explains.

In 2003, the Bush Iraq War divided EU member-states and created many new discussions about security policies, said Cross. She also mentioned that this is when the EU started conducting humanitarian missions.

The panel closed with a Q&A session from the audience.

ITS says wifi is fixed, university to fix cellular issues ITS, from page 1

ing to Cisco, were replaced as a part of a $2 million project that started in March and was finished over the summer. These switches exist in all the buildings and there are roughly 300 on campus, according to Chief Information Security Officer David Albrecht.

“Over the weekend we were

looking to try to find out exactly what the issue was—the wireless manufacturer was having a hard time determining what that was,” said Albrecht. “Tuesday morning was when we isolated what the issue was. The longest amount of time was trying to determine what the actual problem was. This was one they had never seen before. The person that they flew in from HP from Aruba was one

they send out for triage for the biggest clients that have when there’s a network-wide outage, so it wasn’t a run-of-the-mill engineer, this was the top-of-the-line engineer at Aruba, he couldn’t even figure out what it was.”

Albercht also told The Hoot that ITS is aware that there “a cellular phone issue on campus” and they’re trying to bring in an integrator on campus to “essentially

bring in AT&T and Verizon signal on campus and it put it buildings.”

“We’re trying to actively change how we do cellular coverage on campus,” said Albercht. “If [cellular issues] were raised to us on a regular basis, we may have been able to fix it sooner. If students are having issues on the wireless network, the easiest way to fix them is to have people report them.”

La Creta said that only 30-40

reports came to them in the last week, which is not out of the ordinary for a given week. Albrecht said that they really appreciate when people report the issues that they are having because it helps ITS troubleshoot the problems.

The technology help desk is available in Goldfarb and they can be reached at 781736-HELP (4357) or email them at help@brandeis.edu.

November 22, 2019

NEWS 5

The Brandeis Hoot

Students highlight innovation at showcase

By Tim Dillon staff

Innovation is important in all fields studied at Brandeis, including both STEM and humanities, according to Associate Provost for Innovation Rebecca Menapace at the Fifth Annual Innovation Showcase in the Shapiro Science Center on Thursday. Brandeis Innovation held the event to show off the projects students had been working on to students, faculty and alumni, according to Menapace.

Menapace said that she hopes students will get excited about innovation and get involved—if they have ideas or solutions to

problems in the world around them, they should apply for a grant, or they might apply to help with someone else’s problem,” she said. “Innovation is part of Brandeis.”

Hasbro CEO Alan Hassenfeld donated money to Brandeis University for the purpose of establishing a center for innovation at the university five years ago, according to Menapace.

The Brandeis Hoot spoke to several of the students present about the projects they were presenting.

Leanna Silverberg M.A. ’19 presented a project focused on speeding up the process of drug discovery using cryo-electron microscopy. The planned new technology focuses on a new “plug-

PHOTO BY TIM DILLON/THE HOOT

and-play” cryo-chip technology, which can be inserted into existing cryo-electron microscopes to increase efficiency, according to Silverberg. She compared current drug discovery techniques to attempting to find the right key for a lock in the dark—eventually the right key will be found, but it will take time. Silverberg also compared the new technology to turning on the light and making the lock and key visible. The biggest challenge for the project was getting people to realize its value while it was still in its research phase, according to Silverberg.

Artdeansyah Dilaga M.A. ’20 showed off a project to create solar powered irrigation for farmers

in Somaliland. The goal of the project is to transition from diesel, which is more expensive and harmful to the environment, to solar power, which is cheaper and cleaner, according to Dilaga. The system collects energy to pump water up from the ground. Dilaga talked about the project’s payment plan, which was based around using mobile payments over the course of three years. Currently, a single system is capable of covering three farms, but Dilaga hopes to increase efficiency until three systems can cover 30 farms. He said that the largest challenge the project faces is getting the word out to farmers.

Michael Pepi, a fourth-year

graduate student, spoke about a project he was working on to combat drug resistant tuberculosis. When interviewed by The Brandeis Hoot, he said that while tuberculosis is a curable disease, some strains are becoming increasingly resistant to current drugs designed to treat it. Pepi said that the project was important to him because it involved improving lives. “Science has a lot of cool fields,” he said, but for him, the most important purpose of science is to help people.

In addition to the students presenting their projects, several organizations and companies aimed at entrepreneurs and startups were also present at the event.

Greek Awareness Council bystander trains 77 new members GREEK, from page 1

were hosted in different classrooms and all new members were trained as of Nov. 11, said Foman to The Hoot. The trainings were versions of the first level of bystander training offered by PARC, which trains Brandeis club officers.

The trainings were adjusted to reflect scenarios members of Greek life might encounter in real life, said Director of PARC Sarah Berg in an interview with The Hoot. For example, students were asked to consider what they would do if a member of their fraternity or sorority was serving too much alcohol to party-goers, or what to do if a person at a party was visibly drunk and Greek life members were hesitant to call the police.

The training also touched on sexual assault, asking students to consider a situation where a friend and member of their organization was assaulting another friend.

Students affiliated with Greek life are more likely to experience sexual assault, according to the 2019 campus climate report, a survey answered by about 22 percent of the Brandeis graduate and undergraduate student body.

The report found that, of the undergraduate student respondents, 24 percent of fraternity or sorority members reported experienc-

ing sexual assault and nine percent reported being raped since becoming a student at Brandeis.

Students whose best friend is in Greek life or students who attend Greek life parties also reported sexual assault and rape at higher rates, while students with no contact with Greek life reported sexual assault at a rate of 18 percent and rape at a rate of five percent.

“While one cannot assume causation, there is a strong correlation between contact with different aspects of Greek Life and increased sexual harassment, assault and violence,” reads the report.

But members of Greek life, said Foman, also improved in their abilities to intervene in different situations. Members of Greek life were also more likely to confront a person hooking up with an unconscious person, at 75 percent compared to 52 percent of students with no affiliation with Greek life, according to the climate report.

And problems of sexual assault and violence are not unique to Greek life, said Berg. These are problems the Brandeis community as a whole needs to address, she added.

“Greek life is choosing to be proactive about these issues we know to exist everywhere,” Berg said. “It’s an everybody problem.”

Berg wants to go beyond just training club leaders to hopefully train all students on the Brandeis campus, and not just once during

a student’s four- or five-year undergraduate career. Repeated bystander trainings, said Berg, are far better at helping students learn to deal with tough situations than a one-time training.

Berg is proud of the GAC’s initiative in training new members—a project that began in 2018 when PARC violence prevention educator and sorority member Jean brought the idea to Berg.

Jean was the first Sergeant-atArms before Foman and first began the trainings for all of Greek life and then new members.

“It really came from a need and desire from the community,” said Jean in a phone call with The Hoot. “The community stepped up to the plate to do this and I think that it’s important to note…

Since we are not recognized by the university it’s really on us to make sure we are owning up to ourselves and holding ourselves accountable,” Jean said.

Greenberg also hopes that the training demonstrates that Greek life is committed to safety.

“Sometimes it baffles me that people have this notion that students in Greek life somehow don’t want to go about trying to get rid of this stereotype,” Greenberg said. “Students in Greek life are students. They want trainings, they want to increase accountability [and] safety.”

Some of the other safety measures, termed “risk management” by members of Greek life, include resources for Greek life members

like the GAC, Sergeant-at-Arms and blacklists—resources emphasized in her trainings, said Jean.

The blacklist is different for every organization, but is a list of individuals who are not allowed to be present at Greek social events because a person feels unsafe or threatened by that individual’s presence, said Jean. These resources are another part of how Jean adjusted the first trainings to be more realistic toward members of Greek life.

Though Jean graduated in 2019, she is proud that the trainings

have continued and praised PARC for the center’s work in facilitating bystander trainings.

Foman and Greenberg intend to require new member trainings in the GAC constitution. The Sergeant-at-Arms is required under the existing constitution to coordinate “at least one bystander training per semester open to all of Greek [sic] life.” He or she also has to keep track of who has not been bystander trained and communicate that to relevant sorority and fraternity chapter presidents.

PHOTO COURTESY PARC

6 The Brandeis Hoot

SPORTS

November 22, 2019

Women’s basketball off to hot start

By Jesse Lieberman staff

After winning University Athletic Association (UAA) Rookie of the Year as a first-year and being named to the All-UAA second team as a sophomore, junior guard Camila Casanueva ’21 is poised for a big season. Casanueva started right where she left off as the Judges opened their season with three wins.

In the first round of the Brandeis University Tip-Off Tournament on Friday, Nov. 15, the Judges defeated Nichols College 71-45. The Judges beat Framingham State University in the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 16, 72-54.

The Judges traveled to Roger Williams on Tuesday, winning 83-63.

Casanueva, who led the Judges in points, assists and steals per game last season, averaged 12 points per game in the Brandeis University Tip-Off Tournament and was named to the All-Tour-

nament team. Against Roger Williams University, Casanueva led the Judges with 13 points and nine assists, a career high.

In addition to Casanueva, junior forward Jillian Petrie ’21 won the tournament’s most valuable player. Petrie averaged 12 points per game, shooting 10 of 22 and four of seven on threes. Due to her performance in the tournament, as well as posting 11 points and five rebounds in the next game against Roger Williams University, Petrie was also named the Brandeis Athlete of the Week for Nov. 19.

Off to their best start since the 2015-2016 season, the Judges have excelled at the three point line, both offensively and defensively. The Judges are shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc while holding opponents to just 19 percent from deep, thus far.

The Judges started their season with two wins against Nichols College and Framingham State University at the Brandeis University Tip-Off Tournament. On

PHOTOS COURTESY SABRINA CHOW PHOTOGRAPHY

Friday, Nov. 15, the Judges played against Nichols College and won the game 71-45. The Judges had a balanced attack led by Petrie, who had a game high 12 points against the Bisons. Petrie went five of eight, including two of two from three and added three steals.

Up by 11 points at halftime, the Judges outscored the Bisons 21-8 in the third quarter putting the game out of reach. Emma Reavis ’23 filled the stat sheet in her debut, scoring 11 points, highlighted by a step-back three pointer with the shot clock expiring midway through the third quarter.

Reavis also notched four assists and collected three steals. Samira Abdelrahim ’21 had ten points and eight rebounds off the bench.

On Saturday, Nov. 16, Brandeis played against Framingham State University in the championship game of the Tip-Off Tournament, defeating the Rams 72-54. Casanueva had eight of her 15 points in the second quarter as the Judges closed the half on a 16-7 run to go 36-25. The Rams got within three points of the Judges in

the third period, but Kat Puda ’21 connected on a three with five seconds remaining, pushing the lead to six. The lead never got lower than four points as the Judges pulled away in the fourth quarter. Puda had a game high three makes from beyond the arc to go along with eight rebounds.

The Judges held the leading scorer for the Rams to just two points on one of five shooting.

Junior transfer Courtney Thrun ’21 scored 13 points off the bench including seven in the first quarter, and senior guard Lauren Rubenstein ’20 led the game with five assists. Three point shooting was a huge factor in the game, as six Judges made at least two three-pointers. The Judges shot 14 of 30 as team from deep.

The Judges ended the week with a win against Roger Williams University on Nov. 19 and won 83-63.

With this win, Brandeis improves to 3-0 for the first time since the 2015-2016 season. Rookie Francesca Marchese ’23 scored six points in the second quarter including a three as time expired as

the Judges outscored Roger Williams 25-11. Marchese had nine points in the game and is 7 of 12 from three this season. Ahead by 18 going into the fourth quarter, Casanueva scored eight of her 13 points in the period. Casanueva was one of four Judges starters in double figures.

The Judges dominated the glass, out-rebounding Roger Williams 54-38, largely due to senior forward Hannah Nicholson ’20, who grabbed 15 rebounds and scored 13 points. Reavis scored 13 points on an efficient four of five shooting and tied Petrie with a game high of three steals.

The Judges will be taking on the number two ranked Tufts University Jumbos at home on Saturday, Nov. 23.

Editor’s Note: Camila Casanueva, Courtney Thrun and Francesca Marchese are staff members of The Hoot. Sports Editor Sophie Trachtenberg is also a member of the women’s basketball team.

10 Brandeis soccer players receive UAA recognition

By Emerson White staff

This season, the Brandeis men’s soccer team finished in a threeway tie for second place in the University Athletic Association (UAA), along with the University of Rochester and New York University; all three squads tallied three wins, three losses and one tie in conference play. The Brandeis women’s soccer team also found success on the field, as the Judges tied for fifth place, along with Case Western Reserve University and New York University; the teams in this three-way tie won two conference games, while unfortunately falling short in five conference matchups.

After two incredible showings in the UAA this fall, 10 Judges have been recognized for their performances with All-University Athletic Association honors.

Three members of the Brandeis women’s soccer team earned UAA honors for their achievements in the 2019 fall season.

Midfielder Caroline Swan ’23 was a first-team All-UAA selection.

This season, Swan started all 18 games and finished the season with one goal and five assists—

tied for team high in assists and fifth in the conference—for seven goals. Juliette Carreiro ’22 is a second-team All-UAA choice.

The Judges’ top scorer this season at the forward position, Carreiro finished with eight goals and five assists for 21 points. She tied for sixth in overall scoring, seventh in goals and fifth in assists in the UAA. Midfielder Daria Bakhtiari ’21, who was a second-team AllUAA selection as a sophomore, earned a well-deserved honorable mention this season. A strong defensive midfielder, Bakhtiari was third on the team in scoring with six goals and three assists for 15 points. In conference play, Bakhtiari tied for third in goals and fourth in points.

The Brandeis University men’s soccer team had seven members recognized this season as AllUAA selections. Forward Will DeNight ’23 was one of only two rookies to earn first-team AllUAA honors.

DeNight led Brandeis and the UAA with seven goals and 15 points despite missing four non-conference games in September.

Seniors Max Breiter ’20 and Dylan Hennessy ’20 earned second-team All-UAA selections af-

ter their incredible performances this season. Breiter was second on his team and tied for second in the UAA, with six goals this season; additionally, his 12 points were tied for second on the Judges and fourth in the league. Hennessy, who earned an All-UAA second-team selection as a sophomore, was honored again, after starting all 17 games this season.

He led the Judges in assists, while additionally tying for the UAA lead with five helpers as the team’s primary taker of corner kicks and throw-ins.

Out of the seven Judges selected from the men’s squad, four earned All-UAA honorable mention—Evan Glass ’20, goalkeeper Greg Irwin ’20, midfielder Elias Norris ’23 and back Alex Walter ’20. A defensive midfielder who started 11 out of the team’s 19 games, Glass registered one assist and helped with long throw-ins.

Irwin led the UAA with 75 saves in the regular season and finished second with an .843 save percentage and with a .72 goals-against average; additionally, Irwin was a two-time UAA Defensive Player of the Week this season, as he had an outstanding season in the net. Rookie Norris started 15 out of 19 contests this season at mid-

PHOTOS FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

field, adding two goals, which were both scored against UAA squads. Walter was a three-year starter and two-times previous All-UAA selection, earning second team honors as a sophomore and as a junior. This season, he scored his fifth career goal, and he anchored the conference’s second-leading defense, allowing .70 goals-against.

The Brandeis women’s soccer team finished with an 11-7 record

this season. In Head Coach Denise Dallamora’s 40th season, the Judges missed out on the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years and only the third time in the last 10. The Brandeis men’s soccer team concluded the 2019 season with a 10-5-4 record under Head Coach Gabe Margolis in his third season. Both teams will look to improve in the off-season, as the teams have strong returners, preparing for the 2020 fall season.

November 22, 2019

SPORTS 7

The Brandeis Hoot

Fencing shines at opening conference meet of the season

By Sophie Trachtenberg editor

Both the men’s and women’s Brandeis fencing teams headed down to Providence, Rhode Island over the weekend to compete at Brown University in the first of two Northeast Fencing Conference (NFC) meets. As a whole, the team held an impressive 10-2 record, with the women seeing six wins and the men seeing four, and with each respectively only having one loss. By weapon, those using the sabre led the way for the women as they post a 7-0 record.

Also undefeated was the men’s foil squad who sat at 5-0 after the weekend. Lastly, there were three groups who lost only a single match: women’s foil, men’s sabre and men’s epee.

The women defeated Smith College 25-2 (Foil-9, Epee-7, Sabre-9), Boston University 21-6 (F-8, E-6, S-7), Sacred Heart University 19-8 (F-9, E-4, S-7), the University of Massachusetts 21-6 (F-9, E-6, S-6), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 1611 (F-8, E-3, S-5) and the Univer-

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

sity of New Hampshire 24-3 (F-8, E-9, S-7). The squad’s only loss came to Wellesley College by a score of 10-17 (F-3, E-2, S-5). On the men’s side, the Judges defeated Boston University 23-4 (F-9, E-8, S-6), Sacred Heart University 19-8 (F-5, E-5, S-9), the University of Massachusetts 17-10 (F-7, E-5, S-5) and swept the University of New Hampshire 27-0 (F-9, E-9, S-9). The men’s sole loss was to the

Engineers of MIT by a very close margin of 12-15 (F-6, E-2, S-4).

As individuals, Jada Harrison ’22 totaled the most wins for the women, and Gabe Lobo-Berg ’23 led the way for the men. Harrison went undefeated with 16 wins overall in sabre. In her best performances, she was able to sweep opponents 3-0 four times, and also 2-1 in another match. Lobo-Berg fought for eight wins and

suffered just one loss in the sabre category.

Also for the women, rookie Ivanna Zavala ’23 won all of her matches, scoring 12-0 in four matches for the weekend. This was the Judges’ only competitor to win every round. Classmate Maggie Shealy ’23 was also impressive, going 13-1 to lose just a single match. Lastly, co-captain Jessica Gets ’20 went 14-1 across

five matches as she swept MIT 3-0 and put up a fight against Wellesley 2-1 in the Judges’ only overall loss for the women. Zavala and Gets competed in foil, while Shealy performed in sabre.

For the men, Brandeis also performed quite well against their range of opponents. In the foil category, classmates Trevor Filseth ’20 and Ian Quin ’20 competed in foil, as Filseth went 6-0 in the meet and Quin recorded just one loss with a total of 6-1. Despite the team’s loss to MIT, Quin was able to go 3-0 over his individual opponents in the match.

In sabre, Lucas Lin ’22 was undefeated against Sacred Heart, going 3-0 during the team’s 9-0 sweep of the university. Lin was able to finish 6-2 on the weekend. Lastly in epee, Ben Rogak ’23, Josh Shuster ’23 and Garett Tordo ’21 all held 6-3 records in their matches.

For their performances in these matchups, Quin and Gets both received University Athletic Association Fencing Athlete of the Week honors. The Judges squads will fence again on Saturday, Dec. 1 as they host the first of their two invitational meets at home.

MVP frontrunners after week four of NBA play

By Jacob Schireson special to the hoot

As the first month of the NBA comes to a close, it is time to debate the top candidates for the league’s most prestigious and heavily debated award: the Most Valuable Player (MVP). The race for MVP in 2019 was a battle between Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokuonmpo and Houston’s James Harden, who together received the entire share of first and second place votes. Antetokuonmpo ultimately walked away with the award.

This year, the four weeks of debate has been largely over three players: Antetokuonmpo, Harden

and Los Angeles’ LeBron James.

Antetokuonmpo started the season on an absolute tear. His per game averages thus far of 30.3/14.0/6.2 (points/rebounds/ assists) have never before been sustained by a player across a full season in NBA history. His Player Efficiency Rating of 32.9 would be the highest in NBA history across a full season. Antetokounmpo is not just dominating on the offensive end of the floor; his Defensive Rating of 94.5 currently ranks 1st in the league. While Antetokounmpo is already historically productive, his numbers become even more impressive when you consider he is playing just 33 minutes per game—36th in the league. Antetokounmpo was al-

ready the MVP last year, and he has entered this year demonstrably better. He’s produced more than last year and more than just about anyone ever has, while not playing all that much.

James Harden has also been otherworldly. Harden finished second in MVP voting last year despite averaging 36.1 points per game.

After this summer, it seemed that Harden would not sustain this level of scoring into this year. When the Rockets traded Chris Paul to Oklahoma City in exchange for Russell Westbrook, many suspected that Harden’s touches and points would take a dip as a result of playing with the ball-dominant Westbrook. This

prediction has not been the case.

In the first 14 games, Harden has averaged 39.2 points per game and has taken 14.5 free throws per game. Harden has reached this achievement despite shooting just 34 percent from three and 42 percent from the field.

These percentages have led many to suspect that his insane scoring average is not just sustainable, but may in fact go up. Harden has the chance to be the first, and only player since Wilt Chamberlain, to average 40 points per game in one year.

LeBron James has entered the MVP conversation this year after a tumultuous first season with the Lakers. In James’ first season in Los Angeles, the Lakers went

37-45, and James missed the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

After the acquisition of Anthony Davis this off-season, the Lakers were instantly made into finals contenders. After 14 games, the Lakers boast a record of 12-2, best in the league, and James has been phenomenal. James is scoring and rebounding well, as usual.

However, in his 17th season he has improved as a passer, leading the league in assists per game with 11.1.

While it is still early, through the first four weeks of the NBA Season, Antetokuonmpo, Harden and James have been lights out, their records for this year making persuasive arguments for the MVP award.

Swimming takes on Bentley and Colby

By Courtney Thrun staff

The weekend of Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16 was a busy one for the Brandeis University swimming and diving teams. The men’s and women’s teams both competed in their annual meet against the Bentley University Falcons and the Colby College Mules.

On Friday, the Judges went head to head with Bentley. The women lost 97-205 while the men lost 103-185. These losses lowered the women’s record to 2-5 and the men’s record to 2-3. The Judges, however, had three wins in the individual races.

For the women’s team, firstyear Bailey Gold ’23 captured two triumphs, winning the 200-yard butterfly and the 100-yard butterfly events. Her performance in the 200-yard butterfly beat the old meet record, set in 2009, with a time of 2:10.04. Gold was also able to finish the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 59.82 seconds.

PHOTO BY SABRINA CHOW/THE HOOT

On the men’s team, Tamir Zitelny ’20 won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 54.51 seconds.

Saturday’s competition bore similar results as Friday, as the Judges took on Colby College. The women lost 100-191, and the men

lost 108-176. This put the women’s overall record at 2-6 while the men moved down to 2-4.

Regardless of the team loss, there were several individuals who had stellar performances.

For the women, Olivia Stebbins

’22 was victorious in both the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke events.

Stebbins secured first place in the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:11.80, and the 200yard breaststroke with a time of 2:38.70. Besides Stebbins’ win,

the Judges also won the 200-yard freestyle relay; the relay team consisted of Uajda Musaku ’21, Sophia Chevez ’21, Audrey Kim ’21 and Ema Rennie ’23. Rennie also won the 50-yard freestyle race, completing it in 25.89 seconds.

On the men’s side, Brendon Lu ’22 placed first in three individual events. Lu won the 100-yard breaststroke, 200-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley. He swam a time of 1:02.50 in the 100-yard breaststroke event and 2:16.55 in the 200-yard breaststroke event. Tamir Zitelny ’20 also contributed to individual wins with his performance in the 100-yard butterfly and the 100yard backstroke. Zitelny completed the 100-yard butterfly in 51.90 seconds, and the 100-yard backstroke in 53.27 seconds, which was a season personal best.

The Judges will return to the pool for two meets this weekend, taking on Coast Guard in New London, CT on Saturday, Nov. 23, and hosting Tufts University at the Linsey Pool on Sunday, Nov. 24.

8 SPORTS

The Brandeis Hoot

November 22, 2019

Cross country finishes season at regional championships

By Caroline Wang staff

Last weekend, the men’s and women’s cross country team travelled to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine for the NCAA New England Division III championships. The men’s team placed 14th out of 54 teams, while the women placed 15th.

On the men’s side, they showed a great improvement from last year, they improved by 9 spots from last year. The Judges’ top performer was Josh Lombardo ’21, who finished the 8k course at the time of 25:57.26. He improved by 59 places from last year’s race, finishing 41st out of 384 competitors this year. This is his first time breaking 26 minutes, and shaved his new personal record by 9 seconds.

Judges’ second finisher was Mark Murdy ’21, finishing 10 seconds later after Lombardo, with a time of 26:07.31, good for a 49th place finish. Murdy was the Judge’s seventh finisher his rookie season after missing his sophomore season due to injury.

Matthew Driben ’22 was the third finisher for the Judges, placing 69th. He improved from his rookie season by 64 spots and running this year strong in the time of 26:19.99. Also, he was just twotenths of a second off his lifetime

PHOTOS COURTESY TESSA HOLLERAN

best.

Casey Brackett ’23 was the fourth finisher, running his best performance as a Judge. He broke 27 minutes for the first time, finishing at 26:59.13, good for 117th place. Dan Curley ’20 rounded up our score, coming in 141st place.

His finishing time was 27:20.94.

Williams College won the championships on the men’s side, scoring a total of 24 points, with their top six finishers in the top 10. Colby College placed 2nd with 93 points, while MIT placed third with 107 points.

On the women’s side, the Judges

finished in 15th place with a total of 430 points. Niamh Kenney ’21 lead the team, finishing in 31st, with the time of 22:26.17. She finished 3 seconds faster than last year at the New England Championships, and a second off her best performance. Danielle Bertaux ’20 was the team’s second finisher, coming in two seconds after Kenney. Bertaux improved 45 places from last year, good for 33rd place overall. Her finishing time was 22:28.48, which is the second-fastest time of her running career. Kenney and Bertaux both earned All-New England honors

for women’s cross country.

Erin Magill ’22 came in third among the Judges, and this is her first time competing at the regional championships. Her finishing time was 23:09.50, good for 81st place. Additionally, this is her second-straight time as a team third runner. Andrea Bolduc ’21 came in fourth for the second-straight time, completing the race in 23:45.61, good for 118th place.

Bridget Pickard ’23 rounded up the women’s team with the time of 24:34.06. Pickard ran four seconds faster than her previous best collegiate time.

Williams College also won on the women’s side, scoring a total of 64 points. MIT placed second with 84 points and Tufts University finished third with 156 points.

The Judges cross country season comes to a close with the New England championships. They will return to action next fall. The men’s team will be returning four out of their top five runners next season. On the women’s side, the Judges will be returning all but one of their top runners next year.

Jac Guerra ’22 will also be back, having missed the race due to injury.

Men’s basketball wins home opener and drops one on the road

By Camila Casanueva staff

The Brandeis University men’s basketball team had fans on the edge of their seats in their home opener in Auerbach Arena as they hosted the Emerson Lions. It came down to the wire for a second year in a row, as last year Brandeis defeated the Lions on their home floor thanks to a Corey Sherman ’19 three pointer with 0.9 seconds left to win the game, 75-72.

This time around, Collin Sawyer ’20 was the hero as he scored the game-winning layup with 1.1 seconds remaining in regulation, giving the Judges a 76-74 victory.

Sawyer would lead the way for the Judges with 21 points, going 8-16 from the field, 4-7 from deep, with one free throw that came off of a four point play that capped an 8-0 run to open the second half. It was a balanced attack for the Judges as three other players reached double figures in scoring with 13 apiece.

Lawrence Sabir ’21 and Chan-

dler Jones ’21 each had 13 in the starting lineup, while off the bench it was Eric D’Aguanno ’20 who also added 13, including two three-pointers, giving him 199 for his career. D’Aguanno will look to become the fourth player in Brandeis program history to reach 200 career trifectas. Sabir had a great overall game, stuffing the stat sheet with five rebounds, six assists and three steals. Nolan Haggerty ’22 led the Judges with eight rebounds.

The Judges looked like they were going to blow things open in the first half as they hit 17 of their first 24 shots from field to take a 42-21 lead. However, the Judges could not keep up the hot streak as Emerson would close on a 17-4 run going into the half. In the second half, Brandeis would again find their rhythm as they scored the first eight points. But again the visitors would respond after a Sabir three pointer that pushed the lead to 17, the Lions would come roaring back scoring the next 10 points of the game to get it within single digits.

Emerson would take advantage of another 10-2 run to get to within 62-60, but the Judges would lock in defensively and answer offensively, scoring seven of the next nine points to push their lead back to seven off a Haggerty put back with 3:45 remaining.

The teams would trade baskets back and forth, but a couple key plays down the stretch, including a Judges offensive foul and a Lions trifecta, allowed the Lions to get within one at 73-72 with 1:26 left.

Jones would get it done on the defensive end, as he drew an offensive foul near midcourt with 14.1 on the clock to give the Judges the ball back with a chance to pull ahead. The Lions were forced to foul, sending D’Aguanno to the line where he would hit one of two to make it 72-74 with 13 seconds remaining. Off the miss, the Lions were off and running. They were able to draw a foul going to the line with a chance to even things up with 7.5 on the clock.

The Emerson player would knock down the clutch free throws with ease, setting up the final play for the Judges.

With no timeouts left, the Judges pushed the ball down the floor, as D’Aguanno drove down the lane looking to make a pass which was kicked, giving Brandeis the ball on the baseline with 2.8 left.

Sabir would take it out just under the basket, where Sawyer would take advantage of an Emerson defender cutting right to the basket as he turned his head, laying it up for the game winner.

The Judges were back in action on Wednesday night as they went on the road to play Suffolk but were not able to sustain their hot shooting from Monday night’s

PHOTOS FROM BRANDEISJUDGES.COM

game as they fell 72-57. With the loss, the Judges fall to 2-2 on the season, while the Rams improve to 3-1. Suffolk would score the first eight points of the game and would not trail again for the rest of the half. The Judges were held scoreless until about five minutes into the contest when Sawyer hit a three pointer to get Brandeis on the board.

The Judges would get things going, coming out in the second half as Sabir and Sawyer scored the first two baskets to give Brandeis their first lead of the game, 33-32.

The Rams would come down and hit a three in the next possession to reclaim the lead for good. The Judges would get it back to within one on a Dylan Lien ’23 trifecta that made it 39-38 with 16:34 left, however again the Rams would respond by scoring the game’s next 10 points to seal the victory.

Brandeis was led by Sawyer’s 19 points, hitting 6-15 from the field, 4-8 from deep and 3-4 from the free throw line. Sabir added 10 points, three rebounds and three

assists. D’Aguanno added seven points off the bench, including one three-pointer, giving him his 200th trifecta of his career.

He becomes the fourth player in school history to reach the mark, tying Mark Peabody ’89. Jones led the Judges with seven rebounds and four assists.Men’s basketball was also in the news this week as Chandler Jones ’21 was honored as a University Athletic Association (UAA) Athlete of the Week for his performance. Jones led the Judges to a 91-56 win over Rivier College in their only game of the week. However, he was dominant establishing career highs with 25 points and 17 rebounds. He reached his eighth career double double by halftime, scoring 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

His rebound total was the most for a Brandeis player since Latye Workman ’18 M.A. ’19 had 18 rebounds in a game in December of 2017.Brandeis will return to action on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. against Rhode Island College.

EDITORIALS

November 22, 2019

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Candace Ng Polina Potochevska Managing Editor Emily Botto Senior Copy Editor Natalie Fritzson Copy Editor Jennifer Cook Senior News Editor Celia Young News Editor Rachel Saal Arts Editor Jonah Koslofsky Opinions Editor Sasha Skarboviychuk Features Editor Shruthi Manjunath Sports Editor Sophie Trachtenberg Layout Editor Sabrina Chow Social Media Editor Emma Lichtenstein

Volume 16 • Issue 24 the brandeis hoot • brandeis university 415 south street • waltham, ma

Founded By Leslie Pazan, Igor Pedan and Daniel Silverman

STAFF

Faria Afreen, Medjine Barionette, Emma Belkin, Camila Casanueva, Chris DeMena, Tim Dillon, James Feltner, Sam Finbury, John Fornagiel, Lucy Frenkel, Madeline Herrup, Stewart Huang, Gunnar Johnson, Alex Kougasian, Aaron LaFauci, Dane Leoniak, Jesse Lieberman, Josh Lannon, Francesca Marchese, Victoria Morrongiello, Zach Newman, Lucy Pugh-Sellers, Madeline Rousell, Zachary Sosland, Courtney Thrun, Emerson White, Nicole Zador, Grace Zhou

MISSION As the weekly community student newspaper of Brandeis University, The Brandeis Hoot aims to provide our readers with a reliable, accurate and unbiased source of news and information. Produced entirely by students, The Hoot serves a readership of 6,000 with in-depth news, relevant commentary, sports and coverage of cultural events.

Recognizing that better journalism leads to better policy, The Brandeis Hoot is dedicated to the principles of investigative reporting and news analysis. Our mission is to give every community member a voice.

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The Brandeis Hoot 9

The Northwestern Daily’s apology was wrong, so was the backlash

ournalism is often misunderstood and misrepresented, particularly by the current presidential administration. Often, this misunderstanding is played out on college campuses, which are seen as battlegrounds for free speech. Earlier this month, the Northwestern campus became a site of controversy regarding the role of student reporters.

A few weeks ago, reporters at The Daily Northwestern, Northwestern University and the Evanston community’s newspaper, covered a protest held against former attorney general Jefferson Sessions’ appearance on campus. The newspaper faced complaints from the public for reporting on the event and taking pictures of protestors.

The Daily subsequently apologized for covering the protest on Nov. 10.

The Daily operates independently of Northwestern University and the university’s Medill School of Journalism, according to an editor at The Daily. In response to the apology, student journalists and the editor-in-chief at The Daily have faced backlash from reporters within national publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.

The Daily’s apology misrepresented journalism, but the backlash the paper received because of their apology was disproportionate. Students will make mistakes and so will student journalists. We, the Editorial Board of The Brandeis Hoot, do not mean to excuse the apology, which was an unfortunate misrepresentation of the goals of journalism and a learning opportunity for student journalists nationally, but we do mean to provide context. We, too, can attest to the struggle of balancing the practice of journalism with our daily lives as students.

The Daily apologized for texting students to request an interview and for taking pictures of student protestors. The Daily apologized for reporting, for doing their job. The apology editorial was misguided— journalists have a responsibility to

cover public protests. The Daily not only represents Northwestern but also serves as the surrounding town of Evanston’s paper of record and provides the two communities with important information to residents and students alike.

The controversy over The Daily’s apology follows complaints against student papers in Massachusetts as well. Students at Harvard criticized The Harvard Crimson, Harvard’s campus newspaper, for reaching out to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after an Abolish ICE rally for comment. The incidents at Northwestern and Harvard represent a fundamental misunderstanding of what journalism is and why we, as student journalists, choose to practice it.

Journalists are not activists. We don’t aim to convince readers of a point of view; we aim to present the relevant facts readers need to be informed about their community and form their own opinion. The Brandeis Hoot’s own code of ethics is based on the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics and has four main tenets: seek the truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable and transparent. Part of this mission means identifying yourself as a reporter, treating everyone you approach with dignity and respect and always being open to criticism and feedback.

The Daily aimed to cover a public protest, to seek the truth and report it. The photographs taken and the articles reporters wrote may be the only record of what transpired at the protest, including altercations between students and campus police that their coverage mentioned.

Although we cannot know how reporters conducted themselves at the protest, we do know that the reporters had a right and a responsibility to be there.

The Daily also faced criticism from students for their coverage, especially for their use of photography. While The Daily has a right

to publish photos of students who participated in a public protest, the criticism is rooted in long-standing issues with journalism as a field.

Criticisms of the event also brought up the issue of journalism’s struggles with appropriately representing marginalized groups in the past.

The Dean of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism Media, Integrated Marketing Communications said it best in his statement about the apology.

“We need more diversity among our student journalists (and in journalism writ large). We need more voices from different backgrounds in our newsrooms helping to provide perspective on our coverage.

But regardless of their own identities, our student journalists must be allowed—and must have the courage—to cover our community freely and unfettered by harassment each time members of the community feel they have been wronged,” writes Dean Charles Whitaker.

But The Daily’s student editors were not the only actors who made mistakes in the days following this protest. Several professional journalists flocked to Twitter to criticize these student journalists and their actions—with some authoring columns and opinion pieces. The criticism was harsh and swift and failed to understand that these are students, and they will make mistakes.

As student reporters, we understand how it can be difficult to balance our lives as students with our responsibilities as journalists. There are certain pressures that we face in the voluntary positions that we have chosen, including exposing ourselves to campus-wide criticism.

However, we believe that it is our duty as reporters and journalists to maintain the aforementioned four tenets of journalism and, most importantly, keep the public informed.

Editor’s Note: News Editor Rachel Saal did not contribute to this editorial.

FEATURES

10 The Brandeis Hoot

November 22, 2019

‘I Am Global Week’ kickoff event

By Shruthi Manjunath editor

I Am Global Week is a week during which Brandeis celebrates the global achievements of its community and allows for international and domestic students to work together to display said global community. I Am Global Week features many events such as the Mega-Language Lunch (MELA) and the Global Bazaar. I Am Global Week was previously known as International Education Week and is a U.S. Department of Education and State-sponsored week. This week attempts to recognize educational and cultural global efforts.

In an email interview with The Brandeis Hoot, Kruti Jethwa ’22, a global fellow, explains that “I Am Global Week is a time for reflection, celebration, education, discussion, and more.� Global fellows are student leaders “who view Brandeis University as a global campus and are enthusiastic about promoting international education, the integration of international and domestic

By John Fornagiel and Sasha Skarboviychuk staff and editor

What does it take to be a good citizen? When you hear that question, most people think about voting, however being a good citizen encompasses so much more than that. Learning how to be a good citizen is one of the main themes in “The Culture of Journalism�

(JOUR 120) taught by professor Maura Farrelly (JOUR). “Citizenship in a democrat-

PHOTO BY SHRUTHI MANJUNATH/THE HOOT

students, and awareness of global issues through our annual I Am Global Week,� according to the Brandeis website.

Jethwa illustrates her own experience, explaining, “as an international student, a Wien and a Davis scholar, acknowledging and truly being an advocate of celebrating multicultural global identities has been important to me.�

Jethwa believes that this week is about overcoming barriers and understanding the definition of the word global. She describes how the word global is a “sense

of conscience, a sense of thought process‌ Global Week gives us a chance to break our stereotypes and see the world as is.�

Each global fellow has specific tasks for the week, yet they can also help each other with events.

Their main role is to make sure that all of the events proceed smoothly and are able to connect with the people at the events. Jethwa explains that her favorite event is the Global Bazaar. At this event, clubs set up tables in which they share ethnic foods and games, along with information

about each of their cultures. It is a time for the exchange of cultures and identities, which allows individuals to become more educated on the many cultures that are represented here at Brandeis.

At the kickoff event for I Am Global Week, three volunteers, Anum Amin Kanjani M.A. ’20, Ji Chen ’23 and Aicha Tavares ’19, along with the Assistant Director of the International Students and Scholars Office Adrea Papdopoulos, passed out T-shirts with the I Am Global Week logo and talked about the importance of this week

The culture of citizenship

ic society is a big responsibility,�

Farrelly told The Brandeis Hoot in an interview.

She finds that a lot of students are not broadly informed enough, and she hopes that the class will expand the horizon of her students, making them more open-minded to other opinions and able to gain general knowledge about the world. It is a large problem today that many people do not consider the perspective of others. This is also something that causes a lot of tension in contemporary society, which is some-

thing journalists will have to deal with in their future, according to Farrelly.

Farrelly hopes her students will develop the habit of being informed, and that it would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

This is why there is a large emphasis on current events in the course. By having the students read the news everyday, she is trying to get them to be better citizens. It is “our responsibility to know what is going on,� concluded Farrelly.

How is this related to journalism? Well, there is almost no one in the world who understands enough.

It is the job of journalists to try to inform people as best as they can. The crucial aspect in that is to make the information accessible to people.

It is important for students who plan to be journalists to understand these things, and their significance, which they will then reflect in their work. In order to successfully inform people of what is going on in the world, the

and their favorite events. I Am Global Week is a time to appreciate the diversity that Brandeis has and celebrate all the cultures present at Brandeis.

Papadopoulos began working at Brandeis in April and helped to coordinate the calendar for I Am Global Week. She highlighted how one of the goals of I Am Global Week is to get student organizations and departments involved.

Kanjani said she got involved in I Am Global Week because she is a Fulbright Scholar from Pakistan and wanted to make sure there was representation for Pakistan at Brandeis. Chen is from China and wanted to promote her culture, she explained. Tavares got involved because she wanted to learn more about the world and where individuals around her come from, she said in an interview with The Hoot.

Overall, I Am Global Week is a time for individuals to come together, share identities and celebrate their cultures. It also provides a space for individuals to become more educated about other cultures.

journalists themselves have to be broadly aware of what is happening, and the context of those happenings.

The class includes a lot of reading and assignments, and students to listen to National Public Radio’s “On the Media� each week, which they then discuss in class.

However, Farrelly hopes that the effort students put into the class will pay off, and benefit them as individuals in the long run.

The class is largely based on discussions of the readings and assigned material.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY.

TEACH ASTER OF

ARTS IN

Tuesday December 3, s

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EACHING

OPINIONS

November 22, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot 11

Be better, BranVan

By Sasha Skarboviychuk editor

We are approaching winter in lovely, warm Massachusetts, and although it is just the end of November, it is already freezing cold outside.

You know what’s the last thing I want to do in this weather? Take a twenty minute walk to get to my classes. But wait. Thankfully, Brandeis has Waltham shuttles that pick up students, right?

Wrong.

My despise for the BranVan started a few weeks ago, when I decided to take the Waltham BranVan for the first time.

Being the responsible Brandeis student I am, I looked up the schedule of the daytime van, found the closest stop to my house and got to the stop ten minutes early to make sure I didn’t miss the bus.

I do not know if getting there so early was a good idea because I got really cold while waiting.

Then finally, I saw the bus coming my way. And then I watched as the bus drove past me without even stopping at any of the stops on South Street.

I was confused to say the least.

I talked to my friends who told me that I need a reservation for the van and called the number to reserve a seat.

When someone finally picked

up, all that was said to me was “it starts at four,” and then the person hung up the phone. I was even more confused at this point.

So just standing at the stop doesn’t work, but you do not need a reservation to get on the bus?

The next time I tried to take the van, I made sure to wave and yell so the driver noticed me. But guess what?

I was left walking in the cold.

Again. Unfortunately, this keeps happening to me, so the next time I am going to try to catch the BranVan, I will make a sign asking the driver to stop. Maybe that will work.

On a more serious note: What kind of service is this? To all the people that will say “you should appreciate that Brandeis even does this and blah blah blah,” that really doesn’t matter because I cannot access this basic service.

If the drivers are unable to notice students standing there, then they should be required to stop at every stop on the map. Is that inconvenient?

Yes. But will that assure that everyone will get on the van? Yes. Or make a system that will allow students to request for a van to stop at a certain stop for pick up.

Do something to improve the current system, please.

Or make a reservation system for the daytime van as well (I myself have not had the pleasure of taking the evening van, but hopefully that system works better).

By Emma Lichtenstein editor

Thankfully, the Brandeis campus is pretty small. Even going from the Mandel Quad to IBS isn’t that bad of a walk, even in the snow. However, the schlep to Waltham is one I absolutely don’t want to do in the cold or after dark. The Waltham van is supposed to be a reliable way to get back and forth from campus to the city, but it’s iffy at best.

Reservations are apparently not a guarantee. I’ve always been skeptical of the BranVan, preferring to walk, but I finally decided to give the shuttle a try and made a reservation for myself and two of my friends.

However, when I told the driver that they were waiting in lower campus, I was told that if the bus filled up, then they would have to find other transportation to Waltham. Sure enough, a surge of students tumbled into the car, meaning my friends had to take an Uber to dinner.

Maybe the mistake was on my end? Maybe I made the reservation incorrectly? However, there is essentially no information on how the BranVan works! The operator was nice enough on the phone but offered no guidance on how to properly make a reservation.

I thought I had done the right thing, the operator even confirmed the names, but my friends were left stranded at the bus stop.

I watched in dismay as we drove away from my friends who watched the bus leave with nasty looks on their faces. For some reason, this delighted the other passengers on the van, causing them all to mock their struggle and laugh at them.

I know this isn’t the driver’s fault, but come on, Brandeis, be better. Laughing at others for literally no reason? Congrats, you walked up to Usdan and they didn’t; that doesn’t make you a superior human being. Hurray, you saved the five bucks on an Uber, and they didn’t. Like, who cares?

While they were in their Uber, I was on the BranVan, alone and afraid. I had no idea how this thing worked, and clearly these other passengers were not going to help me. I watched as the driv-

er blew past stop after stop; I’m not even sure if he looked to see if there were students in need of a lift.

Sure, every seat in the van was full, but how hard is it to roll down a window to let the students know instead of just leaving them in the dust.

Finally, at about the stop before mine, I heard someone call out to the driver to stop the van so they could get out.

Right after that, I called out my stop, but I had to call it out twice because the music was so loud that the driver couldn’t hear me— or maybe he just chose not to acknowledge me. I guess I’ll never know for sure.

That was the only time I’ve ever successfully ridden a BranVan, and even then it was an absolute mess. Though, to be fair, I’ve only ever tried three times after all of the other horror stories I had heard about it.

EMMA AND SASHA WAITING FOR THE BRANVAN TO WORK PROPERLY

PHOTO FROM NEWGROUNDS.COM

Getting your just desserts: the incontrovertible truth part III

By Joey Kornman special to the hoot

Breakfast Desserts • Blueberry Scones: Juicy and sweet blueberries were practically designed to be put inside the flaky, dry husk of a scone. Perfect with tea, this dessert—if it even counts—is just the right amount of sweetness. Still, as discussed prior, ratios aren’t everything, and the flavor is a bit too subtle on this one. 6/10 • Lemon Scones: The perfect way to add some zest to your morning routine without feeling like your breakfast is too unhealthy. The light, subtle flavor of lemon adds to the scone base to a great extent, but it’s still a scone.

6/10 • Raspberry Scones: Not as good as its counterparts, the raspberry scone leaves an element of sweetness to be desired. 5/10 • Chocolate Chip Muffins: This is another very effective use of chocolate in a dessert without it being overbearing. However, I am a firm believer that the muffin would be sufficiently sweet without the sugar on top, so that detracts from the overall quality a bit. 6/10 • Blueberry Muffins: What can be said about the blueberry muffin that hasn’t already been said?

It’s a breakfast staple, and another great use of the fruit. 7/10 • Lemon poppy seed Muffins: Lemon poppy seed is my pick for the most underrated flavor for desserts. Anyone who has yet to try a lemon poppy seed cookie (or muffin for that matter) is doing

themselves a disservice. Still, as is a trend at this school, the quality of the dessert in concept is not necessarily reflected by the actual product we are presented with. A mediocre LPM (what we fans call lemon poppy seed muffins) is an LPM nonetheless. 7/10 Danishes We have much to thank Denmark for: Lego, Handball, Bluetooth and a whole host of other things. The danish, however, is not something I thank them for.

These overrated desserts are uninspired uses of puff pastry that lack any originality or uniqueness.

• Cheese: Who puts cheese in a dessert? Despite its odd taste, the inclusion of such an odd ingredient does give the dish some semblance of originality. 4/10 • Raspberry: A good tasting dish, this treat fails to compel the consumer. I don’t not like danishes, but I never find myself choosing them over anything else. 4/10 • Apple Cinnamon: This is really your only option for an apple-cinnamon-flavored dessert at breakfast, and for that, this one is actually pretty good. 5/10 • Cinnamon rolls: These are perhaps the worst sufferers of the quality dropoff one experiences here. The differential between a good cinnamon roll and the ones in the dining hall is astronomically large. Based on the intrinsic goodness of the roll, with its near-perfect ratio of sweet to cinnamon to bread, the dining hall offerings are still pretty good. 7/10 • Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Dessert is the most important part of a meal.

Look, I’m no STEM major, but even I can tell that this has been a pretty important section if ever there was one.

Pies Allow me to put a caveat here before I discuss pies: I love pie.

For the past five years, I have had a birthday pie on my birthday instead of a cake. I have gone so far as to have a co-worker’s nana make me a pie for my birthday.

That being said, I will attempt to rate these as objectively as possible.

• Miniature apple: Everything that makes an apple pie great is amplified by its conversion into miniature form. Sometimes the least enjoyable parts of an apple pie are the sections where there is too much filling and not enough crust. Yes, I know the filling is delicious, but if you just want to eat the filling, you’re better off with a compote. A perfect dessert in my book. 9/10 • Miniature blueberry: Blueberry pie suffers even more than apple pie from a bad filling-to-crust ratio, due to the richness and moisture of the filling. This miniature blueberry pie, while sometimes hard to eat cleanly, is worth the potential stains. 8/10 • Apple: Apple pie is my favorite pie, plain and simple. The campus version has a good balance of apple to cinnamon, and the crust is always sufficiently flaky. Although the dining hall version isn’t anything special, even mediocre apple pie is one of the best desserts.

8/10 • Strawberry: Strawberry filling is too sweet to make an adequate

pie filling. Oftentimes pies are filled with a combination of sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb and these strawberry-only pies show off why that is a much better idea.

5/10 • Cherry: Cherry pie is incredibly similar to blueberry pie in both texture and level of sweetness. This one comes down to a simple preference between the two fruits. I prefer blueberries, so I rate cherry pies lower, but just know that the two ratings are easily interchangeable. 7/10 • Key lime: Easily the worst dessert the dining hall offers, the key lime pie is the only one I have ever not been able to and not wanted to finish. Know that on a list of desserts, even a 2/10 is generally still going to taste good (such is the nature of desserts). I cannot overstate how bad this pie is. Even if you are a lover of key lime, I cannot in good faith recommend this one to you. 1/10 (I would give it 0/10 if I could, but I am contractually obligated to use whole numbers.)

Anyways, in conclusion pie is pretty great, I guess.

Miscellaneous desserts • Plain Chocolate truffle: While it has recently come to my attention that these truffles can be heated up to resemble lava cake, I will be judging them, like all other desserts on this list, as they are presented to me in the dining hall. That being said, these are much too decadent and exemplify all of the potential shortcomings of chocolate desserts. These are a struggle to finish by yourself due

to their unwieldy size. Maybe these would be manageable if you had friends or a significant other, but I wouldn’t know. 2/10 • Chocolate truffle, vanilla frosting dollop: The addition of vanilla frosting does help cut the richness but only marginally so. 3/10 • Chocolate truffle, vanilla frosting dollop with raspberry drizzle: The raspberry drizzle has even less of an impact than the vanilla frosting, but it still helps. 3/10 • Whoopie pie: Whoopie pies take what makes an oreo so good and improves on it somehow. The ratio of chocolate to vanilla is so perfect in this dessert that it is unrivaled in this department. Even so, despite the intrinsic qualities of the dessert, the ones provided on campus are mediocre representations. A bad whoopie pie is still a whoopie pie nonetheless.

6/10 • Peach cobbler: Great with ice cream or plain, these rarely offered desserts provide a good balance between crust and fruit filling. I wish the peaches were cut or mashed into smaller pieces rather than being whole slices, but the flavor is still pretty great on these. 7/10 • Carrot cake: Yet another rare dessert, the carrot cake is one of the dining halls’ hidden gems.

A good take on a classic dessert earns a spot amongst the best desserts on campus. 8/10 These were the desserts that just didn’t fit in… Not fitting in, What’s that like? I have no idea! (he says while writing the conclusion to his ranking of the desserts for his college newspaper)

12 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

November 22, 2019

The Hoot’s Thanksgiving table As everyone is getting ready to go home for Thanksgiving, The Brandeis Hoot decided to take on the hardest question of the holiday: what is the best Thanksgiving food? There were many strong opinions, and no consensus was reached. Enjoy the debate, and Happy Thanksgiving!

By Polina Potochevska editor

My family is from Ukraine.

Therefore we did not celebrate Thanksgiving until we moved to the United States and fully immersed ourselves in the American culture, so it’s all still pretty new to us. In my opinion though, the very best part about Thanks-

By John Fornagiel staff

Imagine this: you are sitting down with your family for Thanksgiving dinner, and you have your eyes on a dish on the table in front of you. What is this one dish that you would fight your Aunt Cathy to the death for? Do you think it is turkey? Definitely not. Turkey is overrated, dry, and quite honestly, one of the worst meats. Green bean casserole?

By Emma Lichtenstein editor

As a very picky eater, I dread Thanksgiving every year. Turkey on its own is bland and dry, but I don’t like either gravy or cranberry sauce. Stuffing looks like someone vomited it up, so it’s a no from me. Sweet potatoes are edible on their own, but the marshmallow commonly added to them makes them gross. This dilemma means every Thanksgiving I load my plate up with the best side dish: green bean casse-

By Thomas Pickering special to the hoot

What’s up my fellow Americans! Gobble gobble, because it’s turkey season, and we are thankful. Thanksgiving dinner has always idealized the perfectly-roasted turkey sitting on a beautiful platter in the middle of a table surrounded by a family. Now I can’t think of anything more American than this picture: one day out of the year where we have to shed our selfish and ego-

giving that I’ve experienced so far has always been the desserts, and in particular: the caramelized, crunchy, golden-edged pecan pie.

Now, the pronunciation of “pecan pie” could be an entire article in itself, so we won’t get into that topic today. Despite that debate, I strongly stand by the fact that pecan pie is the most delicious plate on the Thanksgiving dessert table, perfectly filling and

palette-cleansing after a tryptophan-stuffed meal.

I know that November through December is peak pumpkin spice season, but I’ve never been able to enjoy the flavor or texture of pumpkin, especially when baked into a pie. They’re gooey, pulpy and just too squash-like to be enjoyed as a dessert. To be fair, I have never tried rhubarb pie or more traditional cherry/blue-

Seriously? Now it just sounds like you’re making a joke out of this whole situation. If anybody out there says cranberry sauce, I swear on my mother’s grave I’ll shove a turkey right onto your head. People who say gravy is the best food obviously don’t have teeth to eat other foods. No... it can’t be any of these emetic foods.

And then comes stuffing.

How can anyone even look at something other than stuffing?

A perfectly balanced blend of bread crumbs, onion, celery and

a plethora of spices, all simultaneously melting in your mouth.

Just sit there and think about it for one second. Like, really think about it. You take that first bite.

Bam, you get uppercut by the taste of herbs and spices. Pow, the gravy emulsifies with the stuffing creating irresistible melty goodness. Could there be anything more perfect? I don’t know how anyone can eat anything else after that. Stuffing is so good that if the rest of the food disappeared from the table, I wouldn’t even be sad.

role.

Green bean casserole is an underappreciated part of Thanksgiving; green beans are an underappreciated vegetable as a whole.

They’re good enough to eat plain.

However, once you mix them with the cream of mushroom soup and french fried onions, they become truly magnificent.

I don’t even like cream of mushroom soup to begin with, but I’m willing to temporarily throw out my hatred of mushrooms to enjoy a good green bean casserole.

It’s got great flavor, the creaminess of the soup pairing delight-

fully with the sharpness of the onions while still balancing the subtle flavors of the green beans.

The casserole has a delightful crunch to it, a sharp contrast from the other dishes traditionally served on Thanksgiving.

Potatoes, turkey, stuffing: they’re all soft. Green bean casserole brings the crunch, which is just another way it stands out from the rest of the pitiful Thanksgiving foods. Though made up of ingredients I wouldn’t eat on their own, this combination of flavors is one I can get behind.

centric coats to be “thankful” for what we have.

I don’t know about you, but Thanksgiving for me has always been about the food. In particular, that perfect turkey I mentioned earlier. I crave that big sucker every year, and I find the families that change the iconic staple of the turkey ludicrous.

I don’t know if you, the reader, have heard about the “tur-ducken,” but it’s basically a messed-up poultry sex position that ended up with a duck inside a chicken inside a turkey. That, to me, is too

much. Why would you ever willingly serve yourself a heart attack on a dish? And some people deep fry their heart-attack turkey too. But nothing will ever beat the aesthetic of the crispy golden-brown turkey sitting on the table. Something about it warms my heart even more so than the extraordinary amount of salt and heartburn that turkey gives me when I eat it. So, this Thanksgiving, ditch the “tur-duck-en” and vegan options and get yourself a good classic turkey.

berry pies (Ukrainians are more into cakes and stacked wafer pastries, in my experience), but I can imagine they all have similar textures. And while apple pie is a quintessential American staple, it is also incredibly gooey, unlike pecan pies that have a mixture of soft and crunchy textures that blend beautifully on your tongue.

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinners, I just can’t think of any-

thing more satisfying than caramelized pecans, rich brown sugar and sweet maple syrup stacked together in one perfect pie. They are not too sweet to give you a sugar rush, but just sweet enough to keep you from completely passing out at the dinner table from that classic “turkey coma.” And when paired with a cup of hot tea?

There’s simply nothing better.

By Sasha Skarboviychuk

ny: there is a total of five people in this country who think that turkey is the best Thanksgiving food.

Let me say that again, on “turkey day,” people do not look forward to the turkey. It’s the center-piece of the meal, but turkey is probably the worst meat out there. I also made the mistake of reading about how to make turkey, and god help me, for a food that no one likes, it takes way too much effort.

Also someone please tell me why traditionally there is no salad or uncooked vegetables? This entire meal is 80 percent carbs and 20 percent non-carb heavy foods.

Are all Americans just allergic to healthy food? I do not understand what people’s stomachs are made of for them to be able to eat all this food without a light side salad.

To conclude, let me just say one thing: mashed potatoes are the only good savory food on a traditional Thanksgiving table. It’s simple, doesn’t have a weird cooking method, and is easy to make.

It’s a win-win.

editor

Let me just put this fact out there: Thanksgiving is an odd holiday. As someone who grew up nowhere near the United States, I experienced a Thanksgiving meal for the first time last year, and let’s just say, I do not understand why people go crazy about Thanksgiving food. The idea of having a meal with your entire family sounds great, but the food involved desperately needs improvement.

Stuffing is just bread with way too much butter and spices. How does the fact that it was inside a raw turkey not disgust you? The concept alone is repulsive. Cranberries are an amazing berry. But for some reason that amazing flavor disappears when it turns into cranberry sauce. Also why would anyone add it to a savory meal?

It’s just weird, guys. Don’t even get me started on gravy: why would anyone want to eat turkey fat and leftovers turned into a sauce?

Firstly, let me point out the iro-

By Sabrina Chow editor

One of the things I love about being Asian is the fact that my Thanksgivings do not look like the typical Thanksgiving dinner. I honestly do not think I have eaten a turkey at Thanksgiving since I was 10 years old, even putting aside the fact that I’m a vegetarian now. But my favorite Thanksgiving food, or my favorite food anytime it is cold outside really, is hot pot.

For those who may not know what hot pot is, it is essentially a buffet of raw food that you cook

in broth right at your table! Pick your favorite noodles, vegetables, thinly sliced meats, fish, you name it, and it can essentially be cooked in a hot pot.

It is very much a family affair; there is a wide array of broths, stocks and soups that you can put in your pot and cook right at your table. I was once at a party where we had seven different hot pots going. It was amazing just to bounce around from pot to pot to taste different flavors of food.

Having a traditional Thanksgiving is always nice, but it’s something I’ve never really experienced in my life. And I’m honestly okay with that.

Stay conscious

By John Fornagiel staff

Imagine that you are working out at the gym with a close friend.

You are both hitting the weights, with your friend benching over and you are spotting, making sure that the weight does not fall on your friend’s head (What a good friend you are!). After you congratulate him for maxing out at 200 pounds, he quickly stands up to celebrate and suddenly faints.

Fainting often occurs when the brain temporarily has a diminished blood supply, which causes a loss of consciousness. The cause can range from simply no known medical cause to severe heart disorders. Providers often assume the worst and treat it as a medical emergency. Additionally, there can also be other symptoms that precede fainting, including light-

headedness, nausea, dizziness and vomiting.

If you or someone around you begins to feel faint, the best course of action for treatment is to return blood flow to the brain as quickly as possible. This often includes laying down. If the person feeling faint insists on sitting down, then ask them to tuck their head between their legs. Both of these techniques are used to increase blood flow to the brain. If, however, someone is feeling dizzy or light-headed right next to you, then try to catch them or provide a path for them to fall that is clear of obstacles. If an individual hits their head while fainting, then there is a higher chance that they will have other complications.

In the case of your friend, fainting is likely caused by two factors: him working out and him quickly standing up. Have you ever noticed when you are lying

down and then quickly stand up, you can feel lightheaded? This is an intensified extreme case of that. If your friend does not regain consciousness in about a minute, call 911.

Contrary to popular belief, you should not sit somebody up if they have fainted. Even if someone regains consciousness, politely ask them to continue to lie down for a few more minutes. What should be done, however, is to loosen any restrictive clothing, such as a belt and tie, and elevate the legs about a foot off the ground. This is to facilitate blood flow throughout the body and increase the chances that blood returns to the head.

As previously mentioned, falling from fainting can cause bruising or bleeding. To control bruises, use an ice pack if available to reduce swelling. Other items can be substituted for an ice pack, such as a bag of frozen vegetables. To

control bleeding, use direct pressure. However, be very careful when handling blood and other fluids from others! Blood can transfer many diseases, and if you are unsure about what diseases a person carries, it is essential to not expose yourself to their bodily fluids.

Unless a friend or relative has a disorder or disease that is associated with excessive fainting, then you are, oftentimes, not exposed to it often. However, knowing what steps to take if the situation ever arises is essential to providing ideal treatment. Just like in the case of your friend, fainting can occur within a moment’s notice with absolutely no warning.

(Note: These articles are goodfaith attempts to be helpful to the Brandeis community and are by no means to be taken as universal.

This article does not replace the

advice of a medical professional.

This article is not written on behalf of the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo) and is not affiliated with BEMCo in any manner.)

PHOTO FROM DEPOSITPHOTOS.COM

ARTS

November 22, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot 13

Koslofsky’s Corner: What are we going to do about the Marvel hegemony?

By Jonah Koslofsky editor

Martin Scorsese is one of our greatest living filmmakers. How many years has this guy been making classics? Turns out, he’s also one of our sharpest critics.

In an Op-Ed for The New York Times, Scorsese clarified some of his recent criticism of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). My disdain/jealousy of Scorsese’s ability to make striking movies and do my job aside, I’ve reprinted some of his powerful essay here. The fact is, Scorsese can make his argument better than I can: “They [the Marvel movies] seem to me to be closer to theme parks than they are to movies as I’ve known and loved them throughout my life, and that in the end, I don’t think they’re cinema. […] What’s not there is revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger. Nothing is at risk.

The pictures are made to satisfy a specific set of demands, and they are designed as variations on a finite number of themes.”

As if this wasn’t enough, the man continued: “They are sequels in name but they are remakes in spirit, and everything in them is officially sanctioned because

it can’t really be any other way.

That’s the nature of modern film franchises: market-researched, audience-tested, vetted, modified, revetted and remodified until they’re ready for consumption. […] Why not just let superhero films and other franchise films be? The reason is simple. In many places around this country and around the world, franchise films are now your primary choice if you want to see something on the big screen. It’s a perilous time in film exhibition, and there are fewer independent theaters than ever.”

He’s right. I hate it.

Scorsese doesn’t have to enjoy the Marvel movies to make a very valuable point about their impact. It’s a point that’s hard for me to hear, because the truth is, I love the Marvel movies. I was one of the millions who sat, popcorn bucket in hand, at a Thursday premiere showing of “Avengers: Endgame.” By the time it left theaters, I’d gone back to that three-hour masterpiece/monstrosity—twice.

One of the key movie-going experiences of my nerdy upbringing was watching the first “Iron Man” back in 2008.

When Scorsese says these films are “audience-tested,” again, he’s right. I would know—I’m one of the pleased. The corporate minds at Disney seem to know exactly

what we, their dutiful customers want, some blend of comedy, spectacle and character. They’re built to be eaten up, and aside from a few exceptions (your “Infinity Wars” and “Thor: The Dark Worlds”), I’m a happy consumer.

And yet, for as much as I like— nay, love—a lot of these movies, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore their cost. I’m not talking about the $15 tickets I keep forking over so I can watch Captain America pick up Thor’s hammer, I’m talking about the cost to independent theaters and film.

I grew up in Champaign-Urbana (C-U), a small town two hours south of Chicago. Scorsese’s OpEd was published less than a week after the Art Theater, C-U’s local, independent cinema, permanently closed after more than a century of business.

The Art Theater was never going to play “Captain Marvel” or a Spider-Man sequel. But it’s where I went to see “Birdman” and “Whiplash” and “Sorry to Bother You” and “Susperia” and dozens of other smaller, significant motion pictures. It’s where a young Roger Ebert—perhaps the greatest film critic of all time—watched “Citizen Kane” for the first time, as well as countless, brilliant foreign films of the ’50s and ’60s. In 1991, Ebert listed the Art Theater as his favorite theater outside of Chica-

PHOTO BY JONAH KOSLOFSKY/THE HOOT

go. I daresay it was my favorite theater in the world. I sort of can’t believe it’s gone; I’ll miss it.

When I watched “Endgame,” I was elated. This was the culmination of 11 years of storytelling, a full-sized comic book splash page brought to life. I felt like a 10-year-old again, and I stand by every word of the extremely positive review I published back in May. But is this faux-childhood joy a worthy price to pay for losing an established institution? The biggest movies are going to keep getting bigger, costing more and more to make. Executives will

expect these big movies to make more and more money. And the little movies, the ones set on planet earth, won’t have a space. The center cannot hold—or rather, it’s already broken. Just look up what’s showing at the Art Theater.

So what should I do? What should we do? Do I abandon the MCU, or pretend it doesn’t matter to me? While a lot of people don’t find much meaning in whether or not the purple alien with the weird chin will collect all the super gems I, like the rest of Marvel’s enormous audience, do.

I want to see where the Marvel personas I’ve come to care about will go next, and I like seeing them all assembled. You get out of these movies what you put in (the irony is that nobody knows this better than Marty—his latest, “The Irishman,” functions under a similar logic). For a long time, I thought the blockbusters and the tiny movies could coexist. Nowadays, that doesn’t seem so likely.

Scorsese ends his piece on a note of despair. “For anyone who dreams of making movies or who is just starting out, the situation at this moment is brutal and inhospitable to art. And the act of simply writing those words fills me with terrible sadness.” Again, as much as I hate it, I agree with him.

‘Death Stranding’ impressions: it’s fun, but…

By Stewart Huang staff

There aren’t many video game “directors” known to the public, but Hideo Kojima is an exception.

The Japanese auteur is famous known for creating the “Metal Gear” series. His follow-up, “Death Stranding” has been extremely polarizing in terms of reception. Some praise it as a masterpiece while some say it’s pretentious garbage. Ultimately, I don’t know who is right, as I’ve only played for three hours on my friend Harry’s PlayStation 4 (thanks!). But what I got during this time was definitely a fun experience with a quirky, engaging narrative.

You play as futuristic delivery guy Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus) who delivers things such as drugs and corpses in a quest to “reconnect” a post-apocalyptic America ravaged by all sorts of strange phenomena. In the world of “Death Stranding,” anything touched by rain ages rapidly. The dead haunt the world of the living as invisible creatures called “BTs”

that leave handprints wherever they go, and the only way for you to see them is carrying these manufactured babies aptly named “BB.” People who die become catastrophic timebombs and turn into BTs. Also, you’re immortal.

Needless to say, the world of “Death Stranding” is weird and surrounded by innumerable mysteries: Some might find that overbearing and tiresome; I think it’s all quite engaging. Trying to find explanations to these oddities and tying them together was a major motivation that made me want to keep playing.

The cutscenes, which are a major feature in “Death Stranding,” are both a technical and cinematic marvel—I don’t think anyone can deny that. The facial capture of the actors is astonishingly detailed, and the acting is superb.

The cinematography feels deliberate and dramatic. Every time a lengthy cutscene plays, I feel like I’m watching a sci-fi blockbuster.

It’s understandable to complain that having too many cutscenes defeats the purpose of an interactive medium—and I share that complaint to some extent as you’ll see later on—but I find myself

PHOTO FROM FORBES.COM

enjoying every second of them, which is a testament to just how well made they are.

The gameplay is best characterized as “fetch quests but fun.”

Indeed, the core of the gameplay is you doing deliveries: You pick up packages, and you bring them places. But there are many more mechanics that go into the whole process. You can’t just recklessly sprint and jump like a madman to your destination as you need to balance yourself. Heavy cargo can easily tip you over. You’ll encounter obstacles like uneven terrains and rivers, and you’ll have to set up ladders and climbing ropes and other more advanced tools to conquer them, or use those left by other players (you can give these anonymous other players likes to show your appreciation). You’ll also have to stealthily avoid “BTs” with the help of your “BB,” as well as human enemies.

The game doesn’t feel very difficult, even on the highest difficulty: There are many chances for you to escape if you get caught by enemies. You can fall over and damage your packages several times and still get a high mission rating. There seems to be very minimal combat elements, which I haven’t come across in my three hours of game time, so there doesn’t seem to be much demand on mechanical skill to succeed in “Death Stranding.”

Overall, the gameplay is a surprisingly relaxing but fulfilling experience, a trek through beautiful natural landscapes while listening to mellow soundtrack in the background. You feel a sense of achievement as you gradually unite the scattered cities of America.

My concern for the gameplay is that it might be too repetitive.

Without much combat, essential-

PHOTO FROM POLYGON.COM

ly all you do in “Death Stranding” is complete fetch quests. They might be really fun and elaborately-designed fetch quests that are engaging in the first few hours, but they might no longer be interesting after 40 hours or more of doing them over and over. I can’t say for sure, but this is a potential shortcoming.

Perhaps this wouldn’t be a problem if you could actually explore the cities that you deliver packages to and talk to Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in person, making dialogue choices that will impact the state of the game. It would add an extra layer to the gameplay that would make up for the mundane nature of being a delivery guy. Though it seems the most you get in terms of dialogue and interaction outside of cutscenes is you talking to holograms of people as you complete deliveries, and that left me a little disappointed. I wish there were both cinematic cutscenes and player-initiated dialogue.

There’s also no substantial online function. You get to use other players’ constructions in the

world, leave pre-made signs and give likes, but you won’t be able to see or interact with them. I’m not calling for co-op modes or PVP, but it seems like a missed opportunity for a game about “connecting” to not allow players to see each other and have a basic level of interactivity like saying hello or something.

It’s important to remember that this is only a first impression, and my play time is limited, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

Nevertheless, I can safely say that, within three hours of play time, “Death Stranding” was an experience that left me wanting more.

When it comes to PC, which is next year, I will surely pick it up and finish it and give it a proper review because in the end, the concerns I expressed are not a deal breaker. I would love to recommend the game, even though you should probably still look at other reviews before you make a decision. But hey, everyone’s saying different things about it, so I guess the only way to decide if this game is for you is to check out Kojima’s vision yourself.

14 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

November 22, 2019

‘Unforgotten Song’ remembers those who suffered in World War II that history forgot

By Grace Zhou staff

Between 1932 and 1945, imperial Japan was at war with numerous countries in Asia and the Pacific.

During this time, the Japanese government enslaved between an estimated 80,000 to 280,000 women from various occupied countries, including Korea, Taiwan, China and the Philippines, horrifically sending these women to military brothels to “comfort” stationed Japanese soldiers. This past weekend, Brandeis’ MusicUnitesUs program commemorated these “comfort women” through its “Unforgotten Song” concert, which artistically encapsulated and politically honored the anguish of these women. Led and curated by the multi-instrumental musician and Brandeis artist-in-residence “gamin,” the performance was a mixed media venture developed in collaboration with visual artist Chang-Jin Lee, composers Ki-Young Kim and Yoon-Ji Lee, musician Adam Robinson and the Lydian String Quartet.

The night opened with a video collage by Chang-Jin Lee, in which audio recordings of survivors contemplating their experiences could be heard. As these women verbalize their hopes for the future––for legal justice, for apologies from perpetrators, for protecting subsequent generations of women and girls––English translations of their words are typed out onto the screen, the text overlayed onto extreme close-up photos of the survivors’ faces, in a kind of visual poetry. It was incredibly chilling yet powerful to hear the first-hand accounts of women who have been systematically silenced. Additional video

PHOTO BY GRACE ZHOU/THE HOOT

art by Chang-Jin Lee was projected onto the screen throughout the night.

Gamin’s solo of “Untitled” on saenghwang, a Korean free reed mouth instrument, followed the opening video. The piece, composed by Yoon-Ji Lee, is quite sparse but nonetheless provocative, moving from the wail of long, sustained singular notes into swelling full-bodied, dissonant chords. Projected on the screen behind gamin were photos of comfort women survivors in their youth, the images slowly moving into frame to reveal the women’s faces. With this juxtaposition of image and sound, “Untitled” was haunting.

For the next song “Collage— Remembering Song,” gamin brought Adam Robinson on shakuhachi, a Japanese bamboo flute, to the stage. For this piece, the house and stage were plunged into darkness. Suddenly, audio recordings of comfort women survivors singing traditional songs from their home countries began playing over the speakers, over which gamin and Robinson improvised, at times echoing the

song’s theme in a musical round or else embracing the vocals with supporting harmonies.

The third piece “Mudang,” featured gamin on piri, a Korean double reed instrument made of bamboo, as well as the Lydian String Quartet, with Yonah Zur as first violinist, Judith Eissenberg as second violinist, Mark Berger on viola and Joshua Gordon on cello.

Composed by Theodore Wiprud, the piece was characterized by the piercingly nasal screams of the piri and the agitated and sforzando strings. Compounding this deeply unsettling and fear-inducing audio was Chang-Jin Lee’s intentionally shaky B-roll footage of cityscapes, almost as if filmed from the perspective of someone scrambling through the alleyways of a dark metropolis. It was the night’s most graphic and memorable production.

“Quiet Revolution,” composed

by Ki-Young Kim, was the final piece before the intermission. It included gamin on saenghwang as well as Zur and Eissenberg on violins. Comprising five parts, each section embodied a different mood. In the first movement,

the instruments spiraled together in an unsettling mélange, the sonic swirls echoing the painterly brushstroke and curvilinear forms of Chang-Jin Lee’s ink and charcoal drawings. The next passage resembled a melancholic march with its steadier, grounding beat, while the third act evoked a suspenseful, tense chase with moments of intensity followed by release. And while the fourth segment used pained, droning wails to lament to the audience, the final movement’s stripped-down production displayed a quieter kind of chagrin.

“Loons,” performed by Robinson and composed by Elizabeth Brown, was the first piece to follow the intermission, for which the sound of the shakuhachi’s mystical warbles reverberated throughout the auditorium. Next, for “Remembering Song,” gamin and Robinson teamed up again to improvise harmonies over recordings of comfort women singing traditional songs. On the screen, meanwhile, photographs of the survivors’ houses faded in and out of focus, divulging the intimate corners and spaces of these

women’s homes. The penultimate “Angels Broken,” composed by Yoon-Ji Lee and featuring gamin on piri, the Lydian String Quartet and some pre-recorded compositions, was brilliantly cataclysmic and nightmarish, opening with the brash and fuzzy sounds of a tuning radio before being joined by the screech of the piri, the crunch of bow on string, and horror-movie-esque pizzicato.

Dae-Seong Kim’s “Lullaby for Peace in Asia”––played by the ensemble gamin, Robinson, the Lydian String Quartet, as well as guest musicians Patrice Jackson on cello, Christopher Janson on bass and Nina Sayles on percussion––rounded out the night’s performance. This piece’s serene melody was a stark contrast to what had come before, and served as a kind of respite from the rest of the program’s granularity. Here, the shakuhachi sings, and the cellos are rich with vibrato. Where there used to be choppy sonic fragments, there is now legato; where there used to be dissonance, there is now euphony. Inspired by traditional Korean melodies, “Lullaby for Peace in Asia” is an ode to healing the wounds created by war.

In “Unforgotten Song,” gamin foregrounds the voices of survivors and crafts artistic interpretations around their stories.

Through abstraction and experimentation, each piece embodies a discrete feeling while never abandoning the trauma experienced by comfort women. As a multisensory performance, “Unforgotten Song” transcends traditional visual and auditory boundaries to enter the realm of pure expression. It is a tribute to survivors everywhere.

Hozier hosts transcendence

By Emily Botto editor

Last week I stood in Boston’s Boch Center Wang Theatre and listened to Hozier serenade me with his new album. His voice in person only solidified his unbelievable musical talent in my mind. Although I wasn’t surprised at how well he performed in concert compared to his recordings, I was still hit with a feeling I tend to get only at the best concerts; like the world doesn’t exist for a moment. I’m not exaggerating when I say I almost cried when he hit the notes in “Nina Cried Power” as videos of protests from around the world played in the background.

“Take Me to Church,” Hozier’s first single and his most wellknown song, came out when I was 15 years old. It exploded in

popularity around the world and was certified five times platinum in the U.S. I was obsessed with it.

I memorized the lyrics word-forword, sang the song in the shower and set it on repeat on my iPod touch (this detail is to put into perspective how long it’s been since we’ve heard from Hozier).

After Hozier released his debut album in 2014, his fans waited on their toes for his next move. But nothing happened. For over four years, Hozier released no new songs, no new albums and his fans barely heard a single word from him. There were posts on social media wondering where he went, including the idea that he was some kind of Irish forest being who had disappeared back into the wilderness. But Hozier suddenly popped back up in the musical world late last year with his EP “Nina Cried Power,” featuring a single of the same name,

a protest anthem sung with blues legend Mavis Staples.

In March of this year, Hozier released his second album after months of hype following “Nina Cried Power.” And it almost made up for how long we had to wait.

Hozier’s second album, “Wasteland, Baby!” exceeded all my expectations and in some cases exceeded the incredible lyrical and musical quality of his first. Each song made me wonder at his talent with words and his ability to make me press “repeat.”

When my roommate bought me tickets to his concert on Nov. 12, I could barely contain my excitement. Here was this man I had been obsessed with since freshman year of high school, and I was about to see him in person, performing some of my favorite songs of all time. Although I was a little nervous about hearing him in person—I’ve had my share of disappointments when artists who sound great in the studio don’t measure up in concert—my nervousness was nothing compared to my anticipation.

Angie McMahon, an Australian singer-songwriter, opened the show, her low, gravelly voice contrasting with her constant jokes between songs and the light vibe she drummed up for the audience. I always sit through openers with a tapping foot, waiting impa-

PHOTOS BY EMILY BOTTO/THE HOOT

tiently for the headliner. The best compliment I can give to McMahon is that she made me want to listen to her rather than look at my watch.

Hozier started the concert slowly, leading with his lesser-known songs and building up the audience’s excitement before diving into the intensity of “Nina Cried Power” and “To Be Alone.” In his rolling Irish accent, he spoke about protest music, about world issues and about his new upcoming songs, even playing an unreleased track during the concert.

His bandmates—more than half of whom were women—flawlessly carried out his songs with back-up vocals, drums, guitar and an impressive violin/guitar player who drew the audience’s eyes with every note. Hozier himself switched off between acoustic and electric guitar throughout, a stage crew member handing him a new

guitar every other song.

McMahon returned to the stage for the encore, beautifully accompanying him for “Work Song,” a lullaby-like track from Hozier’s first album. Hozier’s impressive 6’6” dwarfed McMahon, but their seeming physical imbalance did not transfer to their singing, as the sad but loving melody of “Work Song” flowed between them like a dance. Of course, Hozier also played “Take Me to Church” during the concert, prompting the entire audience to sing along, to the point that you could barely hear him over the voices of the crowd.

I cannot recommend Hozier enough. He released a new single, “Jackboot Jump,” at midnight on Thursday. Go listen to it, and “Wasteland, Baby!” Hozier is an incredible person and an incredible artist and, as I recently found out, he can only get better.

November 22, 2019

The Brandeis Hoot

ARTS 15

Doja Cat, Doja Cat, Doja Cat!

By Aaron LaFauci staff

Disclaimer: I would like to admit now that there is much to the following album that I am unable to communicate. I’m a pasty suburbanite that spent the better half of his high school days sulking over Pink Floyd records and video game remixes. I do not possess the cultural backing nor the expertise to properly dissect all the pop, hip hop and R&B references that certainly pervade the following artist’s work. The commentary communicated below is therefore a surface exploration of the album’s sound and composition, and I encourage readers to explore the artist and the genres that inspired her further if this review piques any interest. Without further ado...

Scene: I am in art class rendering a portrait when I decide the sound of my own breathing is getting to be a little much. I don my massive Audio-Technica M50xs (they were really cool in 2015, I swear) and pull up Google Music on my phone. The first album cover to catch my eye is this bright pink square containing a topless lady. The cover features pink hair, pink nails and pink arm-length opera gloves clasped over an exposed chest. The woman has a diamond-shattering jaw-line and enough airbrush highlights to put a polished military drone to shame. I quickly select the album to prevent the person sitting next to me from looking over and thinking I was browsing porn. A song called “Cyber Sex” begins to play, and I continue my drawing.

The album turned out to be Doja Cat’s latest release, “Hot Pink.” For starters, the music served its purpose. The repetitive nature of the pop lyrics and the synthetic beats were rhythmic enough to get me into the state necessary to draw for an hour, and can we really ask much else of music? Of course, my desire to listen did not end with art class. Later that weekend I found myself coming back to the album again and again, and I have been listening to its singles continuously since.

When I saw the album cover, I expected a hypersexual hip hop LP (it is reminiscent of something

by Nicki Minaj or Cardi B), but the sound I got was much smoother. I hesitate to call it “more creative” than traditional R&B pop albums, but Doja Cat’s approach is undeniably diverse. Despite its facade, “Hot Pink’s” approach to pop sexuality is not so alien. Most of the songs aren’t the kind of thing you’ll turn to when somebody hands you the aux, but repeated private listens have so far been a delight.

It’s 2019; women singing about sex and drugs is nothing new, but Doja tackles these themes in some pretty wacky ways. The aforementioned first track, “Cyber Sex,” is all about “getting freaky on camera.” We might not like to admit it, but digital sexuality is a thing that you, dear reader, probably participate in quite frequently. Pornhub?

Tinder? “Can’t give head, you give me the face time.” Need I remind you about Omegle? There was a reason you and your friends would stay up for hours sifting through other people’s webcam feeds. “Cyber Sex” captures all

this unspoken internet junk in one catchy, electronic package.

Lines describing dick pics and certain pinks reflected over the webcam are sung over a gamey beat of ambient pulses and snaps.

As Doja proudly declares near the end of the song, “What a time to be alive!”

The second song, “Won’t Bite,” begins with Doja singing a catchy series of “La la la la’s” that later comprise the song’s chorus. I assumed that this sound, like the rhythm behind “Cyber Sex,” was just another showcase of Doja’s musical creativity, but the footnotes of the website Genius Lyrics state that this vocalization is actually a form of ululating common in South African cultures. Like any other artist working within an established medium, Doja Cat is creating art in dialogue with history and life. Listeners that can get past their own insecurities about listening to songs about webcam sex and horny cats are rewarded with real substance.

After the first few songs, “Hot Pink” sobers up a little bit, and it achieves this tone shift without sacrificing the sonic dynamism that marks the first two tracks.

The third song, “Rules,” drops the whimsical electronic beats for darker, bluesier guitar riffs worthy of its more confrontational chorus: “play with my p*ssy, but don’t play with my emotions.” “Bottom Bitch” comes next with its more heavily synthesized vocals and repetitive lyrics between rap interludes; it’s finally the kind of song that you might expect to hear on a pop radio station. “Say So” brings the tone back to something more akin to rock/soul with jazzy guitar

play and a simple electric drum beat backing the entire song. It reminds me of “Daft Punk,” honestly.

The lyrics stand out a lot less by this point in the album, and the songs start to meld together in a kind of vibey plateau. This is the album’s point of immersion; if the first couple of songs haven’t thrown you off, then it’s smooth sailing until “Addiction.” “Hot Pink” isn’t exactly a concept album, but nearly all great LPs have some kind of narrative structure, even if it is only tonal. “Addiction” is when the party starts to wind down. The chorus does this awesome thing where it repeats the line “I’m just a little bit, I’m just a little bit” that at some imperceptible point transforms into “just a little bit more, just a little bit more.” In case you’ve never left your dorm room, the lyrics are refering to drugs, but you also get the sense that Doja is being strung along by sex and the guy that is providing it: “I need you, me, us, addicted, uh.”

The following songs, “Streets” and “Better than Me” are more overtly about loss and relationships, and they drive a sharp contrast between the carefree sex songs that started the album.

These tracks are heavier, but they are interesting listens in tandem (“Streets” ends its lines with “you” and “Better Than Me” ends with a lot of “mes”). The song “Shine” sits right between these tracks, and while the chorus is fun, its heavily synthesised lyrics are a bit much. It feels like a random addition, especially as the album is winding down.

“Juicy” is the album’s clincher. It

was released as its own single before the release of “Hot Pink,” and it is easy to see why. After all the remorse, regret and jealousy on display in the previous tracks, the inherent body positivity and selflove is welcome. “Juicy” isn’t hype or loud enough to totally erase the downward shift in tone, but it is by no means a downer. The simple beat and fun lyrics make it a good single for solo or playlist listening, which can’t be said for many of the other songs in the album.

If you really want to run Doja through the aux, select “Juicy” or “Bottom Bitch.”

“Hot Pink” offers a lot, even if it isn’t a thematically cohesive masterpiece. Doja Cat shoots wide and long, but the tracks are arranged well enough that the album doesn’t just feel like a collection of pop singles. “Hot Pink” marks Doja’s second full release since her debut album, “Amala,” in March of 2018. I look forward to exploring her past work with greater depth, and I will be keeping a close watch on any future releases. Even if you don’t consider yourself a fan of pop, give Doja a chance. The music is loads of fun, and she evidently had a ball writing it.

PHOTO FROM PITCHFORK.COM

‘Every Brilliant Thing’ is a show like no other

By Zach Newman staff

In Brandeis’ production of the play “Every Brilliant Thing,” Amy Ollove ’21, Ashley Friedman ’22 and Kat Potts ’23 expertly balanced audience interaction, humor and heartbreak. Director Emily Pollack ’21 decided to alter the play’s casting from a one-man show into a play with three roles, representing the public, private and secret versions of the nameless main character. Originally written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, the play ran at the Off-Broadway Barrow Street Theatre in New York City from December 2014 to March 2015. The production follows a little girl who navigates her childhood with a depressed mother.

After her mother’s first suicide attempt, the young girl begins a list of wonderful things that make life worth living in an attempt to save her mother’s life. As the young girl reaches adulthood and graduates college, she finds herself in a depression not so different from her mother’s. But she never stops

fighting: Throughout the show, she continues to update her increasingly complex list of things to admire in the world.

The defining feature of this show was its use of audience interaction. When I arrived at Lown 002 for the show, I was handed a green ribbon that represented suicide and mental health awareness, as well as two notecards, reading “bed” and “deciding you’re not too old to climb a tree.” The audience of around 20 settled into the small lecture hall. Pollack briefly explained that audience members have the choice to participate in the show, which would be dealing with heavy themes. She thanked the show’s supporters and sponsors, the Free Play Theater Cooperative and the University’s Psychology Department.

As soon as the show started, Ollove, Friedman and Potts used the help of audience members to portray the narrator’s story. One girl from the audience was brought to the stage as a veterinarian and asked to put down the narrator’s dog, named “J.K. Growling.” Ollove borrowed another audience member’s coat and had the vol-

PHOTOS COURTESY PETER OLLOVE

unteer doctor “pet” the dog gently as it passed away. Afterwards, a different audience member was asked to be the young girl’s father and mimed driving the girl to the hospital after school. The narrator’s girlfriend, Sam, was played by yet another audience member. Friedman and “Sam” bonded over books that were spontaneously collected from the audience—“The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton and “The Circle” by Dave Eggers.

The prospect of randomly being selected to participate in the show kept the audience on their toes, keenly focused on the twists and turns of the story.

Along with physical participation, audience members also read their index cards with items from the narrator’s list when their number was called. Audience members called out their items throughout the show, which ranged from ice cream to Christopher Walken’s hair. For the list’s final entry, number one million, Ollove, Friedman and Potts spoke in unison. The three actors, all playing the same character, skillfully narrated the show from a single perspective. Handed the difficult task of cohesively telling one story with three people, while running around the stage, pulling in random audience members, and sometimes singing and dancing, Ollove, Friedman and Potts did a masterful job in their roles.

The audience participation elements lightened the overall mood, considering the intense themes of the show. Randomly bringing audience members onstage and having them read from cards kept me paying attention out of fear

that my card would be called and I would be unprepared to read. I felt that given the show’s simplicity and intimate setting, just three actors in front of a small audience, breaking the fourth wall made the story feel more intimate and real.

Classic soul and jazz music drifted in and out of the performance.

In the story, the narrator’s father loves artists like Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra, playing their records in his study and the car.

When Sam meets the narrator’s parents, the family sings in unison. Ditching the studio recordings, Potts grabbed an acoustic guitar and strummed the chords to songs like “That’s Life” and “My Way,” with all three actors pitching in vocals. In addition to the seamless integration of music into the show, Ollove, Friedman and Potts interacted with images throughout the performance that were projected onto a screen at the front of the lecture hall. When the narrator takes a college English course, the “lectures” were projected behind the actors. Later in the show, a text message from Sam is projected onto the screen.

These visuals gave the audience the effective opportunity to put themselves in the narrator’s position, reading her texts and taking her classes.

The humor and immersion that Ollove, Friedman and Potts create by engaging the audience members serves the deeper purpose of bringing everyone into the conversation about suicide. The play demonstrates the profound effects that the narrator’s mother’s depression had on the little girl’s childhood. Often, the young girl was left to fend for herself. Her

mother’s condition led to stress and uncertainty. For instance, the young girl often feared her mother’s happiness, for she knew it would be followed by a period of intense sadness. In the narrator’s adulthood, she experienced the same sadness and found refuge in the music of great artists in the past. In the show, the narrator notes that these musicians experienced mental health issues too.

The narrator also finds comfort in speaking to her childhood therapist, a schoolteacher who used a sock puppet to approach difficult conversations.

The show’s message, when combined with the audience participation, music and visuals, resounded powerfully. My main takeaway from the show, which Friedman told the audience in character, was that for those struggling with depression, things won’t always be brilliant, like the show’s title suggests, but they will get better. Another important takeaway: Find beauty in life’s smaller pleasures, like the hiss of a vinyl record or the joy of watching TV late at night.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that over 47,000 Americans took their own lives in 2017. Productions that start difficult conversations about how suicide affects individuals and families are providing a service to the public.

The director, cast and crew of Brandeis’ production of “Every Brilliant Thing” gracefully pulled off an engaging show about a very significant topic.

16 ARTS

The Brandeis Hoot

November 22, 2019

Adagio’s ‘Dare to Dream’ almost literally crushed the Levin stage

By Aaron LaFauci staff

“We dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.” -Albert Einstein Those are the final lines of the poem printed on the back of this semester’s Adagio programs. I am not convinced that Albert Einstein ever actually wrote those words, but the sentiment resonates regardless. For a dance show all about providing an open opportunity platform for students to physically express themselves, this emphasis on aspirations and achievement is welcome. Thankfully, dancing is a medium of expression that can get along just fine without justifying itself with words, and there was some pretty spectacular movement on display at this Adagio show.

I am happy to say that the sound quality in the venue has seemingly improved since last semester. Levin Ballroom, while a versatile space, has suffered from audio distortion and poor volume control in the past. It was only occasionally in the second half that I noted any distortion. These bursts of deep-fried sound would only last a few moments rather than entire songs—entirely ignorable.

Small improvements like these add an air of professionalism to a venue that obviously was not designed for anything more than speeches and presentations.

The famed white cloth makes a return. The white backdrop, which appears to be a rectangular sheet stapled to the wall behind the stage, is a piece of lighting ingenuity. By bathing the stage in a solid color, the crew is able to completely change the hue of the back wall and the dancers. This allows for stronger control over the mood and tone of the performances, especially with what I can only imagine is limited Levin equipment.

While this lighting technique was most iconically used to make the stage orange or red to add a sensual quality to certain performances (notably in “Kaliente with a K” and “All that Jazz”), “Wonderland” applied a neat rotating kaleidoscope of color that imbued a segment of the dance with titular wonderment. “Blame it on Me” used blue with sharp transitions into a deep green to create

BALLET CLUB

PHOTOS COURTESY SABRINA CHOW PHOTOGRAPHY

EASY

These performers make dance look easy.

a kind of choking, claustrophobic effect. By pairing this light shift with a synchronized sweeping fall into a sideways lunge near the end of the dance, the choreographer (Renee Korgood ’20) was able to create one of the most striking and memorable moments of the show.

The two visiting dance groups deserve special mentions: Northeastern’s “Kaliente” in the first half of the show and Umass Lowell’s “Photohype” after the intermission. It makes sense that traveling dance groups would have well-practiced acts, and these particular dancers kept the energy high. The first dance of “Kaliente with a K” was particularly electrifying, as the six dancers were paired up and swinging each other around in what the program describes as a “mix of Bachata, Salsa and Merengue styles.” While other pieces certainly featured lifting, Kaliente brought a level of intimacy and sensuality that is not commonly seen in Levin. Lowell’s group is notable for having the best transitions between songs; no stage blackouts or shoving as far as I could tell. Lowell also brought with them the most dancers, and their level of synchronization was jaw dropping.

Tap dancing and ballet were not excluded in this Adagio. Brandeis’s

Molly Cady ‘21 sparkles as Marzipan.

PHOTOS COURTESY SABRINA CHOW PHOTOGRAPHY

own tap group, Hooked on Tap (HOT!), waltzed onto the stage while tapping out the initial electric piano beat of “Hot Damn!”

by The Shadowboxers. The discipline of HOT’s choreography was of particular interest. There were moments when the dancers moved without emitting any kind of tapping noise whatsoever. To an audience accustomed to a stereotypical or “classical” marked by rapid footwork, the smart manipulation and contemporary application was of immense interest.

Ballet Club’s presentation of The Nutcracker’s “Marzipan” was beautiful. Halfway through the performance, the six wing dancers made space for the lead dancer, Molly Cady ’21, and she went off like only a ballerina can with a massive orbital spin on her toes.

After the lights went black, Cady could be seen ballerina tip-toeing off stage. This detail by itself isn’t a huge deal, but it speaks to years of ingrained discipline. If the quality of this piece was not an accident, then this year’s Nutcracker promises to be a superb show.

Do take the following with a grain of salt: I am apparently unable to provide an unbiased review of “All that Jazz” due to my intimate sexual and emotional relations with the choreographer, Amy Ollove ’21. But let’s be real

BLAME IT ON ME

here: If you haven’t been able to tell, I know next to nothing about dancing. Really, I couldn’t give a useful piece of constructive dance criticism if I tried. “All that Jazz” is exactly what you’d expect from a ’20s inspired musical dance number choreographed by a Fosse nut.

It’s got flappers, it’s got shimmying, and it’s got a LOT of leg. At times, the performance seemed like an excuse to showcase the amazing gymnastic dance talents of Alyssa Rittenberg ’21 and Aitana Burman ’23. Rittenberg’s sparkling red-costume-clad upside down somersault split (among other sublime feats of movement) absolutely made a lasting impression on the hearts and minds of the audience. Burman’s drop split near the end of the dance generated an audible smack that reverberated throughout every corner of the ballroom.

We can’t forget the emcees, Jack Rubinstein ’20 and Abby LeRoy ’20. It seems that every show to ever be put on in Levin has a pair of emcees. It is important to remember that they aren’t supposed to deliver grade A comedy. They exist to fill in time until the next set of dancers are ready to go, and they are especially important in a function hall without a backstage or wings. That said, a lot of the emcee’s jokes weren’t bad. I will

never forget one of Rubenstein’s lines: “Brandeis has more Tufts rejects per capita than any other university.” I didn’t apply to Tufts, but I totally get it; it’s like a stab to the brain. It was clear that the emcees really loved the people working to put together this semester’s Adagio, and the positivity radiated. There was one bit that I could have gone without: the cookie eating interlude. They stood up there and just ate cookies, lips smacking, for like a minute. I didn’t come to Adagio to subject my ears to live mukbang.

Has Adagio always been this uplifting? Of course, but I left this particular production happier than most. It’s a show that doesn’t demand an understanding of narrative or theme. You don’t need to be a dance auteur to have a good time at Adagio. It is simply appreciation. The dancers dance because they love to. We should all aspire to match that. I hope future shows will maintain the enthusiasm and scope of this massive Adagio showcase!

Editor’s note: Staff writer Aaron LaFauci is in a relationship with Amy Ollove ’21. Editor-In-Chief Polina Potochevska is the President of the Brandeis Ballet Club but did not perform in the club’s performance of “Marzipan.”

Choreographed by Renee Korgood, this performance was one of the most memorable dances in the show.