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To be a fan of a long-running music group or artist is to live with perpetual disappointment. The newest album will never match up to that first hit that made you fall in love. The band will break up. Or, worst of all, they will sell out, only playing music that will earn money.
The women’s soccer team extended its winning streak to six games with a pair of home wins last week, edging past Lesley University 1-0 on Saturday afternoon and dispatching Gordon College 4-0 last Tuesday. The Judges improved their record to 6-1 overall and are averaging nearly three goals per game and giving up just 0.3 goals during the streak.
Saturday Night Live comedian Jay Pharoah performed a comedy show on campus to round out an afternoon packed full of activities and school spirit for the Student Union's second annual celebration of 'Deis Day. The early evening show lasted for about an hour on Chapel's Field, drawing a massive crowd of both current and recently admitted students. Before Pharoah took the stage, two students announced to the crowd the results of 'Deis Day's Battle of the Bands that took place earlier that afternoon-the group Froy Steinhardt, composed of Antoine Malfroy '17, Austin Koenigstein '17 and Ryan Gebhardt '17, won the contest. Along with their winning title, the group will get to play at the beginning of this year's annual SpringFest concert. Student Union President Ricky Rosen '14 followed the Battle of the Bands announcement with an outwardly happy speech to conclude 'Deis Day, the organization of which was largely an effort that he shouldered. "This day has been everything we could have hoped for and more. The parade this morning was amazing," he told the crowd. Rosen then introduced Pharoah, who burst onto the stage as the song "All Me" by rapper Drake played. "This my sh*t!" Pharoah yelled over and over, pumping up the crowd. Pharoah's routine for 'Deis Day drew upon several elements familiar to fans of stand-up comedy: stereotypes, technology and popular culture. However, some of his sketches were borderline offensive, often drawing upon negative racial, ethnic and social stereotypes. Although the more brusque parts of his routine may have edged off some audience members, those in attendance seemed to enjoy themselves, letting off waves of uproarious laughter during the set. The first sketch in Pharoah's routine had perhaps the most visceral potential to offend the audience-focusing on racial slurs against black people. Pharoah used the slur countless times throughout this first part of his routine and the entirety of the hour as well. He started in saying, "Let's break down the situation. Whether you white, black, purple, Nicki Minaj-whatever you are." He moved on to crack jokes about television personality and celebrity cook Paula Deen, alluding to the scandal she has been ensconced in since earlier this year when several racially offensive comments she made in one of her restaurants were publicized. "For the people who think she owes us something-black people something-she ought to bake us a thousand Popeye's biscuits," he said, trying to cast some humor on the situation. Pharoah then moved to focus on several topics that the average person finds annoying in daily life such as the failure of technology that we rely on. A sketch about smartphones versus "dumb phones" got the crowd laughing wildly, as Pharoah yelled "shout-out to everybody here right now that got a smart phone with a cracked screen," and went on to joke about the popular, addicting cell phone game Candy Crush. It was Pharoah's impressions of famous people, though, that often made the audience laugh the loudest. He imitated the distinct voices and intonations of several other comedians, ranging from Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle to Eddie Murphy. He also delivered a hilarious-albeit distasteful in light of certain sexual innuendos-impression of President Barack Obama and sang rap songs in the voices of musicians Drake and Lil Wayne. Although Pharoah's material was not the most family-friendly, and some of the jokes he made were indeed extremely offensive to certain groups, some would argue that the bristle comes with the territory of stand-up comedy. On the whole, the audience seemed to really enjoy Pharoah's routine which closed out 'Deis Day with a bang.
Numerous members of the University community have expressed outrage at the selection of Ayaan Hirsi Ali as an honorary degree recipient for its 63rd annual commencement ceremony, which was announced last Monday along with the names of the other recipients and the individual who will deliver the commencement address. Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born women's rights activist who has campaigned against female genital mutilation but is also well known for her critical view of Islam; she has at various times called Islam a "backwards religion" and a "destructive, nihilistic cult of death" that legitimizes murder. She formerly lived in the Netherlands and was a member of Dutch Parliament until it was discovered that she had provided false information on an asylum application to gain entry into the country. In response to this, Hirsi Ali claimed that she lied on her asylum application because she was fleeing a forced marriage. She had also previously disclosed inaccurate information through several sources before the controversy, including through her book The Son Factory. After resigning from her position due to the ensuing scandal, she moved to the United States to join the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute-an organization dedicated to expanding liberty, increasing individual opportunity and strengthening free enterprise according to its website-where she is now a visiting fellow. The decision to award her an honorary degree has drawn strong reactions from many members of the Brandeis community, especially faculty and students. Prof. Mary Baine Campbell (ENG) said in an interview with the Justice that she believes this decision is not in the University's best interest. "Hirsi Ali represents values that Brandeis, in naming itself after Justice [Louis] Brandeis, ... was founded in noble opposition to," said Campbell. Campbell also said that she was concerned about the awarding of the degree because of a lack of consultation with the faculty during the selection process. In an email to the Justice, she wrote that she was "astonished to find out that this choice, to honor Ms. Hirsi Ali for her contributions to 'women's rights,' had been made without consulting the WGS Core Faculty." s=She noted that the core faculty in the Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies program had not been contacted either. In a statement issued on behalf of the administration, Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid wrote that University President Frederick Lawrence "is aware of concerns that have been expressed following the announcement of the selection of Ayaan Hirsi Ali as an honorary degree recipient." She also added that Lawrence was reaching out to members of the Brandeis community to discuss the controversy, but did not respond to requests for comment on which individuals have been contacted by press time. In addition to vocal opposition to Hirsi Ali, there have been more tangible measures to oppose her presence at commencement. A student petition at www.change.org, started by Sarah Fahmy '14, calls on Lawrence to rescind the offer of an honorary degree. As of Monday evening at 11 p.m., the petition had over 600 signatures. Faculty members also organized to protest the decision through a letter to Lawrence. The letter calls on Lawrence to rescind the offer because of her "virulently anti-Muslim sentiments," as well as re-institute a faculty committee to review potential candidates before honorary degrees are awarded, since such a committee could have "warned [Lawrence] about the horrible message that this [decision] sends to the Muslim and non-Muslim comminutes at Brandeis and beyond." The letter was sent to the faculty on Sunday evening, and by late Monday had received over 75 signatures from various faculty members. Prof. Jytte Klausen (POL) wrote in an email to the Justice that giving Hirsi Ali a degree "undermines years of careful work to show that Brandeis University promotes the ideals of shared learning, religious toleration and coexistence, irrespective of religion." She further wrote that Hirsi Ali should be invited to speak on campus since the University allows individuals of all views the opportunity to express them but that honorary degrees should only be given to "people who promote our mission of learning and toleration." Klausen also expressed concern that Hirsi Ali's presence would detract from the overall experience of commencement, which is "not a hard-edged talk show or forum for confrontational endorsement of extreme views," but rather "a celebration where all should feel welcome." She also called into question Hirsi Ali's political career, saying that it had been built on "complaining about refugees and immigrants" and calling for harsher measures to be directed at these groups. Klausen also noted that Hirsi Ali's false statements on her Dutch refugee application and citizenship request was an offense "severe enough for the Minister of the Interior ... to annul Hirsi Ali's [Dutch] citizenship." In addition to condemnation, the announcement has prompted Prof. Susan Lanser (ENG) to call not only for the award to be rescinded, but for a public apology issued by Lawrence to the greater Brandeis community. In an email to the Justice, Lanser wrote that she believes Hirsi Ali "is not worthy of a doctorate of humane letters from a university that claims to be committed to justice, respect, diversity and truth to its innermost parts." She added that her outspoken views on Islam "foment an intolerance that is wholly antithetical to Brandeisian values." While many faculty members and students are decrying Hirsi Ali's being offered the honorary degree, some are coming to her defense. Bernard Macy '79, an alumnus who came forward to defend the selection of Hirsi Ali as an honorary degree recipient, sent an email to Lawrence, numerous faculty members and the Justice expressing his support. Macy wrote that he was very impressed that Hirsi Ali "had the courage to speak and act out against an extremely vicious form of violence toward women, which, until recently, had been a topic that had not been politically correct to discuss." Macy further expressed hope that "protection of women from this insidious form of mental, emotional and physical abuse" would be in line with the values of the University and firmly stated that Hirsi Ali is very deserving of an honorary degree. Students have also expressed concern about the University's selection. Alina Cheema '15, co-president of the Muslim Students Association, said in an interview with the Justice that she and the MSA perceive Hirsi Ali's receiving a degree as alarming. "[Hirs Ali] is well-known for her [anti-Islamic] beliefs ... and this is a slap in the face by the administration. Are they saying that we don't belong on this campus?" Cheema said. "How can the University claim to be so focused on social justice when they award a degree to someone with such radical views?" Cheema also added that this situation has made her personally feel very uncomfortable as a Muslim on campus. "How am I supposed to tell a prospective Muslim student that [he or she] will be accepted on this campus ... when the administration condones this?" When asked if the MSA was preparing a response to the announcement, Cheema said that the MSA had been talking about the issue since the news broke on Monday. "We will not be quiet about this," said Cheema. "Any opportunity we have to work against this, we will take advantage of." In addition to the perceived disconnect between Hirsi Ali's values and the University's, some have criticized the decision for damaging the University's reputation. Campbell wrote that she is worried this will be a "[public relations] disaster, and a step down a road we cannot take without losing our identity [as a university]." Prof. Mitra Shavarini (WGS) also told the Justice in an email that the offer is not in line with the University's mission, unless it wishes to "incite hate, mistrust and division among its community." She further stated that Hirsi Ali's approach to discourse "collapses thought in obscure, non-contextualized allegations that have no intellectual merit"-something Shavarini believes is radically opposed to the University's values of "intellectual exchange and the challenging of one's ideas."
Permission to be Global/Pr??cticas Globales": Latin American Art from the Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection is the Museum of Fine Arts at Boston's first ever exhibition centered on contemporary Latin American art. The exhibition re-evaluates the idea of globalization through visual language. The show was jointly curated by MFA staff members Jen Mergel and Liz Munsell and Jes??s Fuenmayor of the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation.
'My Morning' Lights up on Emma Lieberman '14 in a bedroom, looking at herself in a black dress in a mirror. She begins to address the audience and it is revealed that she is dressing not for a night out, but for her friend's funeral. In her thesis My Morning, Lieberman retells her experience when, during her first year at Brandeis, her friend committed suicide. Director Gabby Lamm '17 worked one-on-one with Lieberman to make the most out of the small but functional space. The situation felt natural and honest. What was most impressive about My Morning was Lieberman's ability to create an engaging one-woman show. Although other characters were mentioned, they never appeared on stage. Some characters spoke to Emma's character through voice-overs, but they did not fit well within the piece. It was unclear who voiced them, but their tone and technological feel clashed with an otherwise extremely intimate performance. Likewise, projections were used to display text conversations and Internet searches. The projections were portrayed on a white wall behind Lieberman's bed, appearing as if they were in a thought bubble. They were not always visible, but when they were clear they were well received. The strongest parts of Lieberman's writing were the moments of dark humor and her awareness of her own idiosyncrasies. Although the subject was serious and there were certainly more somber moments, the script itself was funny. It seemed that Lieberman's process included looking back on the situation with wisdom, which included critiquing and accepting her own actions. It became clear that through looking back on her experience with a microscope, Lieberman had healed. The double meaning of the play's title became clear; through addressing and talking about her experience, Lieberman was able to face the future. Amid the guilt and panic of the character, there were moments that reminded the audience of how young and vulnerable the character was. My Morning was an honest retelling of a depressing situation, turning pain and heartbreak into something truly beautiful. -Rachel Liff * 'The Elephant in the Room' The Elephant in the Room began as the cast, wearing red and black, slowly got up from their seats in the audience and started stumbling onto the stage. Alex Davis '15, Samantha Laney '17, Shaquan Perkins '14, Jamie Perutz '13 and Jess Plante '16 fell, tumbled and rolled on the floor in pain, making whimpering sounds that were hard to hear. The play, written and directed by Grace Fosler '14, takes on the topic of animal cruelty as it cycles through a diverse array of cases of animal abuse, most of which portrayed the victims as human-like, speaking to the audience and giving them insight into their perspectives. Following the opening silent scene, Perkins performed a monologue in which he glorified show business even while noting its hardships. Only halfway through the show did it become apparent that Perkins was playing an elephant named Benjamin, who was describing his experiences in the circus. As Perkins noted in the talkback after the show, his character was clearly suffering from something resembling Stockholm syndrome. Perkins said that his character's "mind is warped to think that these things, [the ways in which the trainers treated their animals] are okay." In another scene, Jamie Perutz '13, who now works in arts administration in Boston, gave an amazing portrayal of an overly-excited and enthusiastic animal tester. Before testing her subject, Perutz interacted with the audience by asking them to raise their hands if they used certain household products: Dove, Listerine, Febreeze and Neutrogena were a few named. As hands slowly and uncertainly raised, it became apparent how many commonplace goods are actually products of animal testing. Perutz then tested various chemicals on Plante, who was playing a rabbit. Plante skillfully portrayed a petrified and indignant subject and her shrieks of pain when the "chemicals" were administered shook the room. The show ended with a scene that mirrored the opening as the actors tumbled back onstage. However, this time, Caley Chase '15, who was dressed in white from head to toe and had her face covered in a veil, rose from the audience where she had been sitting for the entirety of the show. As she walked on stage, she one-by-one started to lift the performers to their feet. Some stumbled but Chase's gentle touch brought them back to life and they started to dance. In the talkback, Fosler commented on Chase's role, noting that she wrote Chase's character to represent Gaia, the earth goddess, but also to represent an individual who has capacity to change the situation of abuse. After a heartbreaking show that was often painful to watch, Chase's character gave the audience hope as they left the theater. -Emily Wishingrad * 'All You Need' As part of the Theater Arts Senior Thesis Festival, Justy Kosek '14 wrote and starred in All You Need, a compelling and emotional play that explores the theme of love as a double-edged sword: a force which Kosek, in an interview with the Justice, describes as both "creative and destructive." As the script had never before been produced, it provided ample opportunity for artistic exploration. The actors therefore had the unique opportunity to frame their characters without preconceptions. Zachary Marlin '15, who played Young Adam, the childhood version of the protagonist's father, explained in an interview with the Justice that "part of the draw of being in the show was that [he] was creating this character that nobody else had played before so [he got] to really sort of meld it in [his] own way." In contrast with established productions that have already been staged by theater groups, Marlin and other actors were able to define the preconception of who their characters were by using their own creative license. Kosek's position acting as David, the young protagonist, instead of serving in a directorial role developed the production beyond its original vision. "It was totally different, and in a really great way," said Kosek when asked how the final product compared with his earlier expectations. "It was like a big stew that [the designers, cast members and directors] all put their own spices into." Jonathan Young MFA '14 served as the director, bringing substantial experience in directing from his undergraduate education. Although Young and Kosek collaborated closely, Kosek explained that he had to consciously step back from a managerial position to allow Young to direct. The original script also provided the opportunity to confront topics that have been uncommon in Brandeis theater. Marlin explained with gratitude that he was able to "explore such themes as suicide or love among teenagers because those are things that undergraduates go through all the time here, and it's really neat to see them play out on stage and also have the chance to act that out on stage." Kosek's decision to write about these topics and stage them in detail helped bring these new themes to life. The production deftly juxtaposed themes against each other. Notably, a scene of David excitedly preparing for a school dance to a soft jazz tune that was simultaneously staged against a muted but violent confrontation between his two parents, resulting in both their deaths, embodied the ideals of David's young love against his parents' failed marriage. Such contrast permeated the play, demonstrating both the strengths and dangers of love. -Phil Gallagher * 'Necessary Targets' Though the campus was abuzz over one work by American writer and activist Eve Ensler this weekend-The Vagina Monologues-another of the writer's lesser-known, but equally impactful works was also being performed. For her senior thesis, Lizzy Benway '14 directed a production of Ensler's play Necessary Targets, which engages with feminism from a much different perspective than the Monologues. In her director's note in the show's program, Benway writes: "This piece begins before it was even written, when a daring young woman chose to follow a gut feeling halfway around the world to meet with women affected by the tragedies in Bosnia." Featuring a cast of seven women, the production delves into each character's experiences through wartime and being driven from their homes. Necessary Targets begins with an American psychologist, J.S., who decides, in a sweep of professional ladder-climbing, savior-complex gusto, to venture abroad to help those less fortunate than her. She takes on an assistant, Melissa, who specializes in war conditions and is in the process of writing a book about women in wartime, as a guide for her trip. As J.S. and Melissa, Zo? Golub-Sass '16 and Jacquelyn Drozdow '15, respectively, developed a fearless and emotionally symbiotic chemistry from the very first scene, which begins and ends with the two raising their voices at each other. The women that J.S. and Melissa meet on their journey have been driven from their homes in Bosnia and displaced-some with their families, and some alone, after their families were brutally killed by soldiers. The women, Zlata (Sarah Brodsky '15), Jelena (Lisa Galperin '14), Azra (Jade Garisch '15), Seada (Ramona Wright '17) and Nuna (Aliza Sotsky '15) were each embodied by their actors perfectly, as the nuances of each one's experiences shone through their performances. Through a succession of many short scenes and active set changes, the hour-and-a-half long performance kept the audience's rapt attention the whole time. The trauma that each of the women experienced prior to where the play begins unites them as they start to feel safe enough to share their pain with each other. At one point, Melissa finds a way to tell J.S. that their work matters, and that they have, indeed, made a difference, saying: "These women need an outlet for their rage and despair. We are their necessary targets." -Rachel Hughes * 'MICHAEL BROKOWSKI' Stories about change, philosophy, loss, firsts-these are the things that shape a person's life. Listening to the stories of our friends and families tells us who they truly are. For his senior thesis, Levi Squier '14 took this idea to his cast and devised a play about their lives. He worked with Steven Kline '14, Charlie Madison '15, Melanie Pollock '14 and Page Smith '17 to create a cohesive collection of their memories, and the result was nothing less than hilarious. The final product, called MICHAEL BROKOWSKI, was created and directed by Squier and assistant directed by Haley Bierman '14. Their phenomenal sense of theatrical pacing combined with the performers' impeccable comedic timing made these stories affect each audience member. Each performer's scene was uniquely heartfelt, but Madison's also stood out as especially comedic. His story was about a series of awkward "firsts"-first kiss and first time specifically. As the lights went up, Madison stood behind a piano, singing and talking about his ideal first kiss. But as his fantasy ended, he played a cacophonous melody and laughed, as he said, "not even close." The rest of the scene in which left the audience doubled over in laughter as Squier and Kline acted out what really happened. In every scene those two acted, their stage chemistry stole the show. No matter if they were playing best friends, boyfriends or brothers, their energy and comedic timing raised the energy of the production. When it was Squier's turn to take the stage, he finally told the story of Michael Brokowski, a friend from high school. He captivated the audience with his energetic retelling of the time Michael was hit by a car and survived. His performance may have been short, but by the end the presence of Michael Brokowski hung in the theater. Within just one scene, Squier was able to make the audience understand someone far away and, ultimately, himself. MICHAEL BROKOWSKI excelled in every way, The simple but functional use of the space, the perfect pacing and the combination of humorous and serious scenes tied together the personal coming-of-age story compilation. From start to finish, the piece was nothing but honest, even at the most ridiculous parts. Because "If the facts get in the way of what's really true," said Squier in the final scene, "I change them." -Rachel Liff * 'Make Me A Song' The lights came up on a simple set consisting of only four black chairs, a couple of big, black blocks and a piano. This week, the Laurie Theater welcomed Make Me A Song, Jason Dick's '14 senior thesis to the stage. Although the stage appeared humble, the magic created made up for it. The show is what is called a "song cycle," a series of songs with a common theme or a thread, as opposed to a traditional, plot-driven musical. In the case of Make Me A Song, that common thread was music written by William Finn. Under the brilliant direction of Samantha Gordon '14 and the skilled musical direction of Elan Wong '15, the talented cast of Caley Chase '16, Chris D'Agostino '17, Marlee Rosenthal '14 and Dick took the stage by storm and delivered a production that left the audience wanting more. Performing a song cycle is risky; it is very easy for a collection of songs with no plot to fall flat. Fortunately, because of the combination of Gordon's hilarious blocking (the way that the actors used the stage) and light choreography and the cast's adept musical abilities, the production was able to keep its audience captivated. The cast danced around the stage, at one point even putting on red feather boas and playing around with them. One of the most impressive parts of the cycle was Wong's accompaniment throughout. He ceaselessly played through the entire duration of the production, stopping only to once get up and pretend to swing a bat in a song. The choice to integrate the pianist's voice into ensemble numbers, as well as occasionally assigning him characters, was great-Wong proved that he is a man of many talents-and his accompaniment was flawless. There were portions of songs in which the piano dropped out and the actors sang a cappella for a few seconds, such as in the number "Heart and Music." The fact that the performers were always on-key when the piano came back in is another testament to their immense talent as an ensemble. The group's harmonies were unwaveringly correct, quite a feat considering the immensely challenging nature of the music in this song cycle. Make Me A Song was an absolute delight to experience. Even though there were so many places where this production could have taken a turn for the worse, this cast and production team really proved to be superiorly skilled in creating a masterpiece. -Carly Chernomorets
My respect and even affection for Glen Chesir '15 compel me to offer a response to his essay from last week ("Focus Israel dialogue on ending violence, not blaming sides", Mar. 10). I believe that he did not understand the significance of Max Blumenthal's talk that began Brandeis's Israel Apartheid Week. That Glen began his essay, as he did his question to Max Blumenthal, by recounting a bus bombing he witnessed near Jerusalem, isn't surprising. Personal experience is compelling. His wish for "ending violence" is surely motivated by that frightening, tragic event. But one must ask, where is the capacity and propensity for violent action?
With the playoffs sitting just over a month away, the Boston Bruins have won eight straight games and are heating up at the right time. The Bruins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1 on Saturday afternoon and the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1 on Thursday night. The Bruins struck first against Carolina midway through the first period. Right wing Milan Lucic scored at the 15 minute, 28 second mark to give the team a 1-0 lead. With five minutes, 53 seconds left in the second period, Bruins right wing Jarome Iginla scored the Bruins' second goal of the game. With only 34.5 seconds left in the second period, a penalty was called against the Bruins, leaving the team shorthanded going into the third period. Although the Bruins did not allow a power-play goal, the Hurricanes scored just seconds after the penalty expired, cutting the lead to 3-1. At 8:23 into the third period, Bruins right wing Reilly Smith received the team's final penalty of the night, a two-minute minor for tripping. The remainder of the third period resulted in several hits both for and against the Bruins. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton showed his dominance, knocking an unsuspecting Hurricanes right wing Jeff Skinner to the ice. "I think I'm working on my game and trying to be physical and stuff, but I'm not sure there's many big, nice hits anymore and those are pretty rare," said Hamilton of his hit. "I think we can be pretty intimidating when all four lines are rolling, if we're trying hard, and hitting I think puts the other team on their heels, and ... our team's pretty good at that." The Bruins added third-period goals from center Chris Kelly, Iginla and defenseman Torey Krug to seal Boston's 5-1 victory. The Bruins edged the Coyotes on Thursday night with a final score of 2-1 due in large part to a strong performance by goaltender Tuukka Rask and active offensive involvement from their defensemen. Rask's workload was not particularly heavy, confronting just 23 shots, but the shots that he did face were often very difficult to fend off. The Coyotes hit the post a few times during the home stretch of the game, just missing out on a few goals. Defensemen Zdeno Chara opened the scoring first at the 14:06 mark in the first period following a mistake from a Coyotes defensemen. After intercepting a clearing attempt, Chara floated the puck over Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith's blocker for his 16th goal of the season. The scoring continued for Boston toward the end of the period. Iginla redirected a point shot from defenseman Johnny Boychuk with just 2:29 left in the first for his 21st goal of the season. "Yeah, I think we're playing well," Iginla said. "I think there have been different types of games. I think a big part is, you know, we've had great goaltending all year and we had that in this [game]." The closest Phoenix came was a single goal from left wing Lauri Korpikoski. He tipped in a shot at 8:14 into the third period. While the second period was tightly contested, it yielded just five shots total between the two teams. The victory was coach Claude Julien's 300th win as the head coach of the Bruins. Julien stated that it did not matter in particular, but nonetheless, he enjoyed the win. "It's great. Don't get me wrong, it's great," he said. "I'm happy it's happened here and I'm happy to have that, but at the same time ... I'd rather look forward to hopefully a lot more than just that." The Bruins travel to Newark for a road game against the New Jersey Devils tonight before a weekend swing through the West Coast. -Marissa Ditkowsky and Dan Rozel
Last week, the women's softball team traveled to Florida for the week-long University Athletic Association Championships, ultimately producing a mix of wins and losses. The Judges, however, left the Sunshine State with a statement win, edging the No. 9 Emory University Eagles in a wild 12-11 walk-off victory for the first time in the history of their rivalry. The team began the week with a 2-0 win against Washington University in St. Louis and followed that victory with 10-6 and 14-6 losses against the University of Rochester and Emory, respectively, on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday the Judges began the second half of the tournament with another 12-11 win, this time over Case Western Reserve University. Although the team struggled in the beginning of the week, the Judges closed out their conference slate of games on Saturday afternoon in an exciting fashion. The win over Emory put an end to the Eagles' 30-game winning streak in the rivalry. Coach Jessica Johnson attributed the team's win to the confidence they maintained throughout the course of the game. "I think more than anything [the team] realized that we were playing as the stronger team in the game and they went back to that," she said. "We were confident in the ability to score runs. After we got up to eight runs we were playing tight like a one-run game." The Judges got off to a fast start in the first four innings, scoring 10 runs on 10 hits. Center fielder Amanda Genovese '15 opened the game with a single and came around to score on a single from catcher Madison Gagnon '16 just one batter later. Genovese struck again in the bottom of the third with a two-run triple, extending the lead to 5-2. Second baseman Anya Kamber '15 stretched the lead to 8-2 after doubling in a run in the fourth inning. Third baseman Madison Sullivan '16 hit a two-run homer, her first of the season, to bring Brandeis' run total up to 10. The Eagles, however, fought back with nine runs in the fourthand fifth innings combined, highlighted by a three-run home run off the bat of Emory freshman infielder Hannah Sendel. After Brandeis tied the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kamber stole second in the seventh inning, setting up the potential walk-off hit. Right fielder Danielle Novotny '16 came up with the big hit, a walk-off double down the right-field line. The double brought in pinch runner Leah Shapiro '17 to clinch the victory. The 19th-ranked Bears kicked off Friday's game with two runs in the first inning. The Judges responded in force in the bottom of the inning. Gagnon struck a home run to center field, her first of the season. Kamber, playing right field, hit a two-run, two-out home run to keep the momentum and hand Brandeis a 3-2 lead. After the Bears tacked on six runs in the third inning, the Judges found it difficult to play catch-up, trading runs in the sixth inning. Novotny turned in an RBI single in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 9-5, but the Judges could not get any closer than that. Starting pitcher Nikki Cote '15 gave up five earned runs in the game while the pair of Melissa Soleimani '17 and Emma Krulick '17 allowed two runs- one earned-in four innings of relief. "Honestly, each and every player had a critical contribution at some point throughout the week," Johnson said. "Whether it was timely or big hits, highlight-reel type catches or plays, key baserunning read or slides, every one of our active players did something to help us be successful." In the second game of Friday's doubleheader, the team dropped an 8-4 loss to Rochester. First baseman Melissa Nolan '14 had the team's only RBI on a seventh-inning home run to right field. Thursday's win over Case took 10 innings, but at the end of the game, featured 31 hits between the two teams. The Judges were led by Sullivan, who went three-for-four from the plate with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Novotny had a team-high four RBIs on a third-inning grand slam. Johnson maintained that even with the 3-5 record over the tournament, the week was nonetheless a positive one. She noted that the team beat every UAA opponent at least once except for Rochester. "[The week was] up and down and not as consistent as we would have liked," she said. "It was a positive week; it set the tone for the season. We need to bring our A game constantly and work on all three aspects of the game." The Judges will try to continue their success on Saturday in a doubleheader at Clark University.
The women's basketball team dropped a tough loss on Sunday to New York University 68-50 at the Red Auerbach Arena on Senior Day in the final game of the regular season. The loss came following a ceremony that honored the team's five seniors for their services to the team. At the pregame ceremony, each of the honorees' highlights of their time on the team were read out to the Senior Day crowd. Nicolina Vitale '14, Kasey Dean '14, Julia Scanlon '14, Janelle Rodriguez '14 and Angela Miller '14 all accepted their honors and proceeded to have strong games for the Judges. Unfortunately, the hosts ended up falling to their University Athletic Association rivals to cap their winning season off with a fourth-place finish in the division and an overall record of 13-12 and a UAA record of 7-7. To begin the game, NYU went on an early 11-2 run, and after a brief timeout, the Judges responded with a 7-2 run of their own to cut the deficit down to 13-9. However, this was the closest the Judges would get. For the rest of the game the Violets maintained their lead with timely offensive runs. NYU eventually took a 31-17 halftime lead behind an impressive 11-point performance from NYU freshman guard Kaitlyn Read. NYU was impressive from behind the arc, shooting 10-for-27 and outscoring the Judges from three-point range by 27 points. Brandeis had very little opportunity to close that gap, attempting only seven three-pointers of their own during the half. Niki Laskaris '16 and Scanlon contributed eight straight points with under 10 minutes left in the second half to cut the lead down to 38-27. However, the Violets maintained their grip on the game, never allowing the Judges to pull within nine points over the remainder of the contest. Laskaris and Paris Hodges '17 shared the team lead with 10 points, but it was not enough to keep the Judges in the game. Another key difference besides the advantage in three-pointers was NYU's edge in free throw shooting. The Violets went 12-for-14 from the line while the Judges could only muster up 11 free throws on 22 chances from the line. Brandeis finished its regular season in a stretch of difficult games against UAA opponents, playing to mixed luck on a road trip in late February. Brandeis dropped the opener of the trip 74-51 to the University of Rochester on Feb. 21, but responded two days later with a win over Emory by a 75-72 final. At Rochester, not one member of the Judges could record double-digit point totals. However, Hodges finished with a team-high nine points and added a pair of steals in 20 minutes. Miller added an effective 17 minutes off the bench, recording five rebounds, an assist and six points to pace the way for the Judges. While Rochester cruised to victory, the Judges survived a nail biter in their win over Emory on Feb. 23. Although the team entered the half down 48-30, Brandeis dominated the second half. The Judges outscored the host Eagles 37-32 in the second half to secure the 75-72 win, clinching the team's winning record on the season. The Judges put three players in double figures. Forward Maria Jackson '17 led the charge, collecting 15 points and seven rebounds to go along with a steal and an assist. Vitale, who contributed 14 points and eight rebounds and guard Samantha Mancinelli '16, who gathered 13 points and five rebounds, joined her in the double-digit scoring column. While Sunday's loss to NYU put a damper on the overall mood of the day, the seniors still performed admirably in what was potentially their last career home game. Vitale put up eight points and nine rebounds to the scoring for the seniors. Scanlon and Miller contributed seven and six points respectively while Dean and Rodriguez had good games on both sides of the ball, balancing their points, rebounds and assists. Rodriguez ended up leading the team with three assists. The women next travel to Emmanuel College tomorrow night for a first round matchup of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament as the eighth seed. The team could not be reached for comment at press time.
On Feb. 8, Card Gym at Duke University in Durham, N.C. transformed into a maze of mats that featured several of the top NCAA Division I fencing squads, including the No. 10 Duke Blue Devils, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Johns Hopkins University and the United States Air Force Academy. Five Brandeis University men's foilists-captain Julian Cardillo '14, Ethan Levy '15, Noah Berman '15, Toby Gray '16 and Len Grazian '17-entered the maze on a mission. "The goal since the start of the season had been to go toe-to-toe with some of the best Division I squads in the country: Sacred Heart University, Yale University, Duke University and the University of North Carolina," said Cardillo. Card Gym presented an opportunity to achieve that goal, and on that February day, the foilists-along with the rest of the Brandeis fencing squads-seized it. Cardillo, Berman and Levy went a combined 8-1, and for the first time since 2006, the Judges left Durham with a 15-12 win against the host Blue Devils and a 17-10 victory against the UNC Tar Heels. "Everyone clicked together at Duke ... you don't have to rely on just one squad, but you can trust everyone-the epeeists and saberists included-to excel," Levy said. "At the end of the day, the five of us are hard-nosed competitors who don't like to lose." Since an initial 32-8 showing from the foilists at the New England Fall Collegiate Championships on Nov. 2, that has proven to be the case. It was at Duke, though, where something happened-where Cardillo's vision became a reality. "It blew me away" he said. "We took it to a whole new level at Duke and it is my belief that this is the best team since I've been here." Three years earlier, as Cardillo strode onto the fencing mats at Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, he joined a team comprised largely of upperclassmen. He then witnessed a transformation that began in fall 2011 with two new foil recruits. Berman, a former soccer player-turned-fencer, arrived from the local clubs at Stanford University and Levy, after turning to the sport in ninth grade, entered Brandeis with just four years of fencing experience. There were two spots to fill, though, in creating this ideal squad. Enter Gray, a walk-on to the team in 2012 who, as Levy said, "has grown so much and emerged as a real threat in meets." And enter Grazian, the promising rookie out of the Chicago fencing clubs who won his first seven collegiate matches and took down Michele Caporizzi, the Italian national world champion, in December. Berman noted that the foil squad represents an ideal mix of "elder statesmen" and rising stars. "This team is really young and that is good for prosperity," he explained. "But having elder statesmen is helpful," he continued, "especially to pass down knowledge of the sport, a critical mental edge and what to expect from each tournament." Also, for the first time in three years, depth no longer proved to be an issue. Grazian and Gray now had the ability to step in and secure major victories along with-and sometimes in place of-the three starters. By Jan. 25, at the second Northeast Conference Meet, the five foilists-along with the rest of the Brandeis fencers-were ready to hit the ground running against top foes. That they did. The squad compiled a 33-9 record at that meet and the foundation had been set: not only for wins over Duke and UNC, but also, a second consecutive first-place finish at the New England Collegiate Championships and a bronze medal at the United States Collegiate Squad Championships. "This all comes down to the fact that we have really good depth," added Cardillo. "We have the experience to know what it takes to compete at that level." Their success also comes down to coach Bill Shipman's 30-plus years of experience at the helm of the Brandeis fencing squads. "He is so knowledgeable about the sport which is helpful for the younger fencers," Gray added. "Most importantly, he knows when and when not to step in." The foil squad now approaches the NCAA Regional Championships at Wellesley College on Sunday in a landmark position. Even in a division that, in featuring half of the U.S. National Team, is reputed to be the toughest in the tournament, Cardillo and Berman are both well-positioned to secure bids to the National Tournament later this month. Levy, Gray and Grazian, with their recent successes, are also prepared to use that momentum to make a statement. However, there is a caveat ahead. For Cardillo, this is the end of the maze of collegiate fencing. Even as he prepares to graduate and the Judges lose their senior captain, the foilists are ready to build on the transformation that he started. "Everyone on foil has improved year after year," said Grazian. "As long as we continue to push each other, [Cardillo's] legacy will be intact and we can keep this trend going." Consider this the foil squad's next mission to accomplish. *
The women's basketball team dropped a tough loss on Sunday to New York University 68-50 at the Red Auerbach Arena on Senior Day in the final game of the regular season. The loss came following a ceremony that honored the team's five seniors for their services to the team. At the pregame ceremony, each of the honorees' highlights of their time on the team were read out to the Senior Day crowd. Nicolina Vitale '14, Kasey Dean '14, Julia Scanlon '14, Janelle Rodriguez '14 and Angela Miller '14 all accepted their honors and proceeded to have strong games for the Judges. Unfortunately, the hosts ended up falling to their University Athletic Association rivals to cap their winning season off with a fourth-place finish in the division and an overall record of 13-12 and a UAA record of 7-7. To begin the game, NYU went on an early 11-2 run, and after a brief timeout, the Judges responded with a 7-2 run of their own to cut the deficit down to 13-9. However, this was the closest the Judges would get. For the rest of the game the Violets maintained their lead with timely offensive runs. NYU eventually took a 31-17 halftime lead behind an impressive 11-point performance from NYU freshman guard Kaitlyn Read. NYU was impressive from behind the arc, shooting 10-for-27 and outscoring the Judges from three-point range by 27 points. Brandeis had very little opportunity to close that gap, attempting only seven three-pointers of their own during the half. Niki Laskaris '16 and Scanlon contributed eight straight points with under 10 minutes left in the second half to cut the lead down to 38-27. However, the Violets maintained their grip on the game, never allowing the Judges to pull within nine points over the remainder of the contest. Laskaris and Paris Hodges '17 shared the team lead with 10 points, but it was not enough to keep the Judges in the game. Another key difference besides the advantage in three-pointers was NYU's edge in free throw shooting. The Violets went 12-for-14 from the line while the Judges could only muster up 11 free throws on 22 chances from the line. Brandeis finished its regular season in a stretch of difficult games against UAA opponents, playing to mixed luck on a road trip in late February. Brandeis dropped the opener of the trip 74-51 to the University of Rochester on Feb. 21, but responded two days later with a win over Emory by a 75-72 final. At Rochester, not one member of the Judges could record double-digit point totals. However, Hodges finished with a team-high nine points and added a pair of steals in 20 minutes. Miller added an effective 17 minutes off the bench, recording five rebounds, an assist and six points to pace the way for the Judges. While Rochester cruised to victory, the Judges survived a nail biter in their win over Emory on Feb. 23. Although the team entered the half down 48-30, Brandeis dominated the second half. The Judges outscored the host Eagles 37-32 in the second half to secure the 75-72 win, clinching the team's winning record on the season. The Judges put three players in double figures. Forward Maria Jackson '17 led the charge, collecting 15 points and seven rebounds to go along with a steal and an assist. Vitale, who contributed 14 points and eight rebounds and guard Samantha Mancinelli '16, who gathered 13 points and five rebounds, joined her in the double-digit scoring column. While Sunday's loss to NYU put a damper on the overall mood of the day, the seniors still performed admirably in what was potentially their last career home game. Vitale put up eight points and nine rebounds to the scoring for the seniors. Scanlon and Miller contributed seven and six points respectively while Dean and Rodriguez had good games on both sides of the ball, balancing their points, rebounds and assists. Rodriguez ended up leading the team with three assists. The women next travel to Emmanuel College tomorrow night for a first round matchup of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament as the eighth seed. The team could not be reached for comment at press time. *
Marking the newest installation in the frequent exhibitions of students' work, sponsored by the department of Fine Arts, Dimensions 2: Work from Classes in Drawing, Painting and Printmaking opened for public viewing this past week. On view through Feb. 26 in Spingold Theater Center's Dreitzer Gallery, the exhibition presents the works of students in a range of Fine Arts classes from the past semester. The Dreitzer Gallery was staged with a large volume of work that was packed closer than I've ever seen it. From the front of the gallery to the back, each of the alcoves distinguished a different body of works that was organized by medium. At the front of the gallery, in the first alcove, hangs a collection of paintings on canvas. The paintings' subjects incorporate an array of still life settings, involving stagings of shells, lemons, nude models and metal trophies. Along the inside wall, there is also a series of mounted portraits; the multidimensional colors and layering of paint shades and coats serve to express texture, depth and light. In the portraits especially, colors range from true-to-life flesh tones to bolder concoctions of primary colors and darker hues that give the works a less realistic, more fantastic feel. Heading into the next alcove, which was hung with paintings on canvas, I recognized that all of the works depicted scenes from the University's campus-one focuses on a view of Waltham from campus, and several others show glimpses of the Sachar Woods at the edge of campus. On the next wall, smaller paintings on paper stock are all completed with equally belabored detail as their larger counterparts and show parts of campus during different times of the day. The paintings in the first part of the gallery contrast pleasantly with the works hung on its outer wall: several large charcoal and pencil drawings, depicting both people and still life scenes. Some of the black and gray scale works also incorporate brown and tawny colored pencil, adding emphasis and depth to certain elements of the works. The pencil gives a greater variety to the depiction of faces and features than in the paintings-some are soft, some hard, some with true-to-life proportions and some dramatized. Moving into the middle alcove in the gallery, a group of still life pen and pencil drawings on large paper fill up an entire wall. The works use stippling and shading techniques to create scenes that include unexpected details that draw the viewer into the subject matter. For instance, one pen drawing shows an open suitcase, and inside it, there are stickers and notes pinned up, the largest of which reads "self care is a revolutionary act-Audre Lorde." A copy of Angela Davis' Race and Class is tucked inside the suitcase, next to the note. In the far end of the gallery, several of the larger and more brightly colored canvas paintings are hung, showing an impressive differentiation of style. The works range from using bolder, defined lines and regions of color contrast to softer, layered dabs of paint that evoke an impressionistic style and feel as if they are from another time. The farthest wall is covered with a smattering of smaller paintings on canvas, each square or rectangular, and much smaller than a piece of printer paper. These smaller works feel more like snapshots into everyday moments for each artist. They depict meals, landscapes, pets and even song lyrics. Though the exhibition's scheduled opening date-last Wednesday-was delayed because of the inclement weather, none of the works are labeled yet, and plenty of works are still leaning against the gallery's walls, not yet hung up to display. Nonetheless, Dimensions 2 wonderfully showcases an incredible versatility of medium within the works of painting, drawing and printmaking in the works of students in the Fine Arts department. *
Ultimate frisbee, a staple of collegiate club athletics, has also shown a strong presence on Brandeis' campus. TRON, the men's ultimate frisbee team, took their squad westward on February 8 and 9 to compete in the Division III Warm Up tournament in Riverside, Calif. TRON went 4-4 this past weekend, competing against top-caliber teams such as the University of Puget Sound, the Claremont Colleges, and St. Olaf College. The team fell to Claremont by a mere three points while snagging victories over Westmont College, St. John's University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. TRON entered the competition as the eighth seed and left California in seventh, a positive accomplishment as the team looks forward to the rest of the season. Although the ultimate frisbee season does not officially begin until spring, the DIII Warm Up gave teams a unique opportunity to demonstrate their skills in preparation for what looks like a promising season. The tournament was exciting and spirited but also competitive. TRON and the other teams assembled for the tournament are nationally recognized as elite frisbee squads. For a team trapped indoors by harsh winters and polar vortexes, TRON did not let the cold Bostonian air interfere with their competitive edge. After missing last year's DIII Warm Up due to plane delays and severe weather, TRON went to California this year with a brigade of talented and experienced players. TRON captains Nadav Pearl '14, Clarence Lee '15 and Max Zaslove '16 helped carry the team throughout the tiring eight-game tournament. Returning handlers Zaslove and Pearl continued to have successful debuts on the season. However, it was rookies Mike Humbert '17, Brian Gzemski '17 and Zephry Wright '17 who played an impressive role in the competition. "Our younger crew is talented [and] athletic, and I'm very proud of how they performed this weekend," Pearl reflected. TRON's skills were tested in a field of talented squads, including the University of Puget Sound and Claremont teams who took first and second in last year's competition. Both teams are projected to be top contenders at the USA Ultimate Nationals competition in May. Out of the eight matches played, TRON played extremely close games in six of them. Luckily, the trip to sunny California allowed TRON to work out some kinks before moving on to the season. Pearl did not let the outcome of this weekend's tournament damper his high spirits for TRON's upcoming season. "Results in February don't show where we'll be come April and May," he mentioned. "Our mentality heading back home is positive, but ready to work hard and do better come Division III Easterns." The DIII Warm Up tournament offered a glimpse of what future competitions will look like for TRON as the team begins to transition into the spring season. In late March, TRON will travel to the DIII Easterns in North Carolina that will feature teams similar to those that competed at this weekend's tournament. TRON returns to Brandeis with a positive approach for the future. The team, ready to hit the gym and the field, is excited to continue to improve as a successful group in the spring season.
The Bruins continued their trend of success before the National Hockey League broke for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, securing home wins over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday and the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. As they have done so often this season, the Bruins got off to a hot start on Tuesday versus the Canucks, scoring just five minutes and 12 seconds into the game. Center David Krejci broke down the right and fed left wing Milan Lucic at the back post. Lucic then blasted a left-handed shot into the roof of Canucks goalkeeper Roberto Luongo's net for a 1-0 advantage. Lucic, a Vancouver native, saw the win as a response to a 6-2 loss to the Canucks in December. "They beat us the last two times and also they had a pretty easy win against us back in December," he said. "So you know, it was nice to get that one against them after losing the last two." The Bruins extended their lead when defenseman Zdeno Chara fed left wing Jarome Iginla at the far post, who then slotted the puck past Luongo with 12:01 remaining to hand the hosts a 2-0 edge. The Canucks did not go away so easily though. In just three and a half minutes, Vancouver defenseman Raphael Diaz slipped a shot into the Bruins net to cut the lead in half. Boston responded, though, with 2:54 left in the second period. when right wing Daniel Paille found himself one-on-one with Luongo. He successfully fired the puck past the visiting goalie to make it 3-1 heading into the third, a scoreline that held true for the remainder of the game. Coming off of a tough road loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, the Bruins came back to TD Garden on Saturday for an impressive performance against the Ottawa Senators. The Bruins pushed the pace from the beginning of the game and the pressure paid off at the 11:36 mark in the first period. Center Patrice Bergeron scored a power-play goal to record a lead that the Bruins would not relinquish. After a second Bergeron goal at 4:55 of the second period to make the game 3-0, Boston faced its only real resistance on the day from Ottawa. Senators forward Bobby Ryan went uncontested down the left side of the ice and put a shot into the net to make the score 3-1 with 2:45 left in the period. The comeback was short-lived, though, as only a minute later Iginla tipped in in a pass from Krejci to end any hopes of the Senators climbing back into the game. The rout continued from there with three third-period goals registered by Lucic, left-wing Brad Marchand and left-wing Carl Soderberg. The goals made the final score 7-2 in favor of the Bruins. The goal by Marchand was the winger's 19th of the season, the most by any member of the Bruins. Marchand is followed in team-leading goals by right-wing Reilly Smith, who enters the break with 18 goals, and a tie between Iginla and Lucic who both sit at 17 goals scored on the season. Smith picked up his 24th assist on Saturday. Bergeron shared his mindset going into the extended break. "The guys that have the break, [need] to rest and make sure they're ready when we get back," he said. "And for us going to Sochi, just keep obviously playing well and things will take care of itself." The players weren't the only ones with Sochi on their minds, though, as the crowd at TD Garden issued a standing ovation amid footage of Bruins' defenseman Zdeno Chara in Sochi representing his home country of Slovakia. After the hiatus, the Bruins return on Feb. 26 to a road match against the Buffalo Sabres. -Daniel Kanovich and Henry Loughlin
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address, focusing heavily on the issue of income inequality and the minimum wage. Obama proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour, up from the current standard of $7.25 per hour, and to tie the minimum wage to a cost-of-living adjustment, meaning that it will rise with inflation over time. Should Congress prove unproductive on the issue, Obama promised to achieve this goal through an executive order. Do you agree with the president's plan to raise the minimum wage, even if it means bypassing Congress entirely? * Dean Lisa Lynch As a major employer, the U.S. government helps sets the norms for pay and working conditions across the country. Approximately two million workers are hired through federal contracts. The National Employment Law Project estimates that about 20 percent of these workers have earnings below the poverty line and up to 40 percent earn less than a living wage. One of the myths of minimum wages is that only teenagers receive them. The reality is that the average age of minimum-wage workers is 35, the majority of impacted employees work full time and more than a quarter of minimum wage workers have children. More than two decades of research suggests that modest increases in the minimum wage will have little or no negative impact on jobs. Increasing the wage paid to these workers to $10.10 an hour will have a positive impact on these workers and their families. Lisa Lynch is the dean and Maurice P. Hexler Professor of Social and Economic Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. * Prof. Gordon Fellman (SOC) Republicans in Congress decided to undermine Obama completely from his first day in office. The Tea Party has polarized our politics just about to the breaking point. My thought is that the assumption that rich, white, straight, Christian men can run the country forever is undermined by the demographic realities of our society, and that the Tea Party/Republican refusal to recognize a non-white as president (all that birth certificate nonsense and the insistence that Obama is a Muslim) elided, once he was elected (and re-elected) into a determination to make his presidency fail. This could be seen as a desperate and racist move toward trying to re-establish the hegemony of rich, white, straight, Christian men. If Congress is ideologically determined to do nothing to support anything Obama proposes, using executive orders to bypass Congress seems to me a fitting response. His caving to their intransigence, which he has done more than once, is neither productive nor dignified nor appropriate for leading the country. * Prof. Gordon Fellman (SOC) is the chair of Peace, Conflict and Coexistence Studies, and professor of SOC 112b: "Social Class and Social Change." * Aaron Fried '14 President Obama's proposed edict to raise federal employees' minimum wage is merely an executive power grab draped in shoddy economics. While the President and his cronies in the Beltway bleat that their top priority is "jobs, jobs, jobs," this proposal clearly reveals their commitment to employment as political superficiality. All minimum wage policies increase unemployment by artificially cutting demand for inexpensive, unskilled workers; this disproportionately harms the poor and uneducated. It is essential, however, to focus on this abusive overreach of executive power. According to Article I of the Constitution, the President does not and must not have the authority to legislate at all, let alone arbitrarily decree prices; he is not a king. The fact that he is unilaterally seizing this power is particularly disturbing, given America's current slide towards an authoritarian police state. Everyone, regardless of political affiliation, ought to oppose this callous usurpation of the democratic process. Aaron Fried '14 is Vice President of Brandeis Libertarians and a Columnist for the Justice. * Avi Snyder '13 Pledging to raise the minimum wage is good politics--but bad policy. A strong body of economic research indicates that a minimum wage hike would modestly increase unemployment by raising the cost of labor and accelerating the trend toward automation of lower-skill work. Raising the minimum wage would also do little alleviating poverty. After all, two-thirds of minimum-wage workers live in families with incomes above 150 percent of the poverty line, and most are not heads of households.President Obama's pledge to raise the minimum wage for federal contractors is more empty symbolism that serious policy reform. If he really wants to get Americans back to work, he should consider lowering the minimum wage for the long-term unemployed, incentivizing employers to hire them. And if the president wants to make work pay, he should work with Congress to follow through on his proposal to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Compared to a minimum wage increase, an EITC expansion would better direct resources to poor families while keeping labor costs down for employers. Avi Snyder '13 was President of Brandeis Mock Trial, and interned at the Heritage Foundation's Center for Policy Innovation. He now works in public policy in Washington D.C. * Katharine Cohen '14 The question as to whether this is constitutional could perhaps be left to judicial review, which keeps a check on executive power. As far as if this is an appropriate time to invoke the power of executive order, it seems as urgent a time as any. We go to war for what we believe are moral reasons, for example when people's lives or freedom are at stake. The war on poverty is a universally understood moral pursuit. The lives of those who live in poverty in the United States are in imminent danger, and therefore I see raising the minimum wage as not only a natural and reasonable response to inflation, but more specifically as vital step in the war on poverty and improving the well-being of all Americans. Katharine Cohen '14 is the president of the Poverty Action Coalition. * Christa Caggiano '17 * Our Congress is painfully partisan, and has willfully demonstrated its impotence by being the least productive Congress in the history of our country. So somehow I find myself applauding Obama for promising to use an executive order to remedy the wage gap. Sure, it teeters on the edge of being undemocratic, but in my opinion, having a sort of nebulous democracy that accomplishes something is much better than having a democracy that does not do anything at all. America is facing some serious issues, but as one of the world's wealthiest countries, the prevalence of families living under the poverty line should not be one of them. Someone needs to at least try to make meaningful change. Obama's efforts to raise the minimum wage is a good place to start. * Christa Caggiano '17 is a member of Amnesty International. She intends to be a Biological Physics and Art History double major. * * Abe Clark '17 * Only through governmental action can we enforce that Wal-Mart and similar corporations pay their workers enough to avoid the humiliation of turning to governmental assistance; besides improving the lives of millions of hard-working Americans, this will save taxpayers billions of dollars in wasteful spending. That being said, attempting to push any type of minimum-wage increase through America's least productive Congress in history would be futile; after five years of working with Congress, Obama is acutely aware of this fact. Circumventing the needlessly partisan efforts Congress makes to impede progress is both necessary and justifiable for Obama. The president's decision to use the executive order in this regard is well within the reasonable confines of presidential power: Obama has already made 167 executive orders, and his predecessor President George W. Bush made 291. * Abe Clark '17 intends to be a Physics and History double major.
HOOPcoming and Alumni Family Day brought two exciting men's basketball games to Red Auerbach Arena this weekend, though Brandeis could only come away with a single victory. The Judges defeated the visiting University of Rochester Yellowjackets, 83-66, on Friday night, and then lost to the Emory University Eagles, 94-88, on Sunday afternoon. The weekend split gives the Judges a 9-7 record, 1-4 in University Athletic Association play. On Sunday, the game was fast-paced throughout. Emory took an early lead, but Brandeis was able to make its own run and keep the game close at the half. Despite Brandeis' ability to seemingly score at will, the defense could not corral the Eagles, leading to a 55-52 deficit at halftime. Brandeis' first half scoring-explosion was led by 19 points from guard Gabriel Moton '14, as he connected on six out of 11 shots he attempted from the field and five of six from the free throw line. The second half started out with more of the same, as both teams were getting up and down the court. Moton and Emory senior guard Michael Florin traded baskets, as neither team could stop the opposing guard. Moton added another 13 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 32 points. Florin finished with 26 as the Judges just couldn't stop him from getting into the paint at will. Florin's penetration was key to the Eagles' victory. Guard Robinson Vilmont '17 tried to explain why the Judges couldn't keep him out of the paint during the game. "We picked him up too early," he said. "We should have picked him up from half court and gave him space because he can't shoot. All of his points were blow-past layups." Despite the spotty defense, the Judges were able to keep the game close throughout the second half. With 10 minutes left the Judges actually led 75-73 after guard Derek Retos '14 nailed a pull-up jumper. From there, Emory went on its run, pulling out to a 90-84 lead with 4:34 remaining. But Brandeis wouldn't give up. The Judges cut the lead to two, 90-88, and got a stop with 44 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, coach Brian Meehan elected not to call a time-out. This resulted in Vilmont driving down the lane and tossing up an erratic shot, looking for the foul. Unfortunately for the Judges, the referees did not make a call and Emory knocked down their free throws to edge out the victory. Retos added 16 points and knocked down four more three-pointers. He also made two free throws, making him the current leader in free throw percentage in Brandeis history. Emory senior forward Jake Davis added 20 points in the win. Meehan never put two big men in the game at once, and perhaps Brandeis' defense was subpar because of that. Emory also out-rebounded Brandeis 40-27, which could also be a consequence of the small lineup. Vilmont said that Brandeis lost the game the usual way. "We had too many turnovers, and we didn't finish on open shot opportunities," he reasoned. On Friday, the Judges managed to come away with the victory at home in a convincing manner. Despite employing a smaller lineup in that game as well, Brandeis was able to use stifling defense to hold Rochester to just 66 points on 44 percent shooting, and only allowed seven offensive rebounds. The first half was a back-and-forth affair, as neither team managed to take a significant lead. The Judges took a 36-32 lead into halftime, led by Moton's 15 points. The offense took over for Brandeis in the second half, led by Retos, who lit it up from beyond the arc, knocking down all three of his attempts. He is now shooting 44.2 percent from three-point range this season, an incredibly high percentage. The Judges extended the lead to 10 points, 60-50, on a Retos three-pointer at the 10:55 mark. This was during a run where Retos scored eight out of 10 Judges points in less than two minutes. From there, the Judges never looked back, extending the lead to as much as 19. Moton led all scorers with 21 efficient points. Guard Ben Bartoldus '14 added 17, including an emphatic put-back dunk in the early going that got the packed arena onto its feet. Retos added 11 off the bench. He now has 201 three pointers in his career, second on the all-time list. The Judges take to the road for their upcoming games, traveling to Case Western Reserve University on Friday, then heading to Carnegie Mellon University to take on the Tartans on Sunday.
It can often be disappointing when a beloved popular artist releases a new album. Fans will build up their hopes for a specific sound, and often times, those hopes are not met. Thankfully, Bruce Springsteen's newest work, High Hopes, is by and large an exception. Perhaps this is because it comes less than two years on the heels of his successful Wrecking Ball. Or maybe it's due to the fact that most of the songs on High Hopes are either re-imagined classics, never-before-recorded songs or covers. Although it does have its flaws, High Hopes is a nice blast to Springsteen at his finest. Like Wrecking Ball, Born in the USA and Ghost of Tom Joad, High Hopes revolves around the themes of anger, politics and social justice. Even if the songs are covers or re-recorded takes of older Springsteen songs, they still resonate with current events. That becomes especially clear in the third song on the album. "American Skin (41 Shots)" was originally written in honor of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed black man who was shot to death by the New York Police Department in 1999. With themes of injustice, race and failings of the legal system, there is something reminiscent of Oscar Grant and Trayvon Martin in the song. This was especially clear in the refrain of "You can get killed just for living in/ you can get killed just for living in your American skin," that race can be a death sentence for many young black men. The same thing can be said of "The Wall." Springsteen originally wrote the song after a trip to the Vietnam Memorial and in honor of musicians who died in Vietnam. However, despite its age, "The Wall" still rings true to contemporary listeners. We are still in a war that many Americans are unhappy with, and has had a very high cost of life, much like the situation in Vietnam. That is Springsteen's strength: writing timeless ballads. It doesn't matter what decade it is. His music still is relatable to what is going on in the world. However, not all the older songs work or mesh well. As a whole, the album feels fragmented and disjointed at times, going from fast to slow in tempo with very little warning. "High Hopes," the titular song, may be a Springsteen mainstay from the '90s, but it falls flat in this album. The riffs last just a bit too long, and the lyrics do not have Springsteen's usual cynicism and bitterness. "Just Like Fire Would," a cover by Springsteen of a song by the Australian punk band The Saints, was also disappointing. There's nothing wrong with "Just Like A Fire Would" per say; it even has a Springsteen sort of vibe to it. All the same, the song, in comparison to some of the other pieces on the albums, is missing the intensity that I was expecting. Two songs in particular really stood out to me. "Harry's Place" is one of the few newer songs on the album, originally written in 2001 but cut from earlier albums. From the get-go, it's seductive, with a slow beat and Springsteen's low, rumbling voice. Unlike many of the other songs on the album, "Harry's Place" alludes to more modern themes than other songs, with references to hipsters and sexuality. However, like other Springsteen songs, the general feel is strictly blue collar and working class. "The Ghost of Tom Joad" has always been one of my favorite Springsteen songs, and the rendition on High Hopes certainly does not disappoint. For one thing, this version is over seven minutes long, and every second is worth it. It is not fully identical to the original "Ghost of Tom Joad" but rather an update for a new decade and a new generation. However, even with a new guitar riff, "Ghost of Tom Joad" still took me back to an early Springsteen. High Hopes is not a perfect album. It can be disjointed at times and some of the song cuts are simply too long. If one is expecting a return to Darkness on the Edge of Town or Born To Run, they are going to be disappointed. Springsteen is older, and at times, his songs can feel dated. High Hopes may not match up to his greatest works, but it breathes a new life into a great artist and shows that Bruce Springsteen isn't going to be done recording for a long time. *
The New England Patriots have made a habit this season of earning victories when teams least expect it. For the fifth consecutive game, New England stared at a deficit-this one being 6-0-at halftime on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. The Patriots managed to secure wins in three of their past four contests, but after falling behind 26-14 their chances at a fourth win seemed incredibly unlikely. New England coach Bill Belichick even conceded that fate seemed to be on the Browns' side. "We had to make just about every play that we made at the end today," he said. "Fortunately, we did.'' Fortune was certainly in play as New England-trailing 26-21-set up an onside kick sequence, a play they had not converted since Jan. 1, 1995 in an American Football Conference playoff game against the Browns. History repeated itself as Browns running back Fozzy Whittaker fumbled and lost control of the ball. Patriots cornerback Kyle Arrington then swooped in from behind, picking up the ball and regaining possession. New England quarterback Tom Brady-as he has done time and time again this season-took care of business in the fourth quarter. Brady began the drive with a 10-yard laser to wide receiver Danny Amendola, and then fate intervened once more. The Patriots earned a controversial pass interference call, moving the ball to the Cleveland one-yard line. Brady fired off a quick touchdown pass to Amendola, which gave New England to a tight 27-26 lead. After a failed two-point conversion, Cleveland had a chance to counter with some late-game heroics. Browns quarterback Jason Campbell-after 18-yard and 13-yard passes, respectively, to tight end Jordan Cameron-brought his squad to New England's 40-yard line with one second remaining in the game. Kicker Billy Cundiff, staring at a 58-yard field goal attempt, had his work cut out for him. The kick sailed far from the goalposts, sealing yet another improbable Patriots victory. In the first half, it looked like a battle of the defenses. Cleveland's defense shut down a Patriots offense that had put up 68 points in its past two games. The Browns were only able to break through on two field goals from Cundiff. At the half, the Browns had the 6-0 edge, and by the third quarter, the visitors had things under control. With 10:15 remaining in the third quarter, Campbell launched a 40-yard pass on the left side of the field to wide receiver Gary Barnidge to stretch the lead to 12-0. New England countered with a field goal with 1:37 remaining, but just 12 seconds later, Campbell fired off a pass to wide receiver Josh Gordon near the sideline. The rookie would not be deterred, taking the ball down the field for an 80-yard touchdown to stretch the Browns lead to 19-3. However, Patriots running back Shane Vereen kept things close, scoring with just six seconds left in the third quarter. After a successful two-point conversion and a 19-11 deficit, New England still had life. The Patriots inched closer, benefiting from a 50-yard field goal from kicker Stephen Gostkowski to cut the lead to 19-14 with 5:43 remaining. Campbell then re-captured the momentum, for a four-yard touchdown with 2:39 remaining, but the lead would not last. Though the team emerged with a big win, New England was not all smiles after the victory. Tight end Rob Gronkowski tore his A.C.L.-a significant injury for the Patriots that looks to end Gronkowski's season. The Patriots improve to 10-3 on the season and remain in second place in the AFC, while the Browns fall to 4-9. New England takes on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.
After being humbled by rival Babson College 78-47 in the first round of the Big 4 Challenge at Tufts University, the men's basketball squad could have chosen to hang its head for the tournament's consolation game. Instead, the team made a statement, defeating host Tufts 90-82 on its own court. Forward Alex Stoyle '14 credited the victory over the Jumbos to a change in the starting lineup. "I think it worked in our favor," he said. "The lineup we put out there matched up well and we were able to grind out the win. At the end of the day that's what matters." The Judges opened Sunday's contest in strong fashion. Guard Robinson Vilmont '17 continued his impressive start to the season, scoring a jump shot and sinking a free throw in quick succession to give the Judges a 26-21 advantage with 12 minutes, seven seconds left in the first half. However, Tufts went on a 13-5 run over the next four minutes to take a 34-31 lead. Stoyle made two of two from the free throw line to cut the hosts' advantage to one and hopefully swing the momentum back in the visitors' favor. However, Tufts sophomore Tom Folliard took the wind out of the Judges' sails with a jump shot to restore the Jumbos' three-point advantage. The first half stayed relatively even from that point on and the hosts had a 46-43 edge. The second half looked to be tough for the Judges, especially as Folliard made a jump shot to extend Tufts' lead to five just 34 seconds in. However, a three-pointer from guard Gabriel Moton '14 fueled the Judges' surge to victory. The teams traded baskets until Moton and guard Ben Bartoldus '14 made back-to-back three-pointers to give the Judges a 60-55 advantage over Tufts. After Folliard pulled the Jumbos to within three with a jump shot, Bartoldus sank another three-pointer to stretch Brandeis' advantage. From there, the Judges led by as many as 10 points before two free throws from Moton put the finishing touches on the 90-82 victory. Moton led all scorers with 29 points and was a perfect eight-for-eight from the free throw line. Bartoldus chipped in with 16 of his own. Folliard had 20 points for Tufts, while senior guard Kwame Firempong added 18 points. The Judges also received strong games from center Youri Dascy '14, Bartoldus and Stoyle to put away the Jumbos. Dascy responded well to his first start of the season, recording season highs in minutes and points, while shooting 57.1 percent from the field. He recorded 13 points in 19 minutes, while pulling down five rebounds and recorded three blocks during the contest. Bartoldus added four of his 16 points from the free thow line, and added five rebounds and a steal to his game statistics. Stoyle marked the fourth member of the Judges to record more than 10 points in the vicotry, recording a season-high 14 points in 27 minutes on the court. The win over the Jumbos was the first time all season Stoyle came off the bench for coach Brian Meehan. Saturday's game against Babson, though, was entirely a different story for Brandeis. The Judges failed to put pressure of the Beavers from the opening tip-off, ceding a 12-2 lead to the Beavers in the opening four minutes. Though a three-pointer by Moton was enough to get the Judges within four points, senior guard Kenny Ross buried his own effort from outside the arc to give Babson a six-point advantage. Stoyle lamented the Judges' inability to put a run together, as the slow start ultimately doomed the team to a loss. "We just couldn't get anything going and slowly things got out of control," he said. With 12:11 remaining in the half, Brandeis forward Kevin Trotman '17 made a layup and a free throw to pull the Judges back within four points of the Beavers. However, Babson freshman forward Joey Flannery made a layup of his own on the next possession. Flannery then went to the line, where he sunk two foul shots to stretch his team's advantage to a 21-13 margin. From that point, the Judges stayed in the game, holding on after a layup from Bartoldus pulled the Judges to within seven points with 3:10 in the half. Yet, free throws from Flannery and a layup from junior center David Mack gave the Beavers a 41-30 lead at the halftime break. While Brandeis would have hoped to stay close and come out of halftime firing, it was ultimately undone by the Beavers, who, leading 55-39 with 11:52 left in the game, went on a 17-1 run that spanned six minutes, seven seconds. The run left them with a commanding 30-point advantage. Though the Judges were able to control the damage from there, it was too little, too late as the team fell-who had only previously lost this season to Rhode Island College on a buzzer-beater-in demoralizing fashion. Flannery carried Babson, scoring 31 points, identical to his team's margin of victory. His dominance was shown by the fact that the next two scorers-Ross and junior forward John Wickey-only had 13 and 12 points, respectively. Moton led the Judges with 12 points and six rebounds, but committed four turnovers-part of 13 turnovers committed by the Judges. Babson cashed in on the miscues, recording 21 points off turnovers. The Judges managed just eight points off of 11 Beavers turnovers. Vilmont also scored in double-figures, registering 10 points on 4-9 shooting from the field and added three rebounds to the Judges' 33 team rebounds on the day. Brandeis struggled to get its offense-ranked second in the University Athletic Association in points per game-rolling when the game began, and it showed by the time the final whistle had blown. Two of five Bradeis starters-Stoyle and guard Derek Retos '14-were held scoreless, although both players were on the court for 24 minutes, more than three-quarters of the game. The Judges shot just 33.3 percent from the field, on 17 for 51 shooting, and shot a season-low 21.4 perecent from beyond the three-point line. Babson outrebounded the Judges and converted 10 more points in the pain than Brandeis did, although the Judges did manage to score more bench points-a 17 to 14 advantage in favor of Brandeis. While every member of the Judges entered the game, only three recorded more than five points, and six players were held scoreless. The Judges never led during the contest, and at one point found themselves staring at a 33 point deficit to the Beavers. Meehan avoided using his bench during the contest, as each one of his starters saw more than 20 minutes of game action, and only three players came off the bench for more than 10 minutes. With the starting five struggling, the Judges were never able to establish momentum and found themselves out of the contest before it even began. Even the halftime break could not reenergize the Judges, as they were held to just 17 points in the second half, easily their lowest total in any half this season. No player scored more than three points for the Judges in the second half, and the team could never recover from the slow start. Brandeis hosts top-ranked Amherst College tonight at 7 p.m., a challenge Stoyle knows the Judges can handle. "[We have to] stay focused and start executing our stuff better," he explained. "We are really good when we play the way we want to play. We just need everyone on the same page." - Jacob Moskowitz and Avi Gold contributed reporting