The Brandeis Hoot 03/06/2015

Volume 12 Number 6

www.brandeishoot.com

Rape Crisis Center opens in Usdan

By Jess Linde Editor

Brandeis struggles with sustainability

By Charlotte Aaron Editor

Students, faculty and other members of the community celebrated the official opening of the Brandeis Rape Crisis Center (RCC) in Usdan on Wednesday, March 4. The RCC will now serve as a safe space and service for survivors of sexual violence on campus, as well as a hub for programs to combat it. The center, located next to the Gender and Sexuality Center and the Office of Prevention Services, was first proposed last year by members of Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence (B.SASV), as a response to what activists saw as a lack of appropriate action by the Brandeis administration.

“Our ultimate goal, of course, is to put ourselves out of business,” Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Specialist Sheila McMahon told the crowd. “It is a powerful moment to be able to come together with gratitude for the work that’s been done by so

March 6, 2015

Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

opening ceremony Student Rawda Aljawhary speaks with Senior Vice President for Students

and Enrollment Andrew Flagel at the Rape Crisis Center opening this week.

many in our community to make this possible.”

McMahon also thanked Ava Bluestein ’15, Victoria Jonas ’15 and Sam Daniels ’16, the B.SASV members who worked closest with the administration over the past year. They are also serving

as the RCC’s first student coordinators. There was a palpable feeling of emotion in the air as guests talked and embraced, some crying as they took a tour of the the set of furnished rooms See RCC, page 2

In the past year, Brandeis University has fallen behind on its commitment to becoming a sustainable campus. In 2012, Brandeis lost a staff member who worked full-time as a sustainability coordinator. While the position was filled for a time with an interim staff member, after her tenure, Brandeis did not rehire someone to fill the position.

Even more recently, Brandeis’ relationship with GreenerU, a company that aids universities in becoming environmentally friendly, has come into question.

In discussing the history of sustainability efforts at Brandeis, it is important to mention a decision made in 2008: At this time, the university adopted single-stream recycling as the new method of recycling on campus. Single-stream recycling, as opposed to source-segregated recycling, allows students, faculty, administrators, as well as Brandeis guests to put all recy-

clable materials into one container. These materials are then later sorted at Casella Waste Systems, Brandeis’ waste management partner.

Single-stream recycling is a controversial method of recycling. There is an increase in residual waste (materials that are unable to be recycled due to contamination in the sorting process). 16.6 percent of single-stream waste is residual, and when mixed glass is included, this number rises to 27.2 percent, according to a Solid and Hazardous Waste Education Center report.

Yet while the residual waste does increase, so does participation in recycling. “Single-source is an easier and simpler ‘one-stop’ process at the source for all users,” wrote Jim Gray, vice president for campus operations, in an email to The Brandeis Hoot about the switch from source-segregated to single-stream recycling.

See GREEN, page 8

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman ’75 speaks on campus

By Emily Belowich Editor

When Thomas Friedman ’75 was a kid, he wanted nothing more than to be a professional golfer. He was the captain of his high school team at St. Louis Park High School in Minneapolis, and in 1970, he caddied for Puerto Rican professional golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez at the U.S. Open. Rodriguez placed 27th in the tournament, and that was the closest that Friedman would ever get to professional golf. But on Sunday afternoon, a group of approximately 100 students, faculty and board members quickly learned that while being a professional golfer was Friedman’s dream at the time, shortly thereafter, one high school journalism class and a trip to Israel would completely transform his life.

In Levin Ballroom this Sunday, March 1, the award-winning New York Times foreign affairs columnist spoke about how he formed his passion for journalism, followed by a discussion about the current state of Israeli politics, U.S. relations with Israel and other controversial issues in the Middle East. Friedman, who has won three Pulitzer Prizes and has authored six national bestsellers, was interviewed on stage by Chen Arad ’15 and

Inside this issue:

Rivka Cohen ’17, both of whom ask him not only about his time at Brandeis, but also about his career of international reporting and his personal views on the state of Israel. The event was organized by Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World (BVIEW), a group of students committed to “revolutionizing how students discuss Israel on campus,” according to its website. BVIEW is a nonpartisan, independent student organization that brings together thought-provoking speakers and facilitates student discussions to develop a “forward-looking outlook for Israel’s future.”

Friedman grew up in the 1960s in a small suburb right outside Minneapolis. In 10th grade, Friedman signed up to take journalism with Ms. Hattie Steinberg, who he claimed was “legendary” in changing students’ views of the world.

“Her journalism class was the only journalism class that I’ve ever taken,” Friedman said. “Not because I was that good but because she was that good.”

In that same year of 1968, Friedman’s parents took him on a trip to Israel to visit his sister who was studying abroad at the time in Tel Aviv. After being See FRIEDMAN, page 2

News: CAST establishes grant for social change Arts, Etc.: ‘House of Cards’ disappoints Opinion: Study abroad housing needs reform Features: French club hosts Top Chef Editorial: Student activists bring about RCC

Page 2 Page 6 Page 13 Page 10 Page 4

dr. robert vinson

Dr. Vinson gave a lecture on campus titled “Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela and

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

the Genealogies of Armed Struggle in Apartheid South Africa.”

Influential prof. illuminates life of Albert Luthuli

By Rachel Bossuk staff

On Thursday, March 5, the African and Afro-American Studies Department hosted a lecture

by Dr. Robert Vinson titled “Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela and the Genealogies of Armed Struggle in Apartheid South Africa.” A professor in the AAAS Department introduced Vinson and the lecture, which is part of the annual Ruth First Me-

morial Lecture, and the lecture was followed by a short question-and-answer session.

The lecture was established in 1985 through the generous donation of Rose Schiff, Eileen Schiff Wingard and Zina Schiff Eisenberg in memory of their daughter and sister Louise Joy Schiff.

Since then, every year the African and Afro-American Studies Department hosts a lecture on black liberation in southern Africa. It is named after Ruth

First, a white South African who dedicated her life to eliminating apartheid in the country. Born to members of the Communist Party, First became a journalist and reported for The Guardian, but because of the radical nature of the paper itself and First’s writings and outspoken nature, she was exiled to Mozambique and eventually assassinated.

First’s husband, Joe Slavo, was See VINSON, page 3

Lottery unfair

OpenMic night poses

Opinion: Page 12

Jaded’s first OpenMic night features powerful messages on race and identity in America

DCL’s lottery system leaves students overstressed and rushed to pick housing options

challenging queries

Arts: Page 16

2 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

March 6, 2015

CAST program grants $2,000 to promote art and social change

By Hannah Schuster Editor

The faculty committee of the Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation (CAST) minor awarded four grants of $2,000 to faculty members exploring the relationship between the arts and social change. The grants seek to promote interdisciplinary discussion, social justice and peace building through creative projects at Brandeis. The grants were awarded to Professors Azlin Perdomo (ROMS), Adrianne Krstansky (THA), Ilana Szobel (NEJS) and Judith Eissenberg (MUS). Dr. Cynthia Cohen, co-chair of the faculty committee, explained that they decided to award grants to projects exemplifying “themes of the minor” after receiving a donation from the Max and Sunny Howard Memorial Foundation. Cohen believes each project “explores a very interesting point of intersection among creativity, the arts and social transformation.” Perdomo will create a website called “My American Girls” highlighting undocumented women, specifically a group of cafeteria workers to whom she became close while teaching at Boston College. Perdomo will manipulate photos of her and her daughter to look like dolls, representing the women. Each will have a biography and accessories manifesting their unique identities, parodying the American Girl Doll website.

Of her inspiration Perdomo said, “Being an immigrant myself, I’ve realized there are a lot of people who, because their status is not legal in this country, they live in the shadows.” She explains all immigrants grapple with

identity, but these women questioned their very right to exist. Her goal is to “be the voice of these women and bring these stories to light.” Perdomo asked, “What’s the difference between these women and any other important American citizen like, say, Hillary Clinton.”

“I love the fact that [the grant] deals with social issues and how you can creatively present an issue that is contemporary, that’s pressing, that needs our attention,” said Perdomo, who also hopes to use her work in the classroom in discussions on immigration or human rights. She would assign “tasks” to each doll— including a mother’s desire to bring her kids to the U.S.—to help students understand the challenges they face.

Eager to produce her website this summer, Perdomo explained the grant allows her to contract graphic and web designers.

Szobel’s project centers on Tamar Borer, an Israeli dancer who continues to perform though her legs were paralyzed in a car crash.

“She is such an inspiring human being and artist that she made me think about so many issues related to the juxtaposition of disability and political change and dance and the body and gender,” said Szobel who attended Borer’s shows and participated in her workshops in Israel. She will also explore how Borer’s work relates to the political climate in Israel, hoping “to see what kind of change we can create.” “I have a lot of faith in art,” said Szobel. She plans to return to Israel in search of more footage of Borer’s dancing, perhaps a video of her first performance post-accident.

With the grant money, Szobel intends to employ Brandeis students to help analyze her research. “The idea is not just to teach [students]…but mainly to get their perspectives,” said Szobel.

Krstansky will develop a syllabus exploring theater and race. Her inspiration lies with a student who approached her to relay the need for such a class and ask whether she would steward it.“That need and particular question, whether I, a white professor could teach a class on race and theater is the inspiration for my project—to explore the particular ways the theater can open the conversation around race,” wrote Krstansky in an email to The Brandeis Hoot.

For Krstansky, the grant was “the perfect opportunity to understand the community engagement piece of theater making.” This summer, she will work with Cohen to analyze the “Acting Together” anthology from the Ethics Center’s Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts and Theatre Without Borders of which Cohen is principal investigator. It explores the role of peacebuilding theater in violent areas and will help shape the course. Krstansky explained that her admiration for Cohen’s work encouraged her to apply for the grant.

She hopes her class will address the complexity of the subject, incorporating her knowledge as well as students’ cultural understandings of race and will explore this through the art of theater. Eissenberg will analyze birdsongs in correlation with environmental action. Working with Professor Dan Perlman (BIOL/ENVS), composer Kurt Rohde, birdsong expert Don Koodsma and Brandeis

photo from internet source

Pictured above are the four faculty members who received $2,000 CAST program grants. faculty members receive grants

students, Eissenberg will compose music using songs from birds on the verge of extinction, thus bringing those species to the forefront of people’s minds.

“I … have been feeling the need to express my concern with the loss of diversity in the natural world,” said Eissenberg of her project’s origins in an email. An NPR segment on the book “The Great Animal Orchestra” by Bernie Kraus “ignited a spark” within Eissenberg. A scientist recorded birds in a forest, but after some time, returned to the same woods and found evidence of deforestation in the stifling of birdsongs.

Eissenberg will use the grant money to employ composers and musicians, stating the grant is “a strong encouragement to go ahead.” Through her work, Eissenberg seeks to challenge herself artistically, to connect art and science, and wield the power music to expose what is happening in nature. The professors relate their

honor to have been selected for the CAST award and are excited to work in conduction with the unique program and have their work recognized as meaningful.

They agree that a community has formed between them, providing support and allowing them to discuss their projects. They have met once already and will meet again this spring.

Of their first meeting, Szobel explained, “The amount of enthusiasm is just overwhelming…It was really great to be exposed to the other projects and to see that such amazing things are happening at Brandeis.”

Krstansky stated the women form “a wonderful group of people who are extremely supportive of each other’s projects.”

She continues to praise the “support and expertise” of Cohen, who the recipients respect and admire, writing “[Cohen] has the ability to ask the most profound questions of the work and is an incredible guide.”

Award-winning Times columnist Friedman ’75 speaks about his passion for journalism and Israeli politics From FRIEDMAN, page 1

“swept off his feet” in Israel, he spent his high school summers there living on a kibbutz. He started out at the University of Minnesota, but was still drawn to Israel, so he spent his sophomore year of college attending the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Friedman transferred to Brandeis in the fall of 1973, writing a few op-ed pieces for The Justice. In trying to gain a greater understanding about the Middle East, he travelled back overseas but this time he landed at the American University in Cairo and subsequently spent time over the next years at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford.

While walking down the street one day, in 1975, Friedman noticed a headline on The Evening Standard that read “Carter to

Jews: If Elected, I Promise to Fire Dr. K.” President Jimmy Carter was running against Gerald Ford for president, and Friedman had a strong opinion about this.

“I thought to myself, ‘Isn’t that interesting? He’s trying to win Jewish votes by promising to fire the first-ever Jewish Secretary of State,’” Friedman said.

He does not know what inspired him to do so, but he immediately went back to his dorm room and wrote up a column. He gave it to his future wife, also studying in London, to bring home on spring break, and it landed in the hands of the editorial page editor of The Des Moines Register.

“I had been walking down the street, I had an opinion, I wrote it up, and someone paid me $50,” Friedman said. “And thus a columnist was born.”

Friedman transitioned the discussion into speaking about some of his own personal views

on Israel. “I’m a huge believer in the two-state solution,” he said.

“And I have believed that ever since I was here [at Brandeis].

There’s no mystery on my views; they’ve actually never changed, and they have never evolved. The only thing that’s changed is the possibility of it.”

He then went on to speak about the meaning of objective reporting, as well as how this plays out in Middle East politics.

“When it comes to the Middle East, if you want to be a reporter there, the thing you have to understand is everyone wants to own you,” Friedman said. “Everyone’s a partisan … And it’s not about journalism. It’s about politics, and everyone wants you on their side.”

When asked about his opinion on Prime Minister of Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu coming to speak before Congress this Monday, March 2, Friedman said it

would “directionally be part of a broader erosion.” He said that this indicates that Israel should become a conservative Republican issue, even though he believes Israel should always be a bipartisan issue.

Friedman briefly spoke about ISIS and other radical Islamist groups. He said that when looking at the region of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, it is a “pluralistic region that lacks pluralism.” From 30,000 feet above, he said what the world is seeing is a region whose pluralistic character is governed vertically.

“Therefore, that region can only be stable if the constituent communities forge social contracts for how to govern themselves, not vertically but horizontally, where they live as equal citizens,” Friedman said.

The discussion ended with questions from the audience, ranging from topics about the

“death” of journalism to advice for Brandeis students. Friedman thinks that journalism will continue to survive as long as the quality of the content can remain the same.

“There’s only one thing in journalism that hasn’t changed, and that’s what makes for a great column,” Friedman said. “Great reporting, great analysis, great interviewing and great writing.

I tend to be totally platform-agnostic because to me it’s all about journalism.”

Friedman ended the talk with some advice for Brandeis students. “Whatever it is, you have to be passionate and persuasive about your ideas,” Friedman said. “I’m a little Jewish guy from Minnesota, and I’ve learned that the secret of life is being a good listener. Listening to someone is a sign of respect, and if you truly listen to someone, it is amazing what they will let you see.”

RCC opening a reason to celebrate for Brandeis community From RCC, page 1

the Center occupies. “[I feel] a mixture of gratitude, relief and frustration [the Center] did not open faster,” Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel told The Brandeis Hoot at the event. “I hope that every student always feels that they have a place they can go.”

For students, the opening was

a relief after years of work. “As an activist who has been working on this, it felt like there was a gap for a long time and a lack of a set safe space,” Blustein said.

“It’s great to know that even though I’m graduating, this will continue and be a real, functioning place.”

The Center’s student coordinators will also be working on programs with various departments, including a screening co-spon-

sored with Brandeis’ film program to spread awareness about the Center and its services, according to Blustein.

The RCC will soon finish hiring Brandeis students as peer advocates. These students will help the Center operate its services.

Moving forward, a campuswide task force is currently looking at reports and suggestions by B.SASV and others to implement in the ongoing fight against sex-

ual assault on campus, according to McMahon.

“We have education and training programs, but having a real coordinated and comprehensive program is a goal,” McMahon said.

“Our campus climate [safety] survey is also going out in [the end of March], and that will be hugely helpful.”

McMahon will be one of the primary professional staffers at

the Crisis Center, along with the Psychological Counseling Center’s Kristin Huang, interim Prevention Specialist Rani Neutill and newly-hired Title IX Coordinator Rebecca Tiller.

For now, their main concern is to make the existence of the RCC, one of the few independent on-campus centers in the United States, known to students and keep working toward putting itself out of business.

3 NEWS

The Brandeis Hoot

March 6, 2015

Social justice employers reach out at industry night

By Emily Smith Staff

The Hassenfeld Conference Center was filled with students and industry representatives on Tuesday night, March 3 for the Hiatt Career Center’s Brandeis Industry Night: SoJust. The event, cosponsored by the Heller School, began with a case challenge, which gave students an opportunity to develop solutions and present them to a panel of industry representatives. Represented in the panel were Ben and Jerry’s, Lawrence Public Schools and OXFAM America. Following the case challenge was a brief talk

by Hiatt staff about networking, and then open networking in various rooms of the conference center.

The event highlighted careers in social justice, including social services, education, health and human rights and community organizing. Many of the companies and organizations represented at the industry night do work in-

ternationally as well as domestically. Students attended the event from both the undergraduate and graduate levels and with a diverse array of interests. This industry night was originally scheduled for February as part of ’DEIS Impact, but had to be rescheduled due to weather. Despite the rescheduling, many employers and students were still able to attend the event.

Students, whom Hiatt staff encouraged to dress professionally, were allowed to explore the different rooms of the conference center, which were divided up based on field. Each room had several tables where representatives waited with pamphlets and business cards. Students networked and listened for information about potential job opportunities. Many of the representatives were also Brandeis alumni.

To prepare students for the night, the Hiatt Career Center posted a spreadsheet with the names of employers and the industries they represent, as well as topics that they might be available

photo from internet source

to discuss with interested students. Links to company websites as well as LinkedIn accounts were provided.

Susan Lit ’86, chief operating officer of the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, was one of many industry representatives that came to the Industry Night.

Lit’s background is in business, as she received an M.B.A. from Northeastern’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business. Her unique experience allowed her to advise students with interests related to finance and business in the social justice field.

Lit talked about the importance of Hiatt’s networking events. “I’ve always volunteered to help Hi-

att events ever since I graduated from Brandeis,” Lit said. “I was a student. I had a work-study job at Hiatt and really appreciated what Hiatt provides students and alumni. I like to keep up my connections to Brandeis students. I met a number of students who had great questions and aspirations.”

Some of the students attending the event came looking for summer internships and jobs, while others were interested in full-time employment opportunities after graduation. One of these students was David Altman ’15. Altman is studying philosophy and politics and came to the industry night “in search for a job next year … ideally something in government

or law or nonprofit.”

Jose Martinez, a first-year graduate student at the International Business School, attended the event in hopes of finding an internship. Martinez said he wants a job where he can “play off his skills toward economic development and do research for developing countries, for programs that can help alleviate some poverty.”

Also attending the event were industry representatives from City Year Inc., Teach for India, CMI International Group and many others.

To follow up on the event, the Hiatt Career Center sent out emails to participants urging them to contact the industry representatives they met, take advantage of LinkedIn and social media, and apply for jobs and internships through their B.Hired service. The center will continue to host industry nights, workshops and coaching sessions to aid students in their search for employment.

Lecture remembers activist Luthult From VINSON, page 1

one of the co-founders of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), which means “Spear the Nation” in English with Nelson Mandela. MK was a wing of the African National Congress (ANC), which was led

by Albert Luthuli. Vinson began his lecture by asking the audience if we had ever heard of Luthuli, to which a few responded affirmatively by raising their hands.

Vinson then presented us with a brief overview of what his lecture would consist of: drawing a connection between Luthuli and Nelson Mandela with a focus on the time period before Mandela became the renowned activist he is considered today—what Vinson called “Mandela before Mandela.”

First, Vinson spoke about Apartheid, which means “apartness” in Afrikaans. He referred to Apartheid as a more “heightened form” of the Jim Crow laws in the post-Civil War South. Vinson went on to say that rather than a form of fascism, some members of the white South African minority believed Apartheid to be the “solution to the problem of racial integration and proximity that would lead to competition and conflict.” This solution was reached through a series of acts passed by the government that gradually stripped the rights of the black majority.

Elaborating on what he mentioned only briefly at the beginning of his speech, Vinson returned to the life of Albert Luthuli. His focus, however, was on Luthuli’s pacifism, which was displayed in the form of ANC nonviolent civil-disobedience tactics.

Vinson’s intensity increased when he began to speak about one of the government’s responses to these tactics. He describes the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre where many unarmed protesters were

MANDELA BEFORE MANDELA: Scholar Vinson draws new light on activism in apartheid South Africa.

shot and killed, most in the back as they fled the scene, while numerous more were injured.

It was after this event, Vinson said, that the ANC began discussing a change in their policy from non-violent to violent. It was also during this time that Mandela gave his first public speech since 1952 and “when Mandela really became Mandela,” as Vinson stated in his lecture. Mandela grew to be the leader of MK, which promoted an armed struggle against the current regime, and Luthuli continued to lead the ANC with nonviolence. During this point in the lecture Vinson had on a slide of his PowerPoint the following quote: “No one can blame brave,

just men for seeking justice by the use of violent methods, nor could they be blamed if they tried to create an organized force in order to ultimately establish peace and racial harmony.” Luthuli said this, perfectly encompassing the competing ideas Vinson was speaking about.

The last point that Vinson touched upon before he concluded his talk was the connection between Martin Luther King, Jr. and South Africa. King was very interested in and engaged with the issues going on in South Africa and followed them very closely.

According to Vinson, King made a connection between what was happening in South Africa and

the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. He said that it was part of the same struggle.

Vinson paraphrases King in his opinion that “there was a global color line and in order to erase that global color line you had to have a global campaign against all forms of injustice, racial and economic.”

King, as well as Mandela, used the ideas Luthuli came up with in both of their movements and yet Luthuli is largely forgotten in the public mind today. In his concluding thoughts, Vinson stresses the fact that “Nelson Mandela evolved into a Luthuli-like figure,” and that ideas flow in “two-way traffic” between people. Vinson expressed his gratitude to his audience for

photo by sharon cai/the hoot

listening before opening up for questions and comments, both of which he received.

Robert Vinson is the Frances L. and Edwin L. Cummings Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at The College of William and Mary in Virginia.

He received his Ph.D. in African History from Howard University and is in the process of publishing his next book, “Before Mandela, Like A King: The Prophetic Politics of Chief Albert Luthuli” which is scheduled to be released sometime this year. The topic of his book re-emphasizes Vinson’s great interest and enthusiasm for this subject, which was evident in his lecture.

EDITORIALS

4 The Brandeis Hoot

RCC’s opening positive progress

“To acquire wisdom, one must observe.”

Editors-in-Chief Dana Trismen Andrew Elmers

Senior Managing Editor Victoria Aronson Managing Editor Theresa Gaffney News Editors Emily Belowich Jess Linde Arts Editor Michelle Kim Sports Editor Sarah Jousset Opinions Editor Kevin Healey Deputy News Editors Charlotte Aaron Hannah Schuster Deputy Features Editor Jacob Edelman

March 6, 2015

T

his week, Brandeis celebrated the opening of its Rape Crisis Center. The RCC aims to act as a safe space where students feel comfortable reporting and receiving support following sexual assault. A long time in the making, the RCC is absolutely a positive step forward in Brandeis’ handling of sexual violence on campus.

In recent years, Brandeis has rightly been criticized for its poor approach to sexual violence cases. In 2012, The Brandeis Hoot reported on a case in which a Brandeis student alleged she was raped by a Heller School student. In an editorial, The Hoot wrote that the survivor feared for her safety on campus and stated, “Administrators acted in a manner inconsistent with federal law, community standards and social justice.” In 2013, allegations surfaced of an assault at the ZBT fraternity house, which resulted in an expulsion. In September 2014, Brandeis came under investiga-

tion for Title IX violation.

Throughout these cases, there have been many calls for action from Brandeis students and faculty. Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence (B.SASV) released a petition in April 2014 demanding a series of changes to sexual violence policy.

Last September at the “Light of Reason” dedication and at the annual Messiah Sing, students protested about what they felt was an overall lack of action. Last week, The Hoot reported on the final report from the UAC Subcommittee on Sexual Violence which outlined a series of proposals.

The Hoot believes that the opening of the RCC is a concrete step in the right direction for the university and celebrates the hard work of the students who made it happen. It is a tangible resource now available to Brandeis students.

We believe the RCC will help students to feel safe on campus, particularly students who need

support in the traumatic aftermath of sexual assault. It demonstrates that Brandeis students, faculty and administration are all committed to fighting sexual violence on campus. From student protests and administrative promises, has come a valuable resource.

The Hoot would also like to congratulate Sheila McMahon and the student activists involved with the Rape Crisis Center. The RCC has been a work in progress for many months, and we are grateful for their hard work and deviation. They have truly worked so hard to create this Center—working to have the plan approved, to hire and train volunteers and to address logistical details such as phone setup.

Brandeis is one of the only schools in the country with a Rape Crisis Center on campus.

We hope this development will shed a newfound positive light on the university, but also encourage the university to continue moving forward in the fight against sexual violence.

Deputy Hoot Scoops Editor Emily Smith Senior Copy Editors Mia Edelstein Julie Landy Copy Editor Allison Plotnik Senior Layout Editor Sasha Ruiz Deputy Layout Editor Ludi Yang Graphics Editor Linjie Xu Website Editors Zak Kolar Zach Phil Schwartz

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Nick Falkson ’18 part of bright future for Brandeis baseball

By Sarah Jousset Staff

The Brandeis baseball team started its season over February break in Florida at the RussMatt Invitational. The Judges went 2-4 in their six games. Nick Falkson ’18 was a huge player in the Judges games’. In his collegiate debut, Falkson batted .458 with a slugging percentage of .708, while playing all six games at shortstop and committing only one error in 31 chances.

Falkson’s outstanding performance at the invitational led to his selection by the University Athletic Association as the Hitter of the Week while also being named to the D3Baseball. com’s Team of the Week. When asked about his achievement in his first week of the season, Falkson replied, “I just want to continue to work hard and help the team succeed in whatever way

possible.”

“I love competing for Brandeis and playing under a coach who knows as much about the game as anybody does. Also, it’s awesome to learn from some of the upperclassmen and use them as mentors,” said Falkson. However, his love of the game is deeply rooted in his childhood. Falkson said that he started baseball in little league, following in the steps of his brother.

“My favorite thing about baseball is just playing the game. My favorite memory would have to be playing shortstop and second base with my older brother a few summers ago. It was a really cool experience playing a season in the same infield as him.”

Falkson, a native of Dedham, MA, is planning to major in marketing and computer science during his time at Brandeis. “I chose

Brandeis because it offers a great balance between challenging academics and a strong baseball program.” Falkson is hoping to help his team succeed in whatever way possible this season, as the team looks toward UAA conference play in Florida this coming week. “Our team puts in a lot of work. We practice every day in preparation for next week’s UAA tournament.”

“He has transitioned from third base, his natural position, to shortstop and has done a nice job. I am very pleased with his progress so far,” Head Coach Richard Varney said about Falkson’s play and growth this season.

Falkson is one of many rookies that will participate in what looks like a bright future for the Judges. Brandeis baseball will play eight games at the UAA tournament down in Florida next week, starting with a game against Rochester.

Correction An article published in The Brandeis Hoot on Friday, Feb. 27 about the “What I Be” photo project at Brandeis incorrectly stated that the event was sponsored in part by Hillel at

Brandeis with support of the Max and Sunny Howard Memorial Foundation.

The event was sponsored in full by Hillel with support of the Foundation.

We would also like to add that Emily Beker ’15, the campus relations coordinator of the Hillel Student Board, co-chaired the event.

ARTS, ETC.

March 6, 2015

The Brandeis Hoot 5

From exile to performance, Gayflor inspires hope

By Victoria Aronson Editor

Exiled from her home country in the midst of civil war, Fatu Gayflor, renowned vocalist, founder and artistic director of the Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change, spoke to the Brandeis community on Thursday, March 5 to share legacies of loss, violence, resilience and hope. Now settled in Philadelphia, Gayflor stated, “Telling my story has helped me to be the strong person I am today.”

Gayflor is one of four acclaimed vocalists comprising the Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change, an initiative of the Philadelphia Folklore Project, which seeks to share experiences of domestic violence and post conflict reconciliation through song and performance. Joined by Tori Shapiro-Phim, director of programs for the Philadelphia Folklore Project, Gayflor shared her experiences as a former refugee and survivor of civil war.

In an exclusive interview with The Brandeis Hoot following her performance, Gayflor revealed her incred-

ible journey through war-torn Liberia to her rise as an acclaimed vocalist inspiring hope in her audiences across the world. Born in the village of Kakata, Gayflor quickly rose to fame in her youth and was dubbed “Princess Fatu Gayflor, the golden voice of Liberia.” Exiled from her home country during the outbreak of civil war in 1989, Gayflor was forced to live as a refugee in neighboring countries for years. She also lost her infant child to the violence of the Liberian civil war.

“Whenever I perform for people and share the story of my lost child, I keep on praying and I get that courage.

That’s what I have learned,” Gayflor reflected.

While living on the Ivory Coast as a refugee, Gayflor continued to perform and had the good fortune to encounter the renowned AC Milan soccer player George Weah, who was also from Liberia. Traveling with Weah to Milan to perform in the World Food Program Festival, Gayflor recalls her immense gratitude and surprise when he bestowed her and her fellow vocalists with instruments and went on to sponsor her first album.

In 1998, Gayflor flew to the United States and began her life in Philadelphia, where she lived with her close friend Kormassa Bobo, who had grown up in the same village. It was there that Bobo introduced Gayflor to the Philadelphia Folk Club, remarking, “This is the birth of your second career.” She still recalls those exact words years later, and Gayflor expresses her immense gratitude to her dear friend.

Accustomed to performing in the ensemble tradition with the Liberian Women’s Chorus for Change, Gayflor nevertheless stepped out of her comfort zone to share a solo performance with Brandeis students on Thursday.

“I’m so proud of myself,” she stated.

Remarking on how incredible the students were at engaging in the performance, Gayflor reveals that she felt as if she was transported back to Liberia, just for a moment. Following the event, students shared hugs and heartfelt expressions of gratitude to Gayflor for her inspiring performance.

When asked what she wishes to impart upon her audiences, Gayflor responded, “I want them to remem-

ber me as a Liberian woman first of all, who came to them and impacted them.” According to Yasmin Yousof ’15, Gayflor did just that. “Innovative pedagogies are rare—but so important! Fatu is taking dance and repurposing it to bring light to issues within her community. That’s so beautiful.

It highlights that dance is more than unrehearsed, seemingly incoherent movements, but rather, something deliberate and strategic,” Yousof stated.

When asked to describe her experiences as an immigrant living in Philadelphia, Gayflor expressed the obstacles she and other Liberians faced. “I met people with my color, and I thought they would be there to give us hope … I thought they would jump to hold us,” she stated. Pointing to the terrible system of slavery which generations had suffered through in the United States, she described the lack of compassion from the racial groups she identified with as “one of my greatest disappointments.” In light of this experience, Gayflor expressed her desire to foster a dialogue between African Americans and African immigrants.

Gayflor’s passion for performance has passed on to her young eightyear-old daughter, Fayola Karblee.

Shapiro-Shim commented, “[Fayola is] so talented, and just as charismatic as Fatu. The audience can’t keep their eyes off her.”

Expressing her sincere gratitude to her colleague Shapiro-Shim, Gayflor stated, “Having her on my side is so beautiful, she makes it so easy for me.”

Gayflor also wished to express her sincere gratitude to Brandeis faculty and students who warmly welcomed her to perform and share her experiences.

“We are hoping this will last forever.

You cannot change anything in one day,” Gayflor stated.

photo from internet source

Fargana Qasimova to begin residency with Prof. Eissenberg’s MusicUnitesUS

By Michelle Kim Editor

This week, I was fortunate enough to interview Judith Eissenberg (MUS) about her MusicUnitesUS program as well as this Saturday, March 7’s event, which will feature Fargana Qasimova, a resident in MusicUnitesUS. The Brandeis Hoot: What is the MusicUnitesUS program? What is its aim, and why was it started?

Judith Eissenberg: I founded MUUS in 2003. In the wake of the events of 9/11, I needed to find some way—as a musician—that I could work toward a more peaceful world. I felt that one of the “aftershocks” of 9/11 was to heighten the division between “us” and “them” … and I felt the need to understand “them” from “their” perspective and also feel more clearly our shared humanity. Music has the potential to meet both of these needs.

Understanding the Other requires at some point that we listen to the Other’s perspective, listen deeply. Music is a universal genre that expresses identity, reveals history and expresses cultural, social and personal values.

I also have found that at the heart of all music, if you go far enough back, and far enough inward, is the desire to touch the divine, to know beauty and to understand who we are as humans.

I know that is a big statement, and of course, but I do believe that all music, in some way, references those things.

So the mission statement of MusicUnitesUS is to further the understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures through music. We believe that music is a common medium that can help to unite diverse cultures in our own neighborhoods and transcend boundaries in the global community.

How this happens at Brandeis: We invite musicians from around the world to campus for a week. The musicians visit classes from across campus, including anthropology, International and Global Studies, gender studies, studio art, music and others.

In every class, we hear from the mu-

fargana qasimova

Qasimova and an ensemble member perform

sicians, first through the language of music, and then in discussions which are pretty far-ranging. There is an outreach program to the public schools with a lesson plan that connects the music to the social studies curriculum—a sort of mini-version of what happens in the classes at the university level. The week is capped by a Saturday evening concert. Typically, these sell out—filled with Brandeis students and audience from the greater Boston area. I am particularly interested in focusing on musicians in conflict areas, but that isn’t always the case. Over the years, we’ve had musicians from Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Iran, Israel, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkey, India, North Africa, Ghana, Mali, Guinea, China, Korea … I’m sure I’ve left some

out … We have a treasured, ongoing relationship with the Aga Khan Music Initiative, who partners with MUUS to bring outstanding musicians from the Middle East, South Asia, Central and West Africa. AKMI is helping us bring Fargana Qasimov and her ensemble to campus this week.

BH: Who is Fargana Qasimova, and what makes her an ideal person for the residency?

JE: Fargana is one of the most highly regarded singers in Azerbaijan, singing a repertoire from the Ashiq (folk-troubadour) tradition, and from the Sufi-inspired mugham tradition.

She is of the younger generation, and, as a woman, she is forging new territory in what she does and how she does it. She is the daughter and disciple of

photo from internet source

Alim Qasimov, a world-renowned vocalist. The New York Times called him one of the five top singers from any genre in the world performing today. She learned everything from him, and yet has created her own distinct style. We had both Alim and Fargana back in 2010. They visited 12 classes on campus, and their final concert was sold out. The music was stunning, the conversations deeply compelling.

On that visit, Alim did most of the talking. But the few times we heard from Fargana, we knew we wanted to hear more. We wanted to hear her breathtaking artistry and we simply wanted to get to know her better, for all kinds of reasons. I should add, she is accompanied by traditional musicians who are virtuosic and deeply

expressive in their own right.

BH: What will she do at Brandeis?

JE: She will begin the residency in Chandler Rosenberger’s (IGS/LGLS/ SOC) Intro to International and Global Studies class. She and the ensemble will perform music from both her folk and classical repertoire. Each class receives an explanation, given by the residency curator, musicologist Aida Huseynova, who also will translate for Qasimova. Every event will have its own slant; for example, my world music class will be looking at the changing role for Azerbaijani women musicians over the years and Fargana’s place in that. We’ll also be exploring the meaning of “hal,” a word that relates to the Sufi influence, a deep connection to the Divine.

There is an improv workshop, a visit to a studio art class. Students from the new Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation class will come to a performance. There was an informal demonstration in the Mandel Atrium at noon on Wednesday. But of course, the final event is the world music concert, Saturday night. I should add, I take great pride in our receptions after the concert. We’re planning Persian food for this one, celebrating the Persian origins of mugham!

BH: What kind of music will be performed at the event this coming Saturday? What types of other musicians will be present?

JE: Fargana and the ensemble will perform a bardic repertoire of the ashiq tradition (love songs, heroic songs) and classical, Sufi-inspired mugham. The instruments are: tar (a long-necked lute), kamanche (a spike, bowed fiddle), balaban (a woody, soulful oboe-like instrument) and naghara (a drum). Fargana will sometimes play the daf, a hand drum. The concert will be preceded by a talk, given by residency curator, Huseynova, who will give some historical context on Azerbaijan, on the music and on the ever-developing tradition the musicians are bringing. The music that follows will take you on a journey that you will think and feel about for a long time to come. Don’t miss it. Get your tickets now!

The Brandeis Hoot 6

March 6, 2015

‘House of Cards’ season three fails to live up to hype

By Jacob Edelman and Zach Phil Schwartz Editors

Spoiler disclaimer: If you haven’t watched the third season of Netflix’s series “House of Cards” and are planning to, you probably shouldn’t read further.

This review comes from the perspective of two fans of the show who binge-watched all 13 episodes of the season in a row the same day of release. Food and drink were prepared beforehand so there would be no interruption, and once the binge started, there was no stopping until completion.

Although many fans eagerly awaited Netflix’s release of the critically acclaimed political drama starring Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards,” the new season failed to deliver on many of its expectations. As lofty as the expectations were, the release was nonetheless synonymous with mediocre. If nothing else, compared to the significantly better previous two seasons, the new release was stale, and the show simply did not fire on all cylinders.

The season opener was a CGI-laden, outdoor setting that seemed out-of-step with the start of a new season. Thoroughly unnecessary to start with, it left a bland taste on the palette that remained for much of the rest of the first several unmemorable episodes. Within the first five minutes of the opening, however, the “wow” moment of the entire season had taken place, leaving nowhere to go but down.

The show was conceived of for the purposes of portraying a political power couple willing to stop at nothing on their climb to the top. Season one consists of Frank Underwood’s development into a cold, calculating

psychopath. He takes decisive action and makes it to within one step from the top as he so desires. Season two’s outcome was predictable from the outset, that Frank would only have to take one final step up the ladder to achieve his ends, which turned out to be the hardest step to position for in his political career. Season three was no game of conniving offense, but a display of playing defense on all sides, both from that of his enemies and his rapidly defecting friends, finally culminating in a showdown under his own roof. The plotting had ended, and the show lost some of its icy, ruthless charm.

During the first two seasons, Frank frequently turns to the audience and let them know exactly his thought processes, but this became far too infrequent in the new season. The show gives the audience a similar, yet more defensive Underwood who made the same questionable choices, although this time failing to explain his mindset to the viewers. This threw off the viewers on more than one occasion and only helped add to the confusion factor involved in the release.

In the beginning of the season, it is revealed that Doug Stamper is still alive, with the natural assumption being that he would rejoin Frank as a trusted advisor, as the show is about Frank. In actuality, however, many of the episodes revolved around Doug’s recovery from the injuries he sustained in the second season’s finale and his twisted quest for revenge against Rachel, which had become an obsession for him. In the Rachel-Doug storyline that had been uninteresting since the first season, this was a slap in the face to viewers who expected a political drama, and instead got an obsessed ex-aide— mind you, a minor character—bent on twisted revenge. The only positive about this totally unrelated and wasteful storyline is that it is predictably resolved in the end, giving the

viewers much-needed relief.

The Stamper story arc is not the only conflicting one, however. The U.S.-Russia story arc that occurs mid-season is arguably the best offered to the audience, touching on real-world issues and showing remnants of writing talent that are visible in only the first two seasons. What did the show do to this arc, however? The show turns in the opposite direction, totally dropping it entirely, instead focusing on the primaries for the 2016 election. Not only would this have been a terrible move in the real world politically, this move was terrible for the show. It totally abandoned an interesting story arc and replaced it with filler-quality material that lasts until the end of the season.

Worse yet, the show reused elements that would be best used once not just in the same season but in the span of several episodes. Toward the end of the season, Frank tries unsuccessfully to keep Jackie Sharp, an ally, in line by making it perfectly clear who the boss is, but this tactic backfires, and Sharp defects. Used once, this was a surprising and interesting move by the writing staff, but they utilized the betrayal card again on Claire, which also backfires, driving her away. With the Sharp defection fresh on the minds of viewers, this tactic had gone stale. And this was not just an isolated incident. At many times throughout the season, elements like these were reused arbitrarily, only strengthening the stale factor and the boredom that followed.

It feels to us as though the third season of “House of Cards” lost what made it so captivating in the first two.

Previously, individual episodes operated not only as part of a larger story arc, but also contained their own conflicts that were entirely and deliciously resolved by their ends. This time around, there is a distinct lack of tasty mini-conflict in each episode, and the episodes are structured so that each

Third season loses elements that made first two seasons so captivating house of cards

contributes to the overall storyline, even at the expense of the show’s expediency. This would have been great if it had been done correctly and with more interesting techniques, but many television shows enter risky waters when they switch from mini-conflicts and overall arc contribution to total storyline progression, and most of those do not make it out alive. The third season felt like a slow train ride through endless miles of repetitious, CGI skyline. The overall progression in this season is best categorized as uninteresting, and the ending is nothing more than a copout.

photo from internet source

Our final verdict for the third season of “House of Cards” is a profound “We probably would have been better off not watching this.” We say this with much regret—regret not for the season being as mediocre as it was but with regret that we devoted almost 12 straight hours of our lives to bingewatch it. Unless you are mentally prepared to wade through the mediocrity that is the third season, you would probably be better off pretending the third season does not even exist. Wait until the reviews are out on the next season to decide whether or not to proceed with this once-masterpiece of a show.

JBS and English department collaborate to create new course

By Emma Kahn Staff

The Justice Brandeis Semester program is an academic staple at Brandeis; however, its curriculum is ever-changing to incorporate all ranges of experiential discovery. This year, the English Department has collaborated with JBS programs to offer “Storytelling as Social Practice,” a conglomeration of three courses designed to fuse the social aspects of storytelling with narrative textual analysis. During the nine-week program, students of all experience levels and fields of study will be able to accumulate the skills necessary to storytelling performances and even reach out to the surrounding community to bring the practice beyond Brandeis.

In our increasingly literate and text-based society, the importance of narrative performance is a topic that the English Department urges students to explore. This JBS program seeks to engage the humanities in the search for global interactions and social justice, just as the social sciences and other departments have been doing by offering opportunities in JBS courses. As highlighted in the course description, students will be able to prepare “for teaching, acting, community outreach, promotion, public speaking, mobilizing social move-

ments or more deeply understanding narrative as a crucial social practice.”

By the end of the intensive program, students will have gained vast experience both in- and outside the classroom, as part of the hands-on facet so fundamental to JBS programs.

Students will have a repertoire of stories of varying styles and will be able to show off the skills they develop in front of various audiences.

Professor David Sherman (ENG/ HSSP) will run the program and teach the three courses that enrolled students will be taking. The English Department has been seeking ways to branch out of the classroom and mobilize the energy of their students, and their first-ever JBS offering can now serve as the vehicle for such academic exploration.

“In the humanities, we’re very good at sitting around with books and talking about how art works or how language works, and it’s not quite as obvious how we do something experiential in the community,” said Sherman. “What want to do is do storytelling. The students in JBS will be the storytelling team, or storytelling brigade, so we’ll actually be performing stories in the world. The idea is to really feel the face-to-face, flesh-andblood experience of how stories circulate in communities, and the kinds of relationships that emerge from that storytelling transaction.”

Inspired by ethnographers and the sociological aspects of storytelling, Sherman hopes that students will

storytelling as social practice

new JBS program

Professor David Sherman (ENG/HSSP) to run

understand the fundamental role of narrative in society and culture, and in developing personhood. Although the program intensively studies the role of narrative performance, by no means is the experience limited to English studies. “Any student who wants to more deeply understand the nature of narrative will enroll. That could be somebody from education, who wants to become a storyteller for a classroom, to a fiction writer, to a sociologist looking to understand the dynamics of social relations, to someone doing business and wants to be an entrepreneur and tell stories to create an enterprise, to future political orga-

nizers who want to talk about social justice campaigns in narrative ways, to anybody else, to anybody who enjoys stories and wants to become a better storyteller,” said Sherman.

There is certainly an emergent nature to the storytelling, as students who have never been on stage will be learning to perform for the community. However, Sherman understands the ongoing process of storytelling and that the program will involve collective learning among all participants. In fact, the development of the “storytelling brigade” will not end at the conclusion of the nine-week program. Rather, the anticipated out-

photo from internet source

come is that students will develop the storytelling brigade into a student-run group, who can recruit all the talented members in the Brandeis community to continue a legacy of narrative tales.

“We’ve got a lot of talent here, a lot of creativity and a large horizon when you’re thinking about the area. This is a natural kind of collaboration,” Sherman said.

The deadline for JBS applications is Monday, March 16 at noon. For any questions regarding the English Department session, students can contact Sherman at dsherman@brandeis. edu, or more information can be found online.

March 6, 2015

The Brandeis Hoot

Hoot Bites: this week’s favorite places to eat in the greater Boston area

By Michelle Kim

Surviving Sodexo: Next-level quesadilla Editor

Quesadilla Proteina is a fresh Mexican dish for vegetarians who want something more interesting than a salad or veggie burger, but lighter than one of Usdan’s hot meals. It is fresh, simple and contains carbohydrates, protein, dairy and vegetables—all major components of a healthy diet. Although the quesadilla takes time to make, as the panini press takes a while to melt the cheese, the dish will be well worth the wait.

Ingredients 1 round tortilla 6 cubes of tofu 2 scoops of shredded cheddar

cheese 3 diced tomato slices salsa Recipe First, politely ask Marie, a Sodexo employee who works the sandwich bar, for one tortilla. Take the tortilla and lay it out on a flat plate. On a separate, small plate, take six cubes of tofu from the salad bar and cut them in half. Carefully place them on one half of the round tortilla. It is easiest to lay the pieces along the diameter and then work your way out toward the perimeter of the tortilla. After all 12 half slices of tofu are placed on the tortilla, take 3 slices of tomato from the salad bar and dice them. While the size of tomato dices can vary, it is suggested that they average about two square centimeters. Scatter the diced tomato on top of and in between the

sliced tofu. Lastly, sprinkle two scoops of shredded cheddar cheese from the salad bar on top of the tofu and tomatoes. If you prefer cheesy quesadillas, one more scoop of cheese can be added, but past that, it will melt out of the quesadilla and onto the paper used in the panini machine. Fold the unused half of the tortilla over the half with the tofu and tomato to make a sandwich. Take the tortilla over to the sandwich station and place it carefully on the panini press. Be sure to place parchment paper on both sides of your quesadilla. Do not get impatient and press down on the handle of the panini maker. The paper will melt onto the quesadilla. After 10 minutes, remove the quesadilla from the panini press. Walk over to the chips and hummus station and put salsa on top of the hot quesadilla. Enjoy!

7

‘Focus’ proves an uneven but fun experience

Editor

Bricco 241 Hanover St., Boston Located in the North End, this Bostonian favorite is open from 6 a.m. to midnight, which means you can pick up delicious baked goods at just about any time. First-timers, prepare to pick up the parmesan prosciutto, heat it up at home and eat. Everything is extremely reasonably priced and the staff is nothing but friendly. Only have $1?

No worries, you can still buy a buttery croissant.

Thinking Cup 85 Newbury St., Boston Bustling and kind of pricey, Thinking Cup is not the place to go if you’re looking for a quiet time and cheap coffee. However, customers keep coming here for fast and friendly service, fresh food and hot drinks. The macarons here are ridiculously fresh and have amazing flavors and textures (vanilla and pistachio are always sold out). Come here for a good lunch with chatty friends.

Blunch 59 E Springfield St., Boston One of my new favorite brunch places, Blunch is the reason I don’t wear tight pants to brunch. Located across from the Boston Medical Center, Blunch is a cozy cafe but is small, so most customers get their stuff to go. Service is very personal and efficient: Go there regularly and the staff will learn your name. If you’re looking for pancakes and eggs, however, Blunch is not the place for you. The menu consists of customizable bagels, sandwiches and pastries. I love the plain bagel with sausage, mozzarella and bacon, as well as the churros.

By Charlotte Aaron

ARTS

By Jess Linde Editor

Will Smith is one of the most charismatic actors in the world, and one of the best movie stars of this generation. So why has he not been around more? We got the very entertaining “Men in Black 3” way back in 2012, but that was his first starring role in four years, after the terrible “Seven Pounds.” After “MIB 3,” he failed to launch his son’s action career with “After Earth,” and mostly vanished from the screen, besides a very funny cameo in “Anchorman 2.” If you couldn’t tell, I am a fan of Smith’s, and was even more confused about his career choices when I saw the trailers for “Focus,” which looked messy and lacking a plot. After seeing the movie, I was thankfully only partially right.

“Focus” is the story of Nicky (Smith), a veteran con-man who finds a protégé in talented pickpocket Jess (Margot Robbie). The two grow very, very close, but after a huge score in New Orleans, Nicky abandons Jess because there’s no room for love in his world. Three years later, Nicky is helping corrupt businessman Arriga (Rodrigo Santoro) sabotage his rivals in a formula one race, when he runs into Jess, apparently in a relationship with Arriga. Nicky now has to deal with his not-so-buried feelings for Jess, and try to pull multiple layers of con artistry, all while not being caught.

First things first, “Focus” is all over the place. For the majority of the first 45 minutes, it can’t decide what kind of movie it wants to be, inserting strange bits of wacky humor in with dramatic music and dialogue.

There are a million characters with names and personalities who appear at once, and Nicky randomly switch-

es from lone wolf to group-leading mastermind, apparently able to run a massive criminal operation all in one room in one building without being ever bothered. The big “three years later” title delivers us to the final two acts of the movie, but appears nearly an hour into the movie. Smith is great in his role, but Robbie is decidedly one-note, and the fact that Nicky is a mostly somber character doesn’t help the film when it drags.

But despite all these problems, I ended up having a pretty good time watching “Focus.” It isn’t a particularly great movie by any means, and the script could have cut its first act by a solid 20 minutes, but once it gets going, the characters are interesting enough to keep your attention. Like Nicky himself, the plot always has something up its sleeve, and after a while I was just waiting for each twist to one-up the last. Santoro is hilarious and over the top, and Smith delivers the stupidest of one-liners so charmingly that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

The ending wraps everything up in a really satisfying way, and by the time the film was over I was happy I had seen it. The main problem is that “Focus” takes too long in its setup and never really decides if it wants to be gritty like “The Bank Job” or silly like “Ocean’s 11,” which is frustrating.

Still, the cinematography is great, and director team Glenn Ficarra and John Requa pace the story very well, throwing in some really fun scenes and lines. The supporting cast is also fun, particularly Adrian Martinez and an amazing cameo by B.D. Wong, while the soundtrack fits the film really well. So overall, “Focus” is a big, silly mess that probably could have used one more edit in the screenwriting process, but it is quite a good deal of fun if you need something to do on a rainy afternoon.

Make It Work By Katherine Selector

Jennie C. Jones displays work narratives of black musicians

By Clayre Benzadon Staff

On Friday, Feb. 27, artist Jennie C. Jones came to speak at the Rose Art Museum as part of the “Art | Blackness | Diaspora Project.” Her paintings mostly speak as if they were telling a history through the lens of a photograph, drawing attention to the work narratives of black musicians, with her works containing jazz, presence and absences.

Jones admits that she had mostly struggled to create pieces that spoke about the issue of race, since it takes courage to define a black body and to tell her own story through minimalist

works of art. We can see this tension through her work “Crescendo with Ledger Tone.”

The black background contrasts with the glowing reddish-tinted line in the middle, which seems to reflect a disruption in the piece. This demonstrates the inclusion of space in her pieces. They create moments of silence, as if she were pausing to flip a jazz record before playing it on a record player. The black background gives both a sense of absence but also of presence, highlighting the materiality to the composition.

Most of her minimalist works serve to get viewers to interpret the pieces for themselves. Jones says that it’s the materials that are doing the work for her rather than her having to really think about what it is that will be projected onto the print, a sort of spiritual process that consumes her with musicality.

The musical aspects of the piece serve to dampen and buffer the paintings, because usually paintings, as objects, can be passive-paintings. The installations, the position of the pieces and the museum space all affect the sound and architecture in the room as well as vice-versa. She speaks of how music creates interplay between a rising and falling of tempo, freezing a moment in time like a “memento mori” painting, and as a way to create sentences and poetry out of her works.

She considers art as “everything to her” but also “terrifying to her,” which spoke to many of the other artists in the room, as it is one of the biggest struggles they face every day of their lives as they grapple with their identities and fear for taking ownership of a certain style of art, since styles of art are flexible and oftentimes very hard to clearly define.

Another significant point that Jones attempts to reflect through her works is her sense of stretching beyond boundaries and creating a new narrative not only in the Rose Art Museum, but also throughout every space in which she has the opportunity to express.

The sculptural qualities of her paintings are ultimately based on formal decisions focusing on how things relate to each other—through texture, structure and connections of colors.

The place of resonance is embodied through the acoustic and sonic verse visually in her pieces. The aggressive nature of her compositions serve to create, more than anything else, a conversation with, as she states, “quotation marks around music.”

The color choices are a big part of her work. The union of the warm red and oranges together creates a burst of sound encapsulated in time, like jazz

music culminating before the sonic and optic qualities come together and work towards creating a density but also brightness, balance, light and sound reverberation.

Overall, Jones is especially interested in the ephemeral, intangible— sounds and color. These techniques create a sort of escape and create an easier way to express the struggles reflected in the pieces.

What was especially impressive is the way in which Jones was able to capture bebop jazz notations and geometry of music notation through her painting. She played us her sound piece, which one of the participants in the audience thought was a sort of farewell blues composition with Elsworth Kelly influences. The combination of the poetic history, art history and musical history all intertwine to introduce a more complex interpretation of minimalist art.

NEWS

8 The Brandeis Hoot

March 6, 2015

Friedman ’75 encourages balance in climate action

By Jess Linde Editor

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman ’75 discussed climate change’s effects on conflicts in the Middle East this Monday, March 2 in the second of two talks given to the Brandeis community. Friedman, an active proponent of clean energy and other environmental action, sat down with professor Sabine Von Mering (GRALL/WGS) to discuss activism and global conflict and to conduct a question-and-answer session with students.

The event was sponsored by Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World (BVIEW); Faculty Against the Climate Threat (FACT); the Environmental Studies Program; the Film, Television and Interactive Media Program; the Center for German and European Studies; the Department of Sociology; the Social Justice and Social Policy Program; the Peace, Conflict and Coexistence

Program (PAX); and various student organizations and clubs.

One of Von Mering’s first questions to Friedman expressed surprise at his continued optimism in the face of a consistent stream of bad news about environmental destruction and how he deals with people resistant to the idea of green policy change. “I ask audiences if they want America to be powerful,” Friedman told the crowd of students, faculty and other guests. “How to be powerful? Clean, green, efficient energy.” It is essential, Friedman said, for the United States to lead the world in clean energy innovation, which he predicts as “the next great global initiative.”

Much of the event was dedicated to a clip featuring Friedman in the Showtime Network’s documentary series “Years of Living Dangerously,” in which he travels to Syria and Turkey and examines how a massive drought affected the outbreak of the current Syrian civil war.

About 15 minutes long, the clip documented Friedman in Turkey and Syria, currently the site of

one of the world’s most violent conflicts. Friedman explained that four years before the Syrian civil war broke out, a drought struck the region, one of the worst in its history. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s administration refused to properly address the effects of the drought, resulting in massive crop deaths and famine. “This is a revolution of hungry people,” one rebel leader tells Friedman in the clip.

Friedman spoke of his admiration for Syrian environmentalists fighting the government and groups such as ISIS, in order to protect the fragile ecosystem there. “[The environmentalists] see that [the Levant region] is a single hydraulic system,” Friedman said. “The war of ideas in the area is really between ISIS, who want to tell people whom to fear, and the environmentalists, who want to help people share and preserve the biosphere.”

Friedman then answered questions from the audience, including ones submitted on Twitter via the #AskTomFriedman hashtag. In relation to questions

Brandeis to hire new sustainability coordinator From FRIEDMAN, page 1

Gray additionally noted the significant cost difference, for both Brandeis and the environment, which was considered in the switch. Source-segregated recycling “requires more and different containers, much more responsible participation and can use more extensive and separate collection methods, which comes with its own financial and environmental costs.”

Brandeis, among other schools such as Skidmore and Dartmouth colleges, did ultimately opt for single-source recycling, but there was significant thought and collaboration put into Brandeis’ decision to eventually make the switch in 2008.

Furthermore, in January 2014, Brandeis chose to partner with Casella Waste Systems. As Gray noted, the university works closely with Casella to continue to improve “waste management and recycling programs.”

Despite progress made when Brandeis partnered with Casella during the past academic school year, a decrease in an organized sustainability programming has continued. In September 2012, full-time Sustainability Coordinator Janna Cohen-Rosenthal ’03 left her position to pursue a graduate degree. To fill her position, Brandeis hired Lea Lupkin, a consultant for GreenerU, to serve as the interim sustainability coordinator. Under Lupkin, Brandeis students filled positions such as communications eco-rep, undergraduate eco-rep and waste reduction and recycling eco-rep. Deanna Heller ’15, undergraduate eco-rep in the 2013-14 academic year, was an extremely committed representative. While Heller, with the help of other eco-reps, promoted the use of reusable mugs at Starbucks and Einstein’s, helped run Compost Awareness Week and sold Eco Grams for Valentine’s Day, she was also focused on im-

proving composting on campus.

“One of my biggest initiatives as an eco-rep was trying to implement a better composting system,” said Heller. When asked about the role of eco-reps in an interview, Heller explained that they served to raise awareness about environmental issues on campus. The role gave students an opportunity to be participants in the Office of Sustainability and help positively contribute to the Brandeis campus. When Lupkin left Brandeis after two years to attend Yale Graduate School, where she currently studies environmental management, the role of GreenerU diminished. Ecoreps were “put on hold while the search was underway to hire a permanent sustainability coordinator—and now manager,” said Bill Schaller, executive director of integrated media.

In addition to the collapsed eco-reps program, Brandeis did not hire a new sustainability coordinator at that time. At the end of last year, Heller was initially asked by the university to sit on a committee to help look for a new coordinator, yet since then, “I have not been contacted about doing anything with [finding a new coordinator],” Heller said. In a recent follow-up email to The Hoot, Gray wrote that Brandeis is in the last steps of the hiring process. Interviews for the position have been completed, and someone should be hired in the next two weeks. “This commitment [to supporting and promoting campus sustainability efforts] is most clearly demonstrated with the administration elevating the sustainability position from a coordinator to a manager level,” wrote Schaller. Although progress is being made, “Brandeis is kind of behind the times. Most universities have at least one, if not more, paid, full-time sustainability coordinators,” Heller said.

Not only do other universities have sustainability coordinators, as Heller said, but they also have

entire offices dedicated to campus sustainability.

Boston University has an Office of Sustainability with a staff of four full-time employees and 11 student interns. Tufts University has three full-time employees, student interns and 21 student eco-reps. Bentley University, right down the street in Waltham, has two full-time employees and five student interns in their Office of Sustainability.

Although, as Gray said, Brandeis is “in the process of hiring a sustainability manager,” currently, Brandeis has no office, staff or individual solely dedicated to help assure the university is as environmentally friendly and efficient as possible. “With the resignation of my boss and the close of Brandeis’ contract with GreenerU, the eco-reps program has virtually dissolved,” wrote Heller in an email to The Hoot.

Clubs such as Students for Environmental Action (SEA) exist on campus and are active advocates for environmentally friendly change on campus, but it is difficult to make this change happen without the existence of a sustainability coordinator. A coordinator “is someone who is hired by the university who is going to be working with students, with facilities, with any other means that they need to be implementing new initiatives, new policy,” said Heller. As of now, Brandeis has no employee who can help vocalize the concerns of students such as Sophie Freije ’17, president of SEA, who is working diligently with her club to “educate students about proper recycling methods” and get the word out about an electronic waste drive that is being organized for the end of the year.

According to Gray, “Brandeis is committed to identifying and implementing approaches to lessen our impact on the environment.” Heller added, “It’s not so much that the heart isn’t there.

It’s just all the logistics.”

photo by karen caldwell/the hoot

about climate denialism and political opposition to change, Friedman advocated tough rhetoric that promoted American leadership in the field. Friedman also encouraged Brandeis climate activists to focus on finding ways

the university could invest in progressive reforms, instead of devoting energy solely to causes such as divestment from fossil fuels, which administrators and the Board of Trustees may not take to.

News in Photos: Was It Really Suicide?

Dark Secrets of Domestic Femicide to Preserve Family Honor

photo by emma hanselman/the hoot

An event on Tuesday sponsored by the Women Studies Research Center explained that hundreds of women’s and girls’ lives become victims of honor killings in Middle East, South Asia and elsewhere. The event educated Brandeis community members on the topic, and added that often these vicious killings are recorded as suicides in public records. wsrc event

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HOOT SCOOPS

9 The Brandeis Hoot

March 6, 2015

Ableism criticized at coffeehouse

By Emily Smith Staff

Brandeis Buddies and SPECTRUM collaborated to host the powerful “Spread the World to End the Word: I Am Not My Stereotype” coffeehouse at Chum’s Thursday evening, March 5. The event featured performances from a capella groups, slam-poetry and speeches from self-advocates, aiming to end the use of the R-word and promote respect of people with disabilities. The coffeehouse was cosponsored by the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy and was part of the Special Olympics’ national “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign.

The theme of the event was the effect of stereotypes on the people they described. This motif was common throughout the videos shown during the event, the slam poems performed and the speeches given. In the first video, students were seen holding signs first with the stereotypes they have been associated with, then with the ways that they defy them.

The event began with Dean of Students Jamele Adams performing his slam poem “Ability.” In his performance, Adams expressed his feelings about diversity and the need for respect for people with different abilities. He had the audience repeat after him “The R-word is not our word.

We are not your invisible people. Our shadows follow the sun. We are everyone … A spectrum.”

Michael Plansky, founder of the non-profit You’re With Us!, was one of the first to speak at the coffeehouse.

Plansky was inspired by his son, who has cerebral palsy, to create a space where people with disabilities can acquire social skills and transition towards adult life by being matched with able-bodied college students.

He explained his son’s influence on his life and told the audience the profound effect of words. “The word is not going to be the R-word anymore, it’s going to be the I-word. All you’re going to be hearing is ‘inspiration,’” Plansky argued.

One of the slam poets was Rohan Narayanan ’18, who performed two poems. His poem, “Words,” written for the event, discussed his childhood experiences with stereotypes.

He told this story, saying, “Words can be daggers, we only push them into the skin, never understanding when to pull them out or bandage the skin … I wear a sweater of stereotypes put together by the words I got called from fourth grade ’til now.”

Also performing were student a cappella groups Manginah and Rather Be Giraffes.

Leah Igdalsky ’14 proposed the idea of hosting a “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign to Brandeis Buddies and SPECTRUM last year.

Together, they hosted Brandeis’ first event last March, and this year they included the Lurie Institute in the process. Igdalsky, who now works for the Lurie Institute, helped make this

rather be giraffes

photos by sharon cai/the hoot

A student a-capella group perfomes during the coffeehouse.

years event possible by working together with the Institute and the two Waltham Group programs.

About this year’s event, Igdalsky says, “I’m really excited that this year’s event highlights the individuals behind stereotypes. I think it’s so important to remind people that behind every stereotype or negative language they use is a person just like them.”

“Spread the Word” is a collaborative effort of the Special Olympics and Best Buddies International. Since its founding in 2009, the organization has held an annual day of awareness.

This day, which is usually held on

the first Wednesday in March, aims to increase consciousness about the harmful effect of the R-word on people with intellectual disabilities.

Many celebrities, including Jane Lynch, Paula Dean and Al Roker, have signed the organization’s pledge to stop using the R-word.

Igdalsky hopes that the events will change Brandeis students’ outlooks on people with intellectual disabilities. “I want people to see folks with disabilities as people first, not just as their disabilities. There are some easy ways to make this a reality on campus. There are many people with dis-

abilities who work on this campus, in Usdan, Sherman” and doing facilities in Rosenthal. I hope that after participating in this campaign, students might talk to these workers, say hello and get to know them.”

“I hope that this campaign shows people that using inclusive language is a great first step, but not enough,” Igdalsky argued. “We really want people to learn from this campaign that people with disabilities are people just like them. Instead of just noticing the differences between yourself and a person with a disability, why not noticing what you have in common?”

THIS WEEK IN PHOTOS

SLAM POETRY: A student performs at Chum’s

photo by emma hanselman/the hoot

WAS IT SUICIDE?: Women Studies Research Center holds talk on violent assualts on women and girls. photo by emma hanselman/the hoot

LIGHTS: Evening snow falls on sculpture

photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot

PURIM: Students attend Purim services

photo by marian siljeholm/the hoot

FEATURES

10 The Brandeis Hoot

March 6, 2015

Rosenberger reflects before five-year IGS program review

By Jacob Edelman Editor

If one were to ask what got Professor Chandler Rosenberger (IGS/ LGLS/SOC) interested in international frameworks, he would blame a lot of it on Harrison Ford. “Indiana Jones. When I was a kid, watching Harrison Ford running around the world and leading this adventurous life got the 10 year old in me excited.

The most interesting thing for me as a student had been comparing different societies and realizing that not all societies are alike. Plunging in and seeing the world through their eyes is just an amazing experience. It’s almost like watching the most elaborate 3-D movie you can imagine if you immerse yourself in the mind of another society and really understand,” he said.

Rosenberger is the chair of Brandeis’s International and Global Studies Program. This week, the program is undergoing its routine five-year review. Although not a full department, the program offers a major and minor and requires one semester of study abroad. One of the most diverse programs on campus, IGS cross-lists about 180 different classes throughout different Brandeis departments. “Our big challenge now is to make our curriculum as coherent as possible … We need to look carefully at how many of these classes are really comparative in the way we want. Are there classes that don’t meet these criteria, and are there new classes we should be developing?”

Rosenberger said.

photo by mike lee/the hoot

As an undergraduate at Dartmouth, Rosenberger was the executive editor of the college newspaper, doubling as an on-campus freelance writer for The New York Times. Out of college, he got a job at Massachusetts’s Springfield Union News. Nine months into his stint on general assignment, he moved to Germany to teach English and learn German. Soon after, he went to Oxford to study philosophy. At the height of the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe, he found himself serving

as a representative for a network of philosophers to Czechoslovakia. “I helped the dissidents reorganize everything, political parties, funding for newspapers and rebuilding a civil society,” he said.

He then got a fellowship from the Institute for Current World Affairs, which really kicked off his European travels. “They supported me to travel around Central Europe for several years and write about it. I wrote for the Institute and for a lot of magazines as a freelance reporter. I hit about ev-

ery country in Central Europe on that tour, spending a lot of time in Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Northern Italy. It was incredible,” Rosenberger said.

Rosenberger recalls interviewing Radovan Karadžić, the leader of the Bosnian Serbs. Also known as “the Butcher of Bosnia,” Karadžić is currently on trial for genocide and war crimes. “I went to his armed compound, went through the metal detectors and dealt with his minions and body guards. At the end of the way through was a sad, self-pitying little man sitting at a conference table looking out at a city he was bombing (Sarajevo) and telling me about what a victim he was, and how the whole world was against him. The self-pity was such a key element of the murderous tyrant’s makeup. There he was, raining down death upon a city where you could literally see the puffs of artillery, and he was the victim.”

Rosenberger returned to the United States and went to Boston University to work on his Ph.D. with the prominent sociologist expert on nationalism Liah Greenfeld. For his Ph.D., he built off his own experiences in Central Europe and wrote about the cultural background of political dissent in Czechoslovakia. He then began work in the BU president’s office for a while, and then started to teach. He wanted the independence to focus on the topics that most interested him, which was not as possible to do as a reporter. “I have a sense of what a war feels like, what a huge protest looks like, what it looks like when a government falls. I have a personal feel for all that stuff, but you don’t have any time

to think when you’re reporting …

There’s a depth of cultural analysis, a sustained interest in a topic that’s very hard to do in journalism as opposed to academia,” he commented.

Then Rosenberger arrived at Brandeis. The IGS program needed full-time faculty, and Rosenberger went for it. “I liked it because it’s multidisciplinary … It seemed like a big intellectual smorgasbord,” he said.

When asked to describe IGS to the non-initiated, Rosenberger stated, “It’s a major where we try to learn lessons about societies by comparing them continually … International relations is a division of political science. It’s a very important part of what IGS does. We add that to other dimensions of society. Societies are cultural, our societies are organized around different ideas of what the good life is, and that’s a cultural phenomenon.”

Rosenberger would like to be able to get back to writing soon. He has a book he is finishing, and he also has a sabbatical coming up. “My personal fascination is with Alexis de Tocqueville and his prophetic ideas about how democracy can become illiberal, how it can slide and how populism can become a platform for dictatorship. There are similarities between that and popular nationalism. I think that someone like Putin is a figure out of Tocqueville’s nightmares,” he said.

Although not a bullwhip-wielding, Nazi-fighting professor of archeology, Professor Rosenberger certainly has had his share of international adventure and worldly academia worthy of his childhood hero.

French business and lifestyle club takes shape

By Katlyn Huang

Special to the Hoot

Wednesday, March 4’s Top Chef event, hosted by the French Business and Lifestyle Club, was the debut event for the newly formed campus group and designed to attract both those who are already interested in French culture and those who are unfamiliar with it.

French chef and entrepreneur Etienne Jaulin came to Brandeis to give a cooking demonstration and lesson to 40 lucky students. The first 40 students to respond to the Facebook event with the words “Je souhaite cuisiner,” meaning “I want to cook” in French, were allowed to attend the event, which was held in Ridgewood A. While many students were interested, they were precluded from attending because the event was conducted entirely in French. “I love cooking, and I love Top Chef, so the [event] title got me, but unfortunately, I can’t go because I don’t speak French,” Annie Abrams ’17 said.

Those who could attend appeared to enjoy themselves. “I hope that we will be able to help people better understand the differences between the mindsets of Americans and the French. In order to achieve this, our goal is to have as many French guests as possible,” said Anthony Winszman ’17, founder of the French Business and Lifestyle club. Indeed, by bringing Jaulin to Brandeis, it appears that Winszman, along with other members of the club, are beginning to bridge a cultural gap.

When asked how he got involved

photos courtesy sam bernheim/the hoot

brandeis french club

in the club’s formation, Treasurer Sam Bernheim ’18 explained that Winszman was aware of Bernheim’s own involvement in French culture and approached him to be a part of the club’s E-board. “I myself am a French citizen and thought this would be a great way to learn more about the country while also interacting with other individuals on campus who want to learn more as well,” Bernheim said. “We thought that having a chef come to campus would be a great first activity because it provides an open environment for prospective members to get a feel of what our club is doing and how our events are going to be organized,” Bernheim continued. He went on to explain that the goal of the club is different from the French and Francophone Club, which has more linguistic goals. Instead, French Business and Lifestyle

aims to better understand business and entrepreneurship in France as a growing phenomenon. Furthermore, Winszman added that he hopes the club will also create a better understanding among Brandeis students about French lifestyle and work ethic.

“It is important to me that we can debunk the stigma that the French are neither hard workers nor good entrepreneurs. Most people do not know it, but many companies in the U.S. are French-owned. Sodexo and Dassault system are good examples,” he said.

Despite being a new club, French Business and Lifestyle was able to reach out to a well-known international chef like Jaulin because of the French Consulate, which has provided the club with contacts and speakers. Winszman, who reached out to the French Consulate in Boston earlier this year, has been communi-

cating with the cultural attache, who has also been able to offer assistance to the club.

With their first event deemed a

success, the French Business and Lifestyle Club appears to be well on their way to achieving their goals and attracting campus Francophiles.

March 6, 2015

The Brandeis Hoot

FEATURES

11

Library contains many historical treasures ByKatarina Weessies Special to the Hoot

The impressive contents of the Brandeis library remain unknown to most students. We see the library as a quiet place to work, socialize and occasionally pick up a few books for an assignment. We are largely unaware that we have access to fascinating documents such as an original work

by Thomas Aquinas, “Buffalo Bill” dime novels from the 1910s and even a Shakespearean First Folio, printed shortly after Shakespeare’s death.

The Brandeis Special Collections Blog describes the collections as “the gems of the Brandeis library. The rare book collection includes incunabula; books published in the 16th-18th centuries on such subjects as history, English and American literature, philosophy and Judaica; first and limited editions; and fine press publications.”

One look through the collections reveals that it really does contain the “gems” mentioned in the blog. It’s difficult to imagine looking at a physical copy of an original Shakespearean folio or flipping through a playbook over 150 years old.

One reason the Brandeis community is so unaware of the Archives and Special Collections is obvious: If everyone demanded access to such old and fragile documents, their quality would quickly deteriorate, regardless of the most careful conservation efforts. It is the responsibility of the school to make sure a careless student doesn’t accidentally crumble a valuable document. Access to our special collections must be somewhat limited in order to preserve their condition.

Another more unfortunate reason

photo from internet source

for the lack of knowledge about the collections is apathy. Colleges and universities can be so oversaturated with academic information that it’s difficult to get students to focus on a single resource. This is a good problem: There is no such thing as too much knowledge or too many resources. The world of the modern college student is filled to the brim with information. Sometimes, it is difficult for students to make time for the rare and fragile resources found in the Ar-

chives and Special Collections. But the school’s resources, no matter how impressive, are meaningless if students aren’t aware of them. The best way to solve the problem of apathy regarding the collections is to promote its most interesting features, which is what I hope to do with the remainder of this article.

One artifact that encapsulates Brandeis’ history and ideology is a collection of letters by Leo Frank to his wife. Frank was the defendant in

a notorious trial known for its blatant anti-Semitism and controversial ruling. He was charged with the murder of a young girl who worked at a pencil factory for which he was the superintendent. He was convicted based on circumstantial evidence and sentenced to death. His trial is now seen as wildly unfair. At the time, protesters gathered outside the courthouse chanting “Hang the Jew!” While his death sentence was eventually traded for life in prison and his conviction

revoked after his death, his conviction and eventual murder have become a symbol of the American Jewish community’s struggle. His story even inspired the Tony award-winning musical “Parade.” Brandeis’ collection includes heart-breaking letters between the imprisoned Frank and his wife, legal documents and texts by Governor Slaton regarding the trial.

The Archives and Special Collections Department also has “an exceptionally rare unpublished handwritten manuscript by Sir Isaac Newton,” which the department’s blog describes as being “composed in a bold and distinctive (often nearly illegible) calligraphic script.” The illegibly written manuscript is a justification of Queen Elizabeth’s execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. Newton often harkens to the power of God’s judgment and compares the fatal decisions of royals to those of God. Some scholars believe that the manuscript was actually written as a justification of the deposition of royals that Newton saw as unchristian, specifically King James II. This extremely rare text has been the subject of debate and displays an interesting perspective on Newton’s lesser-known opinions on religion and monarchy.

The contents of the Brandeis Archives and Special Collections are impressive, but they remain largely undiscovered by Brandeis students.

Their unknown nature is part of what makes them such a great resource.

Many of the fascinating documents have yet to be studied extensively, and are completely mysterious to the academic community as a whole. They wait patiently on the second floor of the Goldfarb Library to be studied by the next intelligent, resourceful Brandeis researcher.

SPORTS Table tennis players represent Brandeis at national tournament

By Curtis Zunyu He Staff

Last Sunday, March 1, five ambitious table tennis players from Brandeis represented the Judges and competed with the best regional teams in the NCTTA Regional Tournament for the second time ever since the club was founded.

Although their step toward the National Tournament was halted by Harvard University and Boston University on Sunday as the Brandeis team lost to both by 4-0 and 4-1, the team members won over the University of Rochester. The team succeeded partly because of a dynamic duo: Ricardo Aguayo ’17 and Duong Nguyen ’18.

For Aguayo, table tennis has been his absolute favorite sport for a long time. “My parents 100 percent support me on table tennis because they always want to see me winning,” said Aguayo. “To me, table tennis is such a sport that you can play with anyone at any age. It just makes everyone equal.”

Aguayo has also been learning Chinese and is a fan of the Chinese Table Tennis Super League, which is considered the best table tennis league in the world. “I’m looking forward to going to China this summer maybe. If I could watch a ping pong game live, it would be a dream come true for me!” said Aguayo.

The cordial love for ping pong

is shared by Nguyen, a first-year at Brandeis from Vietnam. It is only his first year playing collegiate table tennis and he is already ranked the No. 2 player of the whole lower New England Region and top 4 in the Regional Tournament. “And now I am a National Individual Tournament player,” said Nguyen, summing up his legendary table tennis experience in the United States. “I started playing ping pong six years ago, and I was told ping pong is not a sport but just a game for fun. Then I realized it actually is a very hard sport to play.

You not only need to see the ball, you need to feel it from time to time.”

Nguyen was once the national player for U15 in Vietnam and, with such passion and intensity, his excellence in table tennis keeps on growing in his college life. “It’s great to have him on the team. Last year, no one on the team was as serious as he was. Duong always keeps in mind what the team should do in and out of the practice. And playing with him certainly makes me better too,” said Aguayo in reference to Nguyen.

After leading Brandeis into the Regional Tournament for the second time in history, Aguayo and Nguyen’s aspirations of success were not fulfilled. This week, they told The Brandeis Hoot, “We were happy but not satisfied. We know we could have beaten all of the teams in New England. Our goal for next year is to become the No.1 team in New England and make it to the National Tourna-

ment.”

This strong confidence comes from the amazing potential these players have, which can be seen from the five-player team this season. Three out of five members are still in their first year in Brandeis. “It is only the first year for two of our members to play on the team and one of us just started playing with the team this semester. Everything will be possible next year when all of us become more experienced and skilled,” said Nguyen.

On the other hand, Aguayo has already started planning for the club renovation in the next year. “I’ll try to become the president next year and the first thing I will do is to change our practice location to lower Gosman maybe. That way, more people can see our practice and more players will come to try out with us. We need players with more diverse styles so that the team can be more prepared for the tournament since play style is a big factor in more competitive games,” said Aguayo.

Tuesday night is the official practice time of the table tennis club for this semester. Every member on the team needs to spend the first half hour practicing drills like keeping the ball on the board for as long as they can. “I know it might be boring, but to get better in any sport, you need to take it seriously and put a lot of effort to improve. We also need to train our physicality a lot, so we usually meet three or more times apart

photo from internet source

from the regular practice. Whenever our members have time we can just go and play,” said Nguyen.

Under more strict and serious training with a new coach this season, Brandeis Table Tennis earned a win on the stage of the New England Tournament by winning seven team matches and only losing three in November and February. “If we become the number one team in New England, we would love to operate the Regional Tournament in Brandeis!

It’s going to be crazy if that happens,” said Nguyen. “Next season is going to be the beginning of something beautiful.”

“I had no idea that Brandeis had a table tennis club when I first got here. Nothing was mentioned in orientation or even on the school website,” revealed Nguyen. “What’s funny is that it was actually my roommate that told me about this club.” The

club is certainly in need of expanding its popularity, but funding has become another severe issue. We only received $4,000 in total this year to build this club and we already spent $3,500 on our coach. We still have to pay for all the travel fees including bus tickets and hotels. There was no money to buy new equipment,” said Aguayo.

Nguyen was even more affected by the underfunding. He said, “I don’t even think I can go to the National Individual Contest because the airfare is a lot of money…” Without enough economic support, the space for the team’s progress would be harshly limited. Hopefully, this triumphant season with such an amazing record can help the table tennis club demonstrate their potential to Brandeis, to ping pong players on campus and to everyone who has the will to compete and to win.

OPINIONS

March 6, 2015

The Brandeis Hoot 12

DCL should explore changes to housing selection process

By Zach Phil Schwartz Editor

In last week’s issue of The Brandeis Hoot, we featured an opinion piece that labeled the housing selection process as something out of the Hunger Games universe. Half-joking as the sentiment was, we do face a selection system that is stressful and dysfunctional—in a sense that there are just so many factors that can go haywire. Before I begin my argument, I would like to make it perfectly clear that I do not want to pin any blame on the Department of Community Living or any of its staff, as they have been nothing but helpful to my friends and me in the selection process. I do not seek to lambast DCL here, but rather provide some suggestions from students.

First off, the process is messy. The whole concept of being assigned a random lottery number and having that decide where and arguably how a student will live during the next academic year is a huge crapshoot. Some students find themselves extremely satisfied with the results of the lottery, while others find themselves in impossible situations. To say this is unfair would be a gross understatement.

The problem here is that it is very difficult to ensure fairness while keeping everyone happy. In fact, it’s near impossible. The situations that the lottery creates can also get ugly. In the last week alone, I’ve seen arguments between students on what their numbers could get. I’ve seen brash self-assured students with good numbers boasting just enough to fracture a

photo by linjie xu

friendship. I’ve seen a friend with a good number saving a friend with a horrible number, only to embark on an epic power trip. These examples not only epitomize the failures of the current system but also reinforce the need for reform.

The unfairness of the system isn’t the only component to its overall messy nature. In addition, we have a hectic selection system that allows for the speedy selection of rooms at the

cost of a calmer, more informed selection process. When selection day comes around, students go into panic mode, skipping classes and hastily selecting what they believe to be their best option available, only to realize that a slowed down process would’ve yielded safer results. Let me explain further: There are several factors that go into a successful room selection when push comes to shove. A properly numbered roommate group is re-

quired for successful selection. If you have too many potential roommates, you need to devote precious time to drop some while there’s a chance you may not be fast enough to get what you wanted. The fast nature of the selection process forces students to make hasty choices that may not be in their best interest, or may just be careless. Either way, the automated system is also inherently flawed.

The real trouble in handling this

/ the hoot

situation is of course devising a better, more efficient method of dealing with the housing selection process and the messes involved with it.

In terms of the individual numbers issue, perhaps modifying the random lottery number assignment system so that roommate groups are formed beforehand would be more helpful.

Then, DCL will have a rough estimate of how many rooms it needs. In See REFORM, page 15

The bitter reality of coffee

By Monique Menezes Staff

Not everyone likes coffee, but those who do need it more than almost anything else. Those ubiquitous coffee lovers haven’t always needed coffee, though. For most people, sometime in high school or even in college, coffee becomes a necessity, a type of chemical dependency similar to, though less serious than, other drug addictions. I don’t really know why this transition happens, but we

can explore its consequences. Ultimately, coffee consumption on our campus has become a serious problem.

Like other drugs, the variety of coffee flavors and roasts is astounding. If coffee is not part of a daily routine, it can taste a little bitter, but some roasts can help indoctrinate new drinkers. Then, as their tastes develop, they can move on to the harder “drugs” like dark roasts. The choices are truly astounding: there’s Americano, cappuccino, espresso, macchiato, latte, Frappuccino and that’s

not all. Even a normal cup entails different roasts, light or blonde, medium, dark and extra dark.

Coffee is more than a beverage: it is a dessert with all the caramel, whipped cream and chocolate drizzles; it’s no wonder so many people line up for their morning fix. Coffee delights can be downright delicious! For those of us who find coffee tasty at its most basic form, black, I don’t know what to say; maybe we’ve scalded our adolescent taste buds or the addiction has progressed so far we can’t control it anymore.

Frighteningly, the addiction to coffee can be a serious one. Liking the taste is one thing, but eventually most people start drinking it for other reasons. Oftentimes, people drink it hopes of trying to stay awake.

Soon, functioning without coffee will seem like an unfeasible feat. The lack of your daily dose cannot only result in a tiresome and zombie-like state, but it can also lead to headaches, cramps or other seemingly dangerous withdrawal symptoms. That being said, it doesn’t seem logical that

not drinking something that you used to think tasted like mud can actually cause physical anguish, so many people deny the physical dependency. Although we may not think about it, there is a reason that coffee is one of our first thoughts in the morning. Our body knows it wants coffee and does not want to struggle against itself to get through the day.

I understand not everyone likes coffee. Nonetheless, the desperate all-nighter has been an experiSee COFFEE, page 14

photo from internet source

March 6, 2015

The Brandeis Hoot

OPINIONS

13

Integrate study abroad into general housing with contracts

By Mia Edelstein Editor

As someone who is studying abroad next spring and therefore guaranteed on-campus housing, I feel guilty complaining about my options since they’re much better than many juniors’ and seniors’.

However, I believe my proposal of joint housing for study abroad and non-study abroad students will help out everyone in the system.

Fall housing for students studying abroad in the spring is limited to Ziv suites and Village singles and doubles. It is even more limited by the handful of students going abroad. While you may have a large group of friends, if they’re not studying abroad in the spring, you can’t live with them. Instead, you have to hope that you have a connection for a Ziv with people you won’t hate living with, a good enough number for a Village single, or a friend you won’t mind sharing a room with for a semester. It becomes a scramble of trying to find out who’s going abroad, and while Brandeisians like to say that the school is small enough that we pretty much know everyone, it turns out that campus is big enough that we end up in a blind quest, asking every junior we encounter if they are

perchance studying abroad in the spring.

For instance, my friends have a good enough number for a nonstudy abroad Ziv and all five of the six spots. I would love to be their sixth, and another friend would be interested in replacing me when she returns from study abroad after the fall, but the two of us are resigned to finding other housing, and my friends are left searching for a sixth.

For students studying abroad in the fall, the process is even more stressful. These students are not guaranteed on-campus housing when they return in the spring.

The Department of Community Living says that they try to place returning students in Ziv suites vacated by spring study abroad students. Fall study abroad students who are not lucky enough to be placed in a Ziv get thrown into a room vacated by a senior who graduated in December. That is, if they get housing at all, which DCL makes no promises about.

This stress is only compounded by how little information there is on the DCL and study abroad websites that students opting for fall study abroad are left in an abyss.

From returning students, I’ve heard that the only way that they See ABROAD, page 15

photo from internet source

Student feedback surveys valuable but not always well-intentioned

By Kevin Healey Editor

This past week, I got a student survey in my inbox from Sodexo.

As someone with quite a few opinions about our dining halls, I was more than excited to get started. Though I’ll admit that by the fifth page of endless bubbles I was getting frustrated, by the time I finished I was positively brimming with excitement. I felt that I had been listened to, and that my voice on campus was respected. I knew I had made a difference.

Though the more I reflected on it, the smaller that difference became. All I had done, after all, was fill out a couple of boxes online and written a paragraph about meatloaf quality. I put more work into any class assignment than into this survey, and it was only one of an untold number.

It might be true that I had done some amazing thing and helped out our students by finally telling Sodexo what for, but it also seems possible that my survey would fly off into the virtual netherworld to never again see the light of day.

Ultimately, there’s no way to know if my feedback will in any way impact the actions of a company like Sodexo.

There are ultimately two possible reads into the intentions of an institution when it sends out a survey like Sodexo’s, and they can tell us how the survey will be received. The first is actually rather positive. It’s entirely possible that Sodexo is sending us a dining survey because they actually want to do better. By this point in the year, I’m certain that the continuous drone of student anger and disappointment, whether expressed online, in print or among unhappy students eating some questionable meatloaf has impacted the managers. No one wants to run a company people don’t like, and

it’s obvious that Sodexo has been attempting to win over students.

The change in meal periods this semester has dealt with many student concerns about scheduling, and made a lot of people more happy. Of course, not all of their efforts have been as far reaching, but even a hot chocolate bar can make any day a little bit nicer.

Looking at them this way, then, the recent survey is simply the latest in a series of attempts by Sodexo to really improve their service.

I would assume that they’ll use this information to target the weak areas of their customer service and invest in improving. If they do, then my input will have mattered.

However, its also possible that Sodexo has a more cynical reason for sending out a survey to its clients. It takes a lot of effort to improve an organization, be it LTS or Sodexo, and it’s often faster to get people to stop complaining than to solve the long-standing issues.

By sending out a survey, I’m sure a lot of students just like me will feel like they’re being heard.

They’ll be less likely to be as active in pressing for change when they feel they’ve been listened to.

With groups like the satirical Sodexo Fan Club very active online, they’re obviously under a lot of pressure from above to improve their public image. Getting the public to buy in will certainly help, and a survey is effective. If that’s why Sodexo sent out their survey, its probably even worse than if they did nothing at all.

Instead of making our voices heard, they’ll become stifled and ultimately ignored. Beyond that, it just decreases the number of people willing to fill in surveys in the future. If I didn’t feel my views were respected, I would never spend half an hour on a survey, but organizations need that feedback to improve. Pragmatically,

photo from internet source

then, faking interest in a survey is a terrible thing.

The fact that Sodexo is donating money for each survey filled out makes me ultimately question their motives.

No profit-driven corporation donates money without focusing on the PR benefits, and clearly

Sodexo wants to look good. Tying it to the survey makes the entire program appear more like a PR stunt than an actual interest in our beliefs.

Ultimately, Sodexo is only one of an increasing number of campus groups sending out surveys to students. From DCL to LTS,

these types of surveys are becoming ubiquitous on our campus.

Whether they serve as a meaningful way to initiate change, however, is much harder to see.

Trying to make change is a good idea, and surveys can help inform those decisions, but they need to be used responsibly.

14 OPINIONS

The Brandeis Hoot

March 6, 2015

Univ.’s lack of assurance on e-privacy troubling

By Andrew Elmers Editor

One somewhat interesting news story that has been making the rounds over the past week surrounds the use of emails. Hillary Clinton, in her term as secretary of state, used only her personal email account for work-related issues, instead of a seemingly mandatory government one. This has caused a great deal of concern as people in the government are now unable to access the files and records from when she worked in the State Department.

First of all, it seems a bit ridiculous that Clinton went her entire term using her personal email address (probably monicablows@aol.com as some online sources have suggested) without someone making her set up and actually use the government’s email service. I would imagine after a month or so of not using the government email, someone would have approached Clinton and made her use the correct email system, but apparently that never happened. Secondly, I am surprised the government is actually concerned about gaining access to these records. It is pretty common knowledge that the government is already reading our emails and can access anyone’s phone or Internet records, or Edward Snowden is in exile for no reason after he disclosed shocking information to the American public last year that the government is spying on all of us. I’m sure they can gain access to Hillary Clinton’s personal email account, so they shouldn’t make it seem like they need to gain access to this information, but can’t find it. They can find it.

Of course, the federal government doesn’t want to admit to this practice, lest they lose all credibility and trust with the public, if they haven’t done so already. So they will probably continue this charade of making it seem like they can’t find Clinton’s emails and the national press will help them in doing so.Yet it does bring up an interesting problem, as Hillary Clinton was probably somewhat cautious about using the government’s email service compared to using her own, or she was just lazy and didn’t want to learn something new. Assuming Clinton is as smart as she is made out to be, and there is no reason to suspect that she’s not, she was probably unwilling to conform to the protocol surrounding emails at the State De-

partment.

Here at Brandeis, we are all provided with an email account. Students, faculty and staff are all on the server, even though, at this point, almost everyone has a personal email account.

And the school’s administration probably has some sort of access to these email accounts, should they need it.

There are multiple reasons why the school would want to look back into conversations, be it those between two students, two faculty or staff members or between a student and a faculty or staff member.

Not that I always wear a tinfoil hat, but its safe to assume that what we share over our Brandeis email accounts is being stored and could possibly be looked into should the need arise. Not just by the government, which is pretty much assumed at this point, but also by the school administration. Students should be a lot more cautious with what they share over email, if they aren’t already. Not that the government would care so much if you were to send someone a copy of an old test for a class, but when it comes to matters of academic integrity, the school administration would very much be interested in looking into that.

However, when the “concerned” listserv was reported on last year, the university seemed to be surprised that these sorts of conversations were going on. President Lawrence has explicitly stated his displeasure about some of the comments that were made by some people on that listserv, and certainly the resulting publicity was not something the university wanted to be out in the public. These problems probably mean that the school truly had no idea this was occurring, since if they did they most likely would have tried to stop it somehow. Since that didn’t happen, the university might not be actively checking our emails.

Yet we shouldn’t throw caution the wind and just trust the administration wholeheartedly. Instead, we should assume that if the need arises, the school will look into our emails and not show any remorse in doing so.

The administration already tries to control so much else of our lives, such as having strict requirements on what club sweatshirts can say and wanting people to register their parties with the school to make sure there isn’t an excess amount of people or loud noise. The government already does it, businesses do it and eventually our

photo by katherine selector/the hoot

Caffeinated buzz not worth the trouble COFFEE, from page 12

that almost all college students deal with. With the desperate all-nighters comes caffeine. Caffeine comes in other forms like tea, energy drinks and soda, all of which are popular on campus. It may not be apparent to the naked eye, but plenty of students hold tea in their thermoses and to-go cups, not the coffee we assume. So, and some of you may already know this, caffeine may be what we really crave. Coffee-drinkers are not the only ones with grogginess to shake off before morning classes.

Furthermore, I don’t know if anyone else has noticed, but we have quite a few options to get a caffeine fix here on the Brandeis campus. For the through-andthrough New Englanders, there’s Dunkin’s. If you want a bagel with your caffeinated beverage, there’s Einstein’s. If you’re planning on settling in for a marathon study session in the library, Starbucks in conveniently close by. There’s

photo from internet source

even a Peet’s for those from the West Coast. Those are just the most obvious places to get coffee.

In Sherman, Lower Usdan and the C-store, there are also available options for your caffeine needs.

Like any drug, there’s always a vendor peddling your next high, but unlike other drugs Brandeis thoroughly supports the coffee trade.

Now, I know most of the afore-

mentioned seems obvious. Yet, we do not think about how important to us something like a cup of coffee can be. More than for the purpose of sustenance, coffee, how many cups we drink and what kind of coffee we drink can be an indicator of our lifestyle.

We all know coffee isn’t a healthy thing to consume, but still, so many of us do, and as college students there’s a good chance that

a lot of us even over-caffeinate.

Then there are the stereotypes of what coffee we drink; don’t tell me you’ve never heard of the kind of person who drinks those yummy pumpkin-spiced lattes. So, take a moment and think about it. How do you take your coffee? More importantly, in what form do you like your caffeine?

Coffee is not a requirement in the transition into adulthood. It’s

certainly not a defining attribute for any individual undergoing the transition. It’s just something that’s popular among college students that for some leads to dangerous dependence. I guess the same can be said for all forms of caffeine. Ultimately, though, it’s just not a good thing that we can get it so easily here on campus and continue to feed our coffee addictions.

March 6, 2015

OPINIONS15

The Brandeis Hoot

Univ. must expand housing to accommodate students

By Kevin Healey Editor

We have a lot of people here at Brandeis. Well, perhaps not compared to Ohio State or Penn State or some other 60,000-student monstrosity.

For Brandeis, however, we’ve been steadily growing over the last couple years and that growth is beginning to show. My graduating class—the class of 2018—is the largest we’ve ever had, just like three other classes in the last five years.

Most discussion of the admission rate on campus is negative, but our community does gain benefits from having more students. The more people on campus, the more money comes in tuition. We can hire more and better-known professors, have more events and expand our programs. All of these are benefits to us and our students.

We also get a better campus culture when we get more diverse viewpoints among our student body. The larger our classes, the more of our students win national awards and fellowships and improve the academic prestige of our university.

At the same time, however, we lose out when our classes get larger.

Besides the possible decreases in the quality of our applicants, we end up with a crisis of on-campus services.

Our dining, financial aid and especially housing systems have the capacity for only a certain number of students, and when our admitted class gets larger we have more and more students

photo from internet source

competing for the same resources. We might be able to squeeze more people into a dining hall or find more money for aid, but ultimately it’s nigh impossible to force that many more people into our residence halls.

As a campus community, we need to seriously invest in improving our residence halls for the benefit of our students. Not only do we face a looming housing crisis when the Castle is in-

evitably closed for students, but even our newer residence halls often need serious repair. Anyone who’s been into the Shapiro basement or anywhere in the Castle knows the state of disrepair some areas of our housing system have fallen into. If we don’t take care of these buildings now, they will be so destroyed by years of neglect that the improvements will be exorbitantly expensive and push the university even

further into a housing disaster, just as the Castle stands poised to do to us next year.

I’m aware that we’d be spending a lot of money if we get serious in tackling our housing issues. To an extent, we can help minimize these costs by saving up and performing restoration work in a couple of years. Ultimately, however, we save more money by performing maintenance every year in-

stead of skimping to save money and then facing a Castle-like emergency.

We are quickly reaching a point where we can no longer wait for our financial situation to fix our housing, but will instead be compelled to act.

If we plan on continuing to increase our class sizes, that won’t be enough for us. We’ll need to construct more housing if we ever plan to keep up with demand.

The problem for us isn’t space—we own ample land around the IBS that could be built on. The problem again is money. If we invest in an expansion fund, then over the next couple of years we’ll be able to save up some money to invest, and the selection of a new president ought to bring with it a new pool of donors. It might not be enough in the short term, but we will eventually save up to invest in our housing if we focus our efforts on fundraising.

I’m aware that I’m asking for a lot, but the wellbeing of our students starts and ends in their housing situation. If you have to live in a swell pit with mice and a collapsed roof, no amount of Einstein’s can overcome the sense of anxiety and depression from not having a true home. We have a duty to our students to provide them with a safe, comfortable place to live, especially since other colleges around the nation are capable of doing the same. We shouldn’t be known as a place with terrible housing, or a place where the administration doesn’t care about us. Until we invest more in our students, this housing crisis is only going to continue.

Housing needs a redesign REFORM, from page 12

preferred contingency roommates and room preferences. The nuances of this would be challenging, but probably could be worked out with more thought than I’m putting into it. In this way, rooms can be distributed without the whole number system with the same principles of randomness. It may not be game changing in reforming the system, but it will be in cooling the tensions of The Number Games, where to some the odds are never in their favor.

An easier change to this system could be to keep the older personal number assignment system but just expand the housing selection process outward and to times that don’t conflict with classes. The process could be expanded to have selection occurring all month or so, giving students the

ample time they require to make an educated choice about their rooming situation. In doing so, students won’t have to research beforehand and risk totally abandoning their plans in haste with the fast-paced system we currently operate in. It’d be a long haul to have the month totally devoted to housing selection, but how much different would it actually be from how it is now, with the month-long panic that the numbers have forged?

The housing process we find ourselves trudging through this month is by no means the worst thing that could happen to us. It is actually better than it had been in the past, and DCL has done an excellent job in keeping the students informed about the process. I believe that with extensive consultation with students, an easier and less stressful method of deriving future housing assignments can be established. photo from internet source

Logical solution available for study abroad housing ABROAD, from page 13

got spring housing was by pestering DCL incessantly. They and friends in a similar position had to send DCL emails many times before going and while abroad in order to ensure their spot in a Ziv because, as this student informed me, there was no formal process.

As mad as DCL makes us, they do work hard and should not have to deal with such badgering.

Instead, students studying abroad in both the fall and spring should be able to live with nonstudy abroad students in the same on-campus housing unit.

This would solve the dilemma of spring study abroad students be-

ing forced to plead their case to other students, friend groups being torn apart for a year, and fall study abroad students being left in limbo.

Residents-to-be of a Ridgewood, Ziv or Grad would make a formal agreement among themselves that when their friend leaves to study abroad for spring semester, their friend returning from studying abroad in the fall moves into the vacated room. The two study abroad students would sign a contract like responsible adults. Essentially, DCL would be allowing a room to be transferred from one leaving study abroad student to another returning one. The issue is solved among the students, so the

work for DCL would be minimal, and fall study abroad students would be able to rest assured that they will have somewhere to live when they return. It makes sense that DCL would appreciate having the returning students’ housing figured out rather than having to scramble to figure it out in the weeks before those students need housing after winter break.

As far as doubles in the Village that normally go to juniors studying abroad in the fall, these could be occupied by a non-study abroad student and two friends, one who will be on campus in the fall and one back in the spring.

These could even remain rooms given to spring study abroad stu-

dents exclusively, not changing from their current state. Or these rooms could be made available to all juniors and seniors in general.

Admittedly, this would change how many midyears could be admitted and subsequently housed.

However, Brandeis needs to cut its enrollment. At the group panel discussion last week, Vice President for Campus Operations Jim Gray said that the Castle will remain open next year but gave a very vague answer about its future after that. I’m hedging my bets on that some, if not all, of the Castle will be closed by the 2016-2017 school year, as the building undergoes serious renovations (or complete demolition).

If that does happen, sophomores, who are guaranteed housing, will have to live in housing traditionally reserved for upperclassmen, a move that would displace even more upperclassmen off campus.

If Brandeis radically shrinks how many midyears it admits, it would have to house fewer of them, both in their first semester on campus and in later semesters. It’s nothing personal against the midyears, it’s simply that they live in rooms that could be used in this new formulation of study abroad housing options.

It’s hard to not get screwed by housing, but if DCL were to consider this proposal, they might have some more satisfied students.

ARTS, ETC.

March 6, 2015

The Brandeis Hoot 16

Jaded coffeehouse questions American identity

By Sabrina Pond Staff

As the saying goes, there’s no time like the present, but in a present tainted by a series of enlightening events—you only have to hear the names Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown to know what I’m talking about—the time has come for America to reflect on her inglorious imperfections. Brandeis University keyed

into that very necessary conversation on March 4 with Jaded’s first ever OpenMic Night at Chum’s. Jaded, Brandeis’ newest literary journal, presented: America! (cosponsored by Artemis and FMLA) which featured performances by SEAC, BIEI, FMLA and more.

The night was characterized by an epic flow of poetry. The words came pouring out one after the other, an indispensable release for all the performers involved. The prose shed light on real issues that can be diffi-

cult, if not impossible to talk about in our everyday lives. Poetry, after all, doesn’t force its audience members to listen and feel; it allows them to decide for themselves how they receive the heartfelt words. As I could tell from the audience at Chum’s, keeping in mind the onslaught of snapping fingers, that message was more than felt; it reverberated and shone through the audience.

Many of the poems dealt with the larger, more pointed question, “What does it mean to be an American?

What does it mean to live in America?” Numerous voices expounded on their experiences in America as a minority, and the repercussions of straddling two worlds—one in which they cling to their roots, the other in which they are truly assimilated and “Americanized.” Although it may be assumed that America is a melting pot, or better yet, a tossed salad, both analogies don’t describe the struggle that people face in America. The pot is perpetually trying to boil, to liquefy its different parts into a thick sludge.

The salad ingredients are being picked out so the heterogeneity is reduced to homogeneity.

Amy Trankiem ’17 performed a very poignant poem in which she expressed her difficulty in dealing with stereotypes as a Chinese-American.

Because of her appearance, those around her regarded her as a delicate china doll. The preconceptions people had about her as a woman and as an Asian person were deprecating and insufferable. Her piece of poetry, which is a very raw reaction to those people’s harsh presumptions, is a recognition of suppressed feelings long felt but never expressed. In response to her involvement in “Jaded presents: America!,” Amy Trankiem said that “Jaded is a great way to have an inside look on the minority experience. Asian women are extremely fetishized in Western society, and Jaded is an outlet where I am able to express my refusal to be merely a sex object.”

Her strength is incredibly evident as she rejects the stereotypes and defines herself in her own way. Because in the end, how we understand ourselves is more important than how others think of us.

Another very powerful performer, Rohan Narayanan ’15, didn’t hold anything back, not one ounce of emotion, not one deeply resonating thought. His performance, which included four poems, incorporated what can only be described as chilling prose—it initiated a kind of goosebump reaction that began in the legs and spread throughout the whole body. His rendition of his poetry, which was full of emotion, practically seething with frustration, laid

Brandeis new literary journal held OpenMic Night last wednesday jaded

photo from internet source

photos by sharon cai/the hoot

bare the feeling of one who spoke for a people—for Americans overall.

His poems focused on the unsettling realities that is life in America: discrimination, rampant racism and inner hopelessness that nothing, absolutely nothing, can be done about it. In Narayanan’s opinion, all of these emotions can be channeled and used to a positive end. “I was honored and excited to be Jaded’s first performer at their first open mic. A lot of my poetry reflects Jaded’s ideals and ideas regarding identity and experience.

My parents were immigrants from India and finding myself growing up in a predominantly Christian sphere in Connecticut was challenging and frustrating, something I did not fully grasp until I left it. Jaded is an ex-

tremely necessary outlet at Brandeis and I’m really thrilled to have been there at the beginning. I can’t wait to watch it grow and watch Brandeis artists, thinkers and students utilize it as a mouthpiece to share their stories.”

America has problems. It’s more than an imperfect place. That red, white and blue flag has been stretched, torn, set aflame, and all the while it still remains in one piece. America, however, isn’t a broken place. As a people, Americans can continue a more than necessary conversation about discrimination and racism. We are a people that are made of multitudes of nationalities, ethnicities and religions, and together we can bridge the divide.