(04/01/14 4:00am)
On Monday March 24, the University announced that two faculty members have received fellowships. Prof. Ulka Anjaria (ENG) was awarded the Charles A. Ryskamp Research Fellowship, and Prof. Naghmeh Sohrabi (HIST) was awarded the Mellon New Directions Fellowship. Both fellowships are funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Anjaria applied to the fellowship to fund research for her book on "how new political imaginaries in contemporary India are represented in recent literature, popular Hindi film and television," Anjaria wrote in an email to the Justice. "Although I have access to many of these new texts from the US, I felt I needed a year of research in India to fully put these works into context." After spending two weeks in India in January as a visiting fellow at the University of Delhi in New Delhi Anjaria "saw how much the humanities were flourishing in India." She is looking at India's contemporary culture and how social injustice is still an issue. "I am interested in the ways new political imaginaries are actually emerging in new literature and films, despite what seem like their capitalist story lines. As the nature of politics changes in India, literature and film represent these politics, but also try to imagine new futurities for India, outside of the dominant nationalist discourses," Anjaria wrote. Sohrabi, the Charles Goodman Professor of Middle East History and associate director for research at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies, is one of 10 professors around the United States to receive the New Directions Fellowship. "I'm interested in going beyond the more traditional explanations for the 1979 Iranian Revolution in particular and revolutions in general that focus on political events, ideology, and economic factors," Sohrabi wrote in an email to the Justice. Sohrabi spent parts of her childhood in Iran and the United States during the revolution, and learned about it through school and stories from those around her. Sohrabi is "ecstatic" to have the opportunities that the fellowship will give her. "As an historian, I know well how to read documents and records, and even conduct oral histories. But anthropology, defined very broadly, as the study of culture, allows the historian to bring the intangible, the experience, missing from official records, into the historical narrative," Sohrabi wrote. Sohrabi will use the fellowship to "both get formal training in anthropology while at the same time conducting research." She will miss her students while she is on leave. "I will be taking some courses in anthropology this summer and doing interviews in North America, and then will be in Paris for the Fall semester and at Oxford for much of the Spring, with trips planned to Iran and various European cities where there are sizable Iranian communities." *
(04/01/14 4:00am)
The results of a survey administered by the Justice to students in a large University Chemistry course over the past month indicated that women in the sample appeared to perceive their class performance in a poorer light than men did. Over half of men who responded estimated their current grade to be at an A+, A or A-, compared to 36 percent of women, while a larger percentage of women estimated their grade to be in the B+ to B- range than men. As of press time, 80 students had completed the survey. The respondents received the survey in an email from their professor. Out of those, 58 respondents identified as female, making up 62 percent of the sample. The remaining 35 respondents were male. Only four respondents identified as black or African-American, 33 as Asian or Asian-American, three as two or more races, 42 as white and three identified ethnically as Hispanic or Latino/a, making it difficult to draw conclusions about differences in confidence among racial groups. Confidence: Gender and Race A University event organized by the Women in Science Initiative during the fall 2013 semester drew attention to a newly-emerging phenomenon known as "imposter syndrome," in which students feel insecure and incompetent in their academic abilities despite often being quite successful and capable in their field of study. As the panel specifically focused on an imposter syndrome for women in the sciences, the Justice surveyed students in an undergraduate Chemistry lecture to determine how confident students were about their ability to succeed in a science course, particularly looking at historically underrepresented groups in the sciences: female students and students of color. The survey administered by the Justice inquired what grade the participants received in their previous semester of Chemistry. Those results did not point to any difference in competency in the subject between men and women, although women in the sample did appear to earn slightly lower grades than men. Nearly three-fourths of men in the sample reported that they did not at all feel less academically capable than their peers, compared to slightly under 50 percent of women. Additionally, a much smaller percentage of women than men in the sample indicated that they believed they were definitely smart enough to succeed in this course. Despite these results, women in the sample did not appear to be any less enthusiastic than men about continuing in the sciences. According to the survey results, women were actually slightly more likely than men to enroll in further science and math courses, major in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field and write a thesis for that major, suggesting that they are committed to studying science despite current feelings of insecurity. As for race, given the very low number of respondents who identified as people of color, differences among racial groups were more difficult to interpret. However, in an interview with the Justice, Afzal Ullah '14, a science Posse scholar majoring in Biology and Psychology, said that while he feels that he is as capable as his classmates, he felt inadequately prepared academically entering college. Ullah, who identifies racially as Bengali, noted that many students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who are often students of color, face a gap compared to their wealthier, often white, classmates-which can impact their performance and confidence. A professor's perspective Three professors who sat for interviews with the Justice expressed differing views about the current issues that women face in science. Prof. Judith Herzfeld (CHEM), the only female full professor in the Chemistry department, expressed a belief that women today are equally active in science as men. "There are plenty of women who are energetically engaging in the classroom, so I don't see that problem," Herzfeld said in an interview with the Justice. ""In chemistry, the women are doing great straight through to the Ph.D. in proportionate numbers, and that's very different from the way it used to be," she added. Prof. Eve Marder '69 (BIOL), the head of the University's Division of Science, said that in the classes she teaches now, she sees overconfidence and lack of confidence in both men and women, though men, she noted, are somewhat more likely to raise hands to answer questions in class, regardless of whether or not their answers are correct. Prof. Ruth Charney '72 (MATH), the University's first tenured mathematics professor and the current president of the Association for Women in Mathematics, acknowledged that female students may feel like "imposters" but should remember that their mentors had similar experiences. "We all felt that way, but look, we kept going and we were successful and we felt just like you do," said Charney in an interview with the Justice. "So don't let that-don't just be scared away. Don't just assume just because you're unsure of yourself, because somebody else seems better than you, that you're no good. That's the wrong conclusion." Charney and Herzfeld both emphasized that they got through graduate school because they simply weren't very concerned with what others thought of them. Charney recalled that any gender discrimination that was present "went over our heads. We didn't see any of it and that's probably why we were successful. I'm not saying it wasn't there. We were blind. We were doing what we wanted to do." Similarly, Herzfeld noted that she "tended not to compare myself with other people very much." Faculty: Then and Now When Marder eventually returned to the University in 1978 as a faculty member, she was the fifth woman to join the Biology department faculty, which was unusual at the time. "Most of my peers were being hired into department as the first [woman]," she said. Today, Marder said there is relatively little trouble recruiting women for positions in the department. Charney, who returned to the University in 2003 after many years at Ohio State University, explained that the Math department has few opportunities to diversify its faculty. "We don't hire very often-we're a small department. Then there was the financial crash, you know, we haven't done much hiring in the last few years. When we have, we always have female candidates," she said. Charney mentioned that the department is currently hiring a female postdoctoral fellow, who would be at the University for three years. Herzfeld joined the University's Chemistry department in 1985 after teaching at Harvard Medical School and Amherst College, where she was the first female faculty member in the physical sciences. At Brandeis, Herzfeld joined Prof. Emerita Emily Dudek (CHEM), who retired in 2003, and was later joined by Prof. Christine Thomas (CHEM) in 2008, who was awarded tenure last year. The department also includes Prof. Claudia Novack (CHEM), who does not conduct research but regularly teaches the large lecture classes CHEM 11a: "General Chemistry I" and CHEM 11b: "General Chemistry II." Race Brandeis has taken note of the low numbers of minority groups in the sciences and, with support from Prof. Irving Epstein (CHEM), launched the first science program in the nation, bringing in its inaugural class in 2008. As for representation of people of color in faculty, Marder said, "the landscape for minorities and people of color has been very complicated." She said that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have often opted to pursue professional degrees rather than academic ones to achieve financial stability. "There was a real wave of trying to create options for people of color in professional schools and graduate schools. That first wave happened as a consequence of the '60s, so many of the people in that first wave came from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds and therefore they enriched into professional schools where they would be guaranteed financial opportunities," she explained. "So people went to law school. People went to medical school. People went to dental school. People went to engineering school. Relatively few of them had the luxury to just go into academics," she added. Ullah also said that the ability to choose a career based solely on interest is "a luxury." "You have to understand that that's already a statement of privilege," he said. "[People of color] have learned that, because we're of economically disadvantaged backgrounds, we can only achieve so much in life. We should only try to achieve so much for practical reasons," Ullah later added. For undergraduate students of color, race plays a significant role in their experiences at Brandeis. "I was the only black student in my Physics class, my second semester. In my first semester there was only one [other] girl and she dropped," said Bethlehem Seifu Belaineh '16, an International Wien scholar from Ethiopia who is a Biological Physics major, in an interview with the Justice. "I never really realized it until someone pointed it out and by the time I realized it I felt extremely self-conscious to the point where I started to question, 'Am I actually in the right major? Am I setting myself up for failure or something?'" "You don't feel isolated but you feel different, because you are different. You do look different. You have a different cultural background," Belaineh added later. "You just are different but that difference does not mean you are less. It just means you are a different kind of person, but it took me a while to recognize that." Nicholas Medina '14 made a similar point, acknowledging his position as one of a few Hispanic science students. "Because there are so few Hispanic students in the sciences, I feel like I more wholly represent my ethnicity in the sciences and Hispanic science students in general," he said. "It makes me feel like when I achieve higher grades, it's more of an accomplishment." However, said Marder, the number of students from underrepresented groups entering graduate school is now increasing, at Brandeis and across the country. For now, recruiting people of color to the department is a challenge, given how small the pool is, according to both Marder and Herzfeld. "Part of what makes it not easy is when the pool is small and all of us really want that diversity. The big, rich places win out in the recruiting," said Herzfeld. "It's not entirely satisfactory, but that's not for lack of trying or lack of interest," she later added. Conclusion Ullah said he believes that "there is a lack of conversation" about the issues students of color face and that the University should "become more comfortable" discussing them. "It's going to be very important for me to make sure that, whatever field I go into, to make the space more accessible and accommodating for people of color, regardless of their background and preparation," he said. "Once you provide the tools for people of color to actualize their full potential, they are just as likely to be very successful in any career as anyone else," he added. Despite the fact that female students in the sample of the survey seemed to feel less confident in science classes than their peers, they nonetheless showed a commitment to pursuing an education in science. Such an enthusiasm fits well with Charney's goal: "I think the message we need to be getting out there is to tell people that careers in science are great for women. Do it!"
(03/25/14 4:00am)
This week, justArts spoke with the directors of The Vagina Monologues, which was hosted by the Vagina Club and performed in the Shapiro Campus Center Theater on Friday and Sunday. JustArts: How did you get involved in The Vagina Monologues? Krissy Ford: I went to an all-girls Catholic school for high school and when I came to Brandeis I was looking for the same kind of community that I had there, a sisterhood really is what I wanted ... I saw a flyer for The Vagina Monologues and my friends told me "you should do it, you should try it." And I auditioned, fell in love with it, got really used to saying the word "vagina" a lot and then started getting in touch with Women's and Gender Studies and it was all ... uphill [from there]. Cristina Dones: My freshman year I had a really hard time acclimating and I was finding that I wasn't really bonding with [the friends I made] the way I wanted to. ... When the auditions came out for The Vagina Monologues, someone said I would be perfect for a part. So I just auditioned on a whim, just to do it, because someone said that I should. And it was honestly the only reason I didn't transfer from Brandeis, so I got a lot out of the experience. I was in it for two years-I was in it my freshman year, my sophomore year, took a break my third year, and wasn't planning on doing anything this year. But Krissy showed up ... to my job one day when I was working at the [Shapiro Campus Center] [information] booth and was like, "hey are you interested in directing?" and I was like, "oh my god, yes I am." JA: The University does The Vagina Monologues every year, why do you think it's a significant presence on campus? CD: Because it's so relevant still. It was created in the '90s and all the issues that are spoken about are still present in our culture today, so I think a lot of ... women attend the show once, in hopes ... of finding a place, finding a voice, finding people who have had the same experiences as them. KF: The show I think is just a fun, entertaining experience but it's also a way of being part of a movement. Brandeis is a school that's very big on activist movements and being a part of The Vagina Monologues or going to the show is a way to be part of an activist movement here at Brandeis working to end violence against women and I think that's a huge thing here. JA: There is obviously a lot of heavy material in the show. How did you deal with that with your actors' comfort level? CD: Most of the rehearsals actually aren't focused on lines and blocking and things like that. It's more focused on bonding and overcoming the struggles that you might face in the show and the struggles that you might face in life. KF: We work through all our emotions and then channel all those emotions into the parts that the women in our show have. And Cris and I do a lot of one-on-one time with the women in our cast and help them develop themselves and help them develop their characters as well. JA: What do you hope the audience takes away from the show, if you can narrow down a take-away? KF: I hope that audience members, if they didn't already go into the experience or go into the show appreciating vaginas, I hope that that they appreciate them and respect them more. CD: I feel the same way and I hope that women specifically [come out of the show] respecting themselves more but also being more comfortable with themselves, being more comfortable with their vaginas, being more comfortable with their vaginas [and] as women in general. And I hope men ... leave also with that same mentality of "oh my god this entire time I've had this machismo, misogynist agenda and I really need to change the way I think." KF: But also, for people who don't identify as women, I think that there should be some sort of solidarity there for people who have vaginas or lovers of vaginas, friends of vaginas. There should be something bonding us all together at the end of the show. And there's a line from the show: "We ... forget the vagina." There's a "lack of awe" and a "lack of reverence" and I hope when people leave the how they find that awe and they find that reverence. -Emily Wishingrad
(03/18/14 4:00am)
This week, justArts spoke with Miriam Esther Goldman '14 who co-wrote a screenplay that has been chosen as a nominee for the Madrid International Film Festival 2014. JustArts: Congratulations are in order for your screenplay being selected as a nominee for the 2014 Madrid International Film Festival! Would you tell us about the screenplay-what is it called? Miriam Esther Goldman: It's called The Ruins of Oz. In the books following The Wizard of Oz, which is the start of a series of 14 books by the original author and 40 books overall, it's made clear that people can't die in Oz. It's part of the magic. So what became of the Wicked Witch of the West? So my script begins with this mild-mannered archaeology professor who's longing for a bigger, more important job than the one he has at a small Kansas college. He is called on when these strange ruins appear in the middle of a Kansas corn field. As it turns out, the Wicked Witch of the West has returned, and is a threat not only to Oz, but to the Earth as well. Eliot, our hero, teams up with Glinda the Good [Witch] and the Scarecrow and a couple other Oz-zy characters to confront the Witch of the West and restore order. But when romance develops between Eliot and Glinda the Good, complications arise as it turns out that once Oz and the earth are separate, they really will be separate again. JA: Was this a writing endeavor that you went about by yourself? MEG: No, I collaborate on all my scripts with my dad. Actually, the [Film Festival's] website only lists him [as playwright]. They always do that. I'm going to be generous and assume that he actually emails them and submits the applications most of the time, and not that it's some sort of sexism. That happens a lot. It's frustrating. JA: So how many festivals or submissions would you say you guys have done together? MEG: I lost track a while ago. I'd say it's somewhere between 60 and a hundred. We've only written four full-length scripts. We've been writing together since I was in seventh grade, and we won our first award when I was in eighth grade. ... We've never had anything produced, but we're trying to step it up and interest agents and managers and branch out into the international film festival circuit. JA: How long has The Ruins of Oz specifically been in the works? MEG: That was the first one we wrote together, so I thought of the idea I think when I was in sixth or seventh grade. The original basis of it was the idea of Oz appearing as an archaeological ruin. Oz books-not necessarily L. Frank Baum's Oz books, but the books that people have written since the books became public domain-often start with some crazy, wacky way of finding Oz because Glinda made Oz invisible after the sixth book. JA: What was the most difficult part of the process for you? MEG: This particular one we did a little bit differently than most of them in that, since it was the first [we wrote together], my dad did a lot of the groundwork. We plotted it together and he wrote a bare-bones first draft, and I've rewritten it about seven or eight times. I think the most difficult part of the writing process for this one is breaking out from scenes that don't add a lot or aren't interesting, but further the plot. And not being too self-indulgent in the Oz mythos, and trying to relate it to the Oz that people are familiar with from the MGM movie without actually running afoul the copyright holders of the MGM movie. It's complicated because I have a real love-hate relationship with the MGM movie. I didn't see it until I had read I think 10 of the 14 Oz books, because I saw it when I was seven. JA: What was the entry and selection process like for the festival? MEG: Unfortunately, not very dramatic. I think this one was on withoutabox.com, which is what you use to submit to film festivals. It was either that or we emailed in a PDF copy. You used to have to send in physical scripts, but that's changed in the last five or 10 years. ... then we waited. It's usually like three or four months, depending on the contest. That's why we submit to a lot of festivals. This is only the second-most recent festival win, because one of our other scripts actually won outright the Richman Film Festival last week. JA: Is screenwriting something that you'd like to do after graduation? MEG: If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said "definitely"-I love writing screenplays. I love the whole process. But I'm also really invested in theater. I think it all boils down to whether I am willing, able and have the funds to move to California, because I'm based in Texas. There's a great film scene in Austin, but, as this clearly exemplifies, I tend to write things that are a little more expensive. ... I'm also very interested in acting as a career, and classical singing and poetry-although, money. JA: You were saying earlier that, in submitting screenplays to festivals, they would often take your dad's name and not your name. What have you learned about what it means to be a woman trying to come up in the film industry? MEG: Well, I do consider myself a feminist, and two of my four scripts have female protagonists. Three of the four have what I'd consider strong female characters. The last one is a Western that we wrote as an homage to the typical Western adventure of the '40s-'50s-'60s, so the female character is typified by... [being] kind of a background character. ... Sometimes, I feel like that's hurt me, in terms of talking to producers, talking to managers, talking to agents. Because sometimes female characters, especially female characters who break a mold, aren't really saleable. And that frustrates me. And I'm not willing to back down on that. Because I've personally-always, since I was a little kid-found myself to be more invested in strong female characters than [in] even the most compelling male characters. One of the key points that screenwriters and teachers of screenwriters always hit on is "write the movie that you want to see"-and the movie that I want to see, more often than not, at least has a very strong female supporting character, if not a female protagonist who's free of all or most of the stereotypes that plague Hollywood women.
(03/18/14 4:00am)
Each March, a group of seniors finishing up their degrees from in Theater Arts direct, perform in and create pieces for the department's Senior Thesis Festival. Unlike other written theses, playwrights must devise their concept and a large portion of their script before their senior year. They draft a piece that stems from their passions, then, over their last two semesters at Brandeis, they workshop, edit and revise their work. In the winter, the department holds open auditions and after about two months of rehearsal, more revisions and working to coordinate the production of numerous other pieces in one space, the festival finally opens. * This year, there are six seniors participating in the festival. While Jason Dick, Lizzy Benway and Levi Squier decided to direct, act in, and devise pieces already in the theatrical cannon, Justy Kosek, Grace Fosler and Emma Lieberman elected to examine topics they care about by writing original plays. Earlier this week, I sat down with each of them to learn more about their projects. * I asked them how the process has affected them and where they think it may lead. Fosler said, "This has really solidified my decision to pursue play-writing. I'm applying to graduate programs for creative writing with a concentration in script writing. It has taught me a lot about just the writing process in general." In fact, her work is already being produced elsewhere. The Elephant in the Room will be featured at the PortFringe festival, a week-long theater festival in Portland, Maine this June. * Kosek says, "[this process has] definitely affected me. I guess what I've realized is that it's a much bigger thing to translate an idea from one person's head into a lot of people's heads than I ever imagined. That's very different from acting-you have to fit a role when you're acting and find a niche when you're directing. But when you're a playwright and sharing your work and working on your work with people it's a much more intense process than I knew." * "It's given me a new kind confidence in myself," says Lieberman. "I am a published playwright and it's work that I can be proud of and it's work that I can display everyone. Not that I'm not proud of other things I have done, but this is on a whole new level. On top of that it's helped me connect to writing theater on a whole new level that I hadn't quite reached. It's increased my confidence and increased my ability by leaps and bounds. It's something I can take forward with me to the rest of my career." * Catch these pieces and all of the work being showcased at the senior festival Tuesday, March 18, through Saturday, March 23, in the Spingold Theater Center's Laurie Theater. Find the full schedule on Facebook and on the Brandeis Theater Company website. *
* Emma Lieberman '14
Emma Lieberman's '14 play, My Morning, addresses perhaps the most personal topic. "A bit more than three years ago, here at Brandeis there was a girl who took her own life. She was a friend of mine, so this play is technically fictionalized but it's about the experience of dealing with that," Lieberman said in an interview with the Justice. She worked with her director Gabby Lamm '17 to strike a balance between fictionalizing her story and staying true to what actually happened. * Lieberman noted that her biggest challenge as an actress was "separating [herself] from something that is so personal and making it about someone else." If the play was about her, she said, "it would not only be tortuous for me, but also wouldn't work as well for the audience." * Lieberman said her greatest challenge as an actress and writer is separating what she calls "the multiple personalities of me." She said, "ordinarily there is the hierarchy of the playwright, who makes the show, the director, who follows what's in the script and the actor, who follows whatever the director says. But as I am both actor and playwright, those roles get switched around." * Lieberman and Lamm hold separate meetings with "Emma the Actress" and "Emma the Playwright" to create a clear system. "Every other time," explained Lieberman, "'Emma the Playwright' just goes away." * Justy Kosek '14
Justy Kosek's '14 original play, All You Need, tells the story of a family torn apart. It begins with the uncanny image of the son, David, walking into his room in a blood-stained tuxedo. * The rest of the play recounts what led to that moment and traces the history of his parents and friends. The themes focus on how different kinds of love affect a family and an individual, Kosek started writing All You Need for fun when he was a first-year at Brandeis. * "These are themes I'm sort of obsessed with," he said in an interview with the Justice. "Themes of memory and personal history are very interesting to me so I knew right away I wanted to do a piece about memory, and the way that we perceive memory and the way it differs from reality." * For Kosek, the challenging parts of the process have been consolidating his original vision with those of his director (Jonathan Young MFA '14) and design team. However, he told the Justice that this particular challenge was "also the most exciting part" * "[To have] people looking at my work and having opinions on it," he said, "it's honestly been the greatest thrill of my life." * Kosek says, "[this process has] definitely affected me. I guess what I've realized is that it's a much bigger thing to translate and idea from one person's head into a lot of people's heads than I ever imagined." * Grace Fosler '14
Grace Fosler '14, whose project is titled The Elephant in the Room, both wrote and directed her thesis. "My play is a satire on animal cruelty and exploitation in the United States," she said. "I've been interested in animal rights for a very long time. I've felt like an advocate for them and felt that animal rights hadn't been explored in theater as much as I would like them to be. I think comedy and satire are very powerful tools and are a non-aggressive form of activism, which is something I think is very important." * Fosler's play, inspired by George C. Wolfe's 1986 play The Colored Museum, is a series of vignettes depicting different forms of animal abuse. Her concept, she said, is to humanize animals. When asked what challenges she faced, Fosler mentioned that at times she found it difficult to find the right way to portray the situation on stage, and throughout her process she realized how hard it is to write about something so close to your heart. When asked about her experience as both director and writer, she said "I kind of forget that I wrote the play while I'm directing it. At times I forget that if something isn't working I can change it. I have the power to go in and change things." But the most exciting part for Fosler is watching her play come to life. "When I finally put faces to my characters that was really, really exciting. They have come to life to me and that's awesome." *
(03/18/14 4:00am)
Lean In, a group that advocates for women to achieve their career goals and hold positions of power, has partnered with the Girl Scouts in a new campaign to end the use of the word "bossy." The "Ban Bossy" campaign argues that when young girls assert themselves and are called "bossy," it discourages them from pursuing positions of leadership, and may potentially lead to major self-confidence issues. The campaign has earned endorsements from public figures such as Beyonc?(c) and Condoleezza Rice, but critics wonder whether banning "bossy" may lead to the word holding a more negative connotation, making it more hurtful when used. They also question whether the campaign actually addresses the underlying issues of sexism in the workplace. What do you think about the "Ban Bossy" campaign? * Prof. Jane Kamensky (HIST): When my older son was in first grade, the kids used to call him "Teacher Calvin." He was (and is) a smart kid, and he liked to tell his classmates how to improve their work. He was, in a word, bossy. But nobody ever called him that, because his gender didn't match the adjective. I'm bossy too: "Teacher Jane." I set deadlines and I stick to them. I expect my students to show up on time, prepared and ready to work. Bossy means taking my job seriously. Can feminists like me find a way to reclaim "bossy"? Writing in The New Yorker, Margaret Talbot argues that we should appropriate the word, making bossy the new queer: a term of in-group pride, a label for women who embrace leadership. Bosses are bossy. And every day, more women become bosses. How about a T-shirt that says, "Yeah, I'm Bossy, Deal with It!" Prof. Jane Kamensky (HIST) is chair of the History department and the Harry S. Truman professor of American Civilization. * Zuri Gordon '15 I'm sure "Ban Bossy" has the best of intentions but I find it to be problematic. I think Girl Scouts is a cool and radical organization that could create legitimate change for young girls, but Lean In just puts a Venus symbol over capitalism and corporations and calls it feminism, when obviously so many women do not have access to those institutions, or those institutions have failed them. So I think that the kind of feminism that Lean In promotes does more harm than good, and I don't believe that their "Ban Bossy" campaign will be successful. I would be more interested if they pushed for reclaiming words like bossy or at the very least trying to dismantle a cultural inequality that unfairly targets girls and women for being assertive. I definitely understand how "bossy" has negative connotations but I would rather see campaigns allow girls more freedom in how they chose to define themselves rather than restricting them from words. Zuri Gordon '15 is president of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance. * Joseph Babeu '15 Most advocates in the feminist movement know that the misogyny embedded in our popular culture runs far more deeply than challenging a single term would fix. After all, what does terminology matter if pay is still not equal across genders? However, it is not feasible to expect the entire country to jump from institutionalized sexism to equal pay overnight. Advocates must start with the lowest common denominator-those who may not understand why using "bossy" may have a negative impact on young women, or even those who agree with its use. To make any substantive progress, it is essential that these people be educated on issues of gender discrimination. Furthermore, this education does not begin with a radical push. It begins with advocates meeting people where they are and taking a first step, together. Lean In is taking this first step with "Ban Bossy". Joseph Babeu '15 works for the Lemberg Children's Center. * Christa Caggiano '17 I love Beyonc?(c). She is an excellent performer and an ultra-successful businesswoman, and I think deep down, all Americans want to be just a bit like her. So, when Beyonc?(c) joins a campaign like Ban Bossy, people pay attention. Average Americans see Beyonc?(c)'s video campaign and then share it on Facebook or email it to their nieces. These are people who have no reason to think about feminist theory in their daily lives, who are now thinking about why there are not that many female leaders, or why they call their daughters "pretty" but not "smart." In my opinion, this discourse is infinitely more important than actually banning the word bossy. I think this campaign is about changing the tide of our culture, forcing people to really think and talk about the role women play in leadership, and not necessarily about altering the modern lexicon. If it takes a sassy Beyonc?(c) in a viral video to make people have those conversations, I am completely okay with that. Christa Caggiano '17 is a student scholarship partner at the Women's Studies Research Center.
(03/18/14 4:00am)
Imagine you are a soldier. You are sexually assaulted by one of your comrades and are able to bring the issue before a military court. The person who attacked you, though, has never committed any sort of offense before. He uses his impeccable record in his defense, as justification for why he should not be punished. And, much to your horror, it works. He gets away scot-free. Since World War I, military tribunals and courts recognized the "good soldier defense." It is, or was, a commonly accepted and used defense. The somewhat oxymoronically named legal precedent allowed for soldiers to cite their lack of past discipline and military record as a defense before the court. This testimony was accepted as legitimate evidence in the same category as DNA or eyewitness testimony. Although, in theory, the "good soldier defense" could be used in any court-martial situation, overwhelmingly it was used during cases of sexual assault, as a way to both prevent the victim from getting justice and keep the attacker in good standing. The "good soldier defense" protects high-ranking officers at a much higher rate than other soldiers, the very officers to whom sexual assault victims often have to report. By and large high-ranking officers are male, and these officers are the ones who are most likely to assault fellow soldiers in the first place. The United States Senate voted 97-0 this week on a military funding bill that included an amendment to prohibit the "good solider defense" from being used in court-martials or legal proceedings. The bill also gives new legal protections to victims and works to end retaliation within the ranks against those who report sexual assault. It's momentous that the Senate, a body that has often proven itself unable to simply keep the government from shutting down, was able to pass a major overhaul of military law, and with no dissent. Clearly, if both political parties in the Senate can agree on working to get rid of the "good soldier defense," then it must be truly abhorrent. I am, of course, horrified that such a law was still on the books, but I cannot say I am especially surprised. Even though women can now hold any combat position in the military, America's armed forces are still very reminiscent of a boys' club. Leadership positions are overwhelmingly held by men. Commanders, like Sergeant Major Gene McKinney, one of the highest ranking officers to be accused of sexual assault, have used the "good soldier defense" and have been completely acquitted, even if a number of victims testified otherwise. This repeal in the Senate is a good start, but it is not enough. Speaker John Boehner has yet to state if he will encourage the appropriate committees to have this bill go up for a vote in the House of Representatives, even though Politico and Slate, among other news outlets, have predicted that the bill will easily pass. Without a vote from the House, the bill is dead. This needs to be dealt with, and unless the House addresses this topic directly, nothing will change. House Republicans have nothing to lose and everything to gain from passing this piece of legislation. After all, the Republican Party has struggled to attract female voters, with women going for President Barack Obama over former Governor Mitt Romney by nearly 10 points in 2012, and passing a bill to help female soldiers would certainly be a boon for them While it is promising that the Senate has repealed the "good soldier defense," there are other pressing bills on the issue of military sexual assault that have been overlooked. Kirsten Gillibrand, the junior senator from New York and a champion of the issue, has been working to move sexual assault cases from the chain of command to civilian courts through a measure of reforms including having military lawyers, not unit commanders, in charge of prosecuting or denying charges. Military officials staunchly oppose this bill, the Military Justice Improvement Act, as they think it would strip officers of their authority and hurt unit cohesion by bringing civilians into military proceedings. I personally do not think there is any validity in this argument against MJIA, since officers and the military have been unable to adequately address the problem. Unfortunately, in the latest Senate vote, the bill was five votes short of the 60 needed to quorum and failed. Gillibrand said she would bring her bill up for a vote again, although it is unclear if it will pass on a second attempt. The "good solider defense" might have been good for the troops who used it to get off without punishment, but I hope the majority of Americans would be disgusted if such a defense was allowed in civilian courts. Some leaders in the military make the argument that civilian interference hurts cohesion and prestige, but I disagree. I respect the men and women who serve to protect the United States, but I don't necessarily respect how the military deals with its flaws. And I certainly don't respect an institution that allows sexual assault criminals to get away with their crimes. If the Pentagon makes serious changes to the way it handles sexual assault, while working with Congress, the military will have prestige. Until then, we must do everything we can to help the victims and hold the perpetrators accountable. *
(03/18/14 4:00am)
Do you remember playing hide and seek when you were a child? Remember how you never believed that your parents would suspect your secret hideouts within the clothing racks? Then, they went about their tasks, leaving you behind. They knew they could do this, and in a moment you would find them. Your connection to your parents was-and is-not merely biological. They were your home.Never could you imagine living an instant without your parents. Those few moments apart, believing that you would be lost forever in seemingly endless aisles, likely, struck you with fear. Now, imagine for an instant that this loss was not merely for a few minutes, but for a lifetime. According to UNICEF,, an Nongovernmental Organization tasked with helping children, since the Syrian Civil War began three years ago, at least 8,000 children, presumably fleeing the violence, have traveled to the country's borders without their parents. Children are being forced to grow up much too soon. According to the United Nations, 10,000 children have died as a direct result of the civil war. In the past year, the number of displaced children has tripled, reaching from 920,000 to three million. 1.2 million more have become refugees. But the tragedy isn't just in the statistics, it is in the paradigm shift in the eyes of the children affected. No longer are there games to play and school to attend. Children take odd jobs on farms, in caf?(c)s and car repair shops, in mines, or become beggars on the street. Due to the difficult times, many young girls are being forced into premature marriages in order to provide them with protection or to give parents one less child to provide for. Additionally, lack of resources has created a rise in cases of life-threatening malnutrition along with an inability to treat every child's injuries. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies have become more frequent in recent months as families have become unable to provide enough food for their children due to inflation and rising unemployment. The people are at risk of potentially fatal diseases due to unsanitary and crowded environments. The war has destroyed many healthcare facilities, and oftentimes, doctors and medicines are inaccessible or expensive. However, the emotional and physical effects of the conflict are the most jarring. UNICEF cites that in areas with some of the worse violence-including Aleppo, Homs, and rural Damascus-98 percent of parents report disturbing behavioral changes in their children. Parents speak mournfully of the loss of their children's innocence. Kinana, a mother of six expressed, "My children see weapons and they can label them. They know the names of each weapon, because they've seen so many." UNICEF interviewed a 10-year-old named Fatima in a refugee camp in Jordan. She expressed: "Sometimes I dream. I dream I am carrying a dead man. And when I look at the children living here, I feel like they have lost their hearts." Other children live in a constant state of fear. Exposure to such violence can only stunt or reverse children's social and psychological development. Oftentimes, it seems as if those who are the adults in the world act most like stubborn children, unwilling to share their toys and good fortune. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will never consider a transition government, and the disorganized rebels are unprepared for leading a bloodied country. Syria cannot very well be run by a leader responsible for crimes against humanity, and it cannot very well be run by a group of people whose primary goal is merely to depose Assad. Children are punished by their parents, but where is the international community to punish the perpetrators of the violence in Syria? This question should fill our minds as we notice the politicians and the reporters who turn a blind eye to these victims' stories. The mainstream media can only keep its attention on Syria for a limited amount of time. Violence in Syria has continued to occur; this past Saturday marked the third anniversary of the conflict. It is not something that simply paused as the mainstream media moved onto the new story of the day. Something can be done to alleviate the immediate needs of those affected by the conflict. UNICEF calls for a distribution of aid in the form of funds as well as greater access to civilians on the ground by humanitarian organizations to Syria itself and the nearby countries that have been taking in Syrian refugees. As a short-term solution, this aid package should be required to provide an education for the children who are the future of Syria through education in refugee camps. This would be similar to the work of the Darfur Dream Team, an NGO which provides education to child refugees who are currently living in Chad. War in Syria can only bring about the destruction of the fundamentally significant strides the country had taken in the realm of education. Education was a pillar of Syrian society for a generation, leading to a literacy rate of over 90 percent according to UNICEF. The international community must demand for the integration of educational opportunities within the refugee camps as a part of a potential foreign aid package. Syrian children should not have to worry about their day to day survival, they should be thinking about building a successful future for their country. Next, the international community should step up to ensure that peace talks are successful for the next round. Only once peace is established can the process of recovery begin. This could include the help of organizations as large as the United Nations or as small as the Cambridge-based organization RefugePoint to work with the most vulnerable refugees. Recovery for children would of course include restoration to family members. Although children will never recover from the loss of their guardians, they must find a safe place to call home, preferably with a family member. In the United States, we have the privilege of childhood, of identity. Now, it is the responsibility of the world to restore humanity. After absolving the conflict of foreign aid, we must pressure our leaders to change the equation for Syria. No one can undo what has been done in Syria. Children in Syria will forever play hide and seek, never to find their parents. Now, they must find their way out of the store on their own. *
(03/18/14 4:00am)
The University recently announced that Prof. Jon Levisohn (NEJS) will be assuming the role of director of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education in early July. Levisohn will be replacing Prof. Sharon Feiman-Nemser (NEJS), who is stepping down after leading the center for 12 years. Levisohn is a member of the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department, and is currently the Associate academic director for the center. His main areas of academic focus are the philosophy of education and the philosophy of Jewish education. In an interview with the Justice, Feiman-Nemser said that she is very enthusiastic about this new transition in leadership. "[Levisohn] has wonderful ideas, and I feel that there will be a lot of continuity in what we've been doing." She further added that it "feels like time for a new face [in this role]." When asked why she would be stepping down as director, Feiman-Nemser said that she feels it is time for new leadership. She also said that she believes this transition will give her "more time to do research and write, and not be so involved in administrative responsibilities." Levisohn said that he is eager to take on new responsibilities. "Sharon and I have worked closely for much of my time [at the center], and I am excited for this transition," said Levisohn. He said that he hopes to help the center heighten its focus on the learning aspect of the educator-learner relationship, in addition to focusing on educators. In addition to continuing old initiatives, Levisohn said that he wants to move forward with new initiatives for the center. One such initiative is an undergraduate fellowship through the center that would allow students to be involved in research on Jewish education. "We know that there are a number of undergraduates ... who are interested in Jewish education," said Levisohn. He added that the fellowship would be a "nice opportunity for [the students] to get some experience with research" and provide the center with "ongoing contact with people who are interested in coming up in this field." During her time at the center, Feiman-Nemser oversaw many initiatives, including the Delet Program, which offers the opportunity to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching degree and a Massachusetts initial teaching license in 13 months, according to the program's website. The program allows students to choose from multiple tracks, all of which include elementary general and Judaic studies, middle and high school Bible or general studies and Hebrew. Feiman-Nemser said that Delet is "the only program in the field of Jewish education that combines serious academic and professional studies with a year-long mentorship at a local day school." She added that she is extremely happy with the program, as it has not only "prepared over 100 teachers over the last 12 years," but also serves as a "model for the field [of Jewish education]." Overall, Feiman-Nemser said that she has greatly enjoyed her tenure as director of the Mandel Center. "I feel like we have accomplished a great deal," she said. "The main projects I started are either coming to fruition or winding up... and I think it's probably time for new leadership." This transition does not mean Feiman-Nemser intends to stop working, however. "I intend to continue to be a part of the center and contribute to the work going forward," she said. After the transition, Feiman-Nemser will continue her work with the NEJS department and the Education program, as well as with the center. The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education was started by the Mandel Foundation, a group created by the Mandels with the mission of "helping to provide outstanding leadership for the nonprofit field," according to the foundation's website. The foundation can be located in the Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex.
(03/18/14 4:00am)
Adjuncts across the country and throughout Boston have been unionizing due to a general lack of benefits and low wages. Although the Brandeis Fair Pay Coalition has taken an initiative in meeting with a representative from the Service Employees International Union and several adjuncts have expressed concerns about the current situation at the University, no specific plan to unionize at Brandeis could be confirmed by the Justice. Adjuncts at the University currently receive about $6,000 per course in the Arts and Sciences, according to Prof. Bernadette Brooten (NEJS) in an email to the Justice. Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid wrote in an email to the Justice that $6,000 is the minimum that adjuncts are paid per course, but that disparities can exist between adjuncts' pay based upon areas of expertise and experience. An adjunct is "someone whose primary employment is not at Brandeis," de Graffenreid wrote. Adjuncts were first introduced in higher education so that universities could hire professionals to teach a course as a unique opportunity for students. The University hires adjuncts in order to fill in for a faculty member who is on leave or sabbatical, to bring specific expertise to Brandeis "often in more applied fields ... because those people bring real-world experience to students in a way that is really usefu (sic)" and to "fill out the curriculum in areas where there is a need for a specific course in a major or program," according to de Graffenreid. However, a lecturer, who requested to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the topic and job security concerns, explained that many adjuncts have doctorates in their fields from prestigious universities. "We're getting top quality-trained professionally-academics to do these sort of jobs that were traditionally done by adjuncts to come in and go," the lecturer said in an interview with the Justice. According to de Graffenreid, two courses per semester is considered half-time employment, and there is not an hourly requirement. De Graffenreid wrote that this means that faculty members hired on a per-course basis teaching as few as two courses may be eligible for benefits their first semester at the University. According to Assistant Vice President for Human Resources Michelle Scichilone in an email to the Justice, the University offers benefits to any faculty member who is "classified as half-time or more regardless of title." Such employees are eligible to participate in the University's health and dental insurance "and pay the same premium as our full-time faculty members," according to Scichilone. All half-time faculty are also eligible to participate in the University's flexible medical and dependent care reimbursement accounts, the group life insurance plan, 403(b) retirement plan, the Employee Assistance Plan, and discounted auto and homeowners insurance, among other benefits. Despite the availability of benefits for part-time faculty members, the anonymous lecturer said many adjuncts and individuals who get paid per-course can only teach one or two classes per semester, depending upon time constraints. This individual said that he or she only teaches an average of two courses per semester, and that grading papers, responding to emails, answering student questions and other responsibilities are not accounted for in the pay per course. "I'm always here in my office around 8:30 in the morning. I leave around 1:30 after I teach, I send some emails out, but then I go back, at night I spend from 6 to 9 [p.m.] again behind the computer, so I think I work a full-time job," the lecturer said in an interview with the Justice. In addition, the lecturer must work additional jobs apart from his or her employment at the University. "There's no way you could make ends meet on $6,000 a course per semester. That's $12,000 a year, way below poverty," the lecturer said. The lecturer said he or she knows of other colleagues who also work other jobs outside of the University. The lecturer added that students should also be fighting for appropriate pay and benefits for adjuncts because adjunct pay could affect the quality of education for this reason. One reason adjuncts may begin working at a University is the hope that they would eventually be able to land a tenure-track position, said the lecturer. Adjuncts such as Prof. Peter Gould (PAX), who co-teaches "Inner Peace/Outer Peace," continue to return to the University as adjuncts despite the lack of benefits-he only teaches one course that meets for three hours per week-and low pay. Gould has been an adjunct professor at the University since 2009, and shares half of $7,000 to teach this course with an "equal co-teacher," he wrote in an email to the Justice. The course generally attracts 35 to 40 students, according to Gould. "It is not a financially wise arrangement, but I am willing to do it because I am very good at what I do, I take pride in the work, I get great response from students, and I love the work, the students, the material, and the stimulation," Gould wrote in an email to the Justice. "The [U]niversity knows all this, so that puts me in a weak position, since, they know I will likely continue, although I am underpaid, and they also know that there are probably lots of people out there, more desperate than I am, who would love to step into my job if they had the opportunity." Gould wrote that he receives no University benefits. In fact, according to Gould, "the benefits are minus." Gould wrote that he has to pay all his travel expenses to work to Brandeis, with his "long trek" from Vermont. Gould acknowledged that the need for adjuncts does exist, but he said adjuncts should receive more pay. "If [the University has] these very believable reasons why they hire adjuncts, they should bend over backwards in showing their appreciation by paying these specialists a reasonable reward for their work," Gould wrote. The anonymous lecturer added that many universities hire adjuncts because there is no required long-term commitment. The lecturer said that those who maintain a certain number of students in their classes might be able to teach that course again, but that those who do not have no job security. The lecturer's contract is on an annual basis. Differences in standing According to de Graffenreid, there is a distinction between contract status and rank. Contract status would define whether or not an individual is, in fact, an adjunct. Rank would determine whether or not the individual is an instructor, senior instructor, lecturer, senior lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor or professor. De Graffenreid defined a lecturer as a "rank." Although the anonymous lecturer has an annual contract, de Graffenreid wrote that there are long-term, or five-year, contracts for lecturers, as well. In regard to the claim that the anonymous lecturer was paid per course like an adjunct, de Graffenreid wrote that her "understanding is that per course vs. salary depends upon their individual contract." According de Graffenreid, there are 202 tenured faculty members, 59 faculty members on the tenure track, 103 long-term and full-time faculty members and 46 adjuncts. Adjuncts that fit the part-time criteria comprise 11 percent of instructional faculty, according to de Graffenreid. Comparing salaries According to the 2013 American Association of University Professors Faculty Salary Survey on the Chronicle of Higher Education website, full professors at Brandeis make $131,400 per year on average, while associate professors make $93,400. Assistant professors make an average of $83,400 and instructors make $59,000 per year. According to these figures and the Chronicle of Higher Education, Brandeis has the 14th highest paid faculty in Massachusetts. By comparison, adjuncts typically make $6,000 per course. If "a person were able to piece together four courses at different schools-which itself is hard to line up, that person, with a doctorate and the resulting high student debt, would be earning $24,000 per year, without benefits," Brooten wrote in an email to the Justice. The $24,000 per year figure assumes the adjunct only teaches four courses in one year, or two courses per semester. The SEIU, a union that is currently working with adjuncts to unionize, published a report through Adjunct Action titled "The High Cost of Adjunct Living: Boston." The report states that the average annual pay in 2013 for a tenured professor at a private research university in the United States was $167,118, while the average pay per course reported by adjunct faculty was $3,000. According to the report, by 2009, nationally, tenure and tenure-track positions had declined to about 33.5 percent of faculty positions, leaving 66.5 percent of faculty ineligible for tenure. Unionizing efforts Efforts have recently taken off for adjuncts to unionize at universities in the Boston area, including a successful vote last month to unionize at Lesley University. Adjunct Action through SEIU "is a campaign that unites adjunct professors at campuses across the country to address the crisis in higher education and the troubling trend toward a marginalized teaching faculty that endangers our profession," according to its website. According to a Feb. 24 post to the website, the Lesley University adjuncts voted to join SEIU. The post states that 84 percent of adjuncts across the four campuses were in favor of unionizing. Tufts University adjuncts voted to join SEIU last September, and are currently bargaining their first contract, according to the website. "Quickly rising tuition has resulted in record levels of student debt, putting higher education out of reach for more and more working families," the SEIU website reads. "At the same time, ... being a university professor, once the quintessential middle-class job, has become a low-wage one." Andrew Nguyen '15, one of the student leaders involved in the Brandeis Fair Pay Coalition, said in an interview with the Justice that the group had been working to meet with an SEIU leader who had helped to organize adjuncts into unions at other colleges in the area. According to Nguyen in the interview, the coalition had not met with many adjunct faculty members, although some were invited to attend the meeting. Nguyen did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the results of the meeting by press time. "I have not heard about a union, more than in some news stories, but I would be happy to join in an organization working for the general benefit of adjunct teachers at Brandeis and throughout the world of education in the US," wrote Gould of the possibility of unionizing adjuncts at Brandeis.
(03/18/14 4:00am)
As a junior, Frances Taylor Eizenstat '65 studied abroad in Jerusalem, where she cultivated an intimate relationship with Israel. She would go on to become an advocate for low-income families and children. Her accomplishments include chairing several Jewish foundations and charitable organizations. After her death in 2013, her husband, Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat created The Frances Taylor Eizenstat Israel Travel Grant Program through the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies to help students cultivate the same kind of lifelong relationships with Israel as Eizenstat did. The first two recipients of the grant, Mirit Gendelman '15 and Kochava Ayoun '14, used the $2500 grant for drastically different kinds of abroad learning. Gendelman views her time studying abroad in Israel as directly following in Eizenstat's footsteps. "It's amazing to feel that I'm doing exactly what she did. I'm going to Hebrew University, exactly where she studied. She proposed this grant, and it's great to see the Brandeis-Israel relationship develop because of it." Hebrew University is one of Israel's largest academic centers located in the heart of Jerusalem, an international hub for culture, religion and business. Gendelman is completing a double major in Business and International and Global Studies, and during her time in Israel she is taking an intensive Hebrew language immersion course called Ulpan, a public policy class, an entrepreneurship class and a class about negotiating peace in the Middle East. She is taking classes at the university's business school, as well as the Rothberg International School. Gendelman stressed the uniqueness of studying at an international school that acts as an intersection between a multitude of cultures and nationalities, while also retaining a distinctly "Israeli" feel. "I'm taking classes with Israelis, as opposed to just Americans. I love being with Israelis in the classroom, and not just inside an international student bubble," she said. Although Gendelman herself is following in Eizenstat's footsteps, the grant design encourages students from a variety of fields to travel to Israel and pursue their individual interests and goals. "This grant is very flexible -if you want to work, if you want to apply for an internship, if you want to go to school-anything you want to do in Israel this grant can be applied towards [it]," Gendelman said. Gendelman beleives she received the grant because of her significant involvement on campus in clubs related to Israel, as well as an internship at a consulting firm in Tel Aviv that she had secured before submitting her application. The grant has not only furthered Gendelman's academic goals but has inspired her future career. "I now am interested in coming to Israel for business school after Brandeis, and returning to work in the high-tech world in Israel," said Gendelman. The grant certainly lived up to its potential for diverse applications with the first round of recipients. Ayoun chose to use the grant toward a three-week trip to Israel this winter break in order to conduct research for her senior thesis which is about international treaties as they relate to women and children. Her thesis will be published through the International and Global Studies program, which incorporates elements of Anthropology and Sociology as well as Psychology, her second major. "I chose to write about international treaties with women and children because, for me at least, it's the most striking example of where they can go wrong and all the limitations," Ayoun said. Her paper focuses on the Hague Adoption Convention, an international convention meant to address issues of child trafficking and international adoption. For Ayoun, Israel was an ideal case study through which to examine this area of international law. "Israel is a mix of secular and religious law, the religious courts and the civil courts. The issues that arise from Israel trying to adhere to the [Hague] convention shed light on the inherent issues of the convention." Much like Gendelman, Ayoun was also surprised by how accommodating the Schusterman Center was, indicating that "There really weren't any strings attached, which I was really surprised about. It's open-ended. ... I think sometimes you do need more structure, but for me it worked out well." The grant gave Ayoun the funding she needed to attend the International Family Law with Emphasis on the Work of the Hague Conference on Private International Law from Jan. 1 to 3, 2014 in Hos Hasharon, Israel. The conference happened to be held in Israel that year, and she had only learned about it by chance, four days in advance. "I got really lucky, that's the only way I can explain it," Ayoun said. The youngest attendee by at least a decade, Ayoun had the unique opportunity to have lunch at the UK ambassador's house and hear from high profile speakers that included Israeli Supreme Court Justice Neal Hendel. The conference allowed Ayoun to make professional connections and gain access to the academic papers of those who spoke at the conference. Following her undergraduate career, Ayoun hopes to attend law school and pursue international law. So far, the grant seems to have been successful in deepening student's relationships with Israel. In the case of Gendelman, the grant has succeeded in furthering her career goals in the Israeli business world. For Ayoun, the grant was an opportunity to enrich her senior thesis through primary research. "[Eizenstat] was intimately involved in Israel, and I think it's important for Brandeis as an institution to become more involved in Israel," Gendelman said. "I hope students travel to Israel, I hope students take advantage of the Israel experience through this grant," she said.
(03/17/14 4:00am)
Foilist Caroline Mattos '16 entered the final pool of the 2014 NCAA Regionals at Wellesley College on March 9 with all of the momentum on her side. She secured a 5-1 record in the opening round and made her way to the finals on the heels of a victory over Harvard University senior Alex Kiefer, the tournament's eventual silver medalist. In the finals, however, Mattos hit a wall and limped to a 2-3 start in the final pool. "My greatest challenge has been controlling my head game," she said. "Keeping a cool mind at all times is a crucial aspect of every sport, especially fencing." In that pivotal sixth match, she rose to the challenge. "I knew that I would have to calm myself down and just focus for each touch if I wanted to start winning," she said. Mattos rolled off five wins in her next six matches to earn a fourth-place finish among all women's foilists in the tournament. In the process she qualified for her second-straight NCAA Championships, to be held at the Ohio State University on Thursday. For Mattos, the journey to Columbus-and fencing on the national stage-has been an unexpected one. A native of Cumberland, R.I., Mattos initially never set her sights on the sport of fencing. Then, her father spotted a recruitment advertisement from Rhode Island Fencing Academy and Club in a local newspaper. He encouraged her to begin lessons with club coach Alex Ripa. One decade later, the rest of her story is history. "It was with Alex's help, as well as the motivation I received from my other teammates at the club, which pushed me to work hard and get to the level I am at now," Mattos said. Two years ago, in heading a core of foilists that include Eva Ahmad '16, Emilia Dwyer '16 and Chaya Schapiro '16, she seamlessly translated her skills and lessons from the club level to the collegiate stage. Mattos contributed to two straight New England Conference Championships, earned a bid to the NCAA Championships in San Antonio in her rookie season and has posted an impressive 67-13 record this season. While her fencing style has mostly remained the same since her time with Ripa, Brandeis head coach Bill Shipman has imparted intangible skills to Mattos that have proven to figure prominently in her collegiate success-confidence, ambition as well as perseverance. "Coach Shipman has been crucial in my motivation to continue to train hard, and has kept me focused on my goals," she said. "Coach has also taught me to be more confident with my actions." This is especially critical as Mattos sets her sights on her second appearance at Nationals. She noted how in her first national appearance in San Antonio last March, a lack of confidence and a concern for meeting lofty expectations resulted in a loss of focus. However, this year, with previous national exposure, Mattos is ready to make a statement. "Since this is my second time attending I now know what to expect," she said. "I am going to try to stay cool and think of each touch within each bout. As long as I stay focused and fight hard I know I will do well." If history is any indicator, Mattos will look to take her own advice to heart this weekend at Ohio State.
(03/11/14 4:00am)
After a week of occupation by Russian soldiers, the government of Ukraine's Crimea region voted Thursday night to leave Ukraine and become part of Russia. The referendum will be put to a regional vote in 10 days. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent soldiers to Crimea at the request of ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, but Ukraine's new Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has stated that Crimea "was, is, and will be an integral part of Ukraine." Yatsenyuk denies seeking military aid from the United States, but both the U.S. and European Union have considered placing economic and political sanctions on Russia. How should the U.S. respond to the situation in Crimea? * Prof. Chandler Rosenberger (IGS) First, repeat simple facts. Russia invaded a sovereign state, seized its territory, then overthrew the elected government of the region it occupied. A referendum under those conditions won't be worth the paper that Moscow's fake ballots will be printed on. Russia pretends that its assault is the moral equivalent of Ukraine's constitutional removal of a felonious president. We must not let Moscow's smokescreens obscure its belligerence. Second, we should commit to the success of democratic Ukraine. Ukraine can't take Crimea back, but it can make a mockery of Putin's paranoid protection racket. Let's help the Ukrainians secure their currency and make it easy for U.S. and European firms to invest in Ukrainian businesses. Let's bring Ukrainian legislators to Washington, D.C. and Ukrainian students to Brandeis. Let's pay for Yo-Yo Ma, Beyonc?(c), and Michael Chabon to visit Kiev. Let's help Ukraine become the prosperous and free country that 104 people died dreaming of. Prof. Chandler Rosenberger (IGS) is the chair of the International and Global Studies program. * Lilia Leybova '15 The situation in Ukraine is very dangerous and unsteady. The logical answer would be to figure out a way to reach a solution peacefully, however this would only be possible if Russia was [sic] willing to cooperate. I agree with the current actions that both the United States and the EU are taking to try and reason with Russia and pressure them into ending their current seize of the Crimean Peninsula. I do not believe that the U.S. should take any military action as this could easily escalate and lead to unwanted consequences. Hopefully, the current political sanctions, including issuing visa bans to those who are considered responsible for undermining Ukrainian sovereignty, being taken will cause Russia to re-evaluate its decisions. In addition, I think that it is critical for the U.S. and the EU to support Ukraine throughout this troublesome time while still trying to resolve it as peacefully as possible. Lilia Leybova '15 was born in Ukraine. She is a biochemistry major. * Elizabeth Zharovsky '15 This is definitely a complex issue, especially given the history between the U.S. and Russia. The Crimea region was given to Ukraine under the Soviet regime because at that time, it didn't really matter who the land belonged to. Now, Putin has decided he wants it back, presumably to use the land as leverage in negotiations with the new Ukrainian government. The United States and EU have tried to conduct peaceful talks with Russia. Honestly, at this point, the U.S. should stay out of it because our continued involvement will just further tensions between us and Russia. Whatever Putin has in mind has already been decided, regardless of what the U.S. has to say about it. Elizabeth Zharovsky '15 is a Russian Studies minor and president of Russian Club. * Dan Rozel '16 The situation in Crimea is a cause for concern throughout the entire international community, and like Kosovo and Abkhazia, there is no simple course of action for the United States as a world superpower. This is a particularly delicate situation for the United States, as the imposition of sanctions on Russia flies in the face of the American belief of self-sovereignty. One could say that these sanctions would be the United States essentially not acknowledging the right of the autonomous people of Crimea to choose their own associations. However, I am still of the belief that the U.S. and EU should impose sanctions purely based on the method by which the Russians "liberated" the Crimeans. Sending troops into an autonomous region to "protect" it, especially when that region subsequently votes to join the invading country, feels like an unacceptable return to imperialism and brute force colonization. Dan Rozel '16 is an undergraduate fellow of the Brandeis Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry.
(03/10/14 4:00am)
Last summer, a few weeks before I first came to Brandeis, a bunch of my high school friends and I were sitting around in a basement thinking about what we wanted to do in college. There were the usual suggestions-party, sleep, wake up and party some more-until one girl chimed in. "I want to be part of a protest," she said. Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement. An image of myself standing outside a government building, shaking a picket sign and chanting in unison with a massive crowd floated through my brain. It was a common enough daydream, one that I'd had before and which I share with many of my friends, regardless of whether they've ever been part of a real protest. A lot of it stems, I think, from the common idolization of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the great historical heroes of the modern age. He stood up against the most powerful and ingrained evils in his society, and was able to open the world's eyes to them through nonviolent protest. King is an inspirational figure to many, and though he is certainly not the only cause, he is part of the reason why protest is so romanticized in our society nowadays. We want to be angry at something, to vocally express our most deeply held beliefs and shout in the face of authority, "We will not be silenced!" For some, what the protest is actually about doesn't matter as much as the fact that it is happening, and that they can become a part of it. On Feb. 13, a group of students assembled outside the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center to protest the University's executive payment practices. This was a protest I could get behind: It was time for the students to show their anger at President Emeritus Jehuda Reinharz's salary. We need to hold the Board of Trustees accountable for putting the ludicrous amount of money we pay toward making the rich richer. When I went to see the protest however, I was more than a little disappointed. The group of students stood huddled in a circle outlined by orange cones, the area specifically given by the University for the protest after the students submitted a formal request. They chanted slogans like "Fair Pay Today" and "Cut Jehuda's Salary," but also "F*ck the bookstore prices" and "Free tuition." As heavy snow began to fall, fewer and fewer students passed by the protest or gave it any attention, and soon, some of the angry chanters began to pack up and head home. The event's Facebook page even stated the incorrect amount of money being paid to Reinharz. If anything, the Feb. 13 protest made the University look better for allowing student discourse on campus. The protest was sectioned off in a little bubble of safety, where administrators could look down from their offices and admire the cute gang of angry children. Advocating executive pay changes is a goal that's both admirable and achievable, but free tuition? Something that absurd devalues the whole protest, and delegitimizes the very real concerns that students have. Likewise, getting mad over something as petty as inflated bookstore prices is an exercise in futility. Brandeis is a university that has sanctified the phrase "social justice," yet it has executive practices that create a class divide. That's a very real ethical concern, but if the student body is only worried about having to pay a few extra bucks for their textbooks, who is going to listen? This is the critical difference between the romantic image of King-esque protest, and the reality of what King did. King was strategic. He waved signs and sang songs, but he did so in ways that would specifically damage the institutions he was trying to change. The Montgomery Bus Boycotts weren't successful because people said they were angry; they were successful because the public transit system was losing money. The protesters made it clear that Montgomery buses wouldn't turn a profit until they changed their racist practices, and eventually the laws of economics prevailed. King didn't start his civil rights work by running for president. He started by supporting one woman who refused give up one seat on one bus. He built his way up to big targets, earning a name for himself in the media and showing persistence in the face of challenges. But he didn't just march in circles and hurl slogans in the air. All of the most effective protests of the Civil Rights Movement were deeply symbolic, and specified to the targeted goal of each specific protest. It was the way King was able to paint his opposition as so clearly in the wrong that he was able to earn followers and succeed in his goals. Who wouldn't let a tired woman sit on a bus after a long day? Who wouldn't serve a kid who had sat in a restaurant for hours on end? Who would dare to blast pressurized water at a group of peaceful men and women walking down the street and singing about freedom? The Brandeis student protest lacked any of the strategy, symbolism and realistic aims that lead to successful protests, and which were at the heart of King's victories. One has to start with demanding change on one specific issue and work up to sweeping reforms. Most of all, what the Brandeis protest movement needs is organization and clearly stated goals. Ten different people shouting 10 different slogans won't earn anyone's attention. Ten different people shouting one simple slogan ("Fair pay to janitors! Fair pay to janitors!") for hours upon hours will turn a few heads. Then if 10 more people join in the next day, and 10 more the day after that, people will start to pay attention. Then when all 30 protesters refuse to spend at the bookstore, dining halls and other retail locations until their demands are met, and more and more students join in, who's to say what could happen. Am I advocating anything as dangerous as the Birmingham Ala. boycotts? No, that would be inappropriate for the subject of concern. But if the student body wants to actually change Brandeis' executive practices through peaceful protest, we need to be willing to be unsavory. An effective protest cannot be something that one walks away from at night and ticks off as just another event in a busy day. It cannot be something that you do for the thrill, only because it's something people do in college. An effective protest is done to create change, even if it comes at a cost. *
(03/04/14 5:00am)
This week, JustArts spoke with Do Dang '15 and Catherine Cho '15, the president and vice president of Brandeis Asian-American Student Association, respectively, about the group's celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. JustArts: Would you tell us a bit about APAHM and what it means to BAASA to be celebrating it and sharing it with the Brandeis community? Catherine Cho: APAHM stands for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and basically, it was recognized by the United States as a national celebratory month in May of 1992 officially. It's usually celebrated in May, but BAASA celebrates it in March every year because we have final exams and stuff like that. It's one of the biggest events that we do for BAASA each year, and I think it's important because it embodies everything our club stands for. Throughout the beginning of the year and throughout the whole year in general, it's hard to remember through the little events we do what our club stands for, and showcasing our heritage and our background-so I think APAHM is really the one month where we show everything to Brandeis in general. Do Dang: Every year, we choose a specific theme to celebrate for APAHM, and this year it was identity. Last year it was "Breaking the Bamboo Ceiling," which relates more to stereotypes in general, like, we don't want to be seen as stereotypes, it's our identity, you can't really define us-just examining how we define ourselves. CC: We, collectively as an E-Board, get to think about what we want to show for that month of APAHM. This year... we all really wanted to focus on identity and what it means to be Asian-American. So our theme this year was called "Bridging the Gap"-it's about how there is this Asian heritage that we all have, that's part of who we are, but we are also American. So bridging the gap between those two cultures was what we focused on this year. DD: Usually it's a conflict for many Asian-Americans growing up. Like, for me, growing up-I grew up in a Vietnamese household-my parents were very busy. As I entered first grade, I was transferred to an English-speaking class and I lost my Vietnamese tongue after that; I can't speak Vietnamese anymore, I can't speak it well, I can understand it. It's trying to reconcile that disconnect after so many years. JA: How does art and expression play a role in APAHM and conveying a message of identity? DD: Art is identity, I think. It's how you choose to interpret yourself through some medium. It's most pronounced during our APAHM dance, it's something that we thought of in the background for that dance. We modeled it after the Asian-American identity development model, which has five stages: ethnic neutrality, content, then white identification, awakening, redirection and incorporation. That's why we had five dances with the five songs we chose to reflect those five stages. CC: That one showcases really well how I feel like art is a medium of expression for yourself, and for just showing identity in general, and how the main performer for that night, Yuri Tag, really embodied how she uses art to express herself. DD: She said that first, her dance was more choreographed by other people, but then she found her own choreography. CC: And that was really cool. JA: Yuri Tag was a big hit at the Opening Ceremony. Can you tell us about BAASA's decision to bring her to campus? DD: At first, we wanted to bring Mike Song, but due to some miscommunication, he was booked by some other school. Yuri Tag was another one that we wanted to get in touch with, but we couldn't, so this was fortunate for us that we could get her. She fit the bill-she has some of the same background as Mike Song, which is the Kaba Modern on [MTV's show] America's Best Dance Crew. In the description for APAHM we state that [her career] helped turn the tides for Asian-Americans to identify as [something] other than being doctors or lawyers. It helped people recognize our own identity, that we're not just these stereotypes. CC: I was also really happy that we got her because she was a pioneer for that kind of thing, and also she was a pioneer for Asian-Americans within the dance community-like hip-hop dancing-and also for breaking into media, like showing on TV. In her early interviews for Kaba Modern, for America's Best Dance Crew, she was saying how her parents didn't initially support her dancing because it's not really like, what a stereotypical Asian parent would want their children to do. So I really think it is-as clich?(c) and cheesy as it is-inspirational... A lot of Asian-Americans look up to her for that. JA: What was your favorite artistic moment during the Opening Ceremony and why? DD: I really liked Yevin [Roh's] first piece, ["The Top 10 List of Messed Up Things Racists Have Said to Me Because I am a Racial Minority"]-that really got the crowd going. You could hear the snaps, like, people do relate. What he's saying is not untrue; we have experienced these moments where people ask "Where are you really from?"-these microagressions. CC: I agree. I really liked his piece, I think that it does resonate with people. I know that I found myself nodding along and being like "yeah, you're right." He puts into words what other people normally wouldn't be able to clearly pinpoint-like what it is about things that really bother them or that are racist. Dan Tran, our keynote speaker from [sic] [the Opening Ceremony], used the word "microagressions." It's referring to little things that people do every day that you wouldn't really be able to outright point to and be like "oh, you're being racist,"-like if someone asks me where I'm from, and I say "I'm from Miami," then they say "No, where are you really from?" DD: It makes you feel like a foreigner. CC: Kind of. Like I was born in the States, you know. I feel like Yevin clearly put into words what you normally wouldn't be able to put into words. *
(03/04/14 5:00am)
Dear Readers: The editors of the Justice have decided not to follow the lead of the Washington Post, and I think their decision is a good one. This Friday (Feb. 28) marks the one-year anniversary of Patrick Pexton's last column as the Post's ombudsman-and the end of a 43-year-old tradition at the paper. Although the Post has continued to field questions from its readers through one of its blogs, the practice of having a regular column devoted to readers' concerns and written by an independent critic has not been continued. In contrast, the editors of the Justice have decided to revive the tradition of an ombudsman at their newspaper, and they have asked for my help. An ombudsman is essentially a readers' advocate. Because the term is a little cumbersome, some papers (such as the New York Times) use the term "public editor" instead. An ombudsman receives complaints from her newspaper's readers about the accuracy, fairness or tastefulness of the paper's coverage. She investigates how and why the coverage came to be and reports back to the readers in a column, outlining the nature of the initial complaint and recommending appropriate remedies. Sometimes an ombudsman finds herself schooling her colleagues-that is, the reporters and editorial staff who are responsible for the coverage. Other times she finds herself schooling the readers, who aren't always familiar with the tactical factors that influence coverage and are responsible for the decisions that readers perceive as sloppy or partisan in nature. The Washington Post's first ombudsman, Richard Harwood, convinced his colleagues to stop using the name "Cassius Clay" when writing about the boxer Muhammed Ali, who consciously rejected his given name, because he saw it as a relic of slavery. When Harwood was appointed in 1970, he exhorted reporters to recognize that the word "hippie" was pejorative and should not be used except when it was part of a quote. He suggested that the young reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein be taken off the "Watergate" beat, because they were too inexperienced to handle the story (Harwood later wrote that he was glad that the Post's executive editor, Ben Bradlee, had not adopted that recommendation). He also got the Post to publish a front-page apology to President Nixon's Attorney General John Mitchell, because Harwood's investigation concluded that the paper had misquoted Mitchell in an earlier story. Newspapers have ombudsmen primarily for two reasons: They want to monitor and improve their coverage, and they want to educate their readers about the factors that shape the craft of journalism. This raises the natural question of what the Washington Post's priorities are, now that it has softened its commitment to the ombudsman tradition. But it also points to a positive development in the priorities of the current editorial staff of the Justice. The students who create that paper each week recognize that they don't always get it right, and they want to improve. To do that, they have asked for my help - and I, in turn, am asking for yours. I have agreed to write a semi-regular ombudsman column for the paper, provided that the Justice's readers ask me to investigate decisions that are made by the reporters and editorial staff. If you write to me about the paper's coverage, in other words, I will launch an investigation and write a column. If you don't, I won't. It's that simple. I will not be serving as the paper's adviser; I will be serving as your advocate. The editors at the Justice will be free to take my advice or not. The paper has always been an independent publication, and I will not review any articles before they are printed. I will, however, continue to field informal questions from students about the stories they are working on, as I and my colleagues in the Journalism Program have always done, not just for reporters at the Justice, but for people who write for all of the University's publications. We are, after all, teachers first. I look forward to this partnership between and among myself, the readers of the Justice, and the dedicated students who volunteer their time and their talent to produce this paper. Yours, Maura Jane Farrelly Associate Professor of American Studies farrelly@brandeis.edu *
(03/04/14 5:00am)
As soon as Spain scored the winning goal of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, I started to get excited for 2014. Brazil, home of one of the world's most talented soccer squads, would be the host country. For the first time in FIFA's history of 110 years, back-to-back World Cups will have been hosted by non-European countries. As a soccer fan and a supporter of the Brazilian team, I was thrilled. FIFA has a habit of giving tournaments to the highest bidder, and the fact that two developing countries got the hosting opportunity instead of Europe or the United States blew me away. And who wouldn't want to see soccer's most prestigious tournament played in the country that produced Ronaldo, Luis Fabiano, Robinho and Pele? However, as June approaches, my excitement over Brazil hosting has considerably subsided. The World Cup is supposed to serve as a celebration of the world's favorite sport and, especially for a country like Brazil, an opportunity for development and economic growth. The latter is most certainly not happening. The Brazilian World Cup is plagued by corruption, unsafe working conditions and skyrocketing costs. As of February 2014, the Brazilian government has spent nearly 15 billion dollars on the World Cup, as much as Germany and South Africa, the last two hosts, combined. Part of it could be due to Brazil's economic status, but South Africa is also a developing country and did not have these cost problems. There is currently no evidence that the current spending, which is already more than double projected costs, will actually positively impact tourism or international investment beyond the World Cup, unlike predictions made before Germany and South Africa hosted their respective World Cups. It is also unlikely that Brazilian teams will even use some of the new stadiums, which are in more remote locations that do not have elite teams. Due to these rising costs and the fear that some stadiums won't be finished in time, the government has been especially lax when it comes to safety standards. As of Feb. 8, three workers died building the controversial Arenada Amazonia. Since 2013, Brazilians have been protesting and rioting about many of the government's plans for the World Cup, especially plans about infrastructure and transportation costs. The current infrastructure projects mainly focus on hotels, which would only benefit tourists, and would raise the cost of bus and train fares for normal Brazilians. At least 10 billion dollars have been spent on these infrastructure changes, but very little of that money is benefiting Brazilians. While Brazil is an emerging economic power, an estimated 11.5 million citizens live in favelas, urban shanty towns characterized by drugs, gang violence, police brutality and poverty. Citing safety concerns, the Brazilian government has authorized police raids in Rio de Janeiro and S??o Paulo to relocate nearly 15,000 families. There is little rhyme or reason over which neighborhoods get to remain in place and which stay: some favelas are offering themselves as cheap housing for tourists, while others face deadly riots and brutalities. The government claims that there is a policy of gentrification in place, but in reality, given that there is no sort of payment system for favela families, this gentrification is just another name for forced eviction. Unfortunately, Brazil is not the only World Cup host to be less than ideal when it comes to government policy and work practice. Russia and Qatar were controversially selected to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively. Russia has a pretty weak human rights record, as demonstrated by the jailing of Pussy Riot, continual abuse of the country's Muslim minority and the anti-gay propaganda law that effectively criminalized being openly gay. Qatar is not much better. The 2022 World Cup is nearly a decade away, but there have already been reports of laborers, many of whom were illegally brought over from Southeast Asia and the Philippines, being underpaid or not paid at all. As a soccer fan, I want to celebrate the best teams in the world playing each other. As someone who identifies as a progressive, I am more than troubled. It is wrong that countries with abusive labor practices or egregious human rights violations are rewarded by the international community and get to host these extravaganzas. Obviously, as an American, it is easy to decry the actions of Brazil and wonder why the government hasn't been better about safety and corruption. The United States and Western Europe can afford certain protections that a country like Brazil simply cannot. It is also easy to forget that the World Cup is giving Brazil a major chance to prove itself as an international player. But this doesn't mean American soccer fans should idly sit by and not be critical about the running of their favorite sport. Sports fans must become more aware of the situation in many of these host countries. While it is hard to control a group like FIFA, and raising awareness is not going to solve every single problem Brazil, Russia and Qatar are facing, it might put pressure on domestic and international lawmakers to change policy. A country like Brazil that wants to be a major world player may be more open to reforms if it is clear Americans are paying attention. It is fine to cheer yourself hoarse for your favorite team, but if fans are ignorant or choose not to acknowledge the problematic elements of a host country, it is unlikely that FIFA or host countries will have any incentive to improve how World Cups are hosted. *
(03/04/14 5:00am)
After a car struck three students on South Street on Feb. 2, new safety measures are moving forward. Following the accident, Waltham Police presence near the crosswalk was heightened in order to enforce lower speed limits and overall caution, as requested by Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan. A plan to implement more safety measures was created by Callahan and Waltham city officials following the accident. The enhancements are being paid for by the University. These improvements include brighter streetlights near the crosswalk, rapid-flash beacons "that have been shown to increase drivers' attention" and spotlights focused on the crosswalk, Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid wrote in a Feb. 24 statement. "When the strobe lights are eventually installed they will be a brighter flashing light similar to police vehicle lights," Callahan wrote in an email to the Justice. Another major enhancement is a motion detector system at the South Street crosswalk by the Linsey Complex so that pedestrians would not need to push the button in order to activate the crosswalk. The system is "something we are reviewing from a technological perspective," Callahan wrote in an email to the Justice. "I am waiting to receive information about the motion system which I imagine would involve some type of passive detection system." A motion detector system could pose a problem for Shabbat observant students. "We would appreciate a notification before it is installed so we can inform students who might be concerned about issues of Sabbath observance," President of Brandeis Orthodox Organization Noam Cohen said in an interview with the Justice. "Still, Orthodox students will be able to cross at the bridge, so it does not seem to be a problem. Almost anything to make the crosswalk safer is a welcome change." One current problem, according to Callahan, is that "the crosswalk buttons have been checked and function, but many community member[s] opt not to use them." Prior to the installation of the motion detector system, more prominent signs will be placed on crosswalk poles instructing pedestrians to "Please Push Button to Activate Lights." These signs have already been purchased and will be installed shortly, according to Callahan. They will stay up even after the motion detector system is installed, since the existing buttons will stay in place as backup. "I do not have a timeline for these enhancements as of yet," Callahan wrote. However, Public Safety and Waltham officials are working as quickly as possible to implement these improvements, weather permitting. The students were hit by a 42-year-old Bedford, Mass. resident while they were crossing South Street in the crosswalk by Linsey Pool and Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. The students, an 18-year-old female, an 18-year-old male and a 22-year-old female, were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Two of the students were released from the hospital the next day. *
(02/11/14 5:00am)
I believe the author of "Internship courses raise controversy" (Jan. 28) brings up important ques-tions about: 1) The role of internships (paid and unpaid) in students' academic and pro-fessional development, 2) If and how universities should award academic credit for unpaid internships and 3) The overall quality of instruction in all university courses, not just internship courses. However, I am concerned that the author failed to present a more subtle and balanced picture of the "internship experience"-at least at Brandeis. As internship instructor for the Health: Science, Society and Policy program-one of the largest majors at Brandeis that oversees 70 to 80 percent of its students as they undertake internships each year-I believe it is important to present a more nuanced view of the internship experience. Regarding points one and two, the author has the legal issue partly (but significantly) wrong. The real issue is about unpaid internships at for-profit enterprises, not unpaid internships in general-an important distinction. Within the HSSP program, the lion's share of our students intern at nonprofit organizations, many of which operate on a shoestring budget. When students intern at a well-known organization in good (or great) financial health, it is not safe to assume that the financial health of all departments within the organization reflects that of the overall organization. For example, within hospitals' research arms, most of the funding is a patchwork quilt as well as grant-based-so-called "soft money." Beyond the financial component, it's not clear to me that organizations are exploiting academic credit as a vehicle for compensating their interns. In fact, in my conversations with potential internship organizations, I can't think of one that hasn't been surprised that students can receive academic credit-and has thought about how to make the internship all the more meaningful as a result. My impression is these organizations really would like to provide the students with something substantial to grapple with both during the internship itself and during their coursework. Additionally, experience has shown me that internship organizations are impressed that the HSSP program has the level of supervision it does over its students during their internships. Neither the internship organizations nor the HSSP program treat the internship experience as "just another box to check." Regarding point three, I think of the internship course as an opportunity to slow students' thinking down-perhaps the only time in most of their adult lives they'll have the opportunity to be this deliberate-and to get them to really consider where this experience fits in their academic, professional and personal development. Last time I checked, staff development was at least on the list of priorities in most workplaces. I understand not all students may be enthusiastic about that sort of reflection, but I strongly believe it's important for all professionals-young, mid-career and seasoned-to take a step back every now and then and see if they can make sense of the bigger picture and make adjustments as necessary. In one-on-one conversations with a number of resolute premed students, I've seen their eyes light up when they realize that being a physician isn't the only (or best) way to approach medicine, health care or human welfare. I believe such profound moments of self-awareness are a direct result of the opportunities HSSP students are exposed to-both on and off campus. Not all internship experiences are created equal. That the author of the original Justice article begins from the premise that they are is a disservice to the many, many organi-zations that care deeply about their interns' intellectual and professional development, to the academic programs that invest substantial time and energy in complementing internships with deliberate reflection and to the students who deserve a pragmatic and fair discourse about the role of internships and internship courses during their time at institutions of higher learning. -Andrew Hart is a Lecturer and internship instructor in the Health: Science, Society and Policy program, and a Ph.D. Candidate at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management.
(02/11/14 5:00am)
Hey there, Brandeis! Here's your pop culture breakdown for this week: On Wednesday, reports surfaced alleging that singer/actress Selena Gomez spent two weeks at the Arizona facility Dawn at the Meadows back in January as part of a secret rehab stint. Though rumors have swirled that Gomez, 21, was admitted for an addiction to alcohol, marijuana and the prescription Ambien, her representative tells People Magazine that the "Come and Get It" singer "voluntarily" went to the rehab facility and specified that her time there was "not for substance abuse." In December, Gomez canceled her Australian tour, articulating in a statement that she needed to "spend some time on [her]self." Still, many are blaming the singer's rehab stint on her rekindled relationship with former beau Justin Bieber, a headline-maker in his own right. The two were famously photographed early in January riding Segways around Bieber's neighborhood in Calabasas, Calif., fueling reports that they had gotten back together. Just a few days after this scooter outing, Gomez checked into rehab. Of course, Bieber also found himself in the headlines again this week. On Jan. 29, just six days after his infamous Miami Beach arrest, Bieber turned himself into Toronto police, and was subsequently charged with assaulting his limo driver. The arrest stems from a Dec. 30 incident, during which the driver of a limo transporting Bieber, 19, and five other people from a nightclub, was hit on the back of the head multiple times. Reportedly, the man who struck the driver left the scene before police arrived. Bieber's court date is set for March 10. It doesn't end there. On Friday, Jan. 31, Bieber and his entourage (including his father, Jeremy) flew on a private jet from Canada to Teterboro, N.J., in order to attend Super Bowl festivities in the New York area. However, NBC News reported that the plane became so filled with marijuana smoke that the pilots were forced to wear oxygen masks in order to avoid risking a secondhand high. Reports filed after the incident also indicate that Bieber and his entourage were verbally abusive to a flight attendant, who was forced to hide out in the plane's cockpit. Members of the flight crew weren't willing to press charges, but authorities allegedly later searched the plane and found bags that appeared to contain marijuana at one point. They could not, however, link their findings to Bieber or his traveling companions. After all the SelGo and JBiebs talk, here is a kind of restoration story of sorts involving none other than Dirty Harry himself: Clint Eastwood. On Wednesday, Eastwood was attending a party for the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament in Monterey, Calif. when he saw that Steve John, the tournament director, was choking on a piece of food. Eastwood, 83, swiftly performed the Heimlich maneuver and, according to John's public statement, "saved [his] life." Eastwood told the local newspaper, The Carmel Pine Cone, that it was his first time ever performing the Heimlich-what a scene that must have been. *
