(10/15/13 4:00am)
The University hired Lisa Boes as the new dean of Academic Services on Oct. 10, after Kim Godsoe was promoted to be the assistant provost for academic affairs over the summer. Boes will assume her position on Nov. 4. Boes previously served as the Allston Burr resident dean for Pforzheimer House at Harvard University since 2007. Godsoe, now the assistant provost for academic affairs, had served as dean of Academic Services since 2006. The dean of Academic Services oversees the University's undergraduate advising programs and other important academic support services, including first-year faculty advising, Brandeis Undergraduate Group Study and the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program. "I had been looking for a position that focused on advising at a small liberal arts institution," wrote Boes in an email to the Justice. "Brandeis' social justice mission makes this feel like a particularly good fit for me," Boes added. "I am looking forward to bringing my student development background to looking across them as well as my experiences with collaborating with administrative staff and faculty," said Boes. "I'm very excited about Lisa [Boes]. I think she brings a wonderful range of experiences, particularly in academic advising, but she also has significant work in pre-health advising, disability advising and fellowship services," said Godsoe in an interview with the Justice. Godsoe called Boes "creative" and "collaborative" in an interview with the Justice, referring to her work developing a sophomore advising program at Harvard University. Boes has a bachelor's degree in botany and a master's degree in student personnel from Miami University in Ohio. She received a Ph.D. in learning and teaching from Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Godsoe said the position has changed slightly since she held it. The Office of Study Abroad and International Students and Scholars Office are now under the purview of the provost. In an email announcement to the faculty, Godsoe thanked Profs. Charles McClendon (FA), Wendy Cadge (SOC), Ellen Wright (PSYC), Hollie Harder (ROMS), Susan Parker (MATH) and James Morris (BIOL) for their assistance with the search.
(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)
The special election for the four unfilled positions of associate justice, Village Quad senator, Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program senator and off-campus senator took place last Wednesday, leaving only three of these positions filled. Luky Guigui '15 was elected associate justice. Guigui won against seven other candidates with 24 percent of the vote, or 138 votes. Abstain came in second with 90 votes, or 16 percent of the vote. "I hope that I will be able to use my new position to be as fair as possible and to ensure that the proper decisions are made for any case that comes before the Judiciary," Guigui wrote in an email to the Justice. "I am also a strong believer in compromise and mediation and I hope that when needed I will be able to use those methods in order to end conflicts respectfully and responsively to benefit all parties involved." Bowen Li '16 was elected Village senator with 20 votes, or 44 percent. Abstain came in second with 17 votes, or 38 percent. Li was unable to be reached for comment before press time. The MKTYP senatorial position was filled by Jennifer Almodovar (MKTYP) with 64 percent of vote, which accounted for nine votes. The special election for MKTYP senator was held due to a technical error that occurred in the first election. For the other positions, however, the special election was required because the abstain option received the most votes during the initial elections. "I look forward to learning new things and to make this a better campus for us all along with the rest of the Student Union," Almodovar wrote in an email to the Justice. Almodovar added that she plans to talk to fellow students about any concerns that they have to get a better idea what changes they would like to see implemented. "As I've said before, one of my main goals is to make sure that we all have the best experience possible here at Brandeis," she wrote. "I ran for this position to serve my classmates, and I am glad I have been given the opportunity to do so." The off-campus senator position will remain unfilled despite the fact that three candidates were running for the position, as the abstain option received the most votes, 25, which was 28 percent of the vote. According to Student Union Secretary Sneha Walia '15, constitutionally, there can be one more additional special election. However, according to Walia, the Union executive board decided to postpone holding another election for the position until the beginning of the spring 2014 semester when the mid-year senator elections take place. The position will remain unfilled until the election occurs in the spring.
(10/07/13 4:00am)
This weekend, the Brandeis Theater Company put on a simultaneously comedic and heartbreaking performance of Anton Chekhov's masterpiece, The Seagull. The play was originally written in Russian and first staged in 1896. This weekend, it was directed by Shira Milikowsky, performed mainly by third-year Masters of Fine Arts students and a few undergraduates. The material for this performance was newly translated by Brandeis' own Ryan McKittrick, an assistant professor of Theater Arts, and Julia Smeliansky, an administrative director at the American Repertory Theater and at the Moscow Art Theater School Institute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard University. This new translation did not sound as though it was written in the late 19th century, a fact that McKittrick accounted for in an interview with BrandeisNOW. McKittrick said that the translation is "not so contemporary it sounds like it happened yesterday, but it's not antiquated." The new modernized translation breathed some new life into the 117-year-old play and made it more accessible for today's audience. The play features an artistic cast of characters, including both writers and actors, living together for the summer on an estate in the countryside, where elderly and sickly Pyotr Sorin, played by Alex Jacobs, MFA '14, a friend of some, family of others, is staying. The play follows these characters as they wrestle with their relationships with themselves as well as others, as they try to find their places in the world. Sara Schoch, MFA '14, portraying the overly dramatic and self-obsessed ex-actress Irina, was able to swing between drastically different emotions with ease, and use passionate body movement to make her character come to life. Eddie Shields, MFA '14 showed the complexity of the tortured, unloved and self-loathing Kostantin. Shields perfectly embodied his character's struggles and progression into what looked like insanity. Toward the end of the performance, Shield's representation of Konstantin's insanity was so frightening and realistic that I jumped a few times in my seat at his loud and anguished outbursts filled with pain. The real genius of the show was that it was able to discuss such dark and weighty subjects such as suicide, loss of innocence, and heartbreak without being unbearably depressing. In fact, the performance was humorous. At many instances during the play the audience laughed out loud as the performance made fun of theatrical conventions, and characters made fools of themselves. Comical one-liners such as when Masha, played by Laura Jo Trexler, MFA '14, a cynical woman haunted by her unrequited love, says sincerely, "When I get married I won't have time to think about love," speckled the show and received laughs from the crowd. These funny instances lightened up the performances and story lines. The play overtly alludes to the symbolism of the seagull again and again, but each mention added nuance to the symbol. The first mention of the seagull was when young and na??ve Nina says to her boyfriend, "I am drawn here to the lake like a seagull." This romantic image is later thwarted when Konstantin kills a seagull, places it at his girlfriend's feet and reflects that he may kill himself just as he has killed the seagull. This scene foreshadows Konstantin's attempt and failure to kill himself, and later, his successful suicide. At the end, one of the characters stuffs Konstantin's seagull, reflecting the characters' struggles throughout the play to fill their lives with the meaning it lacks. The set was very minimal. I thought the blank backdrop with the projected lights was a surprising choice. The setting of the play in the beautiful countryside would have been the perfect opportunity for a scenic background but the company interestingly decided to forgo a backdrop altogether. Instead, the cast successfully contrasted between the outdoor estate by the lake and the inside of a residence with the use of large translucent curtains. This play was definitely not a slave to convention as Konstantin worries his own play may be. The Seagull was like nothing that I had ever seen. I look forward to the Brandeis Theater Company continuing its practice of adapting classic plays to entertain contemporary audiences.
(10/07/13 4:00am)
This Thursday evening, a group of eager students poured into the Edie and Lew Wasserman Cinematheque for one of the latest screenings presented by the Wasserman Fund and the Film, Television and Interactive Media Program. Juche Strong is a 2013 documentary short that takes viewers inside North Korea. Filmmaker Rob Montz attended the screening and stayed afterward for a special talkback with Prof. Heyward Parker James (HIST), an expert on Asian history.
(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)
How does caffeine give us energy? Why do we sneeze? What causes a brain freeze when we eat cold food too fast? If you've ever asked yourself these questions or wondered about the science behind parts of your day-to-day life, you may find answers on Bite Sci-zed, the YouTube channel that Alex Dainis '11 has created. In the spirit of making education available without barriers, Dainis has created a series of free science-related educational videos on her YouTube channel, Bite Sci-zed. Like its name suggests, Bite Sci-zed provides "short, informative, informational science videos" about interesting topics that will be "open and accessible to anyone, no matter what their scientific background," Dainis said. Bite Sci-zed currently has around 15,000 subscribers and is approaching one million channel views. Much of the videos' subject matter comes from "questions or conversations that I have with my friends," she said. For instance, "I was standing around with a bunch of co-workers who were talking about motion sickness, and I thought that was a really cool question, so I went and researched it and made a video." Other Bite Sci-zed videos are inspired by science-related current events or news stories. A key aspect of Bite Sci-zed is that it remains a free resource. "I am really a huge believer in the fact that my videos should be free and open to everyone .... Education is not something that should be restricted to people who can pay for it, especially on the Internet," she said. "I want my videos to be open and ready to spread science to anyone with an Internet connection." Though Bite Sci-zed is not Dainis' main focus-she just started at Stanford University, where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in genetics-it is a significant time commitment. If a video is about a subject that Dainis knows well, it may take five hours to make it. If a subject requires a lot of research, it may take Dainis up to 20 hours to create it. Dainis makes all the videos by herself and does all research on her own. Dainis was inspired to start Bite Sci-zed partly as a result of her studies as a Brandeis undergraduate. Dainis double-majored in Biology and Film, Television, and Interactive Media. Her time as a teaching assistant at an undergraduate biology lab "led [her] to realize how much [she] loved teaching and explaining science to people," she said. Dainis spent two years working in Prof. Paul Garrity's (BIOL) lab at Brandeis, where she "fell in love with research, which inspired [her] to go to graduate school," she said. These two unique interests combined helped her create Bite Sci-zed. After graduating from Brandeis, "I was working in film, but I missed teaching people about science," she said, "I love watching the light bulb go off while people learn. I thought I could combine the film stuff and the science and reach people all around the world." Dainis generally tries to aim her videos towards high school or college-age students, but tries to make them accessible to people of varying levels of education. "If you have no background, you should be able to jump right in. And if you know a lot and have a much stronger background, you can still jump in," she said. To keep viewers interested, the videos are staged in a variety of different settings and incorporate many different types of visuals. A video explaining how brain freeze works, for instance, starts out in a kitchen with Dainis making a smoothie. Audience interaction is a big part of the channel: Bite Sci-zed has been viewed in 204 countries and territories. Viewers may notice that many of the videos have subtitles in other languages. Currently, there are videos subtitled in French, Spanish, Hebrew and Russian. Dainis did not originally plan to include subtitles. "The subtitling is actually all viewer-generated. I've had people step up and ask 'Do you mind if I subtitle?'" she said. The impact her videos can have on her audience is one of the most special parts of the experience for Dainis. "I have a really cool community of people who watch," she said. Her favorite messages are the ones she gets from students and teachers. She loves to hear that Bite Sci-zed videos got students interested in science or helped them understand science better. "The fact that a teacher has thought that my video is interesting and education enough to share with students is huge to me. It's the biggest compliment I can get," Dainis said. Dainis' long-term goal after graduate school "is to go into some sort of public science education through film. I really love spreading science to other people. I think it's i-mportant to get it out to as many people as possible," she said. Having knowledge about science, she said, can help people make better decisions. "Knowing just a little more about science can help every moment of your day, from deciding which medications to take, to what food to eat, to how to vote," she said. "If the entire public knows a little more about science, it helps society out. I want to break down the fear people have towards science," she said.
(10/04/13 4:00am)
"I am the smartest man alive!"
(10/01/13 4:00am)
Experiences are shaped by race What this article doesn't take into consideration is that one's ideas are formulated in part, if not very significantly, by their experiences. Since we do not live in a color-blind society in which one's character is treated as more important than their race, people's experiences are significantly shaped by their race especially if they come from a historically disenfranchised minority group. Thus, to say that "proper diversity is based on ideas, not race" is fallacious given that racism did not disappear overnight once the Civil Rights Act was passed, nor did it disappear when Obama was elected president. I know you didn't say it, but that is an implicit view that many have in this country. -Michael Piccione '15 Race in apps furthers racist agenda In response to your article "Proper diversity is based in ideas, not race" (Sept. 24): Articles such as Mr. Fried's show once more why I am proud to be an alumnus of a university that has such a student newspaper. This analysis is such a sight for sore eyes! It echoes the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s proposition made 50 years ago last month that people "should not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character," a philosophy that has surely gotten lost in America's continuing obsession with race, an obsession Dr. King wanted to end, not propagate. I find triumphant Mr. Fried's call for the elimination of racial analysis check boxes on applications and forms. Such a device is the furtherance of a racist agenda. We can paraphrase George Orwell here: all races are equal, but some races are more equal than others. -Paul Trusten '73 Race is tangible part of identity In response to your article "Proper diversity is based in ideas, not race" (Sep. 24): As a black student at Brandeis this piece makes me really uncomfortable, but I think the main problem is that the author seems to believe that race is just "skin deep" and that it only has to do with the color of people's skin. Race is a very tangible part of people's identity that has very real effects on their lives, and puts "racial minorities" at risk for systematic and institutionalized racism and discrimination. Eliminating practices that support racialized people will not do anything to make Brandeis or anywhere else a "diverse, tolerant, and inclusive" place. Race is not skin deep and the programs you suggest getting rid of are necessary to address the racial inequalities prevalent in American higher education. -Zuri Gordon '15
(10/01/13 4:00am)
Race should not matter. Race is a socially constructed concept with no biological bearing on our characters, abilities, friendships, values or accomplishments. Ideally, humans should see one another simply as expressions of love. However, we do not live in a post-racial society. Race and ethnicity still contribute to what obstacles or opportunities one receives. Race and ethnicity are also crucial to diversity counter to what the writer of "Proper diversity is based on ideas, not race" (Sept. 24) concludes.
(10/01/13 4:00am)
Members and alumni of the Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program attended a celebration of the newly-named program last Tuesday. During the event, which took place at New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's house, Tom Brady walked in holding his three-year-old son Benjamin. Holding Benjamin's shoes, Brady addressed the students, giving them a short, inspirational speech and calling them the "leaders of tomorrow." Brady also praised Myra Kraft '64, a Brandeis alumna and former trustee who passed away in 2011, calling her a "wonderful woman," and telling the students that they "should be really proud to be associated with her name," according to a BrandeisNOW release from last Wednesday. Robert Kraft gave five million dollars earlier this year to rename the TYP for his wife. According to the Brandeis website, the TYP was founded in 1968. The one-year program admits 20 students each year, chosen from about 200 applicants each year, with unique circumstances, ranging from "having to work long hours while attending high school, tak[ing] on family leadership roles in their households, or surviv[ing] a conflict in their native country," according to Program Director Erika Smith in an email to the Justice. The students take a mixture of regular undergraduate classes and specially designed non-credit courses aimed at introducing them to the rigor needed to succeed at Brandeis. After Brady spoke to the students in Kraft's living room, Kraft led the group of current TYP scholars and alumni to his patio, according to TYP alumnus Edwin Gonzalez '14, who attended the event. Once outside, Kraft spoke about the work that Myra did throughout her life and at Brandeis and told an anecdote about the day that she proposed to him. University President Frederick Lawrence also spoke, as did TYP alumnus Jermaine Hamilton '14. Smith said that she was happy for the media attention that the event received. "I am thrilled to see [the TYP scholars] recognized for all of their accomplishments," she wrote. "As an institution, Brandeis ... really sets itself apart from its peer institutions with this level of commitment to access and equity in education." Gonzalez was similarly full of praise for the TYP. "I think that it is a wonderful experience that should be expanded or at least adopted by other elite universities," he wrote in an email to the Justice. He also gave an example of a concrete way that the TYP helped him adjust to Brandeis. He wrote, "One of the basic requirements for graduation is the [University Writing Seminar] course. During my transitional year, I took two courses (not for credit) that were structured like a UWS course. In my second MKTYP semester, we focused on writing a lens essay specifically. My writing and editing abilities increased tenfold because of the program. I breezed through my actual UWS course." A Boston-area native, Gonzalez said that the Kraft's philanthropy goes beyond Brandeis. "As a senior in high school I was awarded the Kraft Family scholarship which I used to purchase my laptop. That money helped me start off my MKTYP experience on the right foot so I am extremely grateful to them. I love the philanthropic work that Myra always did and I am sad to have never met her," he wrote. Smith also pointed to the generosity of the Kraft family and the impact they have had on Brandeis. "It is because of supporters like the Krafts that Brandeis is able have the strong orientation toward social justice that it does," she wrote. "The Krafts serve as role models for generosity and selflessness to the students in the program, as well as to many others throughout the Brandeis community," Smith added. "Their dedication to efforts intended to level the playing field for people who show admirable strength of character will reverberate throughout the world for a great many years to come." *
(10/01/13 4:00am)
Michael Corn has been selected to be Brandeis' new chief information security and privacy officer and deputy chief information officer, according to a Sept. 26 email to the Brandeis community from Vice Provost, Chief Information Officer and University Librarian John Unsworth. In an interview with the Justice, Corn said that he will begin his position at Brandeis on Nov. 11. In the month before he starts working at Brandeis, Corn said he will continue his job at the University of Illinois as chief information security officer for the three-campus system and chief information security and privacy officer for the Champaign-Urbana campus. Corn's job responsibilities at Brandeis will include overseeing information security staff and supervising two of the divisions in Library and Technology Services, network and systems, and administrative and library information systems, according to Unsworth in an email to the Justice. Corn will also be responsible for replacing former information security staff member George Moore, who now is only an occasional consultant, wrote Unsworth. Unsworth worked with Corn for a short period at the University of Illinois, Corn's current employer, though Corn did not report to him, stated Unsworth in his email to The Justice. Their positions overlapped on a project to establish information technology governance for the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, explained Unsworth. Due to this connection, wrote Unsworth, "I recused myself from the early stages of the hiring process and didn't take part until the search committee ... had selected a short list of three finalists." Though Unsworth made the final hiring decision, "The search committee and others who participated in the campus visits of the short-list candidates were unanimous in recommending [Corn] as the first choice," wrote Unsworth. At Brandeis, Corn said that he plans to help manage the privacy and security of the University's network. Corn explained that university networks are designed to be very open, embracing "a huge variety of communication pathways" within the University community and connecting it to the outside world. "Our institutions are predicated on the idea of the free exchange of information," he said, and they have "more in common with small cities than ... with companies." Corn described such open networks as not occasionally but continually under attack. At the University of Illinois, Corn said there are often millions of attacks in one day. "Technology has far eclipsed the legal framework protecting confidential information," Corn said. "There is no activity a university engages in that isn't mediated by technology." The University's role in response to attacks on the network, explained Corn, is not just to protect, but also "to demonstrate ... respect for the community by protecting confidential information." Students and professors share a lot of confidential information via the network, he explained, so there is a "covenant with students and staff to protect that information." As deputy chief information officer, Corn will also have a leadership role in the University's new IT governance process, according to Unsworth in his community-wide email. The website for the Brandeis Library and Technology Service defines IT governance as "a system for having campus-wide conversations about [Brandeis'] collective priorities and investments in IT infrastructure, services, and policy," so as to determine "how best to use technology in support of academic and administrative goals of our university." Corn added that there "needs to be a close relationship between governance groups and LTS." Corn said he applied to the position at Brandeis after searching for jobs on the east coast for quite some time, particularly at small schools. The position at Brandeis was "exactly the type of position I was looking for," he said. He stated an appreciation of the "premium" Brandeis "puts on the larger mission for education." The strategic plan, he noted as an example, "hits all the right notes" and aims to accomplish a "larger mission in the world." He added that he was likely attracted to the school for much the same reason as Brandeis students. "I am really looking forward to working at an institution that was founded with a sincere focus on the student as a member of a global society," Corn stated.
(09/30/13 4:00am)
This week, justArts sat down with Sally Pinkas, professor of music and artist-in-residence at Dartmouth College, to discuss her upcoming concert in honor of the late Harold Shapero, former Brandeis music professor and composer. Just Arts: How did you know the former Professor Shapero? Sally Pinkas: I was here [at Brandeis] as a student, and when I came I wasn't sure whether I was going to be a pianist or a composer, and I was very interested in theory. I had already had a lot of theory. So it was very natural that I would be interacting with all faculty members that had something to do with composition and theory, and, of course, Harold Shapero was then teaching here. So I don't think I've ever taken theory with him, but I was taking some of his graduate seminars, and I think I took his seminar in composition and I have known him for many years. JA: How did you choose the pieces for Saturday? SP: It was not a matter of choosing. It was a matter of what was there because the whole idea for this label was to record something that hasn't been recorded before. So whereas the "Four-Hand" piece has been recorded before, these two solo pieces were never recorded. One of them-there's not even evidence of it ever being premiered. We don't know who premiered it. And the sonata, which was premiered, was premiered in '49 so those were the two works that really needed attention. But any case, when you have a CD, you are looking for a certain amount of time that will fill the CD and so these three works seemed like the most logical ones. JA: Can you give a little insight into his style and some of his influences? SP: Sure, and that's where this is very, very interesting because he was extremely precocious as a musician. So the early, early works of which the work for "Four-Hands" is ... a very peppy [piece], kind of neoclassical. The other two pieces are quite different and they were surprising to me because he was apparently very much getting involved with the music of Beethoven and other composers. He was thinking of ways of creating large, big structures and so the idioms are quite different. And I did not have any recording to compare notes with. I had to kind of get it from his score and that was kind of fun. JA: Is there something that you would like the audience to take away from Saturday's concert? SP: I think it's like coming full circle because he used to be here and when I started this project he was still alive. I talked to him a couple of times. I didn't get to play for him but we had this concert set for when he was still alive. We were hoping that he would be here. So it turned into a memorial event and that is kind of poignant. I was hoping that he would be here to hear these pieces. JA: What has your experience been like playing in a duo with your husband? SP: That's a whole other topic! We each have our separate lives, careers and we do solos and other stuff. But a while back, the person who was my programming director at the Hopkins Center [for the Arts at Dartmouth], because ... I'm both a professor but I'm also an artist-in-residence, so I play there regularly, and my boss said, "Why don't you play with Evan?" and at that time we never played together. So 10 years into our being together, we started playing together, and we thought we would just do it for one night but then it went on. And it's not easy working with one's husband. And me being Israeli, I was pretty rude initially, but I think we worked into a pretty good routine, and we enjoy it. For instance, we travel a fair amount as a duo. I just am making plans; we are going to be playing and teaching in Vietnam in December. We will be doing stuff both [in] Ho Chi Minh City and in Hanoi. And the fun thing is that we love working with each other but then we get to have fun after the concerts. We also get to travel together. So if you can find a good way of working with your spouse, it's a wonderful thing. I'd much rather tour with him than as a soloist. It's very unpleasant to tour as a soloist because you have to deal with everything by yourself, and it's a lot of tension, and this is a lot more fun. *
(09/24/13 4:00am)
Last Wednesday, elections for vacant Senate and Executive Board positions, including the newly-vacated position of treasurer, took place. The results of the election were released late Wednesday night. Roughly 1,132 students voted in this election, according to the Union's calculated results. Micah Lehmann '15 was elected treasurer, with 35 percent of the vote, or 359 votes to runner-up Harry Greenberg's '15 323. Lehmann could not be reached for comment by press time. Naomi DePina '16 was elected senator-at-large. The other senator-at-large seat was filled by Daniel Schwab '14 at the end of the spring 2013 semester. DePina wrote in an email to the Justice that she would like to become active in both diversity and club initiatives. "As a committee member I will plan events to embrace the diversity we have at Brandeis. Moreover, in the clubs and club support committee I will try my best to make it easier for clubs to get funding, and make it easier for students to start new clubs," she wrote. Kathy Nguyen '16 won the Class of 2016 senator seat, which was originally won by Andrew Chang in the spring 2013 elections. However, Chang transferred to the University of Pennsylvania after the elections occurred. Nguyen could not be reached for comment by press time. Erica Barnett and David Heaton won the race for Class of 2017 senator out of the seven candidates. Barnett received the most votes at 110, while Heaton received the second-highest number of votes at 107. Each of the candidates received about 29 percent of the vote. Barnett said that she plans to start talking to students to find out what she should work on as a member of the Senate. "I want to start focusing on developing that community aspect of my class and promoting interaction," she said in an interview with the Justice. She said that she has no specific plans as of now, but wants to talk to members of her class to address concerns as well as create events to increase communication. Heaton could not be reached for comment by press time. The position of racial minority senator was filled by Wei Qian '17, who took 65 percent of the vote. Qian was the sole declared candidate. Qian said that he wants to start a YouTube talk show to get students from different backgrounds to interact and understand each other. "People from different races and cultural backgrounds don't know each other that well ... and I hope to bring people of different cultures together to talk," he said in an interview with the Justice. Andrew Savage '16 filled the East Quad senator position. Savage could not be reached by press time. Henry Snow '17 won the Massell Quad Senate seat. Snow wrote in an email to the Justice that he is excited to start receiving feedback from other students and members of his quad. "[W]hile I was a candidate I wished to keep a relatively simple, easy-to-understand platform, and thus limited my ideas to a select few, but now that I actually have the job I am even more interested in seeking out every possible idea and issue that needs addressing," wrote Snow. Brian Hough '17 won North Quad senator. He could not be reached by press time. Eden Zik '16 was elected as Rosenthal Quad senator. Zik said in an interview with the Justice that he wants to add a weight and cardio room to Rosenthal Quad that more resembles the new fitness room in North Quad. In addition, he said he wants to hold a barbecue for the quad. Ellen Parker '16 was elected Castle senator and Michael Stein '14 was elected as Charles River Apartments/567 senator. They could not be reached by press time. Ethan Levy '15 was elected as Ridgewood Quad senator. Levy said that he first wants to talk to constituents to get a better idea of what they want to see. "I definitely know what to expect in terms of going to the meetings, and what I can and cannot get done. I think I was a little too ambitious last year," he said of his past experience in an interview with the Justice. Wonhee Choi '15 was elected as Ziv Quad senator. Choi wrote in an email to the Justice that he plans to "start integrating [himself] into a couple committees and beginning to collaborate with the Ridgewood quad senator to get some events going between our two quads." Haley Orlofsky '14 was elected as Foster Mods senator. She could not be reached by press time. Positions remain open for Village senator, off-campus senator and associate justice. Abstain received the most votes for all three of these positions. The winner for Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program senator could not be concluded due to a technical error. "[F]or some reason, likely a tech glitch, the ballot did not send," wrote Union Secretary Sneha Walia '15 in an email to the Justice. "I wasn't told about this until after 5 p.m. and, because tech glitches were being worked out collaboratively between me and a woman from the Registrar, I was unable to fix it because the Registrar closes at 5 [p.m.]." A special election will be held on Oct. 2 to determine who will fill this position. According to Walia, no additional candidates will be allowed to run. Only Jennifer Almodovar '17 and Arianna Zelley '17 will be on the ballot. -Tate Herbert, Sam Mintz and Jake Silverman contributed reporting
(09/24/13 4:00am)
Last Tuesday, Sept. 17, Brandeis hosted "Massachusetts Steps Up: Key Sexual and Domestic Violence Issues for College Administrators" in the Hassenfeld Conference Center. The program was aimed at educating administrators from across the state about sexual violence issues and policy on college campuses. The event was organized by the Feminist Sexual Ethics Project at Brandeis, which is directed by Prof. Bernadette Brooten (NEJS), and sponsored by the Governor's Council to Address Sexual and Domestic Violence Higher Education Working Group and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The same event was also held at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst the following day. It focused on "how to translate policy into practice, and practice into policy," as Peggy Barrett, director of prevention and innovation at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center, said during the event. The event called for Massachusetts college administrators to create clear-cut policies, as well as for ways to educate students on them. Michelle Bowdler '82, senior director of health and wellness at Tufts University, said that "it is fitting we are here today at Brandeis because [sexual and domestic violence are] the social justice issue of our time." Barrett cited administrators' moral and legal responsibilities to enact change on campuses, saying, "Our campuses are unsafe. They are unsafe for many of our students, and we need to take this on as our responsibility .... Administrators can do a lot to change what is happening on our campuses. We need to stop excusing sexual aggression, stop excusing ourselves for not knowing what to do; we need to take action here. We need to hold students accountable for their behavior, and we need to figure out how to do that." The event highlighted issues from prevention to support, and featured panels of those experienced in this area. Beth Devonshire, director of student conduct at Bridgewater State University, outlined investigation techniques, as well as a clearly defined misconduct policy, that would best allow a board to make decisions regarding misconduct. "I encourage a student-friendly policy that encourages reporting," said Devonshire. Though she said that instances of assault occur regardless of policy, she said that making what is covered in a school's policy clear will improve instances of reporting. This can include granting amnesty to witnesses or creating a system in which students do not judge these types of cases, according to Devonshire. In addition to focusing on how to make the best policy, the event also focused on prevention, particularly in changing the attitudes present on campuses. Christopher Gilbert, a prevention specialist in the Office of Sexual Assault and Prevention at Harvard University and organizer of the student group Harvard Men Against Rape, said getting men involved was one way to change culture on campus. He said that it is key to approach "gender violence as a men's issue, not to view men on your campus as hostile offenders, because 95 percent are not." "Be explicit that they're not the problem, but that the guys who are the problem use their silence or their apathy to perpetrate," said Gilbert. "We need to change 'I'm not doing anything wrong, that's how I'm going to stop rape on my campus,' to 'what am I going to do from here?'" As part of a Women's and Gender Studies course titled "When Violence Hits Home: Internship in Domestic Violence," students Samantha Daniels '16 and Evelyn Milford '16 assisted at the event as part of their internships within the Department of Public Health. Milford said in an interview with the Justice that the event attracted many people from the area, not just Brandeis administration. "It's focused on a lot of outside people, like from the state department, crisis centers and other universities," she said. Milford also noted that there were more men at the event than she expected to see. Daniels said in an interview with the Justice that she hopes in light of the event, "the responsibility to educate about and prevent sexual assault falls less on students, like [Students Talking About Relationships] ... and more on administration." She said she also hopes for the creation of a men's involvement group and more resources for survivors on campus. *
(09/23/13 4:00am)
The Rose has experienced some serious redecorating. A year ago, the Rose Art Museum exploded with colorful, vibrant artwork and mirrored floors covering the entire front room. But now, the Gerald S. and Sandra Fineberg Gallery, the first exhibit upon entering the museum, features Light Years: Jack Whitten, 1971-1973, curated by the Rose's new curator-at-large, Katy Siegel. This exhibit is far less exuberant than its predecessor and the fun glass floors have been replaced. The abstract painter fits the contemporary atmosphere of the Rose, and it is hard not to be taken aback by the sheer immensity of Whitten's work. Standing at the front of the room, the exhibit is very symmetrical and balanced: two medium-sized works hang on either side of the door on the back wall; the side walls each feature one huge work flanked by smaller pieces, and each side has a glass table display of small works. I think that the symmetry reflects the clean-cut nature of the artwork and also adds balance to the complex colors. Though Whitten has an impressive array of work dating back to the 1960s and was educated at the Cooper Union in New York, the Rose features his work from the early '70s, called Slab paintings because of their size. At this time, he began to further experiment with alternative creative processes and unconventional materials, ultimately creating an artistic technique where he dragged an oversized T-shaped piece of wood across a canvas to create the desired effect of lines. The Alabama native was able to create his own version of abstractionism while escaping from the typical hand-brushed canvas art style. The selection of works are diverse in appearance yet still maintain a sense of continuity. They all have a feeling of austerity, simplicity and organized abstraction, especially in comparison to Walead Beshty's exhibit- the shattered- mirror floor-that previously occupied the space. One work on display, "Third Testing," created in 1972, has a texture similar to concrete pavement, and the brown color with subtle lines running through almost looks like a rock formation. Though simple, the acrylic painting is a good example of Whitten's style and its placement right next to the exhibit description is an ideal introduction. Two of the largest works are entitled "The Pariah Way" and "Asa's Palace," both created in 1973. Both are breathtaking to stand in front of, and you feel fully absorbed by their immensity and beautiful detail. Whitten has a way of maintaining simple and monochromatic works, yet also introducing pops of color that add another layer to the piece. In "The Pariah Way," the use of green, blue and rust color splotches in horizontal layers up the painting creates what looked to me like a skyline. It was my favorite piece in the exhibition and I loved the dark background with patches of muted colors. "Asa's Palace" is a demure pinkish-purple with abstract blobs of yellow throughout. To me, the name is particularly interesting, and I'm left wondering what the story or inspiration is behind it: whether it represents a specific place Whitten has visited or an abstraction of an idea. "The Eighth Furrow," a medium-sized work, stands out with its copper coloring and pounded texture. It is very monochromatic, but the texture offers an interesting depth. Of the smaller works, a set of six "Acrylic Collages" hangs on the walls-colored acrylic pieces arranged abstractly on light brown linen. The collages are pretty much the definition of abstraction, meaning the pieces are open to interpretation of each individual viewer-maybe you see an eye or a bird. The two sets of small series in the exhibit tables on opposite sides of the room are entitled "Cut Acrylic Series" and "Dispersal 'B'." The former are three works of pastel and powdered pig- ment on paper and are mostly black with patches of blue, purple, green and red. A varying amount of the white background is seen, and some areas are darker in color. "Dispersal 'B'" is four works of dry pigment and reflects Whitten's interest in spray and splatter techniques that basically create themselves on the paper. However, in both collections, the glass of the case added a layer of glare and detracted from the overall viewing of the pieces. Whitten's exhibit offers a unique addition to the Rose this semester and is definitely different than its usual modern and contemporary exhibits. While abstract, the paintings all have an air of timelessness and romanticism stemming from the rich, yet muted colors and simplicity. I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit and am looking forward to Jack Whitten's upcoming visit and symposium to the Rose in October.
(09/23/13 4:00am)
The New England Revolution was quite excited to acquire the number-one selection for the Major League Soccer SuperDraft in January. It turns out the squad made a wise investment in right-back Andrew Farrell. A right-back who has started 27 games this season, the 21-year-old Farrell has gained valuable experience in his first year in the MLS. "Growing up in Peru, where soccer is the biggest sport, I played every day after class," said Farrell, a Louisville, Ky. native who lived in South America from ages five to 15 with his parents. "I just played a lot of soccer." Despite his young age, Farrell's pedigree is impressive. A former National Soccer Coaches Association of America First Team All-American at the University of Louisville, he was named Big East Player of the Year as a junior in college, and was an integral part of a team that took part in the NCAA Division I Championship all three years that he played. However, it is his adaptability that is arguably Farrell's biggest asset. After starting his collegiate career as a defensive midfielder, he was switched to center-back and now plays right-back. "I got my technical ability from playing in Peru," he said, explaining that a lot of defenders are mostly known for their physical side of the game. "It's a pretty good level of soccer there, and it's very competitive. Overall, developing that technical ability has helped me throughout my career." When asked who his main influences were, Farrell cited the Revs' head coach Jay Heaps. "[Heaps] played that position in his career," said Farrell. "A lot of what we've talked about is timing. If [left-back] Chris [Tierney] is staying back, I have to go forward and support the attack. When he goes forward, I stay back. When we're chasing the game, we have to support the offense and go forward. [Opponents] can get broken down by us having more numbers up top. "It's kind of like an accordion-when one of us goes somewhere, the other shifts to help out." Though a title such as "number-one draft pick" might come with prestige, Farrell does not let that go to his head. His down-to-earth, driven personality is evident and suggests that his focus and drive have not been altered by the accolades he has received. "At some point, I'd love to represent my country," he said. "Being able to play for my national team would be incredible. As far as my [individual] game goes, I just want to grow offensively-I think my game can still increase a lot in that area. And I'll hopefully get the chance to play in Europe if that opportunity comes." Despite his ambitions, Farrell isn't getting too far ahead of himself, and is appreciative of his current challenge. "I'm happy where I am right now," he said. "I'm in a good place."
(09/17/13 4:00am)
Correction appended. On Sept. 18, the Student Union will hold its fall elections. The positions to be filled include treasurer, associate justice and many senators, including both quad senators and class senators. Harry Greenberg '15 and Micah Lehmann '15, both former assistant treasurers, are running for the treasurer seat recently vacated by the resignation of Sunny Aidasani '14. Lehmann said that his experience with the treasury, as well as his time as vice president and treasurer for the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, make him prepared to step up to a more important job. "All of this experience makes me feel confident in my leadership skills and my ability to bring organization to the treasury of the Brandeis student body," Lehmann wrote in an email to the Justice. Greenberg spoke specifically about his plans to deal with any potential lag created by the resignation of Aidasani. "If elected, I plan to meet right away with my fellow assistant treasurers, [University Budget Analyst] Steve Costa ... and the E-Board in order to get the treasury up and running as soon as possible," he wrote. "Additionally, I will increase the treasury office hours for the first month in order to make up the lost time. Every new treasury faces obstacles during the beginning of the year and while this is a [particularly] large one, I believe that I can get us through this hiccup and have a productive year." Three candidates are running for senator-at-large: Naomi DePina '16, Theo Goetemann '17 and James Polite '15. DePina wrote in an email to the Justice that she wants to improve dining and shuttle services on campus, and help the University embrace diversity. Goetemann wrote that he "will be the most direct voice between our student body and the Brandeis Administration ... I love meeting and talking to new people, joking around with everyone, and hearing what we all have to say." Polite wrote that he wants to extend library hours and solidify Brandeis' position as a leader in sustainability. Class of 2017 There are seven candidates for two Class of 2017 senator seats. David Heaton said that he wants to introduce environmentally friendly initiatives, Class of 2017-specific events, diversified dining options and reasonable Usdan prices. Cindy Xu wrote that she wants to unite the Class of 2017 with field trips, camp fire nights, sports contests between North and Massell and class T-shirts. Erica Barnett wrote in an email to the Justice that she would bring fresh ideas such as proposing enrichment programs that allow students to give back to the community, events that promote cross-cultural communication and outlets for students to de-stress. Liz Washington wrote that she hopes to improve Brandeis' sustainability efforts and make the campus greener. Hee Ju Kang's ideas range from promoting more morale-boosting student activities throughout the year to fighting for better serving sizes in the Usdan Cafe, she wrote in an email to the Justice. Emily Conrad wrote that she wants to try to improve cell phone service on campus and lower food prices in Usdan, as well as adding a link on the Brandeis website homepage to the Brandeis UNet login. Daniel Jaffe said he is looking to take a pragmatic approach and try to solve everyday problems that the Student Union can impact. Quad Senators Victor Zhu '16 and Brian Hough '17 are running against each other for North Quad senator. Zhu said he wants to "spice up life at North" with movie nights and a Halloween trip to Salem, Mass., and says that he wants to "create a connection between me and everyone else who lives in North." Hough wrote he has plans in four specific areas: "regular meetings with faculty members/administration, community service and social justice, quad events and the promotion of a fun and cohesive quad for all." The residents of Massell Quad have proven to be more interested in student government than their North counterparts, as six are running to represent their quad. Among the candidates, Annie Abrams '17 could not be reached by press time. So Jin Chon '17 said he wants to implement movie nights and more interaction between dorms within Massell. Kathryn Semerau '17, a member of the women's soccer team, said she wants to attempt to get better cell phone service in the dorms, create a fitness room and make a listserv to directly communicate with Massell Quad residents. Dennis Averin '17 said he hopes to work on sustainability around campus and any other issues his constituency thinks and decides are important. Jianshuo Qin '17 said he would like to build Massell into a comfortable and harmonic quad, and try to deal with any problems in the quad that arise. Henry Snow '17 will try to improve cell service in dorms, improve dining and library hours, and possibly introduce hammocks. Wei Qian '17, the sole candidate for racial minority senator, talked about promoting communication and understanding among Brandeis students. "Bias and labels can be eliminated only if people truly know each other, not just know as a race, a group, but individually," he wrote. Of the two candidates for two Class of 2016 senator seats, Marlharrissa Lagardere and Kathy Nguyen, only Lagardere could be reached by press time. Lagardere, a Posse scholar, said that she wants to bring a southern flair to campus. "I am running for Class of 2016 senator because I believe in the Class of 2016. There are so many talented individuals just within the Class of 2016 and I've had the pleasure of having several one-on-one encounters with my fellow scholars of various backgrounds," she wrote. The sole candidate for Rosenthal Quad Senator is Eden Zik '16. Ameline Limorin '16 and Ellen Parker '16 are running for Castle Quad senator. Limorin kept it simple in her response to the Justice, saying, "I love the Castle and it's the best place on campus ever. It would be amazing to be the queen, I mean, Castle Quad Senator." Parker, too, expressed her love for the Castle. "I've learned that there's simply too much to say about our quirky character as a dorm-our pie-shaped dwellings, sinks in the rooms, spectacular views of Boston, [Cholmondeley's] and even our own pottery studio," she said. Like the Castle, Ziv Quad will be looking forward to a one-on-one election between Wonhee Choi '15 and Guy Morag '15. Choi said his campaign revolves around adaptability and openness. "While I would function as the voice within the Student Union as senator, what I'm looking to do is [make] it a group effort ... where I look towards other members of the Ziv community to want to talk with me about what they would like to see happen for our quad," he said. Morag, a former combat officer in the Israeli Air Force, shared three specific goals he has if elected: ensuring timely maintenance from facilities, organizing a quad-wide event and working with the Village senator to expand the Village gym. Haley Orlofsky '14 is running unopposed for Foster Mods senator. Jennifer Almodovar '17 is running unopposed for Myra Kraft Transitional Year Program senator. Kira Levin '17 , Jonah Samost '17, Jason Schaff '17 and Tony Tran '17 are running for the one open seat as an associate justice. The candidates for East Quad senator and Charles River Apartments senator could not be reached by press time. - Ellie Benjamin, Brian Budik and Marissa Ditkowsky contributed reporting. Editor's Note: This article has been amended to accurately identify Hee Ju Kang '17. The original text identified Kang with the pronoun "he" when in fact, it should have read "she."
(09/17/13 4:00am)
Imagine having cars that don't rely on gasoline and plugging them in to charge, just like cell phones and laptops. Picture having these charging stations for cars ubiquitous in public places, not confined to the garages of a few people who make a special effort to acquire them. Seem futuristic? Not to Vivian Zeng '14, who spent her summer planning and overseeing the installation of three charging stations for electric vehicles on Brandeis' campus. The charging stations, which Zeng fondly calls her "brainchildren," have three locations: the parking lot at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, in the Tower parking lot near the Mandel Center for the Humanities and in the Admissions parking lot next to the Slosberg Music Recital Hall. They are free and open to the public. Zeng, a senior majoring in Environmental Studies and Health: Science, Society, and Policy, and minoring in Legal Studies, first became interested in electric vehicles in Prof. Laura Goldin's (AMST) "Greening of the Ivory Tower" class, but charging stations were not her original focus. One of the components of the class is to do a greening project, the focus of which is to "think of ways you can improve Brandeis' campus sustainability." Zeng's first project was not related to charging stations, but about getting an electric vehicle for Media and Technology Services, where Zeng works. "To get around, we use this gasoline golf cart. I applied to get an electric vehicle, and I was rejected on the grounds that it's too department-based and it should be more of a campus thing," she said. Goldin suggested switching the focus to acquiring a charging station, and Zeng carried the project from there. Zeng officially began the project eight months ago. In order to fund the purchase and installation of the charging stations, she received money from the Brandeis Sustainability Fund and from the U.S. Department of Energy, which funded the project after approving a grant proposal for it. Once she obtained funding, the project involved "a lot of coordinating with the contractor, the campus electrician, the representative from the company ... it was a lot of meetings and meetings and meetings and then finally the shipment arrived for the stations," Zeng said. Though the process took approximately eight months to come to fruition, Zeng says that the administration was helpful in implementing the project: "The administration's been really supportive. For EV stations it was really easy because all you needed was an electric source from a building, so we chose the new location of these stations to be close to buildings so that we could tap the new electricity grid there". Despite the limitations of old buildings, Zeng thinks that Brandeis is "trying to be a lot more sustainable. And you can see that with a lot of the other BSF projects". For instance, one BSF project involves installing outdoor water fountains so that people don't have to buy water bottles. "It's an awareness issue, I think," she says, "A lot of students don't really know that we're trying hard to be more sustainable." Since the charging stations were installed just two weeks ago, it is not yet clear how much use the they will get. However, Zeng hopes that the visibility of the stations on campus will inspire students, faculty and staff to be more aware of alternatives to cars that run on gasoline, and encourage them to choose an electric vehicle when they purchase their next car. The stations are also free to use in order to incentivize the purchase of electric vehicles. Zeng explains "I think people really need to see change in order for them to be inspired to do more change. I really think electric vehicles are one of those things that are unfortunately the stepping stone to a better, more sustainable mode of transportation". Zeng acknowledges that most college students will not own electric vehicles because of the high costs, but notes that the stations will be useful to individuals other than Brandeis students as well. In the past, Zeng has received multiple calls from visitors, including guest lecturers, "asking if we have an EV [charging] station on campus". We had to say no, "and we couldn't even give much information about the sites in Waltham" she said. There are three EV charging stations already located in Waltham, so the three new ones added at Brandeis double the number of stations available for local use. In the long-term, though, Zeng hopes to move beyond the specific focus of electric vehicles. "I like seeing sustainability in action," she says, "I'm a huge fan of trying to do projects like this, but what I am seriously passionate about is environmental justice issues." In particular, Zeng would like to change the fact that minority neighborhoods often bear most of the impact from pollution and other environmental issues: "I grew up in a minority neighborhood in New York City, so I've seen that; I grew up in that." Zeng hopes to go to graduate school for public health with a focus in environmental health or environmental epidemiology. "Hopefully once I get the science down, I can then tackle the policy," she said. "Nowadays, policymakers are often ignorant of the science in their own policy plans-I refuse to make that mistake."
(09/16/13 4:00am)
Walking into the theater, I had no idea that Riddick, a newly released action movie, was actually part of a larger trilogy and video game franchise starring Vin Diesel. To be fair, the second movie, The Chronicles of Riddick, was released in 2004 with tepid reception (1.5 stars on Rotten Tomatoes)-nearly ancient history in Hollywood terms. The sequel was released after strong DVD sales and Vin Diesel's recent success at the box office (most likely due to the Fast and Furious movies). However anticipated Riddick may have been by eager fans and gamers, I was thoroughly disappointed and spent most of the movie waiting until I could leave and get back to my homework. Vin Diesel himself has been the force behind the success of many action movies, so I think that Riddick's failure establishes itself at a conceptual rather than performing level. Nothing was clearly explained, the plot was nonexistent and the most compelling character was a hybrid zebra-hyena-dog animal. Nearly the first 30 minutes of the movie consisted solely of Riddick (Diesel) fighting strange animals on an abandoned wasteland of a planet-plenty of muscular fight scenes, yet completely void of any deeper meaning. Basically, the only explanation the viewer has of the scene is that Riddick, who was the leader of another civilization, was left for dead after being overthrown by power-hungry commanders. After being left for dead on the isolated planet, Riddick fights for his survival against the native creatures. To survive, he realizes he must get off this planet and finds his way to an abandoned mercenary station where he sets off an emergency alert. Little does he know, there is a $50,000 bounty on his head, thus attracting two bounty hunter groups to his location. Riddick's reputation as a fierce, unbeatable convict precedes him and the rest of the film shows the two groups trying to capture Riddick-a game of cat and mouse. The most substantial part of the film actually looks like a rip-off of I Am Legend, in which Will Smith's character fosters an endearing companionship with his dog. Riddick himself captures a young zebra-hyena-dog hybrid and trains it to obey him (instead of ripping Riddick's head off like the other dog creatures did). The only moments I enjoyed of the film were those between Riddick and the dog because there is emotional depth underlying the action and dialogue, though the movie did a better job developing the dog's character than the main actor's. Riddick is simply a conniving killing machine who lacks any emotional depth. In many cases, an audience can grow to love this type of character and slowly see him in a different light, but Riddick never changes. He remains a man whose greatest strength appears when he has a weapon in hand. Some may argue that this is what an action movie and video game character is made for, but Riddick lacks any appeal other than violence. However much I dislike the movie, I have to admit that the title character is strikingly clever. He makes intricate weapons out of animal bones, concocts a serum to protect himself from the poisonous venom of a predator and deftly sets traps for his enemies-all with ease and believability. The one saving grace of the movie is Vin Diesel's unforgiving, hardcore attitude. Though I disliked the movie as a whole, I do think Diesel filled the role he was given; however, he has been much better in other action movies, like the Fast and Furious series. As for supporting characters, bounty hunter Santana (Jordi Moll?*) stands out for his Spanish accent and crude behavior, while opposing bounty hunter Boss Johns (Matthew Nable) is much more diplomatic with his team. The two men lead different bounty teams that are both looking to capture Riddick after he lures them to the deserted planet where he is trapped. While the only female character, Dahl (Katee Sackhoff), could have been empowering, she is instead sexualized, and her talents as a bounty hunter are minimized. In one scene, directors chose to film her naked while washing her face. This added nothing to the plot of the film, yet simply served as an opportunity to give male viewers some nude entertainment. Why couldn't Dahl serve as an equalizing force that proves women are just as capable and strong as men? Because sex sells-and this is just one of the several instances of unnecessary nudity in the film. With all the confusion, plot holes and utter lack of character development, Riddick was a complete waste of 11 dollars. It is a challenge to combine a stunning action movie with any complex plot dynamics. On the other hand, Riddick probably makes an excellent video game character, and I can even imagine Vin Diesel's deep, angry voice coming from an animated character. When it comes to stories like this one, Hollywood should stick to creating video games of pure excitement and adrenaline and not bother with an actual movie script.
