(11/19/13 5:00am)
At the Senate's Sunday meeting, members voted to recognize two clubs and charter one. In addition, the Senate passed Senate Money Resolutions to fund the Midnight Buffet. Philosophically Speaking addressed the Senate requesting a name change to the Brandeis Philosophy Journal. The representatives said that they believe the current name deters students from submitting work, as they are not sure what the journal is about. In addition, the club wants to make the journal more structured and is undergoing a rebrand. The name change was unanimously approved. Another club, which would be a University affiliate of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws, addressed the Senate to request recognition and charter. NARAL, which is a national organization with state affiliates, has currently sought to introduce chapters on college campuses. The representatives introducing the club stated that Boston University and Northeastern University currently have recognized chapters. The club was recognized with two abstentions and no objections. The club requested charter in order to host events. The representatives said that the funding would solely cover custodial costs and costs to reserve rooms on campus. The club was chartered with two abstentions and no objections. The Student Language Exchange approached the Senate after adding to its constitution, as suggested by the Senate last week. The club, which seeks to recruit tutors to teach students languages that are not taught at the University, was unanimously recognized. A $3,700 SMR for the food, drinks and decorations for Midnight Buffet was approved, in addition to a separate SMR for T-Shirts. The food SMR increased funding from last year to include more food, and the T-Shirt SMR includes 50 additional T-Shirts from last year. Both SMRs were approved. Executive Senator Annie Chen '14 announced that she had a T-Shirt design ready to share with the Senate. Class of 2017 Senator David Heaton delivered the Senate Dining Committee report. He said that there are still several possibilities being explored for the Stein, such as a sports bar or brick oven pizzeria. According to Heaton, the possibility of bringing in another franchise is not off the table. Heaton also mentioned the possibility of bringing another franchise into the Usdan Student Center. Class of 2015 Senator Anna Bessendorf delivered the Senate Sustainability Committee report. She said that the committee is currently working on its Brandeis Sustainability Fund proposals of getting toilets on campus with dual-flush capabilities, as well as adding a for-profit one acre farm to campus. Chair of the Social Justice and Diversity Committee Senator-at-Large Naomi DePina '16 said that a poetry slam will take place on Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. The location is yet to be determined. East Quad Senator Andrew Savage '16 spoke on behalf of the Club Support Committee, and said that a list with several clubs that could potentially be de-chartered has been compiled. He said that many of these clubs are defunct, and that up to eight will be presented by next week to be de-chartered. Class of 2016 Senator Jon Jacob is currently working on an email notification system for the mailroom. Two proposals are in place: a simple email notification system or a card swipe kiosk with an email notification. According to Chen, the simple email system would require students to remember zone numbers for their packages, whereas the card swipe system would avoid that issue. Jacob also approached five local businesses on Friday regarding his WhoCash initiative, including Carl's Steak Subs, Tree Top Thai Cusuine, Sabatino's Italian Kitchen, Asia Wok and B'aan Thai. According to Jacob, Carl's Steak Subs, Tree Top and Sabatino's are "on board," but would like to know more about the percentage of commission they would make. Savage announced that tables for East Quad have been delivered and are currently in East. He also wants to create a proposal to shorten quiet hours on weeknights during vacations when students do not have classes the next day. Class of 2015 Senator Alison Zheng brought up issues with the BranVan in her report, and said that she would like to fix problems with pick-ups and drop-offs. In addition, senators discussed the possibility of requesting additional pick-up locations and having additional operators, as currently there is only one operator at a time answering phone calls from all University students. -Marissa Ditkowsky
(11/12/13 5:00am)
On Thursday night, Hold Thy Peace, Brandeis' Shakespeare theater group, premiered their production of Hamlet to a small but enthusiastic audience in the Shapiro Campus Center theater. Directed by Samantha LeVangie '15, the play stuck close to its original version, with some cuts to reduce the running time, which was already close to three hours with the cuts. There was also one major change: Horatio is a ghost. The play opened with Hamlet's best friend, Horatio (Aaron Fischer '15), seeing the ghost of Hamlet's father. In this version, however, since Horatio was also a ghost, this scene seemed redundant. In the playbill, LeVangie explained that she wanted to enhance the supernatural already found in Hamlet. Fischer sported ghastly makeup to lighten his pallor and a bloody gash on his cheek, but the change is confusing at first. Once I realized what Horatio was supposed to be, Fischer's performance as Hamlet's voice of reason was convincing, even if his new ghostly identity was not. Hamlet was volatile and his emotion did not seem forced, even in the over-the-top soliloquies that he had to recite while bounding around the stage. When Hamlet talked to himself, he didn't address the audience. Instead, he focused on a point on the stage to address at random, highlighting his alleged madness, which worked brilliantly. The music played in between scenes was appropriately ominous, and the prop as well as furniture changes in between scenes went smoothly. The set, designed and put together by Ryan Kacani '15, who also plays Claudius, was a dark medieval-style castle with colorful stained glass windows that offset the gray and black of the rest of the scenery. This set presented an odd contrast to the costume choices. At the start of the play, Hamlet (Alex Davis '15) wears jeans, a tuxedo-printed t-shirt and sneakers. The rest of the cast wore modern formal clothing, and in one scene Hamlet wore a suit and top hat, but other than that he was dressed casually. Hamlet is supposed to be a rebel, but the jeans were off-putting and out of place. In the scene where Hamlet and his family views the players' performance, Hamlet's costume was given the addition of a cane, which he wielded comically and effectively, adding personality to the otherwise unstable character. Another odd costuming element was the single leather glove, worn Michael Jackson-style throughout most of the play by Claudius. This could be seen as symbolic, since it is worn on the hand that presumably killed Hamlet's father, but came across as an out of place fashion choice for the murderous king. Ophelia, portrayed by Barbara Spidle '16, was a convincing Shakespearean maiden, even in her J. Crew-style pencil skirt and heels. She started out overly bubbly but progressed into a wailing state of madness by the end of the play. Spidle's talents were especially showcased in the scenes before Ophelia's death, wallowing around the stage, singing to herself and handing out flowers. Her portrayal of the grieving Ophelia lent sympathy to the character, who has gone mad but is also mourning the loss of her father. The other actors were spot-on as well, no matter the size of their parts. The small cast meant that many actors played multiple roles, which was only confusing in one scene. Rosencrantz and Gildenstern, played by Connor Wahrman '17 and Zack Kennedy '16, are pronounced dead, and shortly after the actors come back as two gravediggers at Ophelia's grave. It took me a minute to realize that Rosencrantz and Gildenstern did not come back from their graves to dig their own graves. Wahrman and Kennedy's performances are comical and they work well together as the inseparable pair. Max Moran's '17 performance as the eccentric, babbling Polonius, Ophelia and Laertes' father, warrants a special mention. Wandering around the stage and gesturing comically, he delivered Polonius's nonsensical ramblings with gusto and humor. The production went smoothly, and there were only a few minor slip-ups of the complicated Shakespearean dialogue. Overall, despite the odd choice of making Horatio a ghost and some unusual costuming, the play was an earnest rendition of Shakespeare's tragedy. Editor's note: Max Moran '17 is an Editorial Assistant for the Justice's Forum section.
(11/12/13 5:00am)
As any athlete can attest, sports locker rooms are a place like no other. The culture is regimented in its rules, yet loose in its methods of enforcing them. Leadership is the job description of the coaching staff, yet assumed by veteran players. The only way to gain respect is to perform. You do your job, and you'll become a welcomed member of the locker room. I have been an avid sports fan my entire life. I've lived, breathed and bled New York sports for as long as I can remember. The locker rooms of my favorite teams were a revered and abstract place that all my sports idols spoke about; it was the ultimate hub of sports culture. For my 11th birthday, my dad somehow scored tickets to an off-season training program with the New York Giants. The players taught us the fundamentals of tackling, throwing, running and blocking. At the end of the program all the kids got to talk to the players in the locker room itself. I will never forget conversing with Michael Strahan, famed defensive end and Amani Toomer, the always-reliable wide receiver, about what it's like to play football for a living. But the most noteworthy part was the way the players spoke about each other. They relentlessly made fun of each other, yet so evidently respected each other. Every jab or joke was taken in stride because the underlying level of respect always existed. In this vein, everyone who has ever called themselves a sports fan should be absolutely appalled at the current state of the Miami Dolphins locker room. On Oct. 28, rookie offensive lineman Jonathan Martin dismissed himself from the team after a dining hall altercation. In the ensuing days, more and more details continue to be publicized, mostly involving fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito. Voicemails from Incognito using racial slurs, death threats and even recent reports of physical abuse have all been reported. Martin recently checked himself into a mental health hospital to help cope with the emotional damage that took place in this tumultuous environment. In his first public interview since the reports, which aired on Fox Sports this past Sunday, Incognito pushed part of the blame onto both Martin and all of sports culture. Incognito argued that all of the insults and abuse "came from a place of love" and that vulgar communication was normal among Dolphins players. Incognito continued, "All this stuff coming out, it speaks to the culture of our locker room, it speaks to culture of our closeness, it speaks to the culture of our brotherhood. And the racism, the bad words, that's what I regret most. But that is a product of the environment." Its not my fault, claimed Incognito, it's just what happens in the locker room system. Incognito has since been dismissed from the team. However, Incognito fundamentally misunderstands the culture of a locker room, which is why he sees minimal fault in his actions. Locker room culture is predicated on success; that's where one earns his stripes and earns his respect. It is therefore the responsibility of the rest of the locker room to create an environment for all to succeed in the long run. Pushing rookies to their physical and mental limits, within the scope of reason, is vital to each player reaching his ultimate potential. Just as associate lawyers are the last to leave the office, and first-year investment bankers wont see daylight as first-year employees, so too football players must work up the proverbial ladder to achieve the success and, subsequently, earn the respect of their peers. This "earn-your-stripes" environment is what Incognito was referencing when he claimed the behavior was "coming from a place of love" and simply an act of "brotherhood." He may have actually thought he was helping Martin reach his potential by acting in this manner-he seemed rather genuine in his interview. But there are fine lines between pushing one to reach his potential and basic harassment. Incognito blatantly crossed those lines with his deplorable behavior. Racial slurs have no positive implications whatsoever and physical abuse has no practical implications whatsoever. Michael Strahan, the New York Giants player I met as a child, now works as a commentator for Fox Sports. When asked if any hazing occurred during his tenure as the veteran leadership of the Giants, Strahan replied, "We never did anything like that." Strahan elaborated that the hazing on the Giants under his tenure from 1993 through 2007 consisted of having the rookies bring breakfast sandwiches on Friday and donuts and coffee on Saturday. Rookies learned their place in the locker room and respected their elders. Never offensive. Never harmful. The problem therefore lies not in locker room culture, but in how Incognito interpreted that culture. Veterans have an obligation to help rookies reach their full potential, and part of that process is learning to respect those who came before them. That, however, does not give Incognito, or any veteran player, the right to abuse anyone else. Incognito crossed the line that differentiates constructive hierarchy to harmful abuse. Hopefully, the rest of the sports world will learn from his mistakes and situations like this will never arise again. *
(11/12/13 5:00am)
As any athlete can attest, sports locker rooms are a place like no other. The culture is regimented in its rules, yet loose in its methods of enforcing them. Leadership is the job description of the coaching staff, yet assumed by veteran players. The only way to gain respect is to perform. You do your job, and you'll become a welcomed member of the locker room. I have been an avid sports fan my entire life. I've lived, breathed and bled New York sports for as long as I can remember. The locker rooms of my favorite teams were a revered and abstract place that all my sports idols spoke about; it was the ultimate hub of sports culture. For my 11th birthday, my dad somehow scored tickets to an off-season training program with the New York Giants. The players taught us the fundamentals of tackling, throwing, running and blocking. At the end of the program all the kids got to talk to the players in the locker room itself. I will never forget conversing with Michael Strahan, famed defensive end and Amani Toomer, the always-reliable wide receiver, about what it's like to play football for a living. But the most noteworthy part was the way the players spoke about each other. They relentlessly made fun of each other, yet so evidently respected each other. Every jab or joke was taken in stride because the underlying level of respect always existed. In this vein, everyone who has ever called themselves a sports fan should be absolutely appalled at the current state of the Miami Dolphins locker room. On Oct. 28, rookie offensive lineman Jonathan Martin dismissed himself from the team after a dining hall altercation. In the ensuing days, more and more details continue to be publicized, mostly involving fellow offensive lineman Richie Incognito. Voicemails from Incognito using racial slurs, death threats and even recent reports of physical abuse have all been reported. Martin recently checked himself into a mental health hospital to help cope with the emotional damage that took place in this tumultuous environment. In his first public interview since the reports, which aired on Fox Sports this past Sunday, Incognito pushed part of the blame onto both Martin and all of sports culture. Incognito argued that all of the insults and abuse "came from a place of love" and that vulgar communication was normal among Dolphins players. Incognito continued, "All this stuff coming out, it speaks to the culture of our locker room, it speaks to culture of our closeness, it speaks to the culture of our brotherhood. And the racism, the bad words, that's what I regret most. But that is a product of the environment." Its not my fault, claimed Incognito, it's just what happens in the locker room system. Incognito has since been dismissed from the team. However, Incognito fundamentally misunderstands the culture of a locker room, which is why he sees minimal fault in his actions. Locker room culture is predicated on success; that's where one earns his stripes and earns his respect. It is therefore the responsibility of the rest of the locker room to create an environment for all to succeed in the long run. Pushing rookies to their physical and mental limits, within the scope of reason, is vital to each player reaching his ultimate potential. Just as associate lawyers are the last to leave the office, and first-year investment bankers wont see daylight as first-year employees, so too football players must work up the proverbial ladder to achieve the success and, subsequently, earn the respect of their peers. This "earn-your-stripes" environment is what Incognito was referencing when he claimed the behavior was "coming from a place of love" and simply an act of "brotherhood." He may have actually thought he was helping Martin reach his potential by acting in this manner-he seemed rather genuine in his interview. But there are fine lines between pushing one to reach his potential and basic harassment. Incognito blatantly crossed those lines with his deplorable behavior. Racial slurs have no positive implications whatsoever and physical abuse has no practical implications whatsoever. Michael Strahan, the New York Giants player I met as a child, now works as a commentator for Fox Sports. When asked if any hazing occurred during his tenure as the veteran leadership of the Giants, Strahan replied, "We never did anything like that." Strahan elaborated that the hazing on the Giants under his tenure from 1993 through 2007 consisted of having the rookies bring breakfast sandwiches on Friday and donuts and coffee on Saturday. Rookies learned their place in the locker room and respected their elders. Never offensive. Never harmful. The problem therefore lies not in locker room culture, but in how Incognito interpreted that culture. Veterans have an obligation to help rookies reach their full potential, and part of that process is learning to respect those who came before them. That, however, does not give Incognito, or any veteran player, the right to abuse anyone else. Incognito crossed the line that differentiates constructive hierarchy to harmful abuse. Hopefully, the rest of the sports world will learn from his mistakes and situations like this will never arise again. *
(11/12/13 5:00am)
Basketball is a game of opportunity. An unexpected fast break down the court, an open three-point shot, or a foul leading to two key free throws can make all the difference. This philosophy, meanwhile, has guided Rashad Williams '02, the all-time leading scorer for the Judges' men's basketball squad, to be a Product Line manager in the Jordan Brand footwear line at Nike. "I get to create sneakers for a living, which is crazy," he said. "I go to work in jeans and a T-shirt and live out my passion, working with the brightest, most competitive sports minds to keep me motivated and focused." It sounds like the dream job for any die-hard basketball fan-and yet, it gets better. Williams collaborates with several of the top players in the National Basketball Association, including Los Angeles Clippers center Blake Griffin, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony and Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook, to develop products that enhance their performance on the game's biggest stage. "I gain insights and help the best players in the NBA perform better on the court," he said. "As a player and fan who understands their lifestyles, this is the perfect fit." Yet, Williams' first big opportunity came from the most unlikely of places-a liberal arts school located in Waltham, Mass. As a senior forward from Woodside High School in Redwood City, Calif., Williams ultimately aspired to continue his playing career at nearby Stanford University. Brandeis men's basketball former assistant coach Wallace Johnson then entered the picture. Johnson coached Williams' Amateur Athletic Union team for two weeks during his sophomore year of high school. He only needed two weeks to know that Williams had the makings of a special talent. Johnson then placed a phone call to Williams in April of his senior year and pitched the opportunity to play for the Judges. Brandeis had never popped up on Williams' radar, which makes it understandable that he was reluctant to move 3,000 miles away from home. However, he then consulted with his best friend's father, a professor at Stanford, who knew of Brandeis' presige and told Williams to jump at the opportunity. The rest is history. Williams entered Brandeis in 1997 as a student in the Transitional Year Program. In the next five years, he proceeded to earn 1,928 points, shattering the previously established scoring record set by Rudy Finderson '58. He also recorded four All-University Athletic Association Honors and secured a spot on the UAA's Silver Anniversary Team. In addition to meeting his wife, Marsha Pierre-Jacques '01 at Brandeis, Williams took advantage of opportunities on the court to establish invaluable relationships. "The relationships I gained with my teammates were truly the greatest," he said. "It was rewarding to open my eyes to new people and new experiences. This environment is what sustained me in the long run." He also applied his passion on the court to his academics as an American Studies major, seeking to make the most of Brandeis' focus on social justice. That focus allowed him to capitalize on yet another transformative opportunity as an intern for the Oakland Raiders. "At the time, I was writing a final paper on the state of female executives in the NFL for a Women's and Gender Studies class called 'Gender in America,'" he said. "I then managed to track down Amy Trask, Chief Executive Officer of the Raiders at the time and interviewed her for my paper. One thing eventually led to another and I had the privilege to intern for the Raiders." After graduation, Williams received several offers from professional teams to play overseas, but he had his sights set on an entirely different career path. He began his career at a marketing and promotional agency in Boston for young adults and teens and eventually shifted to sales and consumer research, conducting analyses of companies such as New Balance, Nike, Timberland and Converse. It was at Brandeis, though, where Williams discovered his true passion. "I lived the [basketball] culture and knew about these [sneaker] brands," he said. "It definitely sparked interest in something I love to do." Williams got his first big break in FILA's tennis division. After nine months, he relocated back to the West Coast for a position on Adidas' lifestyle business line. For the past two years, he's been hard at work at Nike and relishes every moment of his current work experience. "I never expected something like this to happen, but the most important things are to always work hard and to consider all relationships and opportunities," he said. It is safe to say that Williams has been a leader in this game of opportunity-and has made a significant difference in doing so.
(11/12/13 5:00am)
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams both traveled to Worcester Polytechnic Institute this Saturday-the men taking on both WPI and Babson and the women taking on WPI, Babson, and Smith College. Even though both squads were defeated by significant margins, Brian Luk '16 had a positive outlook on the day; the closest margin of defeat for either team was 83 points. "We learned that it is a process toward success when it comes to [University Athletic Association]," he said. "We look back and think about how we can improve in our races in hindsight, which can be extremely important to us individually or as a team later as the season goes on." For the men, both Luk and Max Fabian '15 continue to be bright spots for a team that has had trouble finding early season success. Luk managed to pick up wins in the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle, while breaking his previous best time in the 200-yard freestyle. Luk swam the race in 1:46.45, a full 1.63 seconds faster than his previous best time. He also managed to score second in the 50-yard freestyle, getting out-touched by WPI freshman Erick Burgwardt by .02 seconds. This marks the second time on the season that Luk has finished second in the 50-yard freestyle. Luk was quick to share his optimism of the first-years on the team. "I am impressed by the first-years," he said. "They are all very talented. They work hard every day, and I am sure they will do very well when it comes to UAA [Championships] by February," Fabian added a win of his own for the men in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:12.12. He also secured two second place finishes in the 500-yard freestyle and the 400-yard Individual Medley. Fabian was bested in the 500-yard freestyle by just .15 seconds by Babson senior Isaac Breen-Franklin who pulled off an impressive display in the final 50-yard stretch of the race when he managed to overtake Fabian. The 500-yard freestyle was emblematic of both the men's and women's struggles on the day. Joanna Murphy '17 was the lone bright spot for the women on Saturday as she managed to pick up a win in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:02.57, just barely beating out WPI senior Sonja Kent, who had led for the first 100 yards of the race. Murphy also managed to place third in the 200-yard butterfly while setting a personal best on the season with a time of 2:23.45. She also finished in fifth place in the 100-yard butterfly. Other top-five finishes by the women included Theresa Gaffney '16 in the 1000-yard freestyle, Fallon Bushee '16 in the 100-yard freestyle, and Gabby Drillich '15 in the 200-yard backstroke and 400-yard individual medley . Murphy and Luk are the young future that the swimming program has been looking for. The program has had trouble trying to grow in numbers over the past few years and in attracting talent to the small yet dedicated group. The process has been difficult after the closing of the pool in the Joseph M. Linsey Sports Center forced the aquatics teams to be put on hiatus after the 2009 to 2010 season. Head coach Mike Kotch was hired in 2011 and tasked with rebuilding the program. While the performance in the pool is what the team focuses on week in and week out, it can be difficult when recruitment continues to be a major issue going forward for both of the teams. Luk thought that the team did well when it came to the aspects that the team could control. "I don't see any major problem that the team has in general," he explained. "We are all training very hard and this meet, along with any other meets going forward, are opportunities for everyone to practice racing and preparing for the UAA championship meet." Both the men's and women's teams will try to get their first wins of the season when they host Wesleyan University on November 16th in the Linsey Pool.
(11/12/13 5:00am)
The men's and women's swimming and diving teams both traveled to Worcester Polytechnic Institute this Saturday-the men taking on both WPI and Babson and the women taking on WPI, Babson, and Smith College. Even though both squads were defeated by significant margins, Brian Luk '16 had a positive outlook on the day; the closest margin of defeat for either team was 83 points. "We learned that it is a process toward success when it comes to [University Athletic Association]," he said. "We look back and think about how we can improve in our races in hindsight, which can be extremely important to us individually or as a team later as the season goes on." For the men, both Luk and Max Fabian '15 continue to be bright spots for a team that has had trouble finding early season success. Luk managed to pick up wins in the 200-yard freestyle and the 100-yard freestyle, while breaking his previous best time in the 200-yard freestyle. Luk swam the race in 1:46.45, a full 1.63 seconds faster than his previous best time. He also managed to score second in the 50-yard freestyle, getting out-touched by WPI freshman Erick Burgwardt by .02 seconds. This marks the second time on the season that Luk has finished second in the 50-yard freestyle. Luk was quick to share his optimism of the first-years on the team. "I am impressed by the first-years," he said. "They are all very talented. They work hard every day, and I am sure they will do very well when it comes to UAA [Championships] by February," Fabian added a win of his own for the men in the 1000-yard freestyle with a time of 10:12.12. He also secured two second place finishes in the 500-yard freestyle and the 400-yard Individual Medley. Fabian was bested in the 500-yard freestyle by just .15 seconds by Babson senior Isaac Breen-Franklin who pulled off an impressive display in the final 50-yard stretch of the race when he managed to overtake Fabian. The 500-yard freestyle was emblematic of both the men's and women's struggles on the day. Joanna Murphy '17 was the lone bright spot for the women on Saturday as she managed to pick up a win in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:02.57, just barely beating out WPI senior Sonja Kent, who had led for the first 100 yards of the race. Murphy also managed to place third in the 200-yard butterfly while setting a personal best on the season with a time of 2:23.45. She also finished in fifth place in the 100-yard butterfly. Other top-five finishes by the women included Theresa Gaffney '16 in the 1000-yard freestyle, Fallon Bushee '16 in the 100-yard freestyle, and Gabby Drillich '15 in the 200-yard backstroke and 400-yard individual medley . Murphy and Luk are the young future that the swimming program has been looking for. The program has had trouble trying to grow in numbers over the past few years and in attracting talent to the small yet dedicated group. The process has been difficult after the closing of the pool in the Joseph M. Linsey Sports Center forced the aquatics teams to be put on hiatus after the 2009 to 2010 season. Head coach Mike Kotch was hired in 2011 and tasked with rebuilding the program. While the performance in the pool is what the team focuses on week in and week out, it can be difficult when recruitment continues to be a major issue going forward for both of the teams. Luk thought that the team did well when it came to the aspects that the team could control. "I don't see any major problem that the team has in general," he explained. "We are all training very hard and this meet, along with any other meets going forward, are opportunities for everyone to practice racing and preparing for the UAA championship meet." Both the men's and women's teams will try to get their first wins of the season when they host Wesleyan University on November 16th in the Linsey Pool.
(10/29/13 4:00am)
Judah Friedlander, the actor, comedian and self-described world champion, well-known for his eccentric hats and his roles in 30 Rock, Zoolander and Meet the Parents, performed a stand-up routine in the Shapiro Gym on Friday, Oct. 25 as part of this year's Fall Fest. The opening act, performed by James Huessy, a comedian and student at Northeastern University, was short, no longer than around 15 minutes, and disappointing. Huessy's jokes, which ranged from rants about how much he hated his internship to a story about an interaction with a pigeon, fell short. When he made a transphobic joke about the Brandeis women's basketball team, the audience reacted with awkward silence. It was very odd that a non-Brandeisian was selected to open, especially when the University has many improvisation and stand-up groups with talented comedic performers. However, Friedlander did not disappoint. Amid whoops and cheers from the audience, he started off by thanking everyone for "a sitting ovation" and went on to talk about myriad of topics from politics to karate to his numerous world championships over the course of an hour. The show felt more like a dialogue between audience and comedian than a traditional performance. The material was funny and off-the-cuff and seemed like a mix of improv and prepared jokes and monologues. Friedlander was casual and conversational, throwing around phrases like "dude" and "you know" instead of being more formal and scripted. Oftentimes, in the middle of a thought, he would randomly call on a member of the audience, ask them questions about where they were from and what their major was and then would mock them relentlessly. Other times, he would invite the audience to call out answers to questions about sports, politics or whatever was on his mind. The focus of Friedlander's performance was on his self-described status of world champion, and most of his bits revolved around his various exploits, ranging from "[going] to DeVry Elementary School" to his ability to say "Rosetta Stone in over 500 languages" to the time he raced a cheetah and won. Part of Friedlander's charm comes from the fact that he is not the athletic powerhouse he claims to be. With straggly, slightly grey hair and a body that would never belong on the cover of Sports Illustrated, he just looks like someone's awkward uncle. But that's what makes his performance and status as world champion even more hilarious. However, his talents really came through when engaging with the audience. During one such engagement, Friedlander formally announced his plans to run for president in 2016 and invited everyone to ask questions about his platform. When asked about potential running mates, Friedlander looked the questioner straight in the eye and responded with "a hero does not need a sidekick" to laughter and applause. Other parts of the Friedlander platform included "mandatory gay marriage," cars with lower emissions that are powered by sexual energy and a plan to invade North Dakota because "if I'm psycho enough to invade my own country, imagine what I'd do to another country." Friedlander managed to handle sensitive topics, such as abortion and illegal immigration, with humor and seemingly without offending anyone in the audience. The audience had a number of questions for Friedlander, and he was more than happy to answer them. When asked about which of his ubiquitous hats was his favorite, Friedlander seemed outraged, retorting with "I don't play favorites." There were also many questions about 30 Rock. Friedlander quipped about how he "heard it [was] a good show, been meaning to watch it" and joked about the animalistic chemistry he and Tina Fey had at his first audition. Although sometimes Friedlander tripped up, one time quite literally over a stool, he calmly shook it off and would deliver yet another quip. Shapiro Gym, while packed with only a few empty seats, was not an ideal location due to the acoustics, which could make it difficult for Friedlander to hear the audience. At one point in the middle of the performance, during a question period, he simply admitted "I [couldn't] hear anything so I just rambled shit." Even if Friedlander was just rambling, as he claimed, he blew the audience away. Even after the show was supposed to end, he kept performing and answering various questions, and ended up staying around after the show to chat with students and take photographs. Judah Friedlander's performance was easily one of the best pieces of live stand-up I've ever seen. With a mix of deadpan humor, casual attitude and eagerness to interact with everyone present, he certainly blew me and the rest of the Brandeis community, away. *
(10/29/13 4:00am)
Prof. Jacob Cohen (AMST) is a man of many names. His legal birth name is "Jerome," but his students call him "Jerry." Arriving on campus only a little over a decade after the University's founders in 1960, Cohen is a trove of insights on the history he teaches but has also lived. In 1960, Cohen arrived on campus to interview for a faculty position in the history department. Before joining the Brandeis faculty, Cohen taught at Yale University. Some questioned his decision to leave a school with such a storied academic reputation for a one that was still in its infancy. Yet for him, Brandeis was a natural choice. "My reasons for coming you could put on a Hallmark greeting card," Cohen said. "My family-a Jewish family-a Zionist family, revered the name of Louis Brandeis. It was an absolutely natural fit." Unlike the hiring process today, Cohen met with faculty members across all departments before he was offered a teaching position. "Every major campus intellectual came to speak with me. Everyone was interested in whom the University was hiring and who fit in with the intellectual community ... My heart was pounding, I was thrilled," he said. Cohen says that his teaching style hasn't changed one bit in all the years he's taught. Although he often teaches lecture classes with around 100 students enrolled, he still reads, grades and writes lengthy comments on every paper by himself, a practice he reported is "really stupid and not very bright in terms of my time, as people tell me." Although Cohen is on leave this semester, you may still see him around campus completing various tasks for a book he is writing entitled Inner-Most Part: Brandeis University and the Jewish Question. It will blend historical analysis and personal memoir in an exploration of Judaism and Brandeis as it attempts to understand what it means to be a "Jewish-sponsored" university. Cohen's book will address Brandeis' complicated relationship with its Jewish roots, specifically the identity crisis the University underwent in the 1980s. "There was a conspicuous effort to un-Jew the place," Cohen said. SAT scores were dropping and the administration felt pressure to diversify, a goal they slowly achieved since then, with over 50 percent of the population now being non-Jewish. This is not the first time Cohen has excused himself from teaching in pursuit of other ambitions. In 1963, only three years after he began his career at Brandeis, he left the University for what he considered a permanent separation at the time in order to, as he described it, save the world. "It didn't work," Cohen said. He had left academia to work with a civil rights organization called the Congress On Racial Equality,where he worked closely with the national director of the organization and edited its magazine. Cohen joined CORE when the organization was very much centered on themes of equality and the notion that race doesn't matter, as expressed in Dr. Martin Luther King's famous speech, in which he stated "I look to a day where people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." But while Cohen was working there, the organization turned an ideological corner. "CORE underwent a dramatic change from the ideology of black and white integration to black separatism ... and black self-assertion." In 1965, he left the organization. "I wasn't supposed to be there," Cohen said. Before Cohen returned to the University in 1968 as a faculty member of the newly formed American Studies department, he spearheaded an initiative called Upward Bound, which worked to get disadvantaged youth into college. When Cohen did return, he would do similar work as a creator and founding director of the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program in April of 1968. Cohen got right back in the groove of what he likes doing: teaching. "Asking me which is my favorite course is like asking me which is my favorite kid and you know I'm not telling you and I'm not telling them," Cohen said. "But of course I love them all equally," he added. As early as 1971, Cohen began to teach a course about the 1960s, reported one year in the course guide as one of the best classes at Brandeis, and which addressed topics such as the civil rights movement and student radicalism on college campuses. Cohen will introduce a new course for the coming spring semester called "Digital Media and American Culture," a topic Cohen says his students "know a tremendous [amount] about. Not so much how to think about it, but they really know what it means to be in that world." Other courses Cohen teaches include "Sports in American Culture", one on the future as it is depicted in American literature and a popular course on conspiracy theories. In fact, Cohen is a major enthusiast of conspiracies and one of the world's foremost scholars on conspiracies around the John F. Kennedy assassination. Aside from his career at Brandeis, Cohen is a singer and has performed at various venues, including Carnegie Hall in 1995. He is also telepathic, or at least some people think so. He remarks fondly that he still gets a phone call from time to time from a student addressing him as "wizard," another one of his many names. "Hello wizard!" they say and then, as if by magic, Cohen declares the exact playing card in the student's hand for the amusement of everyone on the other side of the call. Cohen explained that this harmless game serves as a teaching moment between himself and his former students well after they have graduated. The trick is a mundane example of conspiracy theories. "Only we know the truth, and we both need to know in order for the lie to be effective," Cohen said.
(10/28/13 4:00am)
Medical Emergency Oct. 20-A student at 164 Charles River Road called BEMCo to report flu-like symptoms. BEMCo and University Police responded. Following treatment, the student refused further care. Oct. 21-A student alerted University Police of the need to be transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for a psychlogical evaluation. University Police then facilitated the transport of the student to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Oct. 21-A student notified BEMCo that she injured her knee outside Pearlman Hall. BEMCo responded and the student ultimately was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Oct. 23-A student reported severe abdominal pain to University Police. BEMCo responded, and the student was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Oct. 24-A student reported that her friend was feeling ill in a vehicle in Theater Lot. BEMCo responded to the student, who refused further care. Oct. 24-A student reported that a Boston University student injured his ankle in Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. BEMCo proceeded to treat the BU student, who refused further care. Oct. 24-A student in East Quad reported that she had a severe allergic reaction. BEMCo responded and treated the student, who refused further care. Oct. 25-A student in Usen Hall reported that she hurt her back after falling from her bunk bed. University Police and BEMCo responded, and the student was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Oct. 26-A student on Charles River Road was reported to be intoxicated. University Police and BEMCo responded and treated the student, with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 26-A student reported that a person suffered a nose injury while playing on one of the athletic fields. University Police and BEMCo responded, and from there, the student refused further care. Larceny Oct. 20-A student in Scheffries Hall reported that money has been stolen twice from the wallet in her drawer over the past few weeks. University Police compiled a report of the theft and advised the student to store her money elsewhere. Oct. 20-A student reported that her iPod was stolen during a party in the Foster Mods. University Police proceeded to compile a report of the theft. Oct. 23-A student reported the theft of a laptop in Shapiro Residence Hall. University Police compiled a report of the theft and advised Library and Technology Services to track the laptop's location. Harassment Oct. 22 -A student notified University Police of harassment in the Shapiro Campus Center. University Police compiled a report of the incident. Disturbance Oct. 24-University Police received a report that there had been a loud disturbance and possible altercation in the Tower Lot. University Police responded, and discovered that 12 individuals had been involved in a fraternity scavenger hunt. Individuals were dispersed and a report was compiled on the incident. -compiled by Adam Rabinowitz
(10/28/13 4:00am)
The women's soccer standings in Sports incorrectly ranked the teams. The University of Chicago should have been in fourth place, not New York University. (Oct. 22, p. 15) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@thejustice.org.
(10/21/13 4:00am)
The Brandeis volleyball team suffered a string of tough defeats at the hands of several of their University Athletic Association rivals this past weekend at Washington University in St. Louis. The ladies were swept in successive matches against Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University and No. 4 Emory University. The Judges managed to take a set against New York University but ended up falling by a three-set to one-set margin in the last match of the tournament. Brandeis, with the set of losses, drops to a 9-17 overall mark and a 1-6 UAA record. The squad also has not won a game since its Oct. 10 road match at Emerson College. The struggles for the Judges stemmed from their low kill percentage throughout the tournament. Outside hitter Liz Hood '15 was one of the few Judges to record a kill percentage of .300 or better in any of the tournament games. Her performance this weekend represented yet another standout performance for the junior, having just earned the distinction as the ninth player in Brandeis history to record 1,000 kills earlier this year. Outside hitter Si-Si Hensley '14 and libero Elsie Bernaiche '15 led the charge defensively for the day. Hensley, in fact, led the team in digs against Case Western and Carnegie Mellon while Bernaiche earned that distinction in the matches against NYU and Emory. The Judges, in their closest match of the tournament on Sunday against NYU, managed to jump out to a 17-14 lead in the first set before losing the lead on an 11-2 rally from the Violets. In a streaky second set, NYU held a lead as large as nine points before the Judges started to fight back. Brandeis managed to pull within four points but the rally proved to be of no avail as NYU secured a 25-20 victory. The Judges were able to regroup and win the third set 26-24 after many lead changes and a key timeout taken by head coach Michelle Kim. The Judges capitalized, initiating a five-point rally that concluded with a winning kill from outside hitter Summer Koop '16. By the fourth set, however, the momentum they gained did not last. The Judges gave up 13 consecutive points and NYU dominated en route to a 25-7 victory. The Judges, before that, ran into a fourth-ranked Emory team that sought vengeance after suffering its first UAA defeat at the hands of the University of Chicago. The Eagles took care of business, defeating the Judges by final scores of 25-6, 25-15, and 25-11. Koop proved to be a bright spot for the Judges, earning a .500 kill percentage in 12 attempts. Before that, the Judges squared off against Carnegie Mellon and Case, suffering defeat in both matches. The Tartans gained the upper hand with 25-15, 25-16 and 25-12 margins of victory while the Spartans won 25-20, 25-19 and 25-19. With these results, the Judges have earned the number seven seed in the upcoming UAA tournament hosted in Gosman Sports and Convocation Center at Brandeis from Nov. 8 to 9. Meanwhile, the Judges are able to look forward to visits from Mount Holyoke College and Smith College for the Hall of Fame Invitational this weekend. According to middle blocker Carly Gutner-Davis, the team knows exactly what it needs to improve on moving forward. "Our team talks a lot about bringing up and maintaining a high level of energy on the court, in warmups, games and practices," she said. "What [our performances this weekend] ultimately came down to is that we struggled to maintain a high and consistent level of energy this weekend and [our energy level] fluctuated. We have to work on bringing and maintaining a consistently high level of energy to the court and work on our consistency as a team." - Henry Loughlin contributed reporting
(10/21/13 4:00am)
Medical Emergency Oct. 14-A student at Lemberg Academic Center reported pain stemming from a past knee injury. BEMCo arrived to address the situation and the student ultimately was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Oct. 16-A student at Mailman House was sent to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for a psych evaluation. Oct. 17-A student reported that he broke his ankle outside Massell Quad. University Police and BEMCo responded, and the student was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Oct. 18-A student reported that a faculty member in the Abelson-Base-Yalem Building had been suffering from dizziness. University Police and BEMCo arrived on scene to respond to the patient, who seemed to have been suffering from high blood pressure and an elevated pulse rate. The faculty member was treated by BEMCo with a signed refusal for further care. Oct. 19-University Police notified a BEMCo unit of an intoxicated female outside Ridgewood Quad. BEMCo treated the patient, who was then transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Oct. 20-A BEMCo staff member phoned a BEMCo unit to treat an intoxicated female in the Foster Mods. University Police and BEMCo responded to the patient, who was then transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Larceny Oct.14-A student reported credit card fraud at Stoneman Building. University Police arrived on scene to compile a report of the incident. Oct. 16-A student arrived at the University Police station to report that his leather jacket had been stolen in Goldfarb Library. University Police compiled a report of the incident. Oct. 17-A student reported that her backpack was stolen from the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. University Police searched for the bag while Library and Technology Services attempted to track her phone. LTS located the phone-and bag-in Goldfarb Library and obtained it without issue. Vandalism Oct.13-Waltham Police notified University Police that the Abraham Shapiro Academic Center had been vandalized with spray paint along with vehicles and other property on Thornton Road. University Police compiled a report and Facilities Services promptly removed the graffiti. Oct. 13-A community advisor in North Quad notified University Police that the side of Reitman had been spray-painted with graffiti. University Police compiled a report and Facilities Services promptly removed the graffiti. Oct. 16-A staff member from Facilities notified University Police that the entrance to a room within Renfield Hall had appeared to be defaced with human waste. University Police arrived to compile a report of the incident and Facilities Services promptly cleaned the affected area. Miscellaneous Oct. 18-A student in Village B Residence reported that a suspicious person was aggressive and accosted him outside of the residence hall. He followed the student inside, and while no further action had been initiated, the student notified University Police. University Police conducted a sweep of the building and were unable to locate the suspect. The community development coordinator's office was promptly notified and a report was compiled. -compiled by Adam Rabinowitz
(10/14/13 4:00am)
The 2013 induction to Brandeis' Athletics Hall of Fame, a fitting culmination to the 2013 Brandeis Athletics' Homecoming, featured yet another class of accomplished athletes and teams. On Saturday night, six individuals (Jules Love '55 and Rashad Williams '02 of the men's basketball team, Mark Bonaiuto '77 of the baseball squad, Michael Goldfarb '99 of the men's swimming and diving team, Victoria Petrillo '99 of the track and field squad and Danielle Fitzpatrick '04 of the women's basketball squad) etched their names into Brandeis Athletics history. Additionally, the 1957 football team and 1984 men's soccer team were inducted. "Someone told me, that if you live long enough, you get to give a speech," joked Arnie Taub '58, who accepted the honor on behalf of the football squad, which went 6-1 during that year. Despite its small roster, given the team had just 39 players, the squad recorded impressive victories against Northeastern University (14-0), the University of Massachusetts Amherst (47-7), the University of Bridgeport (33-12) and perhaps most notably, its biggest rival, the University of New Hampshire (27-0.) "Our accomplishments were truly a team effort in the truest sense of the word," said Taub. "We had an excellent rapport with the student body. The team wasn't sequestered into a particular dorm or treated as a commodity; we were treated as a part of the student body." Williams, inducted for his accomplishments while a member of the men's basketball, came to Brandeis as part of the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program at the suggestion of former men's assistant coach Wallace Johnson, whom he had played under for a brief stint in high school. "Growing up in California, in the [San Francisco] Bay Area, I had never heard of Brandeis. But when I got the call, my dad said, 'Well, [you should] look at the opportunity.'" After initially taking some time to settle in, he proved to be a huge success, amassing a Brandeis all-time record of 1,928 points. "The first day, when I was dropped off in my dorm room, I said 'I can't live here! It's too small, and I'm 3,000 miles away from home.'" However, he explained that he was able to make the transition to college life, further noting that his teammates were a big part in earning the "great honor." "I said to [men's coach Brian Meehan], you gotta get the boys ready," he added. "[Because] I will give away all of these points for [Meehan] and the boys to have some more wins." All told, with inductees from seven different sports and four different decades, the event was a fitting way to pay tribute to Brandeis athletics success.
(10/08/13 4:00am)
On Oct. 4, the Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute hosted an event titled "The Feminine Mystique and the Masculine Response" in the Napoli Trophy Room at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. The discussion was centered on the late Betty Friedan, a feminist revolutionary of the 1960s and '70s, and the impact she has had on what is perceived as the role of women. The panelists were author and professor of American studies at Smith College Daniel Horowitz, Prof. Joyce Antler (AMST), Prof.Marguerite Dorn (BOLLI) and David Small, head of human resources at Steward Healthcare. Roberta Salper, scholar in residence at the Women's Studies Research Center, moderated the discussion. The panelists shared their own experiences with and the effects they saw from Friedan's life work and her renowned book The Feminine Mystique. They also analyzed Friedan's attitude during the second feminist wave in the United States and the discrepancies between her views and other feminists' views. In The Feminine Mystique, Friedan wrote about the "the problem that has no name," or the deep unhappiness of suburban housewives, what she believed was the underlying root of the problem, and how she believed women could move forward from it. She was inspired for her book after conducting a survey of her former Smith College classmates for their 15th anniversary reunion and hearing from her dissatisfied and unfulfilled female peers. Salper introduced the discussion, touching on a point that would arise in each of the panelists' commentary: the dilemma of division in women's roles at home and work as it applies to middle-class women exclusively. While Salper said she was positively influenced by Friedan, she said that "the solutions [Friedan] suggested were incomplete ... A factory girl would remain a factory girl, a maid would remain a maid. It seemed to me that unless a women's movement made changing the status of women like Juanita and Vicenta, domestic workers I knew in Spain, as important as achieving more opportunities for my upper-middle class sister-in-law or for me in the United States, the fundamental causes of women's oppression would not be eliminated." Antler shared her troubles understanding her own mother's identity, who did not have a career. "What kind of woman was she if she did not feel this mysterious fulfillment waxing the kitchen floor?" asked Antler, quoting a sarcastic Friedan excerpt. Antler said she did not see her mother at home all the time like many mothers who were exclusively housewives because she helped run her spouse's business. Antler described that rather than merely assisting their husbands in furthering their careers, Friedan insisted that women needed a life plan, or a deliberately chosen career that they followed for themselves. "My mother didn't pass the test," said Antler. Dorn brought a modern evaluation of what it is like to be a female in the workforce decades after Friedan's feminism, stating that females are still dramatically underrepresented in the workforce and have yet to get over "the maternal wall." She spoke on the importance of planning not only for a career, but also for a home dynamic. Dorn gave other tips for the younger generation, such as how to keep in mind the amount that is needed to pay off student loans and accept that tradeoffs are necessary in balancing work and family. The discussion also touched on the difference between working for the betterment and equalization of women and men's roles through structural changes versus only personal changes of learning to balance home and work. They spoke on how structural changes, meaning the expectations such as work schedule and amount of responsibility placed on workers, must better correlate with wages and lesser gender discrimination. Small spoke about how corporations have begun to try to ignore, or do not formally take into account, gender role differences. For one, he cited "parental leave" used an alternative to "maternity leave" and said he supports a protocol that does not force workers to disclose the reasons for their work hours or penalize for them. Small spoke on the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 as one means still working toward lessening gender discrimination in the workforce now that women are gaining more access to different work opportunities. "I think [Friedan] was scared. [Friedan had] tried to join the communist party, and was a writer for the largest communist dominated union in the U.S.; had people known that, The Feminine Mystique would have been trashed," said Horowitz. "I am enormously grateful to Friedan for her courage and intelligence; she was a singular American woman," said Salper, adding how far women have come from Friedan's period when the word "gender" didn't even exist. The audience was invited to take down any questions on index cards during a brief intermission, and a question-and-answer session with the audience followed. "I think it was great to hear Ms. Dorn speak about how ... the pressure is not just on young women, but on the younger generation to be more motivated. There's a huge misconception that the structure is fine and that it's just the workforce that's wrong, but the structure is definitely in need of fixing," said attendee Omar Sedky '15 in an interview with the Justice. Sedky also expressed his surprise in hearing how panelists of the older generation had a lot to say relevant to the younger generation. "What we're trying to do at BOLLI is to have more intergenerational involvement ... We want the students to be more aware that we're there," said BOLLI event coordinator Phyllis Cohen '62, in an interview with the Justice. BOLLI not only provides adults in the area with a range of services including access to courses by Brandeis faculty, but also interacts with Brandeis students through programs such as mentoring and a program for international graduate students at Brandeis.
(10/08/13 4:00am)
Medical Emergency Sept. 30-A student in Usen Hall reported having flu-like symptoms. University Police responded and the student was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 30-A parent of a first-year student in Deroy Hall reported that her daughter suffered a leg injury several days before that potentially resulted in a blood clot. BEMCo and University Police responded to treat the student, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Oct. 1-The Waltham Fire Department received a report of an injured student in the woods next to North Quad. University Police responded along with the Fire Department to reach the student who remained on the opposite side of the fence. Oct. 2-A staff member at Mailman House requested an ambulance to transport a student to McLean Hospital. University Police assisted. Oct. 2-A student was reported to have fainted at the Spingold Theater Center. BEMCo responded and treated the student, who refused further treatment. Oct. 3-A female first-year student in Usen Hall experienced severe oblique pain and requested BEMCo. BEMCo responded and the student refused further treatment. Oct. 5-A student notified University Police that there was an unresponsive, intoxicated female student in Deroy Hall. BEMCo and University Police responded, and after treatment, the student refused further care. Oct. 5-BEMCo was on hand at the fall concert in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Ceter to respond to an intoxicated female student. The student was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Traffic Oct. 2-A former student reported that her vehicle was hit in a parking spot near Usen Castle. University Police responded and compiled a report on the incident. Oct. 3-A student notified University Police that a vehicle struck a parked car in Tower Lot and immediately left the scene. University Police apprehended the suspect in Charles River Lot, revoked that student's registration and towed the car to the Stoneman bulding until further notice. University judicial charges are expected to be filed. Oct. 3-A student reported that a suspect vehicle struck an automobile near the loading dock adjacent to Sherman Dining Hall. University Police responded and compiled a report on the incident. Disturbance Oct. 5-A reporting party notified University Police of persistent screaming and the additional sound of a baseball bat hitting someone near Hamilton Road. University Police and Waltham Police checked each side of the park, and after an extensive search, found that children were just playing in the area. Miscellaneous Oct. 2-An alarm company notified University Police that an alarm was set off for the ATM in the Usdan Student Center. University Police responded and reported that the ATM was, in fact, just in supervisory mode. * -compiled by Adam Rabinowitz
(10/07/13 4:00am)
Walk through any building or open space on campus, including a classroom, and many of the students you'll see will be absorbed in a laptop, smartphone or other device. Too often, you'll see friends out to dinner sitting around the table tapping away instead of interacting with each other. Visit a thriving online community like Reddit, and you'll find countless users (many of whom are young people) making jokes about how they haven't been outside in days because they're so consumed with the Internet, gaming and other virtual pursuits. It sounds like a sitcom joke, but this kind of situation is all to real. Our entitled, instant gratification-generation needs self-control. We need to take walks, read books; we need to look up and interact with the world beyond the screens in front of our faces, because out there is where life takes place. Of course, all of these technological amenities are fantastic innovations, and they have undoubtedly made our lives richer in countless ways. But there's clearly a dark side that many young people choose to ignore in a cavalier manner. To me, the scariest thing is that we're the guinea pigs. Our parents spent their childhoods and teenage years completely without computers and the Internet and have only adopted these technologies in middle age. In addition to these harms that we'll suffer, we have no idea how our constant use of gadgets and screens will affect our physical, mental and social health. Personally, I'm worried about my eyes. According to WebMD, "Between 50 and 90 percent of people who work at a computer screen have at least some symptoms of eye trouble," and people who spend similarly large amounts of time playing video games can also experience eye problems. There's a documented medical issue called computer vision syndrome, which is even discussed on the American Optometric Association website. But perhaps more seriously, it's also true that people can suffer emotional harm by distancing themselves from reality, and many college students will tell you of someone whose social life has fallen apart, replaced by League of Legends or fantasy football. Internet addiction is a serious issue, and one study by Aviv Weinstein at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Israel cites its prevalence in the United States and Europe as being as high as 8.2 percent. Excessive computer use and addiction can lead to mental disorders like depression, anxiety and sleep disorders, with one study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine suggesting that to prevent such problems, adult workers should be limited to less than five hours a day on their computers. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'm not standing on very solid ground from which to lecture. I spend much more time than I should playing video games, watching streaming sports and browsing social networking sites, sinking into this alternate world to relax, escape and discover-and subsequently starting to lose the ability to do so elsewhere. It's a dangerous precedent to set for myself and for our generation. To use a clich?(c) often employed by lawyers, Internet addiction can be a slippery slope to an empty, self-centered life. As suggested by the researchers in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine study, I believe that the solution is moderation. When I was a child, my parents placed a "screen time" limit on me, shutting me off after I had spent one or two hours playing games on the computer or watching TV. These days, I sometimes wish I still had some force in my life to do the same; I find it incredibly difficult to monitor and regulate myself. I'm going to try to, though. For an Environmental Studies class I'm taking this semester, I have an assignment for which I am asked to find a "place in the woods" and visit it every few weeks, sketching plants and trees and jotting down my observations. The first time I went out into the Sachar Woods, and I stayed for an hour and a half, enjoying the foliage, the weather and most of all, the quiet. As I was leaving the woods and walking back to campus, I realized with an uncomfortable jolt that I couldn't remember the last time I had gone hiking, taken a walk in the woods or even passed a few hours without thinking about things tied to the virtual world. I'm not going to go "cold turkey" and stop using my computer or the Internet altogether. I am, however, going to try to use them more moderately. Real life is too beautiful and vibrant to constantly ignore.
(10/07/13 4:00am)
Unlike indoor and outdoor track, cross-country is a sport that features different courses for runners every week. The women's cross-country team is showing, this season, that it doesn't matter where the course is-they still have the ability to emerge victorious. Led by Amelia Lundkvist '14, who finished second overall and first among Division III competitors, the women took the Keene State Invitational by seven points. Host Keene State University was second with 59 points. "The race went very well I think," said Lundkvist. "We got out a lot better and faster than [our meet at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth] and moved up [past our competitors] quickly and fairly easily. As we moved up, we had people to [chase] so that made it go by fast. The finish was tough, but other than that it was a very solid race for us as a team." Additionally, the men took second to Keene State, racking up 58 points to the Owls' 24. The University of Southern Maine was third, finishing 10 points behind the Judges with 68. Lundkvist toured the five-kilometer course in 18 minutes, 46 seconds. Yet, while Lundkvist has been leading the pack for her team this year, she wasn't the only Judge to have a good day. Rookie Maddie Dolins '17 was third, just eight seconds behind Lundkvist. Kelsey Whitaker '16 completed Brandeis' sweep of places two, three and four, coming in at 19:04. On a day where Victoria Sanford '14, who is usually one of the Judges' top-three finishers, was absent, the Judges were able to get some scoring help from the team's younger runners. Ashley Piccirillo-Horan '17 successfully broke the 20-minute barrier as Brandeis' fourth runner, taking 15th overall with a time of 19:46. Kate Farrell '17 rounded out the scoring for the Judges. She completed the course in 20:28, good for 34th place. Though the men didn't take the team victory, they managed to upt forth a promising performance despite challenging circumstances. With Ed Colvin '14-who is usually the Judges' top runner-injured, Jarret Harrigan '15 was the first finisher for the men, taking sixth place overall. Harrigan covered the tough, eight-kilometer course in 27:04. Even with Colvin absent, the men showed their strength. Quinton Hoey '17, who was second on the team to Harrigan at a Sept. 21 meet at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, was also the second Brandeis runner across the line, taking 11th place in 27:27. Michael Rosenbach '15 took 14th overall, timing in at 27:42. Rookie Matt Doran '17 was close behind Rosenbach, placing 17th in 27:56. Grady Ward '16 rounded out the scoring for the men, putting all five competitors in the top 20 and taking 19th overall in 28:01. Though the Judges' team performance indicated obvious strengths, they still have the potential to improve. "Last week was an easier week," said Lundkvist. "Most of the girls only did five miles per day, which is less than what we normally do for a normal week of training. Now we're beginning to pick it up again. We should be back to 55-60 [miles] this week and getting back to regular mileage." In addition to upping their training, the Judges are getting excited for competitive meets ahead in their schedule. "A lot of the good New England schools will be at [our next meet at Connecticut College.] We're really excited to race there and see what we can do against some of the best teams in our region. Looking forward to [Division III New England] Regionals, we're obviously hoping to be one of the top seven teams [which advance to the NCAA Division III Championship], but we're just going to do our best and see what happens." Though ultimately the team's training will be the decisive factor on their fitness heading into the larger meets, Lundvist believes that the Judges' attitude is in the right place as well. "We are feeling good," she said. "We are definitely excited to show what we can do. I think we're going to surprise a lot of people." The Judges will race on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Connecticut College Invitational. *
(10/01/13 4:00am)
Medical Emergency Sept. 23-University Police received a report that a female had a lacerated hand. BEMCo and University Police responded and the party was treated on-scene and eventually transported to an urgent care facility. Sept. 23-University Police received a report that a student hit his head on a concrete slab while playing sports and received a small cut over his left eye. BEMCo and University Police responded, and the party was transported to the hospital for further care. Sept. 25-University Police and BEMCo responded to a student having an allergic reaction. The student was treated on-scene and transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Sept. 26-University Police received a report of a female student who had sustained a head injury while playing soccer. BEMCo responded and the student refused further treatment. Sept. 26-University Police received a report of a female student with a knee injury. BEMCo responded and the student refused further treatment. Sept. 28-A student reported that she felt dizzy and had a headache. BEMCo treated the student on-scene and she was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Disturbance Sept. 25-University Police responded to a call from Sherman Dining Hall, where there was a problem with an employee who was being terminated. Police issued a no trespass warning to the party, who departed without incidence. Sept. 26-A party reported that a parent stated that he was trying to contact his daughter in her dormitory. The reporting party refused to let the parent enter the building. The custodian from the building reported that the male spoke to his daughter and left the building, with no further action taken by University Police. Sept. 27-University Police received a complaint of loud music coming from the Foster Mods. University Police on scene advised residents to shut off the music, and they complied. Sept. 28-University Police received a report of a loud party at Charles River Apartments. Upon arrival of University Police, the party was dispersed by the Community Advisor on duty. Sept. 28-University police received a report of loud music at Charles River Apartments. University Police advised the residents to shut off the music, and they complied. Assault Sept. 23-University Police received a report that a female student had been a victim of domestic assault on campus. When officers arrived, the student refused to cooperate with the police and demanded that the officers leave. The Community Development Coordinator on call was notified of the incident. Traffic Sept. 23-A party reported that his University-operated vehicle was struck by another vehicle. University Police reported that the non-University vehicle was at fault, but no damage was done to the University vehicle. Larceny Sept. 25-University Police witnessed a student using bolt cutters to cut the lock off someone else's locker in the men's locker room in Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. A report was filed and the incident is being investigated. Drugs Sept. 28-A community advisor reported that parties might be smoking marijuana outside a dormitory. When University Police arrived, the area was vacant. -compiled by Sam Mintz
(09/30/13 4:00am)
For Katy Dowling '15, vice-president of the Brandeis crew team, the sport is a family affair. The first annual Alumni Regatta on Saturday presented an opportunity for first-year novices to watch the proverbial "family" unite in memorable fashion. "This provided a valuable opportunity for novice [first-year] rowers to really see how rowing can affect you for the rest of your lives and gave them an opportunity to see their first race," Dowling wrote. In total, 22 alumni returned to compete in the day-long event, and it was as if they never left. "This gave alumni who haven't had a chance to row for many years to get back on the water with people they spent five (sometimes six) days a week with," she said. Dowling she said primarily recruited members of the Class of 2008 to row in the regatta, but there were a few special guests at the ceremony. These guests included Laura Hand '11, a member of Community Rower Inc., a non-profit rowing club located on the Charles River in Boston; novice coach Jeremy Asch '12; and Mei Ling Caldera '11. The novices had been particularly impressed by the appearance of Caldera, who is an educational expert on coxing and well-known among the professional community. "The novice coxswains were very excited to meet Mei Ling, as they had heard about her and read her book," Dowling stated. "They were a bit star-struck to meet her, and their enthusiasm was obvious." Steve Simons '88, a member of the first rowing class at Brandeis, attended the event. For Dowling, it could not have been more fitting that he had the opportunity to see his namesake boat, "The First Class," race. The novices also came to witness these rowers in action, and they certainly witnessed an exciting race. Five teams competed in the one-kilometer race, and while the competitors were close, one boat managed to edge out the rest for first place. Brett Wu '08, Dan Boldyrev '09, Ben Pernick '09, Jeremy Gottlieb '10 and Brontte Hwang '15, who coxed, crossed the finish line in three minutes, 55 seconds to earn top honors. Greg Ryan '12, Jeremy Asch '12, Justin Lambert '12 and Jorge Ascencio '12, with Caldera bringing up the rear as coxswain, took second. Andy Hyde '12, Avital DeSharon '12, Bill Ennis '12, Alex Barnett '11 and Megan Carden '15 as coxswain, rounded out the top three teams. Yet, the biggest surprise of the day for novices and alumni alike may have been at the post-race barbeque in the Napoli Room. University President Frederick Lawrence arrived to note his pride in the crew team's accomplishments and also encouraged novices to partake in this storied tradition. According to Dowling, he discussed how "rowing is a sport that pits a person against both time and gravity ... this is a sport about bettering ourselves, and competing against ourselves."
