(03/19/13 4:00am)
The Latin American and Latino Studies Program hosted an event last Wednesday titled "Our America/Nuestra America: The Future of Area Studies" in honor of its 50th anniversary. The event featured a panel consisting of three distinguished alumni who spoke on their experiences in the program: Frances Hagopian '75, Peter Kornbluh '78 and Jeff Arak '07. Hagopian, the Lemann Visiting Associate Professor for Brazil Studies at the department of government at Harvard University and faculty chair of the Brazil studies program of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, spoke first. Hagopian described her initial reason for becoming involved in Latin American studies. "I thought I was going to take a European politics class, and I went to the first class ... and [the professor] said, 'I don't want you in this class if you don't know X, Y and Z,' and I thought, 'I don't know X, Y and Z,'" she said during the event. "So I said to my boyfriend at the time, 'What am I going to do?'" Hagopian's boyfriend at the time had been taking a Latin American history class, which he invited her to take with him. "It was the beginning of a lifelong love," she said. "I dropped the boyfriend; Latin America has been with me ever since." Hagopian travelled to Chile in during the summer of 1974 as a part of her senior thesis, which focused on the fall of the Chilean regime in September 1973. Since then, she has written several books and continues with similar research. In addition, she advises and educates both graduate and undergraduate students, with emphasis on democratization, political representation, political economy, religion and politics. Kornbluh, director of the National Security Archive's Chile Documentation Project and of the Cuba Documentation Project, writes and researches U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. As a writer and an awarded journalist, he has been featured in such publications as the Washington Post and the New York Times. Similar to Hagopian, his senior thesis discussed the situation in Chile; however, his focus was on U.S. intervention. According to Kornbluh, he noticed an article written by former U.S. ambassador to Chile, Edward Korry, regarding his discontentment with President Richard Nixon and then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Kornbluh immediately sought to contact Korry to interview him for his senior thesis. "I saw the opportunity and thought, 'This will get me highest honors,'" said Kornbluh. Kornbluh drove to meet Korry in Connecticut, prepared only with a 60-minute cassette tape. Seven hours after the tape ran out, Korry was still reading confidential documents to Korbluh. Kornbluh was able to use these confidential documents that Korry had shared with him in the interview. "I got highest honors," Kornbluh said. Arak, an up-and-coming documentary filmmaker, directed video portraits, as well as his newly-released film Life on Death Beach about a group of volunteer lifeguards in a town on the cost of Oaxaca, Mexico. Arak plans to pursue a career in filmmaking and producing documentaries. "Documentaries can really be a catalyst for conversation," Arak said. Arak emphasized the importance of working in Latin America to gain cultural competence. "Working in Mexico added a style of closeness to my work," he said. During the question-and-answer session following the panel discussion, several inquirers asked about the panelists' thoughts on the small number of students enrolled in area studies programs such as the Latin American and Latino Studies Program. It was asserted during the event by both the panelists and participants that students who would be interested in Latin American and Latino Studies have been choosing to major in International and Global Studies for a broader education. However, the importance of area studies and the continued existence of the program were defended by the panelists. "Area studies help us understand reality in the arts as opposed to holding onto stereotypes," said Arak. As the panelists persistently mentioned throughout the discussion, Brandeis' program was initiated during a time when such emphasis on Latin American area studies was uncommon in universities. "Never forget that this program was founded in a very special context," Hagopian said. "It was one of the most exciting intellectual experiments in the history of higher education when it started, and creating programs like this one was part of that intellectual ferment."
(03/12/13 4:00am)
In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama cited the up-and-coming project of mapping the human brain as an example of how the government should "invest in the best ideas." The President compared it to the mapping of the human genome project, which returned $140 for every one dollar invested. What do you think about the potential of mapping the brain? Prof. Paul Miller (BIO) As a computational neuroscientist, I would love to explore a human brain map-or connectome as it is dubbed-but I have to wonder if this is the best use of resources. Our brains have about 80 million neurons with a trillion connections so uncovering a human connectome is an immense undertaking. Yet, we know that for the simplest possible networks of two or three neurons, the connectivity is both insufficient to explain or predict function and different connectomes can produce the same function. Moreover, the brain is the centerpiece of a dynamic feedback loop between our sensations and actions, which alter our environment to produce new sensations. Each of our connectomes is not only uniquely established by our genetic makeup but also by our individual lifetime of experience. One snapshot of the connectome, without knowledge of the experiences which produced it, is insufficient to disentangle causes from consequences of any medical condition-the highly altered connectome of a blind person is beneficial, heightening acuity in other senses, and far removed from any cause of the blindness. Perhaps, moving beyond direct tangible benefits, could revealing a human connectome, like landing on the moon, inspire a new generation of scientists? My worry is that if the hype is greater than the payoff it could as easily deter some from an exciting and fruitful field of study. Paul Miller is an Assistant Professor of Biology with an expertise in computational Nueroscience. Denny Poliferno '13 Creating a working map of the brain would be a very useful endeavor. Billions of dollars are spent on care for patients with neurological diseases, and the number of people who will develop the "elderly" neurological diseases (Alzheimer's, etc) is projected to grow as the average lifespan increases. If scientists can determine what neurons or pathways are involved in these diseases, then effective drug or behavioral treatments could be produced and the cost of care would decrease. In addition, people who have lost limbs could get bionic limbs attached that are hooked up to and controlled by the brain, increasing their quality of life and their ability to be independent. The possibility of mapping the brain is a complex process that could take years or even decades to achieve, but then again, mapping the human genome used to be a similarly futile idea. Denny Poliferno '13 is a Neuroscience major and a staff member of the Justice. Bridgette Tran '14 If the government chooses to invest in this project, this research could potentially change the field of neuroscience and psychology by exploring the functions and structure of specific areas in the brain. This project could then prompt private investors to invest in research facilities that explore the biological causes of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and more. However, though mapping the brain could provide clues about human behavior and neurodegenerative diseases, there are many limitations to studying the brain. Even with a map of the specific areas of the brain, we must account for the fact that human behavior and disease is complex and is a result of the interaction between multiple areas of the brain. It's plausible that this project will only provide neuroscientists and psychologists with a stepping stone in which they must build upon. Bridgette Tran '14 is a Undergraduate Departmental Representative for the Psychology department. Justin Lesser '14 I am both skeptical and extremely excited about the prospect of a project to map the human brain. On one hand, creating a brain map would potentially be extremely important in understanding the causes behind many disorders, and the push to fund a product gives me great hope about the future of the field. However, the brain is much more complicated than that; almost the entire brain is involved somehow in everything we do. I have some doubts whether such a feat can actually be done. Regardless, it is refreshing to know that the future is bright for the field I am involved in. Justin Lesser '14 is a Neuroscience major and a member of Brandeis Mens ultimate.
(03/12/13 4:00am)
I was born in Israel to an Israeli father and an American-born mother who moved there after college. When I was five years old, my family and I left Israel. While I admit that most of what I recall from my years in Israel deals with the monkey bars at the local playground rather than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there are nonetheless a few distinct memories that have stuck with me. I remember the sealed "safe room" in our apartment that we would have to enter if a bomb siren sounded. I remember the heated political discussions that broke out whenever family came over. I remember singing songs about peace at my kindergarten graduation. Sadly, in the nearly fifteen years that have passed since I left Israel, not much has changed in regards to the conflict. The cycle of violence is ongoing, there is no lasting peace, and both sides are as frustrated as ever. Too many people, both in Israel and in the United States, seem to have accepted the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a fact of life. The truth of the matter is that now is the time for both sides to sit down, compromise and work towards a two-state solution before it is too late. The idea of having two states for two peoples is older than the State of Israel itself. The Peel Commission of 1937 and the United Nations Partition Plan of 1947 both came to the conclusion that the land in question be divided between Jews and Arabs. In the decades since then, every legitimate peace talk has operated on that principle as well. It is clear that this is the only solution that maintains Israel's Jewish and democratic nature; any of the so-called one-state solutions are just ploys to either eradicate the Jewish state or even prevent the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. For as long as this two-state solution remains a viable option, it should continue to be pursued as the only reasonable solution. While the fulfillment of this vision-that of a strong Israel living side-by-side with a thriving, independent Palestinian state-has eluded the region for decades, both sides must continue to have faith in its future success. With that in mind, the first step in the peace process must be direct conversation and negotiation. This has happened at many points in the past, most recently in September 2010 when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met in Washington, D.C., and is the only way valid way to work towards true peace. Although peace talks have been stalled since the recent escalation in the Gaza Strip, and the leaders are refusing to budge, the vast majority of people on both sides want peace. In fact, according to a 2010 poll by Fafo, a Norwegian-based international research foundation, 73 percent of Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza were in favor of peace negotiations with Israel, but stressed that a settlement freeze should be a precondition to talks. Likewise, two 2012 Israeli polls revealed that over two thirds of Israeli Jews support a peace agreement establishing a demilitarized Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, Israel's retention of major settlement blocs, and a division of Jerusalem. There is no lack of ideas regarding solutions to different parts of this conflict, but there is a noticeable lack of leadership. Whether this is for political reasons or their own personal beliefs, these leaders must be willing to come to the negotiating table without any preconditions. This has been done in the past including at the Oslo Accords of the mid-1990s and the Camp David Summit in 2000, and it is clear that meeting face to face leads to a greater understanding of the other side's position and allows leaders to work together. I sincerely hope that when President Obama visits the region later this month, he can serve as an impetus to reignite peace talks. The president has expressed his firm support for the two-state solution, and if he chooses to use his influence wisely, he could have an incredible impact on bringing the Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. United States involvement has been critical in almost every negotiation in Israel's history, and now that the president does not need to focus on his re-election campaign, he can dedicate more time and energy to this cause. The president, like so many others, recognizes that the demographics on the ground are changing. As he said to thousands of pro-Israel Americans at the 2011 American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference, "We can't afford to wait another decade, or another two decades, or another three decades to achieve peace ... the world is moving too fast." While I am not so na??ve as to believe that negotiations will resume the moment President Obama lands in Israel, or even that his visit will manage to have any depolarizing effect, I hope that President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry dedicate serious time and commitment to work towards peace. After all, only once negotiations begin, a rapport is built between the parties, and a general outline concerning the borders of both states is agreed upon, can they go on to discuss more complex issues such as the West Bank settlements, security arrangements and the future status of Jerusalem. The road to a two-state solution is not simple. It will take years of dedication, building upon the decades of work and thought already invested in it. Even if a solution is reached, the transition can be tedious, agreements can be broken, and Israel's security can be threatened. Each side must understand that neither the Israelis nor the Palestinians are going to receive precisely what they want; that is the nature of compromise, but the beauty of it is that by working together, these two nations can build a brighter future for themselves and each other. When I moved away from Israel there was no peace. Now, there is still no peace. But I hope and pray that when my children visit Israel, and hopefully a peaceful, cooperative Palestine, they will be visiting countries of prosperity, security and peace. Daniel Koas is an executive board member of the Brandeis Israel Public Affairs committee.
(03/12/13 4:00am)
Last Tuesday, Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, pediatric oncologist Jessica Sachs and Prof. Sylvia Barack Fishman (NEJS) spoke about their professional journeys on a panel called "Desserts & Dialogue: Women in Leadership." The event was a part of the Brandeis Leadership Week sponsored by the Department of Community Living and the Department of Student Events. The three women spoke to a packed audience in Levine-Ross in the Hassenfeld Conference Center, and began by presenting narrations of their career paths. McCarthy was born and raised in Waltham. After receiving an undergraduate degree in biology from Boston College, she worked in a factory for four years, attended night school to receive a law degree from Suffolk University and attended graduate school at Northeastern University. Later, she volunteered for the Waltham community and ran for the school committee, a position that she held from 1986 to 1991, according to her website. Ultimately, McCarthy decided to get involved with politics in order to "give back." She worked first in the City of Waltham law department for seven years, and in 2004, became the mayor. She was the first woman to hold the position in the town's history, beating opponents that included an incumbent and a former mayor's son, she said. "I've been fortunate to be the mayor of my hometown," McCarthy said during the panel, citing Waltham's diverse population and "two beautiful universities" among the town's assets. McCarthy added that her legal and science training have helped her in her career path. Of additional aspects to her approach as mayor she said, "I try to be honest and tell the people, 'I can do this, I can't do that.'" Sachs, who works at Massachusetts General Hospital and Millennium Pharmaceutical Company, called herself a "transplant to the area," having moved to Newton, Mass. from Maryland in high school. In her career path, Sachs said that she was initially sure of four things in which she was later proven wrong. As an undergraduate biology student at Duke University, Sachs said she was first sure that she wanted to be a scientist and had no interest in medicine. After then choosing a Doctor of Medicine program for financial reasons, she said that she thought she was sure that she wanted to do research rather than working with patients. However, after working in a clinic and enjoying working with patients more than she anticipated, the third thing she said she thought she knew was that she did not want to work in pediatrics "because I found children very frustrating," she said. Sachs said that she was ultimately drawn to pediatrics, in part because children are generally healthy. "It was very empowering, to be able to fix someone, ... knowing that they could go on to lead perfectly normal lives," she said. Then, while at what is now Tufts Medical Center, Sachs said that the fourth thing she initially thought was that she wasn't interested in oncology. However, during her residency, she said that she discovered that pediatric oncology was indeed the right route for her and went on to an oncology fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, which was both the worst year of her life and "definitely also one of the best things I've ever done." "Every one of those children I've cared for is part of who I am, part of my identity," Sachs said. Fishman, the department chair of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, was born in Wisconsin. "I always loved to read, and I loved to read things that weren't true," she said. She eventually went on to study English at Washington University in St. Louis. Despite beginning her career in what she called "the bad old days," in which she, as a married woman with children, was denied academic and professional opportunities, Fishman went on to teach English at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Fishman first began her time at Brandeis assisting with sociological research. Ultimately, she said, she was the first female in the NEJS department to be on the tenure track, and is also the first woman to act as chair of the department. Fishman observed the "shared motif of 'winding paths'" in the three women's journeys. She said that this quality has always been true of women's career paths, but that it is now true for both men and women. Another motif that she noted was that of "people that throw their whole heart and soul into whatever part of the path they're on." In response to an audience question about women being cautioned against dressing femininely in the workplace, Fishman said, "I didn't wear nail polish until I got tenure." At the time that she was beginning her career, she said that dressing professionally but not calling too much attention to oneself as a woman was important. McCarthy added that because those in the political sphere "judge you upside, downside, every side" until they get to know you, a positive first impression is important. Her frequent response, however, is that "you didn't pay me for dressing up; you pay be for my brain," she continued. In response to an audience question about sexism in the field, McCarthy said that she keeps her mother's advice in mind: "What you do reflects upon you, and what other people do reflects upon them, and just remember that." She advised the audience to "very respectfully stand your ground" in such situations. Fishman similarly advised the audience to "stick up for yourself without being defensive" and to be "appropriately forceful in the way you present yourself." As a final word of advice, McCarthy said, "you have got to have experience to know what you really want, [and] you have got to have courage to change what you want when you're not happy."
(03/05/13 5:00am)
After the release of his new single, JustArts sat down with Cameron Wolff '15 to discuss his passion for music and electronic band RapidFflow. JustArts: Would you tell me about the history of RapidFflow and how the group got started? Cameron Wolff: So, in the summer of 2008, I went to a music place in San Francisco and started messing around with online music making programs and then I showed Chris Atanasian, my best friend and the other half of RapidFflow, and we started making music. JA: How would you describe the style of music that RapidFflow makes? CW: We make electronic music, but there are a lot of sub-genres, like techno, trans-house, so we cross a lot of different styles. I also put in classical flare to the music like Mozart style. JA: How did you come up with the name RapidFflow? CW: To get the 'rapid' Chris used part of his computer username and mine is my last name backwards, so then we smushed them together to create RapidFflow. JA: How many songs has RapidFflow come out with? CW: We've come out with two albums, the first one entitled RapidFflow and our second Handful of Ownage, and we've had two singles since then, "Digital Mist" and "Mystery". JA: Tell me more about your new single "Mystery" that just came out. CW: "Mystery" just came out as the single for our new album that is coming out hopefully at the end of summer. I'm probably going to dedicate one of the songs to my Grandma who passed away recently called Nama, which is what I called her. For "Mystery," my friend Michael Leung '15 made the artwork and worked on other stuff as well. JA: What types of songs will your new album feature? CW: It has songs like "Mystery" and previous songs, but it also has songs that are completely different than anything we have ever done before; it still has our melodic style that listeners recognize and keeps our fans coming back. We also evolved our production of the music to make everything sound better and we really worked on trying to make it sound comparable to other top artists' music. JA: How have you seen your music evolve over time? CW: The first album was really raw, not much mixing and more simple beats. The second album we got a little better making chord progressions, and our most recent singles are a huge step for us putting in a lot more sounds, mixing and mastering it and really going for the professional sound of other artists. JA: What is your biggest musical influence? CW: I have to say the Beatles, but Chris' influences range from System of a Down to Daft Punk to the Crystal Method. JA: What other notable experiences have you had with music production? CW: This summer I interned at Hans Zimmer's studio, the guy who's made the music for Lion King and Inception. I got to sit in with composers and watch them work on the music for Assassin's Creed and all their different techniques which helped me learn different styles of music. I had previously just worked on music, but I got to see how they produced the music for movies and video games too. JA: Are you majoring in anything music related? CW: I am minoring in Music and last semester I took an electronic music class which helped RapidFflow because I learned how to mix and master tracks to sound more professional. Now, we have over 200,000 views on our page so we are doing pretty well. JA: Where do you see RapidFflow going in the future and your own work in music? CW: I would like to continue doing this for 10, 15 years, but realistically I'm not sure that can happen because it's hard to make it in the music industry. JA: Tell me more about your fan base. CW: Most of our fans are based on watching our videos on YouTube, but we've sold a lot of music in Australia, Canada, all over the United States and we've even had some random sales in Austria, Germany and the U.K. I would love to spread more into Europe because they love this type of music there. JA: What do you think makes RapidFflow unique? CW: I think the fact that Chris and my writing style is based off of rock and classical music, not just electronic, shows that we are making electronic music out of other sounds that people have never heard before. * -Jessie Miller
(03/05/13 5:00am)
* Amid the speculative and fearful environment surrounding the federal spending cuts that began as part of the 2013 sequestration this past Friday, it is difficult to know what is actually going to happen. Apart from the fact that the Sequester itself is incredibly complicated and difficult to understand, no one really seems to have any definitive predictions on what the effects will be for average American citizens. * What I have been able to glean from the abundance of articles, analysis and reports, however, is that many of the cuts will have a disproportionate effect on low-income families and individuals. According to a March 3 Huffington Post article, the proposed cuts include the furlough of more than half of the over two million government workers in the United States and significant reductions on education spending including cutting 70,000 pre-kindergarten students from the Head Start program and the elimination of 7,200 special education teachers and aides. * There are a number of other proposed cuts that will affect middle- and upper-class families and individuals, like the closure of many runways at some of the nation's busiest airports, and the reduction of visiting hours at national parks, but the impact of these cuts seem trivial when compared with the loss of vital healthcare and education services for people who actually rely on those government programs to survive. * Sadly, I am not surprised that the worst losses will likely disproportionately affect the poor. After all, with America's rugged individualist and "pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps" mentality, it's just not in our nature to emphasize programs that appear to foster dependency and laziness, rather than a strong work ethic and a determination to haul oneself out of poverty. * I am however, incredibly frustrated by the negative impact the Sequester will have. Our government's consistent efforts to save money and cut spending, which often end up being harmful to the poor, stem from our overwhelming faith in the "American Dream"-because of America's freedom and opportunity, you will be able to better yourself as long as you are determined and work hard. * Unfortunately, in today's day and age, the "American Dream" is a myth. According to Fareed Zakaria's February 2013 column in Time Magazine, economic mobility in the U.S. today is low. Our nation's poorest rarely become rich, or even achieve middle-class status. The moving stories we hear of those who pull themselves out of poverty and attain incredible wealth and success are the exception, and not the rule. * The fact of the matter is that the circumstances of life in America have changed a great deal since the "American Dream" was a realistically attainable goal. Our economy is stagnant, there aren't enough jobs, higher education is more expensive and competitive than ever and even without significant cuts to federal spending, economists worry that social security will not be able to support future generations that are getting ever bigger. * If we want to make significant strides towards ending poverty, the American mindset needs to change, and the government needs to heave itself out of our glorious past and start making policies that make sense for our current economic situation. * We keep telling ourselves that even with significant cuts to government programs like education and healthcare, the poor will work it out for themselves because they can always pull themselves out of poverty if they really want to and work hard enough. * Here's a little reality check for all of us: no one can pull themselves up by their bootstraps if they don't have boots. No one can buy boots if they don't have a job that generates significant income, and for many low-income laborers, they can't even get an income-generating job if they don't have boots. * Poverty is not a simple problem with a quick fix. * We tell ourselves that there's always an out if you want it badly enough. But the truth is that there isn't an out because we keep raising the bottom rung on the ladder of economic mobility a little higher every time we make another cut to federal spending on vital government programs. At this point, the bottom rung is so high that no one, not even those extraordinary individuals with incredible talent, can reach it without a very significant external boost. * I am no economist. I know that the United States is in very serious trouble if we can't find a way to cut down on spending to reduce our national debt, and I don't pretend to have a better solution than the one the government is currently trying to implement. * On the other hand, I also know that the United States will be in a different kind of very serious trouble if we keep ignoring the needs of the poor, blocking their exit routes and then blaming them for their own poverty because they are lazy and dependent and not working hard enough. * If we pride ourselves on our freedom and opportunity, then it's time to find a way to make the "American Dream" a reality once more, albeit with a few alterations tailored to our current circumstances.
(03/04/13 5:00am)
I am drifting on a dhow, an Arab sailing vessel, down some exotic Middle Eastern river; it could be the Tigris or the Euphrates or the Nile, but what I do know is the wind guiding me: "New Sounds from the Arab Lands," a musical performance that enchanted a crowd ranging from students to curious off-campus patrons on Thursday night in the Slosberg Recital Hall.
(03/04/13 5:00am)
Held this past Saturday, the Tufts Last Chance Meet gave some athletes one more chance to potentially qualify for the NCAA Division III National Championships to be held this weekend in Naperville, Ill. And while several Judges competed simply to have one more opportunity to race before spring rolls around, there was one Brandeis athlete who punched his ticket to the biggest race of the season. Alex Kramer '13, who is currently ranked No. 14 in Division III in the one-mile run, qualified for the championship to be held on Friday and Saturday after his second-place finish in that event at the Tufts Last Chance Meet. He finished second out of 16 runners in that event, running the distance in four minutes, 12.66 seconds. Kramer finished less than one second behind the event winner, senior Pat Grimes of Amherst College, who clocked 4:11.72. His time, a new personal best, ranks him fourth out of New England milers in Division III. "After running the time I did this weekend at Tufts, I really thought I had a good chance to qualify," said Kramer on Monday in an interview with the Justice. "I'm looking forward to it and hope to enjoy it." Though Kramer rightly stole the plaudits with his performance, he was not the only Judge to shine. Mik Kern '13 also was impressive in the race, finishing eighth with a time of 4:18.41. Kramer was quick to praise the presence of Kern and Chris Brown '12, who finished third in the same event at the 2012 NCAA Division III Indoor Championships, the reaching his goal. "Mik got second to me in the mile at the (University Athletic Association) Championships," he said. "He has been the perfect training partner. We've done pretty much all of our workouts together, all of our training together, this year. He's been a huge help to me. "Chris has been one of my best friends. He ran 3:43 in the 1500-meter race outdoors, which is equal to about a 4:01 mile. He did very similar workouts last year as I did this year, so when you start to do the same things and follow the same training, you start to get confidence in yourself." Having competed in the one-mile race most of the season, Ed Colvin '14 recorded a new season-best time in the men's 3,000-meter run. The junior took second in the 15-lap race, clocking 8:43.73, less than three seconds behind race winner Bill Way. The women's distance medley relay team, fresh off a win at the University Athletic Association Championships on Feb. 22, put forth a strong effort over the 4,000-meter distance, taking eighth out of nine competing squads. Kelsey Whitaker '16, Casey McGown '13, Amelia Lundkvist '14 and Victoria Sanford '14 ran the 800-meter leg, 400-meter leg, 1,200-meter leg and 1,600-meter leg, respectively, coming in at 12:15.57 seconds. In addition to Kramer and the aforementioned Distance Medley Relay, Brandeis featured another UAA Championship winner in Vincent Asante '14, who took first in the 55-meter dash in 6.55 seconds. After a few weeks of recovery, the rest of the Judges will compete in their first outdoor meet on March 30, when they will again travel to Tufts for the Snowflake Classic. However, for Kramer, all of his focus turns to this weekend and putting forth a strong effort at the season's biggest occasion for Division III collegiate athletes. "I really think I have a good shot to be All-American," he said. "There's a preliminary race on Friday where a few of the competitors (there are 13 competitors in the preliminary race) are knocked out. However, the seed time gap from me (he is the ninth seed) to the third seed is around one second. I know that anything can happen in a big race like that and that the guys that I am competing against are very tough, but I think I have a good shot (at earning All-American) if everything goes well." With good preparation, lots of rest, intense focus and maybe even a little bit of luck, Kramer could return from the Midwest with that distinction.
(03/04/13 5:00am)
* On a bright, cool February afternoon, fifth and sixth graders at the Rashi School gym prepared for a basketball lesson to remember. Excitement was in the air as three men's basketball players from the Judges held a clinic for the students on defense, shooting, and dribbling. Graduate student Zach Malis '12 MA '13 and juniors Ruben Kanya '14 and Connor Arnold '14 had made the trip to Dedham, Mass. to help out the young players at Rashi. Yet, there was a greater cause behind the trip. * "We were sitting at dinner one night and Yuli [a student at the Rashi School] said, 'we should do a fundraiser for kids affected by Hurricane Sandy,'" said Yuli's mother, Joni. "I said what do you have in mind and he said a basketball thing at school." * That conversation launched this unforgettable event on Feb. 12. After correspondence between Malis and Joni over a few months, a date was made and the charities were chosen. * Additionally, the event planners proposed to sponsor donations of toys to kids affected by Hurricane Sandy as well as to the SibsPlace organization, a program in alliance with South Nassau hospital that supports and aids children living with a parent or sibling that has been diagnosed with cancer or other terminal illnesses. * Ari Marcovski, a Hebrew teacher and sixth grade basketball coach at Rashi identified with the Judges' goal to carry out social justice. "Since social justice is so central to us at Rashi, it is heartwarming to see students take on social justice initiatives on their own," said Marcarski. "This fortifies our hope for our collective future." * Arnold, Kanya and Malis greatly enjoyed the opportunity to give back to a community in need. * "Being able to help kids out and teach them something about basketball for a good cause was a great experience," Arnold said. * Kanya also felt greatly rewarded by the opportunity to provide a memorable experience for these children, in addition to contributing to two fantastic causes. * "Anytime you can take just two hours out of your day towards a good cause it's worth it," he said. "It's nostalgic to come back [to a grade school] and remember where you were. It feels good for me to help the community and send a message about academics and how dedication will help you be successful." * Malis explained how being a student-athlete at Brandeis for five years influenced his desire to make an event to help benefit the community. * "I have been given an incredible opportunity to pursue excellence in the classroom as well as excellence in athletics," he said. "Any opportunity that I am given to give back to the community is an equally, if not more, worthy pursuit." Many would agree. * Editor's note: Adam Schlitt works for Brandeis Athletics.
(02/12/13 5:00am)
* Student Union senate meetings are relatively tame. Debate consists of differing parties sharing a speaker's list, moving methodically through the motions of democracy with the rarest of hiccups. * However, when I heard the Cannabis Culture Club was on the agenda, I cleared my Sunday afternoon. The purpose of the club would be to advocate for the legalization of hemp and marijuana in a drug free environment. The club's representatives, a group of six diverse and spirited speakers, had quite a bit to say. They discussed the benefits of hemp, the trend toward legalization and the way in which discussion is fundamental to policy change. The Union then asked a few basic questions about the goals of the organization, and proceeded into a discussion where the members of the club had to leave the room, standard procedure for all clubs looking to be recognized by the Union. * What ensued could best be described as a dog trying to catch its tail. The debate began calmly, but quickly became contentious, polarized in the extreme and profoundly interesting. Analogies ranged between the Klu Klux Klan and the Queer Policy Alliance. Reasons to charter the club included: "Why not?" "discourse!" and "the administration doesn't hate it," while those against the club used arguments ranging from "they should join Students for Environmental Action" to "illegality" to "asthma." * The end verdict 30 minutes later, 5 in favor, 11 against, and 1 abstain, clearly reflected personal opinions, as opposed to any constitutional reason to recognize the club or not. The discussion at its best was muddled, at its worst, crass. * Amid all the heated rhetoric and discussion underlies a more sinister and frightening truth: The Union has embraced its rituals, its unanimous votes and formalized rules, to the point that it has forgotten why it votes the way that it does. The Union has become so comfortable with what is easy to extract from its founding documents, that the senators have neglected the larger philosophies of purpose imbued within the Union's constitution and bylaws. They have so honed in on specific and simple reasons for not recognizing clubs, such as 'duality of purpose' and 'inclusivity,' that they don't have any larger principles to fall back upon. * Their division on the Cannabis Culture Club reflected the discord surrounding the Union's purpose, and the role that senators' votes play in that purpose. * Some senators decided to vote based on constitutionality, moral right, constituent base, or personal feeling. It wasn't clear what they were supposed to vote on, so each senator decided for himself. * I am not a proponent of marijuana. I don't think that people need another high-risk decision to make, I think that it is an abuse of the human body and physically addictive. Be that as it may, I am for freedom of speech. As is the saying so often surrounding the Westboro Baptist Church: "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I will always defend your right to say it." I personally believe that it is wrong for our student-elected officials to reject a club because of personal disagreements with its purpose. I don't think that the Union should reject a club for Democrats because they are Republicans, or to reject the Queer Policy Alliance because they believe that homosexuality is a choice. Without the Cannabis Culture Club, who will convince me that I am wrong? * When it comes down to it, rejecting a club based on any grounds other than constitutional ones is censorship. It is the imposition of the opinions of some to suppress the spread of the opinions of others. Our student government should not allow itself to be a part of this oppression of speech, and adjudication of opinion. Ultimately, I think that the right to freedom of expression is far more fundamental and far more important to Brandeis' mission of social justice. Good ole' Louie would never silence the Queer Policy Alliance, the Westboro Baptist Church or the Cannabis Culture Club. * The 20 words in the Student Union Bylaws on the recognition of clubs are that 1) The club may not be a fraternity or sorority, and 2) that the club cannot "duplicate the purpose or goals of another currently Recognized or Chartered Organization." When approached by a prospective club, the senators should only vote on these stated and explicit rules. The Cannabis Culture Club is unique. It may share some motives of environmental activism with other clubs, but ultimately its overall message and purpose is the legalization of cannabis, a goal no other club on campus even remotely shares. * Duality of purpose is the only stipulation in the constitution as to why clubs should not be recognized, and thus it is really the only reason the seante should not recognize. Clubs are the way in which ideas and thought are spread on campus, and ultimately allowing all people to share their ideas best serves Brandeis' social goals, and students' best interests. * I expect more out of our elected officials. I expect the members of the Union to realize that discourse, in all of its forms is a positive thing. I expect the Union to look beyond its personal aversion to the desires of some members of its student body. I had hoped the Union would hold itslef to a higher standard. Not what they felt but what is right. Not what is easy, but what is just. * Luckily the Union understands that it needs to address this issue. This Sunday's meeting, the Union decided on a date to discuss why they recognize clubs, and what the basis for recognition should be. I for one hope they choose well. * Grady Ward is the non-senate committee chair of the Club Support Committee.
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Each spring, young Brandeisian women partake in the Vagina Monologues, an Eve Ensler play that sheds light on various female experiences. With a focus on women's rights issues, the monologues are meant to provoke anger, sadness, laughter and heightened awareness. "Until the violence stops"-the slogan used for V-Day,-is a "global activist movement to end violence against women and girls" founded by Ensler, playwright and activist. Women at college campuses all over the nation have rallied together to promote female empowerment, including here on Brandeis' campus. This year's rendition featured a new campaign called One Billion Rising, which cites that one out of three women will experience violence in her lifetime. One Billion Rising encourages women and their supporters to join together to collectively combat violence against women, in solidarity that transcends geographical and cultural borders. Despite recycled scripts, new directors guide their casts to provide a different take on each year's production, giving veteran members of the audience a fresh experience. This year's director and three-year participant, Maya Grant '13 said during an interview that she brought a refreshingly new vision for this year's production by focusing on "digging deeper to visually push each piece." Working closely with coordinator Laura Ben Marger Moore '14, Grant and Moore took painstaking care to cast young women who clearly demonstrated both enthusiasm and confidence for their monologues. Contrary to typical casting practice of selecting actors based solely on talent, Grant said during the interview that she and Moore placed a priority on pinpointing women who exhibited passion while performing, gravitating towards those with "willingness to move outside of their comfort zones and embrace what makes us diverse." This willingness to embrace diversity extended beyond just casting, as the diversity and skills specific to each actress were taken into account, allowing the cast to breathe new life into their monologues. Unique to recent past productions of the Vagina Monologues, Grant incorporated contemporary dance, though admitting during the interview, "I knew going into this show that I wanted to incorporate dance in some way but had no idea for which monologue or how to make it happen." Describing the auditions of Bront? Velez '16 and Queen White '16, two members of the Atlanta Liberal Arts Posse 2, Grant says, "They amazed me during auditions, and I knew that just having them on stage speaking wouldn't do the piece justice." Tapping into Velez's experience performing and choreographing, Grant incorporated dance into the monologue "My Vagina was My Village." Accompanied by a voiceover of the script (recorded by Velez and White), the result was a visual masterpiece so riveting that the audience collectively held its breath, with no sound of the typical candy wrappers, coughing or other types of fidgeting to be heard. Other monologues with notably new takes included the famed "The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy" (often nicknamed by those involved with the production as "Moan"). It began with the spotlight on Ashley Lynette '13, but the focus eventually shifted to three silhouettes in the background, silently enacting varied types of moans as Lynette provided the soundtrack. Another, "Reclaiming Cunt" featured Carly Lenhoff '13 as she dynamically delivered her monologue, contorting and undulating her body to match the monologue's cacophony and the self-love it encourages. Through observing the skills of her cast and tapping into their varied talents, Grant successfully reinvented the Vagina Monologues experience for this University and her cast, many of whom are repeat attendees and participants. Looking back on the many hours spent bonding and rehearsing together, Grant remarks, "I am so proud of my cast this year, and I credit the success of the show to their talent, drive and commitment to the experience." A truly collective effort and cohesive execution, this year's Vagina Monologues provided a moving call to action to fight injustice against women everywhere.
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An average of 28.12 million viewers tuned into the 2013 Grammy Awards on Sunday to watch both the stellar performances and to see who would win in each of the 11 award categories presented at the show.
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Lena Dunham has had quite a year. She won two Golden Globes, one for best television series, comedy, and one for best actress for her role as Hannah Horvath in that hit show Girls. This role has transformed her from indie filmmaker into arguably the "voice of [her] generation . . . or maybe a voice, of a generation" (a quote all Girls fans will recognize from the pilot episode). On Feb. 6, Dunham and her mother-visual artist and filmmaker Laurie Simmons-hosted an event called "Mother and Daughter: The Voices of Two Generations" at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, which screens over 300 films every year. The first part of the event was a showing of Dunham's first feature film Tiny Furniture (2010), followed by a question and answer session, with question topics ranging from self-expression to feminism. Standing in the unbelievably long line at the MFA, I couldn't have been more excited. Like many others, I feel a personal connection to Dunham and her Girls character Hannah. Hannah is hilarious, neurotic and slightly self-centered, making for a character that audiences can't get enough of. This was evident at the event, filled with excited and fashion-conscious teenage girls, some bearing gifts for their woman of honor. The film Tiny Furniture follows Aura, a recent college graduate played by Dunham, who returns home to her family in New York, played by real life mother Simmons and sister Grace Dunham. More of a slice of life than an established plotline, the film follows Aura as she gets a job as a hostess, does not "date" but casually "hangs out with" two guys and aimlessly wanders around her TriBeCa loft, much to the dismay of her successful mother and sister. I am in agreement with New York Times critic Manohla Dargis when she described the film as, "more pleasurable to think about than it is to watch, more of a conceptual coup than an enjoyable experience." It is my opinion that, although it is not necessary for a film to have a strong plotline, it must at least feature some character development for the film to have any direction. Aura, however, remains listless and unmotivated throughout, quitting her job as a "day hostess", and continuously allowing men to take advantage of her. However, the audience seemed to love it, laughing at the appropriate times at the extremely understated humor. The event peaked in excitement as Dunham and Simmons took the stage. What started as a discussion about her film quickly turned into a free form exchange as the two answered questions eloquently and with humor. Dunham was both articulate and genuine, confirming her status as one of the more relatable and genuine celebrities. Dunham spoke of the creative inspiration she takes from her artist parents, who always encouraged her to find her voice, whatever it may be. Dunham and Simmon's close relationship was evident on stage. The two joked around with each other and were comfortable discussing all topics with each other (i.e. Dunham-"You didn't like it when my sister made a clay penis in ceramics class" Simmons-"No, I didn't like that"). Simmons refuted the notion that she was similar to Siri, Aura's somewhat strict, cold mother in Tiny Furniture, claiming that in real life, she is much more sympathetic. Dunham's work, generally, is heavily influenced by her real life experiences. Anyone who has ever seen any Dunham work will inevitably wonder how closely the characters of Aura and Hannah are based on the author herself. Dunham responded, "Sometimes I feel so close to Hannah because we share so many things . . . It's nice to have a repository for your experiences in someone else with slightly different hair." Ultimately, the discussion took a political turn when asked about her stance on feminism and how this contributes to her writing of Girls. Although she considers herself a feminist, she does not "approach the show with any feminist agenda." "I don't believe in the concept of post-feminism. Because I don't think that feminism is done. I don't understand any woman who says they're not a feminist . . . it feels like disowning yourself," she explained amid applause and audience cheers. In an emotionally stirring moment, Simmons responded to Dunham's feminist diatribe, "When I hear you talk like that, I think, that's my girl!'' Dunham then proceeded to charm the audience as she mocked female pop stars who clearly misunderstood the definition of feminism. Taylor Swift, for example, when asked if she considers herself to be a feminist, answered, "I don't really think about things as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life". At the end of the discussion, Dunham was swarmed by fans, who clamored to take pictures with her and have her autograph. Dunham confirmed her status as one of the most educated, intelligent, and "real" women on the Hollywood scene today.
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In recent years, the United States has waged a quasi-secret campaign of targeted killings against suspected militants abroad. This past Thursday, the public got a rare glimpse inside these clandestine operations as the chief architect of the strikes, John Brennan, a White House counterterrorism advisor, was up for conformation for C.I.A. director. Additionally, a recently made public Justice Department White Paper states that it is lawful to kill a United States citizen if "an informed, high-level" government official decides that the target is a ranking Al Qaeda figure who poses "an imminent threat of violent attack" What do you think about the killing of terrorist targets without trial, citizen or not? Alia Goldfarb '13 * The U.S. model of democracy has unfortunately allowed for grave human rights abuses to take place within seemingly ever changing 'legal' frameworks. For example, the internment camps in World War II authorized by President Roosevelt led to many legal killings of internees. These camps were highly popularized through propaganda comparable to publicity tactics of today-merely the focus has shifted towards Islamophobic and xenophobic prejudices. Thus, I wonder how a 'democratic' nation can give a single authority figure the exclusive power to decide over any human being's life, citizen or not. I further question our government's ethical code. In my opinion, such legislation only aggravate further violent actions and inhibit the nonviolent attempts to nurture peaceful coexistence. * Alia Goldfarb '13 is the undergraduate departmental representative for Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence studies.
* Marielle Temkin '13
* The biggest of many problems with this whole Justice Department memo scandal is that our government can order the killing (aka: murder) of its own citizens without any proof of their involvement in Al Qaeda. What happened to due process? What happened to innocent before proven guilty? I understand that the safety of our country is incredibly important to our leaders-it's important to citizens too. But my blood boils when I think about the fact that someone sitting in the White House can order the murder of an American for no reason. Sure, they can claim they were acting in self-defense by protecting the country from dangerous individuals, but I am more concerned about the danger these officials are inflicting on our country by acting against the values upon which it was founded. Bring back due process. * Marielle Temkin '13 is the managing editor for the Justice.
* Prof. Reuven Kimelman (NEJS)
* The government position on targeted assassination of would be terrorists has a moral and legal difficulty. Morally, targeted assassination can only be condoned were the target already to have committed a capital crime or were the committing of such crime imminent. Imminence means there is no time for an alternative and that without intervention immediately the target would commit a capital crime. Legally, the problem is who makes the judgment. It cannot be the call of the executive branch. Indeed, it cannot be the call of anybody who has something to gain from the act whether politically or personally. This has to be the call of the judiciary who is to assess the nature of the potential crime and its imminence and only then issue a warrant. If this is proper procedure with regard to police breaking into the house of a suspected criminal then all the more so with regard to killing a suspected criminal. * Prof. Reuven Kimelman is a professor in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department with an expertise in ethics.
* Sarah Park '14
* The way our high-ranking government officials decide to exact justice based on a suspect's religion, politics or other affiliations is immoral and unconstitutional for it implicitly condones government-sponsored murder. A "hunch" that someone is a terrorist is insufficient to stand alone as evidence of a crime. Under the Fifth, Sixth and fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution, all American citizens are guaranteed the right to a trial by jury, due process and habeas corpus. These rights must not be ignored under any circumstance for they protect citizens from the tyrannical rule of the masses. We must diverge from the mindset that suspected terrorists are convicted terrorists. All American citizens-whether they are suspected terrorists or confirmed enemy combatants-deserve to be considered innocent until proven guilty. Further, President Obama must mind his duties as the President, which is to serve as the representative of the People, not to serve as the judge, jury and executioner of the People. * Sarah Park '14 is the Vice President of Young Americans for Liberty.
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This past week, JustArts sat down to chat with Jeremy Fiske about directing 'The Pillowman,' and working in both theater and film production. JustArts: How did you first get involved in theater? Jeremy Fiske: Actually, to be honest, this is the first directing job I've ever had in theater. I come from movies. I come from the film world. I went to Emerson [College] for film and I've been working in the industry for about six years now. I just actually happened to read this play because I'm a huge fan of Martin McDonagh who wrote it and he also has done some movies, specifically In Bruges ... I am a huge fan of his and I happen to read The Pillowman. I honestly was just blown away by it and then found out that the grad[uate] students were doing The Pillowman and it kind of just worked out that way. JA: What have been some of your most interesting experiences in the film industry and now in the theater industry? JF: In film, I kind of break it down two ways. I like to think of myself as a more creative type of writer and director. But to pay the bills I've been doing a lot of location managing, specifically stage-managing for the bigger movies that have come into Boston for the last six years like Shutter Island, Zookeeper, R.I.P.D., Grown Ups, those films I've been the stage manager for, so that keeps me pretty busy. JA: The Pillowman is a very dark play. It's about totalitarianism and suppression of free speech. So what drew you to [direct] Pillowman? JF: Martin McDonagh. I mean, he is very, very good at blending the extraordinary with the mundane. His jokes come out of the fact that we're starting in this totalitarian state talking about child murders. Once you go from there you have such a longitude of dramatic ability in that ... He's such a good writer and so funny. He's one of those writers [whose work] I totally respond to. JA: How does working with college students differ from working with professionals? JF: It's really interesting because these MFA actors are so professional...The biggest difference between working with film and theater is working with the actors...I wouldn't have had such a great experience had these actors not been as professional and as good as they were because in film it's like, "Alright, did we get enough takes, did we get all the different angles?" but [in] theater, [you are] trying to get the moment through the actors.. That's what was so great about it. This play has so much dialogue and they learned all their lines and they were so responsive to everything I had to say even though I knew what I was trying to say, [but] I wasn't articulating it well enough...They still were able to figure out what I was trying to say and were able to make the adjustments that were needed. Again, if it were lesser actors, this play wouldn't work because it is so driven by character. JA: Do you think you enjoy theater more than you enjoy film? JF: They're so different. I mean, really, they are. What I really enjoyed about theater was working with the actors but ironically, what in theater then becomes, not necessarily the worst part ... but the part that is a little hard for anybody creative because in theater, when the performance is on, you hand it over to the actors and it's all them and they deserve all the credit in the world. As a film director, that's your piece. People will give you the credit. In theater: not so much. It's all about the actors, which is, like I said, the thing I also liked the most about theater. JA: Then what is your approach as a director? Is it more hands off? JF: No. I think my approach in film is to surround myself with the best people I can for things like makeup and costumes and set dressing and all that sort of stuff and lighting and cinematography, because my biggest interest is making sure that every moment works as it's supposed to work. Then I can fully concentrate on working with the actors as long as I know everything else is taken care of...Theater has sort of shown me that I like working with actors. -Eli Kaminsky
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On Friday afternoon, Mandel classroom G03 was filled with the simmer of nearly 60 people whispering, anticipating Janine Antoni's Artist Talk, part of the new Art in Dialogue series sponsored by the Brandeis Arts Council. Prof. Jonathan Unglaub (FA), and member of the Arts Council, opened the lecture by welcoming Prof. Gannit Ankori (FA) to introduce the main speaker. Ankori presented the sculptress and performance artist, praising her ability to artfully use "the body to understand our own lives. She can walk on a tightrope ... and make the rope from scratch ... she has peed from the top of the Chrystler building," Ankori stated. Antoni was born in 1964 in the Bahamas; she earned her BA from Sarah Lawrence College and Master of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design, where she was awarded many distinctions including the MacArthur Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Antoni began her PowerPoint lecture with a slide of the first sculpture she created in 1989 fresh out of RISD, titled "Wean." The all-white plaster cast displayed a woman's breast, followed by a nipple, two baby bottle tops and a stack of packaged baby bottle caps. It sounds unimpressive on paper, but Antoni convincingly explained its significance as the "separation from our bodies as we are weaned into our cultures." In fact, the intersection of the body, selfhood and consumerism permeates her artistic career. Her fascination with humans creating culture explains her obsession with "handmade and readymade" objects. Antoni's sculpture, "Gnaw," not only exists as a sculpture, but also as a process of getting to know how we interact, possess and consume. In order to make "Gnaw," Antoni chewed a three-cubic-foot block of lard and one of chocolate. She melted the chocolate shavings to create a mold of a chocolate box, and melted and dyed the nibbles of lard to make 50 tubes of lipstick. She displayed these decadent chewed treasures in glass cases, marking her place in "the 80s school of consumer critique," she said. She described the "happy accident" that occurred when her giant lard cube from "Gnaw" crumbled once displayed in the gallery. "I was going to reconstruct it," she said, "but then I realized this accident was more interesting than the original cube." When we eat chocolate, and consume in general, "it is the fat that we try to control, but can't," she elaborated. Antoni seemed to say that when we try to command the excessiveness in our lives, we collapse along with it. However, our body doesn't always succumb to such a dramatic cave-in. "Eureka," another lard-influenced sculpture, is much more tender than her teeth-scraping marks in "Gnaw," and is inspired by the story of Archimedes, who calculated the weight of his golden crown through the displacement of his bathwater. The sculpture process involved Antoni burying her body in a bathtub of lard, then hoisting herself out with a harness, creating an impression of her body, almost Pompeii-like, in the tub. She mixed the displaced lard with lye to create soap and washed herself with this cube of soap for two weeks. "Like Archimedes, I came to an understanding through the experience of the body," she said. Antoni was also fascinated with the thought of dissolving away her image: "Through this loving act [of bathing] I am erasing myself," she said. The same message of being nourished while erasing oneself carries through to Antoni's piece, "Lick and Lather," where she molded chocolate and soap into a traditional bust resembling her likeness. She washed with the soap bust, and licked the chocolate bust until her features began to dissolve. I have never seen such creative, gentle self-cannibalism. But sometimes, the licking translated to creepy rather than warm and affectionate feelings. The photograph, "Mortar and Pestle," depicting Antoni licking her husband's bare eyeball was uncomfortable and Antoni said, "freaked people out." I didn't quite understand the visual metaphor here, as well as in the aforementioned pieces she presented. Her sculpture "Gargoyle" also did not portray the body as sensitively as in her other pieces. Antoni casted a penis-sized copper gargoyle to funnel her urine off of the top of the Chrysler Building in New York City. The photograph shows Antoni with her dress hiked up to reveal the statuette leaking drops of urine. The photograph didn't look as drastically chauvinistic as the description may suggest, but it does force us to look at the fundamental biological differences that make men more dominant than women. Is the ability to "go" standing up the only act truly separating boys from girls? I enjoyed the descriptions of Antoni's work often more than the visual aspect of the work itself. Antoni was truly masterful at conveying the personal connection between her self and her art. Before attending the Artist Talk, I watched PBS's feature on Antoni in the Art-21 series to get some hints about what the lecture would be about. In fact, the PBS episode on Antoni seemed to be the script for her talk. I was disappointed to find that during the Brandeis Artist Talk, she showed almost every piece featured in the documentary, and even recited explanations of her art verbatim from the video. In spite of this, Antoni did keep her audience engaged through her whimsical, fresh and self-exploratory approach to art. Antoni's talk will be followed by more installments of the Art in Dialogue series, made possible by the Brandeis Arts Council.
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The intensity of the battle between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens during Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday could not have been any more exciting, as the game ended in favor of the Ravens by a mere three points. What could more accurately epitomize the American Dream than winning the Super Bowl and imagining that you are the quar- terback who will be telling viewers all around the nation that you are going to Disney World? The obvious answer: being Beyonc?(c) Knowles-Carter. The 31-year-old's stellar halftime performance left spectators in awe, so much so that her performance was succeeded by a power outage-the cause of the 35-minute black- out is still under investigation, but we all know that Beyonc?(c) took the power and ran with it. I was half- expecting Beyonc?(c) to come back out during the outage and perform again, and then run away with the Vince Lombardi Trophy herself. Following the controversy that ensued after she was accused, and found guilty, of lipsyncing, using a pre-recorded rendition of "The Star- Spangled Banner" during her performance at the presidential inauguration, Queen B was sure to respond with a superb performance-sung live, of course-at the Super Bowl. The setlist commenced with her hit "Love on Top" and transitioned right into "Crazy in Love." She proceeded to perform "End of Time," flawlessly and effortlessly. Not surprisingly, she performed the older but never forgotten 2003 hit "Baby Boy"-the voice of Sean Paul was pretty much the only pre-recorded soundtrack to be detected during the performance, other than numbers during which Beyonc?(c) was dancing. Beyonc?(c) did not need Sean there; she had holograms of herself projected on the stage showcasing the investment in outstanding tech and lighting. Destiny's Child reunited on the stage, which seemed fitting considering the recent release of the group's new song "Nuclear." The group performed the popular hit "Bootylicious," followed by fan favorite "In- dependent Women (Part 1)," which was featured on the soundtrack of the Charlie's Angels 2000 adaptation. Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams remained on stage with Beyonc?(c) to help her with "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)," and left Beyonc?(c) to finish up the set solo with "Halo." Despite the fact that Beyonc?(c)'s performance was so entrancing, fans, such as myself, were left with an unresolved yearning for Beyonc?(c) to perform her hit "Countdown." The deception was conjured by the multitude of advertisements put out by Pepsi, which sponsored the halftime show, featuring the song. In addition, Jay-Z, Beyonc?(c)'s husband of almost five years, did not make an appearance during the halftime show. Perhaps he was off playing daddy and watching Blue Ivy Carter, the couple's daughter, whom I have come to know as "Destiny's Child." The Pepsi Halftime contest results were also a bit of a letdown, especially considering I did not win. Contest participants were asked to submit photographs of themselves completing certain tasks, such as puckering up or posing as a clock, for the chance to appear in the slideshow put out by Pepsi prior to the halftime performance. However, our hopes were certainly met when Destiny's Child did make an appearance and performed old favorites, thankfully omitting "Nuclear" from the setlist since it is not of the classics and does not live up to the group's previous work. Obviously Beyonc?(c)'s talents andability to put on a show exceeded our expectations. Her energy was such that I could not even sense her becoming tired throughout the whole performance, although I became drowsy just watching her. The lighting and effects used throughout the performance certainly met the standards of a Super Bowl-meets-Beyonc?(c) performance. The use of fire and pyrotechnics; fog; the multi-colored illuminations and a huge, lit structure in the shape of Beyonc?(c) herself-a new world wonder I like to call the Colossus of Beyonc?(c). The most empowering part of the entire performance was not even Queen B's singing and dancing: surprisingly, it was the fact that every performer on the stage was female. The dancers and musicians-which included a guitarist, bassist and saxophonist among other-all happened to be female. The theme of independence and strength for women and its importance to Beyonc?(c) was evident in her song choices and clearly in her choice of performers. Perhaps that is a major contributing factor as to why Jay-Z did not make an appearance, but that is just my own theory. Now that Beyonc?(c) has set such a high standard, I am curious to see who will want to follow her next year at Super Bowl XLVIII. I wish those musicians luck.
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In a recent shift in sponsorship of visiting professors and fellowships, the Richman family provided gifts that established an endowed chair in politics or economics, replacing the Fred and Rita Richman Distinguished Visiting Professorship. A program very similar to the visiting professorship was established in late December, awarding $25,000 to a visiting Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life for a term of two to three days in the 2013-2014 academic year. At Thursday's faculty meeting, Provost Steve Goldstein '78 announced that Prof. Kathryn Graddy (ECON) would be the first Fred and Rita Richman Distinguished Professor of Economics. Graddy said that she found out that she had been selected unofficially in a faculty chairs meeting in November, and then received the official news on Dec. 17. "It's a complete honor, and I am just thrilled ... to have been nominated," said Graddy in regard to her endowed chair in an interview with the Justice. "I really like Brandeis ... I like teaching, I like the students, and this just makes me feel even better," she continued. The only remaining Richman vacancy lies in the new Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life. The fellowship was created with the help of trustee Carol Richman Saivetz '69, in honor of her parents, who were benefactors of the University. A student and faculty selection committee, chaired by Prof. Adam Jaffe (ECON), will continue to take nominations for the Richman Fellow, according to an email sent out to the Brandeis community by University President Frederick Lawrence on Monday. The criteria for the Richman Fellow is described in the email as "an individual active in public life whose contributions have had a significant impact on improving American society, strengthening democratic institutions, advancing social justice or increasing opportunities for all citizens to realize and share in the benefits of this nation." Nominations must consist of a maximum of 1,000 words, explaining why the nominee should be selected as the Richman Fellow. Several students have created informal nominations on Facebook pages and change.org petitions, arguing for the selection of television personality Stephen Colbert as the first Richman Fellow. The last day to nominate an individual is March 1. A selection date has not been announced.
(01/29/13 5:00am)
This week, JustArts had a conversation with Professor Thomas Hall (MUS), who directs Brandeis' Improv Collective. Hall shares his fervor for musical improv, sources of personal inspiration and the projects that he takes on to share improv with budding musicians. Hall has been an active professional musician since he was a teenager, and moved to Boston to attend the New England Conservatory, where he first studied free improvisation. Hall has since played in and toured with several successful musical groups that range from jazz to country swing. In recent years, he has been teaching music at the college level as well as special workshops in the Boston area. JustArts: How were you first introduced to improvisation? Tom Hall: Like every human, I was introduced to improv when I was born, and it has been a part of my life ever since. JA: The Improv Collective is open to musicians and vocalists regardless of their experience or skill in improvising. What sort of tactics do you use to make sure all of the performers are on the 'same page'? How do first-timers adjust to the improv experience? TH: One of the keys to this is creating the right kind of atmosphere. I use a series of improvisational exercises to gradually bring people into group musical improvisation in a safe and structured way, and work with each student to help them overcome any blocks or fears they may have about improvising. By the end of the first semester most people are comfortable with the idea of freely improvising music with other people. My book Free Improvisation: A Practical Guide is a good practical look at the methodology that I use to teach group improvisation and a lot of the philosophy behind it. JA: Why do you think it is important for musicians to gain an appreciation for improv and to be able to enjoy performing without an agenda or plan? * TH: Every moment of creation is a moment of improvisation. Even in the most highly structured classical music, what gives the music its life, what makes one performance different from the next, is the improvisation of the performer in the moment. If this was not true, we could just have computers play the music perfectly and be done with it. Learning to more easily and fluidly access and more intelligently process our creative intuition is a valuable skill, no matter what it is we are choosing to do in our lives. Improvisation is a process, not a product, and no matter what you are creating with it, the process of improvisation remains the same. So anything you learn about the process of improvisation itself is directly transferable to every other time you improvise. When someone becomes a better improviser, they are not only getting better at playing music, they are getting better at improvising their lives! JA: Would you share with us one of your favorite memories or moments with the Improv Collective? TH: There are many moments every semester when an experience we have shared in class has inspired someone. It has made a difference in their lives, a difference in how they experience the world or themselves, whether just for that moment or forever. Those moments are my favorite moments, and they are what makes the experience of teaching this class so exciting and rewarding. JA: Your career has taken you all over the world and into the company of other prestigious musicians. What is it about the musical atmosphere at Brandeis that keeps you inspired? TH: I am continually inspired by the students at Brandeis; by their openness, their curiosity, their willingness to try new things and to share what they have learned with others. -Rachel Hughes
(01/29/13 5:00am)
As the lights dim and the audience inches closer to the edges of the seats, the cheers suffuse the room with a frenzy. Friends call out names of dancers and shout words of inspiration. The hype and anticipation electrify the room, predicting an exciting show. The curtains open to reveal a stage illuminated by spotlights and nervous faces. The tapping begins, with clicks and clacks bouncing from the stage. Yet, something is seriously wrong here. On the left, girls with confused expressions try to match their uncoordinated rhythms to the girls on the right, and the girls in the back forget their hand motions altogether. I can't help but feel as if I am watching a high school production, and almost everyone seems to have forgotten their parts. The opening number disappoints, and I expect little from anything else that might follow. Yet, as the show progresses, a certain magic emanates from the stage and captivates the audience. The numbers become more cohesive and the clacks and taps become a euphonic harmony. From the dancers shaking their booties to hits like Gia Farrell's "Hit Me Up" to a slideshow of the backstage friendships that formed in rehearsals, the show adopts an accessibility to the audience that is incredibly charming and witty. With some numbers remixed with rap tracks, the urban edge makes the show undeniably cool again. The chain sequences that begin with one dancer and culminate in all five dancers in the number dancing in canon build the excitement once more. These performances are nothing like the first-they are sassy and spicy and full of pizzazz. While they are still not completely polished, they make even the most uncoordinated audience members want to get up and tap. By the time Chris Knight '14 enters the stage to perform his improvisational tap dance, the audience has already been completely reconverted. Knight refreshes the show as one of the only male tappers and excites the room with challenging rhythms and experimental motions. He throws his body into the movement, possessed by a tapping demon that no one wishes to exorcise. He is thrilling, while also calculatingly technical, and outperforms most of the rehearsed girls. The momentum is unstoppable. Numbers like "Space Jam," which combines brief comedy sketches with technical tap steps, and "Swing Set" reveal flawless formations and a youthful vivacity between the dancers. These sequences keep the show fresh and interesting, seducing a roomful of gazes that trail the heels of everyone on stage. In addition, the show also featured tap groups from Brown University and Boston University, who performed to Paul Simon's "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and an original piece "Don't Give a Fairy," respectively. Brown's group combined impeccable synchronization with a futuristic feel. The curtain call added the final touch to an amazing show, with all of the dancers adding unique inflections to their bow, like a fifteen-second spontaneous routine. The final bows characterized the sentiment surrounding the whole show. While it was far from perfect, nobody took themselves too seriously, everyone had a great time and in the end it was a spectacular show. As the curtains drew to a close, I overheard a student in front of me whisper to his friend, "Now that's how you tap." True to its name, the show indeed succeeded in alluring us, enticing us and hooking us on tap.
