(01/18/05 5:00am)
In his letter to the community last month, University President Jehuda Reinharz finally uttered something about the burgeoning debate over integrated planning, the comprehensive initiative that seeks to improve the University's competitive profile through 2012. But unfortunately, in his 1,325-word letter, the president managed to say almost nothing at all.Never mind that it would take an avid reader of the institutional lingo hosted on the president's Web site to follow Mr. Reinharz's attempt at clarifying the initiative. The real administrative sin is that the president failed to cogently explain this campaign to reform the school. His failure crowns a series of missed opportunities for high-level administrators to justify the need for a sweeping set of changes that threaten to transform the fabric of the university.When Mr. Reinharz first endorsed the academic reforms that are a cornerstone of integrated planning during a faculty meeting last October, one might have assumed he was only towing the same line as his fellow administrator. But with his letter, the president aligned himself completely with Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe's recommendations, adding to growing frustration.Out of the hundreds of pages of bureaucratic babble on the subject of integrated planning, a minute portion is dedicated to justifying the downsizing or elimination of certain areas of the academy. These are found only in Mr. Jaffe's 61-page report from October, though they are referenced in many of his presentations. Mr. Reinharz suggests that ignoring Mr. Jaffe's proposal would be injurious to the University, but the president should have asked for fuller explanations from Mr. Jaffe and others. As it stands, 411 words out of 61 pages written in Mr. Jaffe's report was all the justification the president needed to rubber stamp the reduction of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Physics and the elimination of ancient Greek, the undergraduate linguistics program and one of the world's best doctoral programs in music composition. The president said that integrated planning is not about money, it's about "choices." He opens his letter by trying to dispel notions that the initiative is just "a budget reduction exercise." Mr. Reinharz believes that because the University is only going to spend more money on new facilities and programs over the next seven years, the negative connotations that usually go along with budget cutting shouldn't apply. Here's the flawed reasoning: By the fiscal year 2012, the administration expects to have an additional $15 million of cash on hand. But the total cost of the president's "wish list," which includes Mr. Jaffe's much-maligned curricular reforms as well as needed physical improvements, is approximately $40 million. That's a gap of $25 million.The gap would be closed, in part, by the elimination of academic programs targeted in Mr. Jaffe's proposal. Call it what you will, Mr. Reinharz, but that sounds like a budget reduction exercise to us.All of these reductions are intended to help pave the way for programs that the University believes will attract a better pool of applicants and capitalize on its strengths-both historical and newfound. But in much the same brief and poorly-explained manner that Mr. Jaffe called for the reduction or elimination of some programs, he is advocating for the addition of others. Mr. Reinharz has told us in his letter that these changes are vital and not making them would put Brandeis at a disadvantage for years to come. Is he privy to data that have not been provided to the community? Or is the administration just taking a shot in the dark?Of course, Mr. Jaffe, Mr. Reinharz and others-when criticized-tend to say that the specific curricular reforms remain malleable. Mr. Jaffe goes as far to say in his October 2004 report that analysis of his plans will "surely show that some of these proposals are ill-advised." We hope that the administration is being sincere in its willingness to modify its plans-because many modifications are certainly needed. As time goes on, though, the "nothing is written in stone" caveats seem to be no more than a smokescreen.Over the next few weeks, as the recently impaneled Faculty Review Committee prepares its report for Provost Marty Krauss, we are eagerly awaiting to find out how much input will be allowed in this "discussion." The decision will ultimately fall to the Board of Trustees. Given how wonderstruck the board was with Mr. Jaffe's initial proposal last year, we fear anything presented when they meet again will be cheerfully approved.What is most insufferable about the integrated planning initiative is not that it is ill-conceived, which it probably is, but that the University's leadership-most notably Mr. Reinharz-has continually failed to deliver to the community the crux of the plan. We don't want to hear about "academic structural deficits" any longer. But if the entire administration is operating under the assumption that programs we hold dear need to be shorn, we demand to know why.
(11/16/04 5:00am)
The Gosman athletic complex was converted into a sports camp for kids between ages seven and eleven on Sunday as Brandeis hosted the fourth annual Kids in Sports Field Day. The majority of the children were from Waltham elementary schools, while some were from the Brandeis Jewish Educational Program. This three hour event occurs twice a year and will happen again in the spring. Event coordinator Shani Reich '06, who is also a member of the women's tennis team, made sure the children were never bored, keeping them busy with activities such as basketball, softball and tennis.The program was a smashing success. The children seemed genuinely excited about having the chance to play sports with Brandeis varsity athletes. Children were offered the choice of five stations, those being basketball, softball, tennis, track and field and soccer. Parents were able to watch their children hit three pointers and smack line drives over instructors' heads while sipping coffee from the bleachers. The afternoon started off with stretching exercises and jumping jacks along the periphery of the gym. Then it was time to break into groups. The most popular station seemed to be basketball where the children played with Brandeis basketball players such as Jenna Schermerhorn '07, John Saucier '08 and Steve DeLuca '08. The basketball station began with a friendly game of knockout in which children and Brandeis athletes took shots in hope of eliminating the person in front of them. Then three teams raced in a dribbling competition. Finally a full court game, conspicuously involving more than 10 players, capped off the basketball station."It shows that we care a lot about little kids and showing them the basics of playing basketball and that we want to give something back to the community in Waltham," DeLuca said.There were many children with varying degrees of interest in basketball. Amongst those was Joseph Gengo, a nine year old resident of Waltham, who plays for the YMCA league Cincinnati Bearcats. Gengo could certainly be considered an avid fan of basketball. "My favorite sport is basketball, my favorite position is defense," Gengo said. "And I just like basketball." Over on the make-shift softball diamond, the equipment consisted of wiffle ball bats and tennis balls, but it did not make a difference to these kids. The children played a smaller version of softball on the indoor tennis courts, with only infielders on the diamond."I just really think its great how all the athletes come out and help all the kids," Murray Glaster '07 said. "It really shows what Brandeis is all about, that the athletes take their time to come out and help kids in the community, and the kids really love it.""It's very important for these kids to have role models and Brandeis athletes are always willing to help," Reich said. "It's just a wonderful experience to have these kids come down here and have a nice afternoon with a bunch of the older kids.
(03/02/04 5:00am)
It was 11:30 p.m. and the players came into the room, focused on the task at hand. They distributed chips and dealt the cards-it was time to play poker. However, this game took place neither in a casino nor at a tournament poker table. These players, sitting casually on the floor, were gathered in a Shapiro dorm room at Brandeis.This is just one of numerous groups of on campus swept up in the poker craze. Many students said they were unsure if University rules officially outlaw playing poker with monetary wagers. Either way, plenty of Brandesians have found a way to indulge their poker fetish. "We're not allowed to gamble. I think it's is illegal," Paul Rabinovich '07 said, "but nobody really cares."Still, he noted that students who play in the first floor lounge in Reitman are cautious."There's no money [out in the open] at all during the game," Rabinovich said. "The money is always in people's pockets." That means that should administrators come in, no one will see people gambling with real money.Students at Brandeis have different levels of poker expertise and bet with various stakes. "The most I ever spend in a game is five dollars," Adam Turek-Herman '06 said. Apparently though, Turek-Herman does not always stick to his own rule. "[Adam] played two hands with a 10 dollar buy-in," chimed in Andrew Katz '06, a fellow poker player. "The first hand, he lost one dollar, and in the second, he had lost the rest of it!" Turek-Herman and Katz, together with other members of their Ridgewood Suite 8, have no set schedule for their poker games, but they said they play about three or four times a month.Some students play for complete novelty stakes. No real money was put into the 11:30 game in Shapiro, but the winner would return to his or her dorm room with a fold-out Sports Illustrated poster of Anna Kournikova in a bathing suit. In Ridgewood 8, Turek-Herman and his friends have at times played with a twist in which the loser of each bet was forced to do pushups and drink lemon juice concentrate. "Instead of wagering money, we would wager pushups," Turek-Herman said. "[After] we wagered more than 30 pushups, it became 30 pushups plus one shot of lemon juice concentrate." For some of players, the game revolves around money, but others say the important part is having a good time with friends. "I'm not a serious player," Turek-Herman said. "I play for fun."The gambling, according to Katz, only serves to increase the entertainment. "We play for money. I don't think you can play for fun if you don't play for money," he said. However, Katz made it clear that the key component is the enjoyment. "Fun is what matters."Katz said that he disagrees with those who say that gambling is a waste of money. "Some people spend ten dollars on a movie or a beer," noted Katz. "We spend it on poker. That's our entertainment." In the Shapiro room, the co-ed group of players cracked constant jokes about the coveted poster. With the first hand won, the victor cheered with a smirk, "Kournikova is coming to me!" The last round, a close competition between boyfriend and girlfriend, was humorously heated. The cheerful game is a symbol of the lighthearted side of poker here. There is, however, a more competition-orientated side to poker. "There's got to be an incentive to play," Alex Thompson '04 said. "When you reach a certain point in skill, you decide if it's worth your time, which means the stakes and the competition have to be higher."Thompson plays poker in the Foster Mods about three times a week, with varying levels of competition. "[Our games range from] people just sitting around and playing, all the way up to nine to 13 guys, or even more," Thompson said."The stakes are typically 10 dollar buy in, tournament style," he said, though "sometimes more or less, depending on how big the game gets."Thompson said that he does play for enjoyment's sake, generally with the same group of people. "A lot of it is for recreation, so we'd rather play amongst ourselves, though we do let others in, depending on the game."For players like Thompson, the emphasis of the game is on who triumphs at the end. "I never go into a game not planning on winning," says Thompson, who added, "Winning is more important to me than the money."Among existing poker variations, the most popular on campus is Texas Hold 'Em, in which each player receives two cards face down while five cards sit face up in the middle of the table to be used by all players to make winning combinations. "Texas Hold 'Em gives us more opportunities to bet in a round," according to a first-year who wished to remain anonymous, "instead of other poker games, where you only bet once or twice."Thompson's crowd chooses its poker flavor based on the competitive atmosphere on a given night. When the mood is less serious, the group does not play Hold 'Em, but instead versions "that are more conducive to a social setting," Thompson said. "Texas Hold 'Em is more competitive and cutthroat," he said.Those who like an alternative to table poker can play via the Internet at sites such as pokerstars.com, empirepoker.com or partypoker.com. These online venues have options for both monetary and non-monentary games, and for players at all levels."[Online poker] is good for when you can't find a game [elsewhere]," Nathan Kaplan '07 said.Turek-Herman, however, said he dislikes online poker. "I don't do it. I don't like being in a situation where I can't see the other person's face."His suitemates said they disagree with him, and play online regularly. Sometimes, Katz said, he and his suitemates compete in the same online tournament and "shout back and forth between [their] rooms." Online bets take multiple forms, either with money-free points given on the Web site, money paid through credit card or a direct link to one's bank account. Thompson urged caution, saying that linking one's personal bank account to a poker site "could be dangerous." Legality issues limiting regular gambling have yet to be extended to online poker, though a series of bills recently addressed the issue. According to the CATO Institute, a non-profit public policy research foundation, such legislation is unlikely to pass since many online gambling operateions are located outside the United States. Underground poker at Brandeis, though lauded by the players interviewed, is somewhat controversial and even confusing. Though the Rights and Responsibilities handbook has nothing written on gambling, Massachusetts law does declare the activity illegal. Several students declined to comment on their game play, worried that the administration would stop them from having their fun.Lori Tenser and Sean McGuirk, assistant dean of Student Life and director of the Department of Student Development and Judicial Education, respectively, were originally set to comment on Brandeis policy regarding gambling, but were unable to comment in time for this article. "Last year, we asked the Administration if we could have a poker tournament in Ziv Commons," says Thompson. He said that the permission was not granted. However, the Vietnamese Student Association held a poker tournament in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium this semester. Surrounded by Vietnamese food and good company, Brandeis students played poker freely with permission."There were 70-plus people at the tournament this semester," according to tournament winner and Senator for Rosenthal Quad Ezra Stark '06. "We played from 7 p.m. until two in the morning."Stark won a $40 gift certificate to Best Buy after seven grueling hours of competition. "It started out with people divided into groups of ten at different tables," he said. "As time progressed and people dropped out, tables consolidated, until there was only one left."A self-proclaimed avid poker player, Stark plans to start up a Brandeis poker club with Senator-at-Large Donnie Philips '06 in the near future. "There is a high interest in poker playing here at Brandeis, so we feel we should accommodate this demand by creating a poker club," Stark said.He noted that the club could not play for money due to legality issues. "The only reason the VSA tournament was legal," Stark said, "was because it was not a cash prize, and because most of the money [to enter the tournament] went to a charity benefitting Vietnamese children."No matter what the rules may be, it is clear that poker has seeped throughout the campus. "Me and my friends could be talking about a hand from last night," commented one anonymous senior, "and someone next to us will say 'You guys play poker?' and that's how we end up getting more people to play with."But gambling on campus certainly can't be all that bad. After all, someone got to go home with a poster of Anna Kournikova.
(02/10/04 5:00am)
"Four seconds, three seconds... Do you believe in miracles? YES!" This line, uttered by sportscaster Al Michaels during the 1980 Olympic games, is not only one of the most famous in sports but has garnered itself a place in American history. At a time where political turmoil both at home and abroad made Americans weary, a group of 20 college kids, led by an unrelenting coach, made people believe again. Miracle had the task of retelling this story. It was not an easy task as the actual story was so corny, gushy and played-out that even Hollywood couldn't overdramatize it. But Walt Disney Pictures and director Gavin O'Connor (Tumbleweeds) did a wonderful job of giving a fresh new perspective on one of the United States' greatest victories during the cold war.It really doesn't matter if you're a hockey fan, or, as Al Michaels said during the telecast of the game, "don't know the difference between a blue line and clothesline," Miracle is a movie that can attract any audience. It is amazing to think that the targeted audience for this movie is people who are born after 1980. So in some ways, this is a fresh, brand-new story for most people-a real life Mighty Ducks. Set up beautifully in the opening credits and relayed throughout the movie, the United States was facing great domestic and foreign troubles. A newscaster during the opening montage relayed to the audience that a study shows that people at this time believed the next five years would be worse than the past five years. People needed something to believe in again after events such as Watergate, inflation, the gas shortage the Tehran hostage situation and the Russians invading Afghanistan, greatly clouded people's judgment of American life.Then Herb Brooks, played brilliantly by Kurt Russell (Backdraft), took a bunch of rag-tag college kids from all across the country and formed them into a team. "When you pull on that jersey," Brooks said during unrelenting training, "the name on the front is a hell of a lot more important than the one on the back." All of these players came from different colleges. Some came from the team Brooks coached at the University of Minnesota, some from Boston University, but after getting rid of their differences as individuals, Brooks trained them to play as a team.The movie does a great job of not only giving the background to the political climate of the time, but also the climate that surrounded these Olympic Games. The U.S.S.R. team didn't know how to lose. They had never failed to win a gold medal. They were an unbeatable force of all-stars who played as one. The U.S. basketball team had a tremendously embarrassing loss a few years before on a last second shot to the Soviet team. The U.S. hockey team had been crushed 15-1 by Czechoslovakia in the Olympics only four years before. The U.S.S.R. had beaten the NHL All-Stars 6-0 in an exhibition game a couple of months earlier. And even these amateur U.S. players had lost three days before the opening ceremonies to the Russians. Thus, the United States came in as huge underdogs to even make it out of the qualifying rounds, never mind ever beat the Russian team.But before they could shock the world, the 20 players on the 1980 United States hockey team underwent unrelentless training. Kurt Russell brilliantly takes on Brooks' persona. From wearing Brooks's uniform of sports jacket and checked bell-bottoms to his complete lack of emotion throughout the whole process, to his relationship with his wife, assistant coach and players, Russell takes on not only the character, but the man. The movie's greatest amount of time is showing the training that these players went through. Russell shows how Brooks broke this team down day after day and then built them up into a tough, conditioned and unified team of champions. From captain Mike "Rizzo" Eruzione, played by Patrick O'Brien Demsey, to goalie Jim Craig, played by Eddie Cahill (of the WB's now-cancelled Glory Days) this team had many individual stories, and the movie does a great job of showing their trials and tribulations. All of America was glued to the television on Feb. 22, 1980, when the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team attempted one more time to beat the "unbeatable" Russians in Lake Placid, N.Y. Although the rest of the movie was narrated by Russell, (and a myriad of other newscasters giving the background of the time), the whole game was narrated by the actual tandem of Al Michaels and Ken Dryden. As a hockey fan, the 20 minutes spent on the penultimate game between the United States and the U.S.S.R. (most people don't know that that game was not the gold medal game, the United States still needed to beat Finland in a very close game-as usual, come-from-behind-to win the gold) was great, but non-hockey fans may not enjoy this as much. But once Eruzione scored the game-winning goal, and Al Michaels counted down the end of the game, non-sports fans and avid sports fanatics alike will get goosebumps. The scene where Eruzione calls all of the players up to the podium to stand as one team is also one that is sure to either recall memories for the older generation or instill new ones for today's youth. The only large fault in the movie is that it glosses over the gold medal game. Although the game against the U.S.S.R. is the most important and most memorable, the 30 seconds or so spent on the game against Finland was too short in a movie that never really had a problem with taking its time. Overall, this really is the feel-good movie for both young and old audience. The production team put this movie together in a way that tells the story to a younger audience, reminds the middle-aged audience and does not insult those who really lived through it. It is too bad that the real Herb Brooks never got to see the movie, as he passed away in an automobile accident last August. But as the great tribute right before the ending credits aptly put it, he never saw the movie, but he lived it. Coming out of the theater, audiences who are asked if they believe in Miracle, will soundly answer, "YES!
(11/11/03 5:00am)
On October 26th, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, (MFA) premiered "Rembrandt's Journey: Painter, Draftsman, Etcher," the first American exhibition in several decades to explore the illustrious career of one of art history's greatest masters - Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn. Featuring over 200 of his portrait pieces, landscape sketches and biblical scenes, the show examines the emergence of Rembrandt's realistic, candid style and trademark attention to detail. While Rembrandt's works may appear rather traditionalist, even conservative, to today's contemporary audience, the exhibition reveals how Rembrandt radically redefined the creative process through the increased spontaneity and expressiveness within his sketches that transmitted into his subsequent finished pieces. "Rembrandt's Journey" is an exhibition rich with historical art information but lacking in its overall ability to effectively maintain the attention span and interest of an average museum visitor. Upon entering the first room of the exhibition, displaying a single self-portrait, it is clear Rembrandt was taking unprecedented directions in the field of art during his lifetime. Not only does he remarkably and realistically capture his own physical features in "Self-Portrait" (1629), but he also explores the natural fall of light and shade across his face in the painting. The exhibition continues to show how the Dutchman revolutionized the role of illumination and realism in art throughout his career in his famous works "The Visitation" (1640) and "Self-Portrait" (1659). As seen with his biblical series "The Presentation in the Temple" and "Christ at Emmaus," Rembrandt often produced a sequence of etchings to assess the extent to which light and shade could influence the narrative and emotional impact on his art. In his oil-on-canvas works, Rembrandt's use of gold for ornamentation almost becomes an additional light source within the pieces as witnessed in his "Daniel and Cryus before Bel" (1633). While the pieces throughout the exhibition vary in size, medium and subject matter, Rembrandt's interest in everyday human emotion and interaction is evident from his earliest etchings to his later self-portraits. One of the more unique aspects of Rembrandt's career was his interest in role-playing, dressing as a scowling courtier or an impassioned bohemian in order to examine the effect of human emotions within portrait works. Furthermore, Rembrandt, like most Baroque artists of the 17th century, was interested in the drama of biblical subject matter. Yet he also realistically portrayed characters from more everyday life, from the wearied poor in his "Standing Beggar" (1630) to the expressions of his own mother in "An Elderly Woman" (1629). The show does a sufficient job of tracing the stylistic progression of Rembrandt's art through his use of a variety of mediums and subject focuses. The exhibit displays how Rembrandt's interest in aesthetic texture and outward emotion in his early portrait works is replaced by a more painterly composition and shift toward internal introspection by the end of his lifetime in the 1650s. His organized, serene sketches of the divine from the 1620s progress against biblical scenes set into complex architectural settings full of great danger and action. What becomes problematic is that "Rembrandt's Journey" attempts both a chronology of the artist's life as well as stylistic development, forcing the viewer to work hard in order to follow the flow of the exhibition. "Rembrandt's Journey" left me in a state of overwhelming awe at the artist's incredible skill and talent at depicting the nature of human expression. However I am hesitant to recommend this particular show to the average college student looking to peruse the MFA or to explore all the cultural opportunities Boston has to offer. While Rembrandt's art unquestionably deserves to be marveled at, the majority of the pieces in the exhibition are inconveniently small in size for an exhibition that will most likely continue to draw sizeable crowds. In an exhibition where many of the pieces are even tinier than the width of a dollar bill, I repeatedly had to wait in line for several minutes to be able to catch a glimpse of Rembrandt's renowned works, such as "The Artists in his Studio" (1628) and "The Three Crosses" (1653). Furthermore, the smaller size of Rembrandt's works often required increased visual effort on the part of the viewer in order to comprehend and appreciate the significance of his art. Many museum-goers brought or purchased magnifying glasses offered especially for the exhibition in order to catch all the minute details hidden within Rembrandt's intricate sketches. The time and energy necessary ito examine over 150 minute landscape drawings and small self-portrait sketches left me feeling more exhausted than excited. Secondly, I would allot an hour and a half minimum in order to go and fully appreciate the exhibition without becoming too rushed or overwhelmed by the immense size and number of works in the show. Not to take away from Rembrandt's importance, but an hour and a half is a lot of time to spend on one artist if you are trying to go through the entire MFA in an afternoon. Though "Rembrandt's Journey" comprehensively explores the life and art of this artistic prodigy, it's an exhibition that would most likely be best appreciated by avid art enthusiasts or fans of 17th-century history. Rembrandt's Journey: Painter, Draftsman, EtcherOn display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston from October 26, 2003 through January 18, 2004. Tickets for students with I.D. are $5 Monday-Friday and $20 on Saturday-Sunday. Admission to MFA Boston's permanent collection for Brandeis students is free.
(10/21/03 4:00am)
I was lured to the Women's Ultimate Frisbee Coffeehouse by the pictures of "The Singing Mailman" that were displayed all over campus. As an avid mail checker, I have heard Bill Bowen (our resident campus postal worker) sing many times, usually along with his radio. Each time, I have smiled and nodded my approval; for although I don't sing along myself (in consideration of those around me), I know every word of Bowen's songs. As soon as I saw the advertisements for the coffee house, my fate was sealed. I knew what I had to do, so I gathered up some friends and headed to Chums. Bowen was a terrific performer as expected, singing two of my favorite standards "I've Got the World on a String" and "Summer Wind." His energy and enthusiasm were refreshing, inspiring people to get up and dance. He even had the true Sinatra arrangements in the background, striking a chord in my old soul. Yet just when I sank comfortably into the couch of Chums, Bowen took a bow and headed home. I couldn't believe it. Here I was, at my first coffeehouse and the featured performer was done in five minutes. Even though Bowen was done singing in a flash, the rest of the coffeehouse was far from brief. In the next two hours and 40 minutes, I couldn't help but feel deceived. Why headline your opening act? But, luckily, the remainder of the show was not without its perks. I must admit that I was impressed by the incredible amount of talent I saw in many of the following acts. One performer who I particularly enjoyed was Dan Hirshon '04, a comedian not listed on the advertisement. Hirshon joked about many topics, ranging from the chess team to his mother to the Abercrombie clothing line. I would describe his jokes more in detail but I am pretty confident that I would ruin them. Suffice it to say that they were really, really funny. I definitely laughed out loud at many points during Hirshon's act, which is not something I do often. Overall, Hirshon's act was very humorous and fun. In between acts, hosts Jane Partensky '06 and Ben Woodring '06 provided entertainment as a musical duo. Partensky had a pleasant voice and performed well but I was even more impressed by Woodring, an extremely talented beat boxer. At one point, Woodring mixed the beat with words, a feat which must have been incredibly difficult to do. He spoke of Rhazel, who made the talent famous and famously hard. The entire room was clearly in awe of Woodring's skill; he would be an asset to any of the a cappella groups on campus.Two singers and guitarists performed, Julia Gordon '07 and Mark Lipman '04. Gordon had a beautiful and soulful voice. I especially enjoyed her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "You Make Me Feel like a Natural Woman." Lipman - immediately recognizable from Company B - was as talented as I remembered from last year's A Cappella Fest. Lipman performed songs by popular artists as well as a few of his own songs, which I thought were quite good. One of my favorite moments of the coffee house was when Lipman engaged the whole audience in singing Ella Fitzgerald's "Cow Cow Boogie." To his - and my - deliight, the audience decided to play along. It was one of the few Fitzgerald tunes I had never heard of before, but an excellent choice. Yet most impressive was when Lipman changed his voice to resemble a muted trumpet, a technique he has clearly mastered. The last two groups to perform were Up the Octave and To Be Announced. Up the Octave, the all-female a cappella group, which has revived itself by adding seven new members, was a huge crowd attraction. Chums was absolutely packed for their performance and they did not disappoint. For a group consisting mainly of new members, the sound quality they were able to achieve was impressive. It is a testament to ther talent and work ethic that they could be so vocally blended, so quickly. I particularly enjoyed Otis Redding's "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay," featuring soloist Courtney Whyte '04 and Journey's "Lights" featuring Afton Bergel '06 . The girls are truly exceptional performers. TBA entered Chums with a great deal of enthusiasm. TBA was definitely another large attraction of the night and they were a very talented group. Their ability to be funny on the spot was noticed by all. However, at points, the group bordered on the offensive, especially in a joke concerning the annihilation of Jews, which resulted in a loud booing from the audience and a member of the group actually walking off the stage. TBA had no boundaries in their quest for laughs, and two girls went so far as to cover their bodies and faces in toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, soap and whatever else they could find. TBA relied on a great deal of physical comedy and just about everyone in the group fell to the floor at some point during their performance. Their various games engaged the audience and the group has a great deal of potential and will soon become very popular at Brandeis. Thinking back on the coffeehouse, I realize that despite feeling a bit slighted after missing the Singing Mailman, I saw many talented people and I remain duly impressed. The Women's Ultimate Frisbee Team certainly did their research and picked some of the most gifted performers on campus. My only complaint is that the coffeehouse was too long. For those who came to see their group or person of choice and left, I am sure that it was a fantastic night. But for me, almost three hours of straight entertainment, mainly singing, was unpleasant at points.
(10/14/03 4:00am)
Mary I. Jagoda '05, of Huntington, N.Y., and her friend Sarah Aranoff, of Bethesda, Md., were reported missing Sunday afternoon following a kayaking trip off Harwichport, Mass., according to the U.S. Coast Guard."A Coast Guard Jayhawk rescue helicopter located two capsized kayaks similar to those used by Jagoda and Aranoff tied together about one mile south of Monomoy Island at 11 a.m. (Monday)" stated a Coast Guard press release.The kayaks were found in an area known as Pollock Rip Channel off Cape Cod, according to Chatham Harbormaster Stuart Smith.According to Lt. Cmdr. Cook of the Coast Guard Command Center, "The search is still active, still ongoing.""They got the fog behind them and they got lost in the fog. The girls could be on that island or they could be somewhere on shore. God knows what happened," Jagoda's father Louis Jagoda told the Associated Press, adding that his daughter had taken a sea-kayaking course several years ago.Media Relations Director Dennis Nealon said, "I found out mid-afternoon (Monday) that she had been reported missing."According to Nealon, University officials including President Jehuda Reinharz, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy, Senior Vice President for Communications Lorna Whalen and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer "made the decision this evening to let the entire undergraduate student body know what we knew."Sawyer's brief, campus-wide e-mail stated that "The University received word this afternoon that a Brandeis student, Mary Jagoda, '05, has been reported missing and was last seen kayaking with a friend off of Cape Cod on Sunday. A full scale search is under way and we are awaiting further word. Our thoughts and our prayers are with Mary's family and friends. As soon as more information becomes available, we will share it with the entire Brandeis community."During an interview, Sawyer said, "We have all of our information from the media.""We've had no contact with the family. My understanding is that both the mother and the father are on the Cape," he added.According to the AP, her father is offering $5,000 for any information that will help authorities locate his daughter."We're trying to ask the general public to look harder. We're trying to encourage them to look harder by offering money," her father said according to the article.Aside from her father, Jagoda has a mother, Anna Jagoda, and had a brother, Jake Jagoda who died during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.Memorialized in the New York Times' "Portraits of Grief" series, Jake Jagoda was described as an avid fisherman who had taken a position as a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald only weeks before the attacks because, "Jake was sort of growing up. He wanted more of a regular job that you would commute to and where he could have more of a future," Mary Jagoda had told The Times.An American Studies major with a minor in Journalism, Mary spent last summer working for PUMA in their Public Relations Department.On campus, she is known as a forward for the new Field Hockey team and as an avid Yankees fan.She said she plans to study abroad in Glasgow, Scotland this spring.Jagoda was described by one friend at Brandeis as "an all-around good person." In high school, she swam freestyle for her school, according to section9swim.com.Aranoff, a student at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn., is listed on the college's Web site as majoring in Physics and Astronomy and is a member of their Class of 2005.According to the AP, park rangers searched an abandoned lighthouse on Monomoy, an island and wildlife refuge, Monday afternoon and found no sign of the women.Smith commented that Monomoy is about eight miles long and up to several miles wide."It's a large island to search by foot," he told the AP.According to the AP article, searchers hold out hope that Jagoda and Aranoff made it to one of the shelters on the island.Coast Guard boats continued to search the area Monday afternoon along with harbormaster boats from Chatham and Harwich, Smith also told the AP.According to the Coast Guard, "the Jefferson Island, a 110-foot cutter from Portland, Me., is en route to the scene. It is expected to arrive around 6 p.m. (Monday evening) and will search throughout the night.""I need my daughter back," said Jagoda's father.
(10/14/03 4:00am)
"Israeli fruit tastes bitter. Say no to the occupation of Palestine. Don't buy any fruit from Israel" read a controversial poster displayed on the Oxfam Belgium website last July. Oxfam Belgium is an independent affiliate of Oxfam International, an umbrella organization which runs various programs, campaigns and projects throughout the world to find solutions to poverty, suffering and injustice based on human rights. Its affiliates include Oxfam Great Britain, Oxfam America, Oxfam Germany and Oxfam Hong Kong. Brandeis is a major participant in the Oxfam America collegiate click drive; a national competition among colleges across America to generate the most donations from their school by clicking on the link to povertyfighters.com. The poster evoked many letter-writing campaigns by individuals and organizations, namely the Simon Wiesenthal Center, an international human rights organization that fosters educational outreach and social action. Oxfam Belgium has since removed the poster from its website explaining that its position is not anti-Israel, but is rather opposed to the occupation of Palestinian territory by the Israeli government. It has replaced the old poster with a new poster that reads, in translation: "Stop the Occupation of Palestine."Ian Anderson, Chairman of Oxfam International responded to the numerous letters of protest and complaints about the poster from various organizations in a letter on July 16. In the letter he apologized for any offense that was caused by the poster and explained Oxfam's position with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to Anderson's letter, Oxfam currently has five affiliate groups working in the region on long-term development projects with both Israeli and Palestinian peace activists. "Oxfam International...supports a two state solution through negotiation," said Paul Adler '04, an Oxfam CHANGE leader, Oxfam America intern, and one of the coordinators of the Oxfam America Collegiate Click Drive at Brandeis. "(Oxfam) is critical of both the Israeli occupation and Palestinian terrorism." Oxfam America President Raymond Offenheiser wrote a letter to Simon Wiesenthal Center Associate Dean, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, on July 29 stating that Oxfam International does not support a public campaign for a boycott of Israeli produce, and is not to be associated with the messages and images produced by the Oxfam Belgium campaign.Oxfam Great Britain refused a u5,000 donation from Ted Honderich, formerly a Professor of Mind and Logic at University College, London, whose book entitled After the Terror, defends Palestinians' right to carry out suicide bombings and terror attacks. The donation would have come from his advance against royalties for his book, and was refused because of its link to the book. According to Adler, Oxfam International coordinates between the affiliate Oxfam groups with regard to larger campaigns and themes that all affiliates endorse while each affiliate deals with smaller projects and goals individually. "Oxfams work together, but each has a lot of autonomy," he said. Some organizations and individuals have not accepted the apology made by Oxfam Belgium and Oxfam International. The Simon Wiesenthal Center continues to urge people via its website to petition against Oxfam, stating that Oxfam's views of the conflict are dangerously one-sided. However, in an e-mail, Paul Adler said: "this is for the parties concerned a resolved matter". Brandeis has a history of involvement with Oxfam America, including avid participation in the Oxfam America Collegiate, Click Drive, and the Oxfam Hunger Buffet, which takes place annually during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week at Brandeis, mainly coordinated by Hillel.According to Deb Wachenheim, Tzedek Hillel Coordinator at Brandeis Hillel, Brandeis Hillel continues to support the anti-hunger and anti-homelessness work of Oxfam America. "In doing this, we are not stating that we support everything that Oxfam International or any of its affiliate country-based organizations does or says," she said in an e-mail. Brandeis Hillel is a Tzedek Hillel, meaning that it puts extra time and resources into social justice programming. At Brandeis, this programming is focused on hunger and homelessness."Oxfam America is well-known as one of the major national organizations working to combat hunger and homelessness around the world... Brandeis Hillel works with them in that capacity, using the resources of Oxfam America to further the hunger and homelessness programming that we coordinate on campus," Wachenheim said in an e-mail.According to Adler, Brandeis students should continue to participate in Oxfam sponsored events. "Oxfam does so much good work around the world...I think it would be sad...if one poster that Belgium put up back-lashed on Oxfam's activity," he said.
(09/02/03 4:00am)
Even the most naive college basketball fan has to admit that the 21st century version of the NCAA game is far from the haven for conscientious student-athletes that university presidents and trustees like to envision. While win-at-all-costs boosters and ridiculously lenient academic "advisors" have long been a staple of Division I hoops, a barrage of disturbing revelations have surfaced over the past year-and-a-half. There was the case last March of academic fraud at the University of Georgia, where head coach Jim Harrick's son, Jim Jr., developed a phantom physical education course that never actually convened. And at St. Bonaventure last spring, University President Robert Wickenheiser resigned after acknowledging that he approved the transfer criteria of basketball star Jamil Terrell. Terrell came from tiny Georgia Coastal Community College, where his highest academic honor was a welding degree. As upsetting as those allegations were to the NCAA community, nothing could prepare the association for the events of this past summer. Baylor University, in Waco, Texas (a city known best for housing deceased cult leader David Koresh), has a little over 13,000 undergraduates and a major sports program in the prestigious Big 12 Conference, which also includes the University of Texas, University of Kansas and University of Oklahoma. Aside from short stints of NCAA-imposed probation in 1986 (illegal cash benefits to a player) and 1994 (the FBI convicted coaches for completing players' homework), Baylor is a relatively obscure institution, far removed from the radars of most avid college sports fans. Its teams have struggled for success in most major sports, producing just one NBA player (Sixers center Brian Skinner) over the past decade. That anonymity, however, came crashing down in late June when Baylor forward Patrick Dennehy, a Santa Clara, Calif. native (and recent transfer from the University of New Mexico) was officially pronounced missing. When a basketball program such as Baylor's is making headlines on all of America's 24-hour cable news outlets, it's highly probably that the news is very bad. While the case remains sketchy, with a few pieces left to the puzzle, the chain of events is as follows. On July 10, about a month after Dennehy's mysterious disappearance was made public, Baylor head coach Dave Bliss (set to begin his fourth season at the school) broke the school's silence to speak with the media. "This situation is uncharted waters," Bliss said. "We're going through something that is an unbelievably bad nightmare." "I appreciate being the basketball coach at Baylor University," Bliss continued. "I'm confronted with something completely off the charts, but I'm also in charge of steering through this." Bliss, a veteran college basketball coach who has held head coaching posts at Oklahoma, Southern Methodist University and the University of New Mexico (where he recruited Dennehy), was right on one front. A case of homicide in the NCAA was without precedent, and the case soon grew even more bizarre. On July 21, Dennehy's teammate and close friend, junior guard Carlton Dotson, was arrested and jailed in his home state of Maryland. Just four days later, Dennehy's body was discovered in a field near the Baylor campus. An autopsy report revealed that the 21-year-old had been shot twice in the head. Dotson, also 21, was indicted on a murder charge on August 27, and now faces a maximum penalty of life in prison as he awaits Texas Governor Rick Perry's approval of extradition to that state. While District Attorney John Segrest has refused to discuss motive in the case, sources close to the team have stepped forward to suggest widespread substance abuse among team members. Dotson disputes police claims that he confessed to shooting Dennehy in a sworn affidavit to the FBI. Dotson's estranged wife, Melissa Kethley, recently told the Dallas Morning News that Baylor players would routinely smoke pot and drink immediately before team practices. Sonya Hart, whose son Robert briefly roomed with Dotson before leaving the team in February, told that same paper that she warned the school about alcoholism and drugs surrounding the team. Bliss, momentarily out of the limelight while Dotson was tracked down, soon became the focal point of the investigation. In early August, the FBI released tapes secretly recorded by assistant coach Abar Rouse featured Bliss encouraging Baylor players to lie to investigators by giving them the false impression that Dennehy paid his tuition by dealing drugs. On August 8, Bliss and Athletic Director Tom Stanton (who had been with the school for five years) resigned as Baylor placed itself on two years' probation. Bliss has been portrayed as the archetype of the grizzled college basketball coach given free reign by the NCAA to dodge a corrupted system.Initial reaction to Bliss' resignation was surprisingly empathetic. Brian O'Neill, who assissted Bliss at both New Mexico and Baylor, was prescient in his remarks."I think a lot of NCAA men's basketball programs operate in a gray area," he said. "And I think once the NCAA was allowed to investigate the program, a lot of those things in the gray area were exposed and, therefore, he may have felt responsible for some of those things that transpired." "Once you start an internal investigation in your school or any school, some dirt is going to come up in some cases," O'Neill added. "And with all the negative publicity swirling around Pat (Dennehy) ... there was going to be some other disheartening things that would come out." "By trying to muck up a murder investigation," Caulton Tudor of KnoxNews.com writes, "shuffling money under the table to players and possibly filming opposing teams' practice sessions, Bliss turned the Baylor basketball offices into an open-air sewage dump." Jesse Jackson of the controversial Rainbow Coalition is urging the international basketball community to ostracize Bliss and ban him from coaching again. "He perpetuated a racial stereotype," Jackson said, "by casting young Dennehy as a drug pusher. His lie was based on belief that people would accept that Dennehy, a black man, was a thug who sold drugs." The fallout from the Baylor scandal has come in an unbelievably swift manner. On August 20, Jeff Howard, the NCAA's director of public relations, honored a request made by Baylor President Robert Sloane Jr. that all basketball players who wish to transfer out of Baylor be exempt from the standard NCAA rule that they sit out a year before competing again. Already, Baylor's top scorer and rebounder from a year ago, Lawrence Roberts, has announced his intention to continue his career at Mississippi State. Junior forward Kenny Taylor will move on to the University of Texas, junior guard John Lucas III will play for Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State and sophomore forward Tommy Swanson will also depart. Baylor has announced that on September 4, the school will host a free rally led by popular entertainer/comedian Bill Cosby to lift the spirits of the student body after a trying summer. Cosby, a fixture at his alma mater of Temple University and numerous commencement ceremonies around the country, has long lauded Baylor's Christian mission. "Over the years I have come to know some of the outstanding students, faculty and staff at Baylor," Cosby said, "and I know it's been a tough few months for them. So I want to let the world know what a great place this is." On August 22, Baylor announced the hiring of 32-year-old Valparaiso head coach Scott Drew, who was 20-11 in his only season at the northern Indiana school. Valpo, a Lutheran-affiliated school of 3,600, competes in the Mid-Continent Conference with the likes of Chicago State and Oral Roberts University.Scott's father Homer spent 14 seasons at Valpo, compiling a 236-185 record, and leading the Crusaders to the NCAA's Round of 16 in 1998 with the help of another son, Bryce."I can't wait for the new image for Baylor to come," the younger Drew said recently. "I really enjoy working with young people and helping them achieve their goals: graduating, making the NCAA Tournament, reaching the professional ranks.
(05/20/03 4:00am)
Ariadne344 Walnut St.Newton,MA 02460(617)332-4653 While at Brandeis, students must become acquainted with their surroundings. There are an abundance of wonderful theaters, clubs, museums, shops and restaurants in the suburbs of Boston. Although a bit confusing with its many villages, Newton is a neighboring city to Waltham that has much to offer. Besides the unique, independent movie theater (West Newton Cinema) and the best ice cream parlor around (Cabot's Ice Cream), Newton has a few outstanding places to dine. One of these is the newly opened restaurant and bar, Ariadne. Originally from Greece, chef and owner Christos Tsardounis adds a Mediterranean flair to his endeavors. After working under the direction of acclaimed chef Todd English, Tsardounis opened his own restaurant, Aspasia, with his wife in 1999. Located in Cambridge, this eatery has a "cozy, off-the-beaten-path" atmosphere (www.bostonchefs.com), and quickly received rave reviews from the critics. In 2002, he and his wife opened their second restaurant, Ariadne, in Newton. It has become a popular destination for locals and tourists when in the mood for an elegant and tasty meal.Ariadne has a simple look, with white linens and tiny candles on each table. It is a small restaurant, similar to Aspasia, adding a calm, intimate feel to the dining experience. In addition, the wait-staff are particularly friendly and responsible, many of them young adults beginning their careers in the restaurant business. With its New-American and Mediterranean cuisine, Ariadne offers a diverse menu. For an appetizer, the "Mesclun Greens with Chardonnay Vinaigrette & Parmigiano Reggiano" is light and agreeable. Still, vegetarians beware -most of the main courses are heavy meat dishes. Luckily, I happened to be dining with my father, an avid meat-lover, so his "Grilled Black Angus Sirloin Steak with Braised Hen of the Woods & Ciopollini Onions" was devoured thoroughly and enjoyed. My "Lamb Rack with Ossobucco & Sauted Broccoli Rabe" was decent, but proved to be a bit too bland and tough. Slowly, disappointment crept in ... that is, until dessert arrived.Without question, the desserts at Ariadne are the highlight of the meal. Made by a 20-something pastry chef fresh out of school, they are scrumptious. That night we were offered a Lemon Tart and a Chocolate Mousse Cake. The tart was precise with its mixture of sweet and sour, while the cake was rich and melted in the mouth. Both were extraordinary and far surpassed the entrees.Similar to most chic restaurants, Ariadne is very expensive. With a tight budget, enjoy a drink and dessert there. Otherwise, a full dinner will be a fine experience. Finally, I would offer to meet you in Newton, but alas, I am graduating. It has been a pleasure being your arts editor (2001) and writer, and I wish everyone much luck in the future.***For more information and directions, visit the restaurant's website at www.ariadnerestaurant.com.
(04/29/03 4:00am)
With 90 percent of Brandeis' current telecommunications hardware deemed "end-of-life" by manufacturer Nortel Networks, Brandeis will be installing a new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone system for the upcoming academic year through Verizon and Cisco Systems, according to Information and Technology Services (ITS). As part of this plan, Brandeis will provide new non-cordless telephones to every student to use on the new VoIP protocol, as a special telephone is needed to plug into the Ethernet jack. As a result, approximately 9,000 telephones will be ordered to replace existing phones and phone lines in buildings throughout the university. In addition, 270 phones will be purchased for the new residence halls and other facilities.Chief Information Officer Perry Hanson III said that the new system will cost under $4 million and involve a number of technological changes. Central to the plan is the installation of an all fiber-optic system to run across the entire campus in place of the current copper-wire connections, which have degraded considerably over the 18 years that they have been in use.Hanson also explained that the phone system had reached its capacity some time ago, and phone line requirements for the new residential hall could not be accommodated with the current system. He also added that the current system had crashed twice.On the Brandeis network, calls are moved back and forth through the network through devices called switches - devices that are now considerably outdated. "Given the age of our switch and its cobbled- together nature, our risk (of a network crash) increases because we may not be able to recover from a failure," Hanson said.The new fiber-optic system, according to ITS, will encompass voice as well as the computer data network, so that both computer and telephone data will run on the same wire; the telephone will plug into the wall, and the computer network cable will be connected to the telephone. In the future, video data may be added to the system, as well.Anna Tomecka, associate chief information officer and director of ITS, explained that the computer and telephone systems will be "two networks on the same wire but logically separated ... Even though the wire is the same, the two traffics will not collide."According to ITS, with both the telephone and computer networks integrated in the same system, the telephone can essentially serve many of the advanced functions of a computer, giving students and faculty alike a wide variety of options in programming their telephones. The telephones will have a new voicemail system. In addition, they boast many programming capabilities, which include the maintenance of the Brandeis telephone directory and caller-ID and broadcast messaging capabilities. ITS said they believed that one of the system's greatest assets is the possibility of adding specialized features, including advertisements, looking up one's grades and receiving wake-up calls, all from campus phones.Throughout the planning process, Hanson said ITS consulted the Student Information Technology Advisory Committee (SITAC) for its input in decision-making."Some issues, like students retaining analog capability for personal faxes, cordless telephones and other legacy devices need to be looked at more seriously, but as a concept the VoIP telephones will dramatically change the way students use voice communication on campus," SITAC member Adam Herman '04 said.Herman remains concerned that the students will not be able to use cordless telephones. "On one hand, many students have already become avid cell phone users and it's hard (for me) to tell how many students currently use campus telephones," Herman said. "At the same time, some standard analog equipment and particularly cordless telephones are largely ingrained in our way of life on campus."Herman said, however, that he does believe that the new system will bring the University into line with current technology. "Exciting features like on-screen LDAP (phone directory) lookups, voice-mail indicator lights, text messaging and other enhanced digital features will bring Brandeis into more current technology," he said."It's like a little Web browser," Tomecka said of the system."It's more than a phone today," added Mary Bromfield, ITS director for telecommunications. "This is modern telephony. It's different."The new system will entail other changes, such as the replacement of old switches within the telephone network. In addition, rather than running the entire network from Feldberg, as has been standard in the past, the new system will add four additional hubs, also known as regional switches, from which the network will run. These interconnected hubs, to be located at the Admissions building, the Usen dormitory in Massell Quad, Goldfarb and the Stoneman building, will provide backup support that, in the case of a failure in one of the hubs, will make it possible for the system to continue to operate smoothly. According to Hanson, ITS, knowing that Nortel would no longer support the current system, began the process of looking for alternate solutions to replacement of the copper wires last summer. There has been testing over the past six to eight months, and the two companies were finally chosen for the installation of the new system: Cisco for supplying necessary equipment, and Verizon as an implementation partner. "The competition is very cutthroat," Hanson said, referring to the process for selecting the participating companies. "Cisco offered us a very good deal."Cisco's previous work with Brandeis also contributed to the decision. "We ... had the partnership with Cisco for a long time, so we are just going to build upon it," Tomecka said.Planning for installation is already underway and the network is planned to be fully in place for the start of classes in the fall.
(03/25/03 5:00am)
Maurine noticed my stare and yet I chose not to look away. She took a tray off the line, stacked it on a cart and looked right back at me. Again, my eyes stayed fixed on her. She placed another brown tray on her pile, and then, without the slightest change in expression, she waved at me. I blushed and sheepishly turned my head.Dressed Oe la Salvation Army, she works as a dishwasher at Sherman Dining Hall. In fact, if you eat at Sherman, you might know Maurine. During lunchtime, when she washes all the tables she sprays disinfectant high up into the air, almost as if she enjoys watching the aspirated molecules settle on the table, before she diligently mops them up with her rag. She might even do this close to you--too close for comfort sometimes --but you dare not say anything. Maurine suffers from a developmental disability. She's one of five dishwashers in Sherman -- all with different mental challenges. Since 1985 the Greater Waltham Association for Retarded Citizens (GWARC) has been staffing Usdan and Sherman dining halls with workers. Today, two teams of five workers wash dishes and clean tables in each hall. "Awesome" is how Usdan Assistant Food Service Director Peter Christopher describes the dishwashers. "They're some of the best employees we have." Actually, these laborers work neither for Aramark or Brandeis. They're similar to contractors in that GWARC, a nonprofit company, pays them. The five GWARC workers manning the massive industrial dishwasher in the back of Usdan are managed by Jean Marius, an ex-Papa Gino's manager who brings his expertise to Usdan dining hall. "I train them to be effective," he said in a thick Creole accent. Marius is quick to point out how, since he has taken over as their manager, productivity has gone sky high. "I make them bring a book to work, and at the end of the day I give them an evaluation -- it's very helpful," said Marius. "My work is sometimes challenging but also rewarding -- I get to learn about and share in their lives."Aramark workers in Usdan seem not to mind their GWARC counterparts. "They're nice people," said Kathy MacDougall, a cashier at the Boulevard and an Aramark employee for three years. "They'll say 'hello' and remember your name -- and I try to remember theirs."Assistant Director of Employment for GWARC Jim Brandano calls the program a "good deal." "We get the job done and, for these people, it's a real joy to work," Brandano said. Like Marius, Brandano was also in food service before he started with GWARC. He says working at GWARC has helped to dispel some prejudices he had about developmentally disabled people. "They behave like you and I do, and not one of them is alike -- they are all unique," he said.Students appreciate the GWARC workers for more than one reason.For Sherman Dining Hall Cashier Maksim Lenerman '06, programs like this are as foreign to him as the United States once was. An international student from Russia, Lenerman said it is only in "a highly democratic country that you have programs like this." "In Russia, many of them are beggars on the street -- I think it's good that they have a job here," he said. Melissa Flemming '05, who frequently eats at Sherman, sees this job as "a way for these people to claim their independence.""It's impressive that they could hold down a job despite the obstacles," she said. John Kimani, a manager of the Sherman group, started working with the developmentally disabled while he was a computer science major at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Now, after working for GWARC he wants to study Psychology and better understand the people he manages. "I have this program I use with the workers. I make them all go out at least once every hour -- they go out into the cafeteria and interact with people while they're working. It helps them feel comfortable to mix with people," he said. Richard, one of Kimani's workers, can be seen hauling trays around Sherman or sometimes receiving and washing them on the kosher side. He's a big, burly fellow with a hunch. He has a gruff, curt voice that is surprisingly intelligible in spite of a minor stutter. The first thing he asked me was, "Are you from the Globe?"Richard lives in a halfway house in Watertown. He likes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His favorite movie is "Shane" ("You know, from the 60s," he says). He's an avid viewer of Court TV and "LA Law." Richard speaks of a friendship he developed with a Brandeis student: "Jenny, from California." I ask if he speaks to her a lot. "I try," he says, frowning. "I gotta get my work done, you know." Richard's favorite part of working is the money. "It's a lot of money," he said. Richard said he uses the money to go out, "Down to the cape with friends." Richard's job may be at stake soon. Much of GWARC is funded through state appropriated monies. With statewide budget cuts coming down from the governor's office, programs like GWARC may be in jeopardy. "We're OK for this (fiscal) year, but we have no idea about next year," said Kimani. "We just don't know if the money will be there."Brandono said that the reason GWARC is better off than many of its relatives is, in part, due to the jobs provided by Brandeis."These jobs are very important to our people," said Brandano.
(02/25/03 5:00am)
You may know them as one of Brandeis' hottest up-and-coming bands, or for one of a hundred other reasons: their bold personas, their smooth, improvisational lyrics or their jazzy-rock infused music. If you don't know them, then learn their names now. Pianist/singer Phil Seleznick '05, guitarist Tom Pernikoff '05, bassist Mike Park '05 and drummer Mark Record are known to many across campus as Red Shift. This group of individuals has drawn a large fan base from first-years to seniors, all vying for a glimpse of the men behind the buzz around Brandeis' music circuit. Yet there is more to this group than first meets the ear. The members of Red Shift met last year, after each honed his own musical talents independently before they realized their chemistry as a group. "I met Phil through a jazz group here. Well ... actually I didn't introduce myself until Tom brought us together," Park said. "Tom called me out of the blue and sounded very official, saying that they were looking for a bassist, so I met up with them and auditioned. I'd like to say that it was instant chemistry, but it wasn't. I stuck it out a little for a while and we started connecting both musically and as friends."Pernikoff, whose musical background stems from a deep interest in blues, rock and jazz, had spent most of last year playing shows at Cholmondeley's with fellow guitarist Matt Goldfine '05. They built up an impressive reputation, but the duo was short lived, and Pernikoff moved on to forming his own band, Pocket, which consisted of Pernikoff, Seleznick, Park and drummer Ari Teman '05. However, his relationship with Teman was also short-lived: He left because of various personal conflicts between him and the rest of the group, taking the name "Pocket" with him and leaving the band without a drummer or an identity. But, Seleznick's watchful eye picked up on Record, who had played with Seleznick in a previous band called Clan Du, and it seemed fitting that he join the pianist yet again. After numerous brainstorming sessions and sit-downs, the name Red Shift was born.From an avid listener's point of view, it is difficult to classify Red Shift's musical style -- after all, they draw comparisons to everything from jazz to rock. Yet listening to Pernikoff belt out wailing guitar rifts or Seleznick's wild piano playing allows their listeners to form one conclusion about them: These guys are serious about their music. "I think it is obvious that everyone in the band comes from a different place," Perkinoff said. "People have put us in many genres, such as jam, jazz/funk and rock. I think we are all of these, but I would like people to see us as a unique entity." Pernikoff said he hopes that through utilizing different types of music they will be able to define their own style. As they continue to seek that style, they also hope to create a new name for themselves ... literally. Over on the other side of Boston at Tufts University, rival band Red Shift 6 has been playing gigs for the last four years, and with their seniority over Brandeis' own Red Shift, fans of both bands have been confusing the two groups for each other. This has sent Phil, Pernikoff and the rest of the guys on a search for a new name for their band. "It's been an arduous process trying to find a new name and it sucks, but we've already been confused with Red Shift 6, so we felt if we wanted to proceed on our own merits we would need to change it," said bassist Park. Though both groups boast different styles of music, Red Shift wants their name to stand out from other bands, hoping to alleviate confusion and give their group more of an edge. Yet, it will be the next two years, not their efforts to pick a new name, that will test the true talents of the band. "If we can make serious headway in the next two years, which means recording an album and playing many of the venues in Boston (basically if we become more popular), then I think we have a serious chance," Pernikoff said. Park echoed this sentiment as well: "I see Red Shift or whatever we call ourselves going real far. I know we will be gigging everywhere and I feel that we have a newer sound right now so I feel like we can conquer Boston ... We're taking determination to the next level and hopefully our music shows this."Undoubtedly, the band we all know today as Red Shift has come a long way since their humble beginnings. From acoustic guitar sessions in Chum's to performances all over Boston (their next big show is Feb. 25 at "The Midway" in Boston), the band has overcome some big obstacles, picking up an amazing sound and a large fan base along the way. They are even looking forward to the eventual possibility of being signed to a record deal. But, no matter what happens down the road, these guys know where they got their start -- right here at Brandeis.
(02/18/03 5:00am)
The one thing I learned from "Daredevil" was that I always should take a comic book buff with me to movies involving a comic book hero. Thank my lucky stars, I live with two such comic book fanatics, and both were more than happy to tag along. Unfortunately, however, I could take only one guest with me. Still, that was enough to introduce me to the comic book subculture. Ready for a night of action, I was sorely let down. The most exciting part of the night was getting to drive stick shift for the first time in years in the wet snow.A habit I've noticed in the movie industry is to lure people in with huge names -- Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Michael Clarke Duncan, Colin Farrell, Joe Pantoliano and Jon Favreau, for example -- and after two hours leave you with an annoying voice, saying, "Got your money! See ya lata, sucka!" running through your head. And, true to habit, Hollywood executives have done it again. If you're going to throw out names like they're golden tickets in candy bars, you should have the integrity to deliver some everlasting gobstoppers.Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Green Mile") could use a few more everlasting acting classes. The only reason I can think of why he was cast is his big booming voice, a la James Earl Jones. On the other hand, Jon Favreau ("Batman Forever") stayed true to his habit of comic relief. Kevin Smith ("Chasing Amy"), who writes for the comic book "Daredevil" and Frank Miller, another comic book writer, make amusing cameos. And, when other names of the comic book world are thrown in, they are details caught only by avid comic readers.Despite decent performances from the other featured actors, the plot of "Daredevil" lacks any real development, reading like a children's book. But that's basically what superhero comic books are: children's books for adults. Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck) lost his sight in an accident, lost his dad to big-crime who uses justice as a cover up for revenge. Mark Steven Johnson, the director and screenwriter, failed to provide any unique aspects of the human condition that should accompany a story of an individual life. Apparently Johnson and his cohorts were aiming for Hollywood ostentation. The movie gives a quick rundown of how Daredevil came to be, then adds details where needed to move the story along, like a made-for-TV action flick. Efforts at stirring up emotion in the audience just result in melodramatic clich."Daredevil" does have a few redeeming qualities, however. In an attempt to keep the story truer to life, we see Murdock taking a painkiller cocktail and notice the accumulated scars on his back during the obligatory shower scene. His pad is a pretty nice place too, locked up like Alcatraz and lifeless like cold steel. Which brings me to the question: If he takes so many pro bono cases, how on earth does he afford his devil-cave? If you're a male with the average American libido, you'll find Elektra's (Jennifer Garner of "Catch Me If You Can") lack of clothing redeeming as well. I could point out other inconsistencies and annoyances as well, but maybe you'll find the movie more exciting than I did. One more thing though: If you took your girlfriend to see "Daredevil" on its Valentine's Day opening and that was the highlight of your date, you should be used as a bulls-eye for target practice.
(11/19/02 5:00am)
These letters have all been sent in by actual Brandeis students. Their names have been changed to protect their anonymity. The advice given out in this column is solely the opinion of Rachel Nazarian '03, the Justice's advice guru. Please use this advice at your own risk - the Justice is not to be held liable for any positive or negative consequences of your decisions. If you are interested in obtaining advice from Rachel, to be printed in a future issue, e-mail her your problem at nazarian@brandeis.edu.Dear Rachel:Are people always ready for Mr. or Ms. Right, and it is only a matter of finding that right person? My boyfriend and I just recently broke up and after debating this idea for a long while I have come to the conclusion that this is true; people do not want to be alone, and although they have their friends, they continuously search for that special partner. I thought my boyfriend felt the same, as everything with us was wonderful. Then, out of the blue, he told me that he wants to be alone. I guess at the root of it all, I just feel confused by his sudden change of heart. Please help.- Wondering What Went WrongDear "Wondering":I sincerely wish I had the right words to console you. Truly, matters of the heart cannot always be understood. But, to answer your question, I find that people are continually and constantly looking for somebody to love; we are at all times searching for Mr. or Ms. Right. But, no, we are not always ready for them when they arrive. As human beings, we are perpetually changing. What we find appealing at one age may in fact be a fleeting fetish. The person with whom we would be most compatible may be in front of our noses, and we fail to notice until years later when our hearts snap into place. It is peculiar that we may seek and find someone we love, change our minds, then return later when our ever-altering desires diminish.Do not be discouraged; as we change, the people in our life change as well. But, I have found life tends to repeat itself and old faces make new appearances. His need to stir is not an indication of your value in his life. You are as beautiful and intelligent as you ever were. Let him pursue what he presently longs for. You must not attempt to make sense of his behavior and his decision; if you understood everything he was thinking, you would be him!Rather, embrace the changes you yourself are experiencing and acknowledge the wonderful relationship you had. There will be many who thrill you and many who confuse you. You will be ready for your Mr. Right the day you meet him: no preparation is necessary for happiness. - RachelDear Rachel:My roommate is a pig. She is gross, gross, gross! How can I train her to stop making such a mess? I have to live in her filth. - Tired of the TrashDear "Tired":For those of us verging on the anal retentive, a sock out of place can drive us into frenzy. We adhere the rules of housekeeping providing the right place for each item. Although we may think ourselves always in the right, we are quite often mistaken. This is most likely not what you wish to hear, but your roommate has a right to her mess. She doesn't need to organize her books; she's under no obligation to hang her clothes. In spite of that, there is a limit. Her mess is hers alone, so long as it doesn't interfere with you directly. She may have a mountain of shoes in her own closet or a heap of papers on her own desk. The minute she crosses into your territory (your bed, your desk, etc.) you may spring into action. I wondered about your wording "living in her filth." Do you directly have to manage her mess? If so, approach her now and present the guidelines of your living arrangement clearly. If you find her to be unreceptive, unwilling or unable to comply with these basic rules of etiquette, you should find a different roommate for next semester. - RachelDear Rachel:Last year, I was involved with a boy. But, this year he has a girlfriend. Yet, by they way he acts, I think he still likes me. What should I do in this type of situation? Because I still like him and we talk a lot, do you think I should give this a chance? - Rethinking RetryDear "Rethinking":I speculate you're not an avid reader of my column. You battle the same problem as a previous writer (see the Oct. 8 issue). Despite this, let me suggest a similar rule of thumb: Do not pursue boys in relationships. I understand you enjoy his company. But, he is not available now for intimate encounters.Save your time and save yourself by finding someone new to dote on. As an attached person, he is disrespecting his girlfriend if he is encouraging your pursuance. Further, you deserve someone who will place you as top priority. Never settle for being second chair, which you will do if you render yourself accessible to his advances. To quote myself: "Acknowledge the position of degradation you've been put into; demand the respect you deserve and walk away." Should he be the ideal boy for you, he will return unattached. - RachelHumorous letter of the week:Dear Rachel:Doesn't it seem to make you sad,Listening to troubles - always bad?Everyone complains to you.Boo Hoo. Boo Hoo. Boo Hoo Hoo. - Letter in LyricsDear "Letter":You think you're funny.I'll play your game.Here's the truth:Your poem's lame. - Rachel
(11/12/02 5:00am)
Just by opening up their wallets, many otherwise law-abiding college students can incriminate themselves, commiting a serious felony, if their identification, whether it be a driver's license or state ID, is counterfeit.According to Massachusetts law, using a fake ID to purchase alcohol is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine or up to three months imprisonment. College students however, say that fake IDs are common and both easy to obtain and to use. A minor looking to purchase a fake ID has many options. For example, Internet sites promise quality fake IDs or even sell make-your-own kits, with small disclaimers mentioning that they are not licensed to produce real identification. Even as states attempt to design new ways to prevent people from using fake IDs, with devices such as holograms or special vertical driver's licenses for minors, the number of minors in possession of fake IDs is on the rise. A variety of types of identification are commonly falsified - state identifications and driver's licenses being in the majority. Some IDs are easier to fake than others, making them particularly popular among minors. A Brandeis junior, who owned both a fake state ID and a real driver's license belonging to another person, said that Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey are easy to counterfeit. Like two other Brandeis students interviewed, the ID was for a state other than Massachusetts, in hopes that a Bostonian inspector won't be able to tell an out-of-state fake from a real ID. The students interviewed purchased their IDs in cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Greenwich. It was accomplished through distant connections, such as a friend of a friend, although according to one girl it is not uncommon in some areas to actually be approached by someone selling fake IDs. A fake ID may cost anywhere from 40 to 130 dollars, depending on how convincing the buyer wants the ID to be and how much money the sellers think they can get. A Brandeis sophomore possessing a fake driver's license said the drinking age is "absurd," considering that minors can be executed. Manager of Gordon's Liquor Store in Waltham Bill Kane, said he regards drinking to be "part of growing up in America", but has concerns about underage drinking. The years from 18 to 20 are "not the most mature years of your life," Kane said despite his personal views he strictly enforces the underage drinking laws at Gordon's. Moreover, as part of the Waltham community, Kane feels Gordon's has a responsibility to actively and diligently check identification. Those Brandeis students interviewed said they tend to use fake IDs for gaining entry to bars and clubs restricted to people who are 21 years and older. Buying alcohol for later consumption was lower on the list, since most students have friends over 21 who will buy the alcohol for them - which is just as illegal.Gordon's Liquor, Brandeis' most convenient liquor store, avidly scans all IDs of customers who look under 30. Additionally, Kane said Gordon's has permission to call the Brandeis police and verify the age of the person on the ID. He said people showing out of state licenses are required to provide their Brandeis ID for comparison. Like many liquor stores in Massachusetts,Kane said Gordon's has a device that scans the magnetic strip on the back of IDs. The scanner relays to the clerk information from the department of motor vehicles for the given state. If the information on the front of the ID doesn't correspond to the information from the strip, the ID will be rejected and confiscated. Kane said he is proud of Gordon's reputation for strict ID inspection. Scanners, or electronic age verification devices are expensive, but enough businesses are employing them to warrant some debate, Kane said. There have been concerns over invasion of privacy and the storage of personal information from IDs on computers. He said he was careful to point out that their scanner does not store information and is not connected to a computer. The scanners are used primarily for determining a potential buyer's age, he said. Professor Brad Krevor (HS) conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of these devices in the real world. The findings of the study (conducted in Florida and Iowa) indicated that stores selling alcohol and tobacco did not increase their rate of age verification when provided with a scanner. Clerks did not appear to take advantage of the convenience of the scanner or the ease of blaming a rejected ID on a machine.Currently, no standardization of IDs exists between the states, complicating the scanning process. And, even a scanner can't help if the ID is real but belongs to another individual, in which case the photograph is the only telling piece of information, Kane said.Many factors besides the look of authenticity go into whether or not a fake ID is accepted. The establishment and its location, the attitude of the proprietor, and appearance of the minor all factor into a fake ID's success. Boston's Blue Cat Caf, puts its doormen through a training period during which they learn how to detect fake IDs. Manager Ryan Wunderlick said they do not have a scanner, because they do not expect to run into underage drinkers, as they attract a 24 to 35 age range. Bars and clubs around colleges, one junior said, tend to be not as strict in the enforcement of underage drinking laws. She mentioned an establishment in Providence with security cameras. Students would hold baseball cards, or other cards shaped like IDs, up to the bouncer for appearance's sake and the bouncer would let them in. Krevor pointed out that sometimes the minor's own authentic ID will work, because the seller assumes he or she would not be presented with a real underage card. More responsible bars and clubs without scanners inspect the IDs closely. "They'll ask you your sign or some other question," one student said, describing an incident where the server tried to trick her into giving information different from that on the ID. Another student said bars in the Boston area tend to reject state ID cards, preferring driver's licenses, which are scrutinized for their authenticity rather than the photo. The consequences for bars and liquor stores selling to minors are not to be taken lightly, Kane said. "We pay heavily", he says, listing heavy fines, closure for three days, and delay of employee paychecks as some of the reasons Gordon's is so careful about fake IDs. He said students caught with fake IDs also pay, usually with fines, revoking of the driver's license, a note on the permanent record and a hike in car insurance rates. None of the Brandeis students interviewed had been caught with their fake IDs and did not seem to think the possibility likely. They said they consider fake IDs worth the risk, so long as one knows how and where to use them.
(11/12/02 5:00am)
Frida Kahlo (1907-54) lived life to the fullest. Never influenced by others, she always did things her own way. As an artist, a wife, a communist, a bisexual and a feminist, she influenced many people's lives in the tumultuous 30s and 40s. In her new movie, "Frida," director Julie Taymor (costumer of broadway's "The Lion King") attempts to follow Frida's life from her carefree days as a child in Mexico to her painful, premature death at age 47. Taymor is successful in portraying the trials and tribulations that haunted Frida her entire life, but not enough focus is placed on the talented woman's actual skills and paintings.At the beginning of the film, 18-year-old Frida becomes the victim of a trolley accident and is crippled for the duration of her life. After being bedridden for a month and having to wear a full body cast, Frida miraculously learns to walk again. Always passionate about art, she decides to pursue a career in painting with her family's blessing. It is obvious that Frida and her parents have a healthy relationship, and she can count on them for unconditional support and love. Determined to become a fine artist, Frida asks the respected painter visiting her university, Diego Rivera, for input on her paintings. Soon a romantic relationship ensues, even though Diego is 20 years her senior, obese and an avid womanizer. With this knowledge, the 21-year-old Frida decides to accept his faults and marries Diego. The turbulent relationship between Frida and Rivera is the main concentration of the movie. Scenes of infidelity on both their parts, with Rivera screwing women, Frida screwing men and Frida screwing women, overwhelm the screen. Nudity and intercourse are abundant in the film, showing Frida's sexual liberty and bold, unconventional persona. Even with all the sex and infidelity though, Frida and Rivera convey their true love for one another time and time again. Although they do divorce for one year, they get back together and spend the majority of their lives as husband and wife. For years, Mexican born actress Salma Hayek ("Wild Wild West") has been trying to bring "Frida" to the big screen. She said she felt a deep connection with the artist, as they shared a similar upbringing and heritage, and thought it important to introduce the little-known story of this fascinating woman to the public. Hayek's love and devotion to Frida is apparent in her portrayal of the artist, and she is even successful in shedding her normal "Hollywood glam" attempt to resemble Frida with her skinny, but sturdy frame, dark features, raven black hair and characteristic solid connecting eyebrows. Also, her outfits parallel Frida's traditional Mexican clothing with long, colorful dresses and exotic jewelry. Hayek's acting is not wonderful, but it is substantial for the film. She captures the pain and agony that Frida endured her entire life from emotional and physical troubles.As Diego Rivera, Alfred Molina ("Chocolat") is exceptional. The audience develops a love-hate relationship with this controversial man, and scowls when he has frivolous sex with his models, yet also cheers when he gushes over the talent and and promise of Frida as an artist. Molina is perfect in his role, and the chemistry between him and Hayek is tender and believable. Since Rivera was very heavy and towered over people and Frida was petite and thin, people called their marriage a union between an elephant and a dove. Molina and Hayek epitomize this statement, and they joke about it together in the movie as Rivera and Frida truly would. The actors realistically portray these two radical, complex artists.Politics enter the film frequently because both Frida and Rivera were communists at a time of intense American nationalism. Their courage and dedication to the party are illustrated when they invite Leon Trotsky (Geoffrey Rush) to their house to hide. Another example comes when Rivera refuses to remove Lenin from his mural in New York, resulting in Nelson Rockefeller (Edward Norton) demolishing the masterpiece. Throughout the film, there are numerous examples of the risks the two took to remain loyal to their cause."Frida" is a beautiful movie with fine acting, creative cinematography and an enticing soundtrack, but it is lacking a focus on Frida Kahlo's artwork itself and her relation with her work. Periodically, throughout the film, there are glimpses of Frida working in her studio and the results of her paintings, but they are scarce. At times, images of Frida's paintings do weave in and out of the film, producing an eerie, mystical effect but her actual work was not sufficiently explored. Her harsh, bright paintings filled with Mexican cultural influences were a mixture of realism and symbolism that reflected many aspects of her life, but this is not sufficiently explored in the movie. She constantly drew self-portraits and female-related paintings that had "graphic anatomical references" (www.encyclopedia.com/html/k/kahlo), which should have been a central theme in the film, yet was forced to the rear.One of the most powerful scenes in the film does incorporate her artwork and her attachment and affection for it. In 1953, soon before her death, Frida's art is displayed in her homeland of Mexico for the first time. This had been her dream, yet because she is so ill, she cannot go. Of course, Frida comes up with a way, proving once again that nothing, including sickness, is going to keep her from her desires and goals.Anyone interested in a decent biographical film on an extraordinary woman and artist should see this movie. It is aesthetically pleasing and presents competent acting. There is much to be learned from Frida in terms of living an uncompromising existence true to political, artistic and sexual beliefs.
(10/29/02 5:00am)
"Jackass" is the reason that every human being needs $9.25 in pocket and 90 minutes of free time. Enough said.This plotless, tactless, senseless collage of hilarious, outrageous and stupendous four to five minute bits is the answer to the call to be entertained. From the opening scene, with Jackass" players rolling down a city street in a shopping cart to the closing scene of pyrotechnic wizardry, the only one-minute break in laughter I experienced was when I ran to get more popcorn. What to expect: "Jackass: The Movie," to quote Johnny Knoxville, is a "naughty 90-minute version of the show." With a bigger budget, four full months to write bits, and an all-or-nothing-last-hoorah mentality, the movie delivers and delivers. "Jackass: The Movie" is not for the faint of heart. There are plenty of bodily fluids excreted and ingested (yes, that's right - ingested!), a peppering of concussions, a broken bone or two and a toy car going where no toy car should ever go. For fans of "Jackass" the TV show, "Jackass: The Movie" will be a veritable Nirvana of men behaving badly. The movie is full of irreverence for body and cultural sensitivities ("Jackass" goes to Japan, and let's just say that in comparison, Godzilla was a cranky toddler in need of a hug), but, and this might come as a shock, it might even turn a few nay-sayers into "Jackass" fans.Granted, some of the more outrageous acts might be met with grimaces, but there are a few innocent-enough, yet side splittingly funny, bits to induce yuckles out of the most avid Jackass opponents. Some of the skateboarding skits are actually well choreographed, and there are times when the shear athleticism of the cast, exemplified by Steve-O's ability to dangle indefinitely on a tight-rope over a pit of hungry alligators and Preston Lacy's graceful sprint through the streets of Japan wearing nothing but a Sumo thong will melt the heart of the least receptive audience member . then again, it might not.But, this movie was primarily intended to be enjoyed by "Jackass" fans who appreciate the finer subtleties of "Jackass" humor. It is for this reason the movie distills the best of what "Jackass" offers, namely, doing things that everyone wants to do but no one in his right mind would ever actually do, out of any filler that might have been on the show.The movie is not all fun and games, though; there is an educational side to it, as well. For example, I never knew what the word "gooch" meant before the show, nor did I know that cameramen vomit (twice!) in response to the subject matter being filmed. The movie is raunchy, nauseating, gut-wrenching and vomit inducing (especially if you're a cameraman). You can expect to see some patently offensive but uproarious bits, not-to-mention the "manjunk" (another word I learned from "Jackass") of at least three of the cast-members. This movie earned its R-rating. But despite all of this, or, as the case may be, because of all of this, you must see this movie. It was hands-down the funniest 90 minutes of my life. From beginning to end, I did not stop laughing. There were times I had to stop watching the movie because I was laughing so violently it grew unbearably painful. Though the Academy will (probably) overlook "Jackass," you would be a fool to follow in kind. I give the movie two very enthusiastic and broken thumbs up.
(10/01/02 4:00am)
This movie had great potential. With its superb cast, distinctive plotline and talented director, "Moonlight Mile" looked like a touching, intriguing movie. Unfortunately, its lack of substance, poor script and erratic design overshadowed the assets of the film. Yes, there were a few heart-wrenching moments, as well as some laughs and sighs of content, but not enough for what potentially could have been an award-winning, notable cinematic experience.In "Moonlight Mile," a young woman is accidentally killed a few weeks before her wedding. Her fiance, played by up-and-coming actor Jake Gyllenhaal ("The Good Girl"), is living with her parents (Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman) at the time because he was supposed to go into the real-estate business with her father. Needless to say, the trio are devastated by this abrupt death, and each deals with the pain of the tragedy in their own way. Secrets and lies abound with these characters, as they try to continue their day-to-day lives, but ultimately, the truth is unveiled as the parents and the fiance reveal their true emotions and thoughts. This potent storyline, mixed with the immeasurable talents of Sarandon and Hoffman should have spawned an immense success. Instead, the shallow dialogue and mediocre direction repulsed the audience. It seemed as if the script was a rough draft that had promise, but needed numerous revisions before it was ready to be a final product. Additionally, the film had no flow to it, and scenes seemed to jump in awkward sequences. This problem blocked the viewer from any possibility of enjoying the film. A plotline with a new love interest of Gyllenhaal's seemed out-of-place and inappropriate as well."Mile" focused on Gyllenhaal's character more than anything else, including Sarandon and Hoffman. This was a colossal mistake on the director's part, and really angered and vexed me throughout the entire film. The previews had led the audience to believe that all three of the main characters were to be featured and examined thoroughly. Of course, this would have made perfect sense since the cast was phenomenal and deserved equal time. But, no. Sarandon and Hoffman were mere shadows of Gyllenhaal and were scarcely in the movie. Any glimpse of these two actors during "Mile" was a ray of sunshine and inspiration that gave the movie a bit of redemption. Still, it was not enough to entirely salvage the film. Another highlight of "Mile" was the cameo role of Holly Hunter ("The Piano") as the parent's lawyer during the trial of the murderer. She gives a brief, but memorable performance as the firm, down-to-earth lawyer who has sympathy for the family, but must be blunt if there is any hope of winning the case. Since Hunter's last mainstream role was over two years ago (as Ulysses' wife in "O Brother, Where Art Thou"), her appearance in "Mile" is a brilliant comeback and worthy of recognition. Unfortunately, not enough concentration is given to Hunter, as with Sarandon and Hoffman.If you are like me (a bit obsessive) and have a long, long list of movies you want to see, do yourself a favor, and take this one off it. Maybe it is worth renting if you are an avid Sarandon or Hoffman fan. Still, the redeeming qualities are not adequate to make up for the deficiencies.
(10/01/02 4:00am)
In the first of a series of lectures promoting the new Israel Studies program, Professor S. Ilan Troen (NEJS) spoke for 45 mintues about the ongoing land controvery in the Middle East. Troen is a Stoll Family Professor of Israel Studies here at Brandeis. His lecture, entitled "Issues of Legitimacy: Claiming the Land of Israel," took place on Sept. 24 in front of a group of professors and students, and was followed by a brief question and answer session. While Troen did not offer his own stance on the crisis, he cited historical claims from both the Palestinean and Israeli sides. Troen opened his lecture with a quotation in both Hebrew and English, "A land without a people for a people without a land," referring to the Zionists who settled Palestine in the first half of 20th century. According to Troen, this quote has been used as an argument by both feuding Middle Eastern powers. To the Palestinians, the words imply that the Zionists overlooked the Arab people who already laid claim to the land. To the Israelis, this quote embodies their motivation to form a Jewish state. The first section of the lecture focused on the legitimacy of Israeli settlement of the disputed land. An underlying concept in the lecture was "terra nullius," a Latin phrase that means empty land. Terra nullius, as used by John Marshall, former chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, is "the most quoted precedent in struggles between native peoples and secular societies." Dating back to early Middle Eastern history, farmers were considered at the peak of society. The farmers worked the land, thus making it their own, while nut gatherers and shepards merely wandered. For Troen, this notion served as a "mandate for Zionism" since the Zionists were avid farmers. The Palestinians felt "the Jews refused to acknowledge the Arab claim" to the land by deeming it vacant.The second half of the lecture centered on "the means people employ to acquire lands through culture. Troen made numerous allusions to Enlightenment philosopher John Locke, citing what Locke called the "Natural Right of Man." Included in this principle is the premise that land can be acquired in three ways: conquest, discovery, and purchase. Once obtained, the land is marked in various ways, one of which is the planting of trees. Troen explained, "If a tree stood for more than five years, the land lay claim to he who planted it." Another way to mark the land is with names. "The Jews gave their places names before they would travel there," Troen remarked. He explained that political wars deal with borders and cultural wars with names. Cultural tension has always played a part in Middle East conflict, and thus names were an early indication of ownership of land. The same place often has two names, one Hebrew and one Arabic. Such is the case with Shechem, the Hebrew name for the city that Arabs call Nablus. Before the establishment of the State of Israel, the Jerusalem radio station could not be called "The Voice of Israel" because the land was not uniformly called Israel. Instead, the station named itself "The Voice of Jerusalem," because, as Troen stated, "that was something they could all agree upon.
