(05/23/06 4:00am)
It's impossible to do justice to the many newly inducted alumni who once graced the masthead of this newspaper. Here is a tribute, albeit a short one, to those whose impact will be felt at the Justice for years to come.Stephen Heyman: A former editor in chief and senior editor who pushed the Justice to take on higher editorial standards than it had had in years, Steve's dynamic talent in every facet will be sorely missed.Scott Koenig: A former photography editor and managing editor, Scott's affect on the paper was always far-reaching, and always positive.Rachel Resnick: A former arts editor and managing editor, Rachel's soft-spoken approach was soothing to the newsroom, and she managed the newspaper through a difficult financial shift.Alexandra Perloe: A former features editor and more recently deputy editor, Alex's dedication was undying, and her eloquent writing enlivened our pages.Simon Brown: A former sports editor and associate editor, Simon's contributions seemed to cover every page of the newspaper.David Cutler: A former news editor and later deputy editor, Dave's undying commitment to journalism of the highest integrity bestowed those he knew with unparalleled trust in the Justice.Benjamin Freed: A former copyeditor and deputy editor, Ben's sharp wit brought a new edge to the editorial pages, and his courage to speak his mind was always a boon.Aaron Hoffmann: A former photography editor and associate editor, Aaron's flair with the editing brush was unparalleled.Vera Rosenthal: A former photography editor, Vera rebuilt the photography staff at a challenging time, and her presence in the newsroom energized us all.Olivia Siegel: A former photography editor, Olivia worked with Ms. Rosenthal with the above rebuilding, while bringing her own crisp photography to the pages.Seniors not on the masthead this semester nevertheless had lasting impacts on our pages. Former arts editors Jenn Rubin and Sara Tenenbaum, former photography editor Benjamin Steckel, former advertising editor Viola Washburn and former news editor Jessica Goldings will all be missed. We hope all of you find happiness and success.
(05/02/06 4:00am)
Prof. David Wittenberg's '82 (COSI) scraggly beard falls almost all the way down to the tiny splotch of blood on his checkered neon shirt, adding yet another level of absurdity to the scene."It's the vampires," Wittenberg said. "You can't stop them. But just don't tell them I am playing Ultimate Frisbee in an hour."Actually, the stain is only residue from when he gave blood earlier that day, but he wears it well. Except for the two times a week when he can be seen on the Great Lawn playing Ultimate Frisbee with students, the unimposing Wittenberg could be one of the least athletic-looking men at Brandeis. But those who meet him on field know better."Have you seen him?" asked Josh Marin (GRAD), president of the Frisbee club (a less formal club than Tron, the popular club team). "When you have such a large mass with such a large beard coming at you its hard not to be afraid." The beard is what Wittenberg is all about-a fitting physical representation of the intensity and experience that he embodies. "I have not shaved since 1976," he says. "I stopped trimming in 1990 at the behest of my wife. She wanted me to be more religious, and since there are 613 commandments I chose one more to follow. I stopped 'rounding the corners of my face.'"Besides being a religious reminder, the beard is also a monument to his 25 years playing Frisbee at Brandeis. He began playing in 1975, less than a year before the beard began to take root. From those humble beginnings, it has grown to drape over nine inches below his chin and meanwhile Wittenberg has grown into one of the most colorful icons on the faculty, as well as a forceful athlete when the Frisbee is in the air. As an undergraduate he earned two varsity letters from the sailing team. Meanwhile, he joined the Frisbee club in his first-year, kick-starting his quarter-century involvement with the sport."It started with all the math geeks, so I guess I was part of that," he said.After Brandeis, Wittenberg went on to receive a master's degree in computer science from Yale. And he always indulged his love for Frisbee, all the way until returning to Brandeis in 1992 for his Ph.D. in computer science. The next milestone was in 1995, when he and a number of faculty members founded their unofficial Frisbee association, the Geezers and Neurons Ultimate."Neurons of course refers to neuroscientists," he said.Wittenberg and the Geezers compete frequently on Chapels Field with students, staff and faculty. With the extreme disparity of ages, Wittenberg admits that he has had to adjust his game in recent years. "Oh, sure I get winded," he says. "I'm often the slowest one on the field."However, he also touts the edge that his 25 years of experience lends him over younger, inexperienced players. "I might be slower, but they are often in the wrong place," Wittenberg says with a smile. "You'll often see one of them sort of running in a round about pattern, and me just walking next to them. I am always close enough that when a throw comes I can get to it. And they are running four or fives times as much as me." His knowledge and skill sets are a perfect representation of the Geezers' motto that stands emblazoned in gold and black on their 2006 Frisbees: "Old Age and Treachery Shall Triumph over Youth and Virtue.""People underestimate him quite a bit," Martin said. "That's a mistake because he had been playing for longer than most of us have been alive." Kevin Hashemi, a University researcher, agrees: "He's a good player. He is wily and clever."When not playing Frisbee, Wittenberg can usually be found tucked in his office behind a wall of over 20 coke cans, programming books and, of course, his computer. "Hello? CPU? Are you talking to me?" Wittenberg gently prods during one of his office rants. "What's going on? You're missing commands."More students are beginning to recognize Wittenberg as an athletic entity at Brandeis and are taking the opportunity to play before he finally decides he is too old to keep competing regularly. Martin, for one, balks at any questioning of the fifty-year-old man's ability to keep competing long into the future. "What?" Martin responded, "Didn't you read the [Geezers'] motto!
(04/11/06 4:00am)
Among fans of the Civilization computer game series, Sid Meier is something of a hero. This weekend, he spoke via satellite to attendees at the International Business School's "Get Civilized" symposium and revealed a bit about the vision behind what is widely hailed as one of the best computer games ever made.Unlike Meier, Jeff Briggs, founder and president of Firaxis, the company responsible for the Civilization game franchise, appeared in the flesh. Other prominent visitors were Firaxis Chairman of the Board Jonathan Plutzik '76, global entrepreneur Leonard Asper '86 and Walter Mossberg '69, a leading technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal.The event took place Friday and Saturday to celebrate several happenings within the institution, including the third annual Asper Forum for Global Entrepreneurship, the dedication of the Asper Center for Global Entrepreneurship and the honoring of Firaxis Games with the 2006 Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship. The symposium began with a short speech by Peter A. Petri, Dean of IBS. He was followed by Asper, who, as the president of Canada's largest communications company CanWest, has not only funded the new Center for Global Entrepreneurship but has also played a vital role in its creation and vision. He expressed commitment on his behalf and for other alumni to maintain Brandeis' reputation as a top business school via the expansion of entrepreneurial studies.Next up was Briggs, who in partnership with Meier, is largely credited with the creation of the "God Game" genre, in which the player directly controls manipulation of a microcosm, including the award-winning Civilization series. Briggs spoke of the game's history and Firaxis' unique, community-oriented business model that has made the company so successful, which includes mantras such as "Never compromise on fun or quality" and "Use profits to invest in employees."The symposium concluded with a discussion panel moderated by Mossberg and involving the Firaxis members, who discussed business and its application in the game industry. The audience was impressed; attendee Alex Toplansky '07 described the event as "an important transition ... Brandeis [has] always been on the cutting edge, and the acceptance of games as a cultural phenomenon marks an important step in [the school's] progression."Afterward, attendees were invited to participate in a hands-on Civilization 4 training session, and to participate in a tournament Saturday to see who at Brandeis is truly the most civilized.
(03/28/06 5:00am)
Welcome to Urinetown. It's impossible to resist laughing at this "satirical salute to American musicals." The strength of the show was evident in its every excellent component. With energetic performances from the entire cast on Sunday night in the Shapiro Theater, this piss was worth the money. Urinetown is an unhappy musical with ridiculously happy music, about a city in a parallel universe. The dreary, low-class existence of most of its citizens is aggravated by a water shortage that has given rise to a pay-per-piss law in the public bathrooms. An evil, monopolized corporation, The Urine Good Company, acts as adversary to the common folk, as compassionless CEO Caldwell B. Cladwell (Alex Fleming '09) inspires the people to revolution. The rebels, led by young Bobby Strong (Justin Becker '09), soon kidnap Cladwell's daughter, Hope (Kara Manson '08). Blood is shed, the people win, yadda yadda yadda. Suffice it to say, this awkward story is not the charm of the play.Despite its awful, displeasing name, this production was a jewel because of the small cast's strong talent. It was eye candy to see the cast's exaggerated expressions when they needed to pee, the rather complicated and exciting dance numbers and of course, the hilarity of the wild war scenes. Even more impressive than the already praiseworthy acting was the general musical skill of the actors, who showed off their flexibility and wide range in several small a cappella and gospel-like numbers, from the soulful number "Run, Freedom, Run" to a typical, full-cast finale with demanding vocal parts. Josh Mervis '08, as the narrator and a corrupt police agent, gave a notable performance. His seductive baritone voice, though sometimes lacking in diction, was a pleasant change from all of the over-the-top squeaky voices of the cast. A familiar face at Brandeis performances, Mervis was, as always, a crowd-pleaser. New face Becker also gave an astonishing performance, hitting his high notes easily and passionately. With his Prince-Charming voice, he was an appropriate hero for Urinetown. Fleming was a riot to see on stage as the grinch of Urinetown, CEO Cladwell, with his great gesticulations and Dr. Evil-like demeanor. As Hope Cladwell, Manson tactfully stayed in her ditzy, saccharine character without going too over the top. But Sierra Kagen '09 had the best-developed character, as Little Sally, with a perfectly childish dialect to match her quirky costume. The pit's primary reed player mustered up great solos, especially in "What is Urinetown?" with a Brandeis-friendly Jewish jig. But as is the curse of the Shapiro Theater, the orchestra was often too loud to hear the stupid, yet entertaining and crucial lyrics. Nevertheless, minor flaws such as the occasional imbalance of sounds and a mediocre setting were negligible due to the cast's strength in making the stage come alive. Adding a real-life twist to the play, crew members positioned in the bathrooms with donation cups during intermission certainly merited the awkward stares they received. Collecting money for a charity, Urinetown's joke turns into a serious reflection on the true Urinetown situations in El Salvador and Honduras, where there are inhabitants who suffer every day from a deficit of usable water as a result of poor filtration. The beauty of Urinetown, shameful jokes and all, is that whenever it can possibly turn to clich, it does. but then instantly breaks that clich through something completely original, effecting a sigh of relief. It's something different from the recent series of depressing theater productions at Brandeis, but edges away from your average friendly musical. Editor's Note: Aaron Mitchell Finegold, an assistant director, house manager and performer in Urinetown, is the Advertising Editor for The Justice.
(03/14/06 5:00am)
At a recent retreat held for Brandeis students, faculty and staff, Prof. Irving Epstein (CHEM) was asked to name the one thing he would change about Brandeis. Without hesitation, he responded that he wished he could "quadruple the endowment."Is Brandeis really in need of money? The Board of Trustees seemed to think so, and in 2001 started the Campaign for Brandeis, an initiative that sought to actively lobby Brandeis alumni and other potential donors in hope of raising $470 million by late June of this year. This goal has since been met and the donations have come in with such momentum that the goal was expanded to $770 million by 2009. The gross of donations intended to be put towards academic facilities, endowment and operating costs, was over $528 million by this February administrators said.These capital campaigns have led to many changes and future changes at Brandeis. Among the most highly anticipated additions to the campus is the new $154 million Carl Shapiro Science Center.This new center will replace buildings that Chief Operation Officer Peter French called some of "the oldest academic buildings on campus.""We cannot sustain our science program in these inadequate facilities," French told the Justice.The new center will include updated teaching facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories and a design that will allow for future expansion.Susan Krinsky, the associate vice president for the campaign, said such fundraising is necessary to improve the experiences of Brandeis students and the University's reputation."We are not a Harvard or Wellesley, with an endowment numbering in the multi-billions," Krinsky said. "We're just not old enough to have that sort of endowment."The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that as of last June, Harvard, founded in 1636, had an endowment of $25.4 billion; Wellesley, founded in 1870, had an endowment of $1.2 billion. Brandeis, founded in 1948, had a respectable but relatively diminutive $519 million.Krinsky said by the time the first alumni graduated from Brandeis in 1952, 80 percent of the endowments at schools like Wellesley or Harvard had already been accumulated."The difference is that those schools have had more latitude to make high-yield, high-risk investments over the past 54 years, as opposed to Brandeis, a growing university, which has had to be conservative to simply maintain an operating budget and keep facilities up," Krinsky said.In terms of the addition of facilities, the campaign can be accounted for in visible ways. Carl and Ruth Shapiro, the University's most prominent donors, gave $22 million in 2000 to fund construction of the Shapiro Campus Center. The couple gave another $25 million for the new science center. $10 million of the campaign's proceeds is earmarked for the Edmond J. Safra Center for the Arts, a building University administrators said will triple the amount of space available on campus for the teaching of fine arts and art history. Six million dollars of the total also went to help fund construction of the Village Quad.Prof. Emeritus Orrie Friedman (CHEM), has pledged $3.5 million toward the hiring and equipping a chair in chemistry.Seattle businessman Samuel Stroum donated $22 million to the campaign, and has also given $10 million towards the Brandeis University Scholarship Program and $4.8 million to the Waltham Scholars Program.Some donations toward the campaign have come from successful benefactors who did not matriculate from Brandeis, but have had direct involvement with the University or Waltham, financial reports show.Krinsky said the composition of the $495 million is interesting when broken down, particularly when considering that the campaign began in 2001, a year of economic decline in the United States.Krinsky said that 19 donors made gifts of over $1 million and that the three largest contributions total $95 million, which accounts for 19 percent of the $495 million.Professors responded to the efforts with realistic approbation. Prof. Robert Meyer (PHYS) said he has "the greatest respect for those who successfully raise funds for the University.""I think that their record in at least the past 10 years has been outstanding," he said. "The University is now on a sound financial footing."Meyer said he views the school's status with a balanced perspective."I think that the University does its absolute best to provide the educational resources needed," he said. "When you say 'all resources they need' the word 'all' implies a lot. No matter how much is given, one can always enumerate more needs."Prof. Michael Gilmore, the chair of the English department, does not believe that campaign will solve all of the University's problems."I'm not sure that any university in the United States receives the maximum resources to fulfill its mission," Gilmore said. "Every department in Brandeis, and many departments in the humanities, feel that they could use more resources."Students' reactions to the campaign are more varied and more critical. Thomas Smith-Vaughn '06, a politics and economics major said he has mixed feelings. "Brandeis' ability to provide aid impacted my decision to come here," he said. But he also said that "school pride seems to be lacking" and that if he could he would "have something built that brought the Brandeis community together more." Hannah Chalew '09, a prospective sociology and fine arts major, also said she feels that while donations do make a difference, a lot more could be done. "I have benefited from Brandeis' ability to offer scholarships, and they actually gave me a generous amount considering my situation," Chalew said. "The generosity actually influenced my decision to come here. I wouldn't have been able to come here, or any school of this quality without it." Still, like Smith-Vaughn, Chalew said she sees many of the University's shortcomings could be easily fixed with more fundraising. "I feel as if the arts here aren't as well funded or as well promoted as they could be," she said. "We don't have the facilities to compete with other schools in the New England area." She said that the "aesthetic" quality of the campus is also a major concern in drawing students, and that some money should be allocated to making the University more visually appealing. "It's really just not an aesthetically pleasing campus and after seeing Ivy League schools I find that it's just not nearly as beautiful or appealing," she said. "Usdan for instance, is a brick monolith." She said she would appreciate more new buildings like the Shapiro Campus Center to give the campus a "more modern feel."University President Jehuda Reinharz acknowledged that there still is a need for the University to grow, particularly regarding scholarships and improvements in facilities."Brandeis is committed to accepting students on the basis of ability and talent, not family wealth," Reinharz said. "A significant majority of undergraduates receive financial aid, and the University's ability to maintain an academically talented and broadly diverse undergraduate student body depends on our ability to meet students' calculated financial need for a Brandeis education."Reinharz also mentioned the merits of providing money for the science department, highlighting a new $300 million campaign to raise money for the new science complex."Brandeis enjoys special strengths in the sciences and has a distinguished faculty doing research at the cutting edge of their respective disciplines," Reinharz said. "Science is expensive and getting more expensive every day.The investment in science is timely and imperative." Aaron Gaynor '07, director of Student Union affairs, holds a position that offers him exposure to financial decisions made by University administrators. He said any criticism of the three-pronged method of distributing University funds to the campus, the endowment and the operating budget is unfair. He said that "the good people in budget and planning know the best use for the fund" and that "it's OK that the bulk of the Campaign for Brandeis is going toward these three areas because they create the greatest overall effect for the University." Justin Sulsky contributed to this article.
(03/07/06 5:00am)
Comic book characters are coming back in a big way, but at what cost? A convergence of cutting-edge special-effects technology, Hollywood's desperate forays into new media and Seth Cohen's abiding interest in the genre have made comic book-based movies a popular box-office mainstay for several years now. While some might applaud the revitalization of what had become a waning genre, a closer look at these films raises concerns about their ultimate effect on these classic stories.The first two such films to revive the once-thriving comic book movie were the enormously successful Spider-Man and X-Men films. Although neither movie was particularly popular with critics or die-hards (who focused on the films' "accuracy" regarding the original source), fans flocked to the sleek CGI, entry-level plots and the attractive actors who made the films accessible to average movie-goers. Both comic book geeks and critics were impressed with the second installment in each series, both of which presented darker plotlines and little details pulled from the classic comic book canon.After witnessing these stunning successes, movie-makers rushed to flood theaters with more comic book flicks. Daredevil and The Hulk appeared in record time, and while both fared well monetarily, they scored low with fans and critics. Beyond simply departing from comic book consistency, they were uneven movies which boasted little beyond impressive visual effects. Much of their box office earnings stemmed from their predecessors' inertia, and neither enjoyed nearly the same DVD and post-theater syndication of X-Men and Spider-Man. Fantastic Four met a similar fate, drawing viewers with stars Jessica Alba and Julian McMahon, but driving away comic book devotees.There have been some all-around flops, of course. Garbage such as Catwoman, Elektra and The Punisher barely made ends meet; anyone foolish enough to pay to see these films ended up wishing they hadn't. These movies failed to even attain cult status, having strayed so far from their source materials that only their titles related them to their inspirations.The anti-hero movies, often inspired by indie comics and graphic novels, have proven to be some of the best in terms of both decent moviemaking and in source loyalty. Most famously, Hellboy and Sin City failed to cause box-office frenzy but triumphed in creating a loyal fan base and in boosting the sales of their respective comic book series. Hype has been boiling over the sequels to these films, which should explore more of the same lurid subject matter. These sorts of comic book renditions may never generate the same money as flashier, brighter movies, but they certainly are the most beneficial for the comic book industry itself-a trait Spider-Man and X-Men have yet to develop.Batman Begins was a bit of an anomaly, albeit a pleasant one. Although it featured a more mainstream character with a very mainstream cast, its director, Christopher Nolan, crafted an extremely well-made movie using a combination of Batman-lore and new material. While it broke from both the comic book tradition and the preceding four (and progressively more terrible) Batman movies, it proved quite lucrative for its producers and for DC Comics, the publishers of the Batman comic series. Batman Begins ultimately showed that, with good direction and writing, everyone can win with a solid comic book character. I eagerly await another Nolan-Batman venture, to see if it can obtain the same second wind as its only cash rivals, Spider-Man and X-Men.With these trends in mind, a cursory look at the upcoming comic book movies should reveal their potential. X3 is due in May, but with original director Bryan Singer gone, it's difficult to tell if the movie will stray further into Hollywood inaccuracy by appealing to its audience's interest in an attractive cast. Superman Returns will hit theaters in June, with a somewhat unknown cast. This bodes well for the movie's comic loyalty, but poorly for its box-office earnings. Most promising, and along the lines of Hellboy and Sin City, is V for Vendetta, a graphic novel-based piece appearing later this month. Its edgier, darker look should distance it from the generally downward spiral of comic book movies that threatens to destroy their base of inspiration, rather than bring them new life.
(03/07/06 5:00am)
BRUNSWICK, Maine-Jaime Capra '08 got her hands on the ball with 0.6 seconds left and had just one three-point opportunity to keep the women's basketball team's NCAA tournament run alive. Amid the deafening noise of more than 1,500 fans, the most important sound of all was the clang of the Judges' historic and dramatic season coming to an end. From behind the arc, an off-balance Capra released and watched as the ball hit the outside edge of the rim; inches to the left and the game would have headed to overtime. But when the shot went wide and the buzzer sounded, players and coaches still walked away from Brandeis' first NCAA-tournament appearance with a first-round victory to show for it. Brandeis qualified for the Big Dance after narrowly missing the tournament the last two seasons because of late-season road losses (both years going on to win the ECAC New England championship), and in a year the tournament was expanded from 50 to 64 teams. The Judges continued their historic season by narrowly defeating Salem State College 63-59 here Friday before falling to host Bowdoin College Saturday, 59-56 in the second round. Unable to snap the Polar Bears' 70-home-game winning streak, the Judges finished the season at 20-4. "To finally get here after 19 years, it's sweet, it's really sweet," coach Carol Simon said of making the NCAA tournament for the first time in her 19-year career at Brandeis. The Judges, who never led against Bowdoin Saturday, came out sluggish as the Polar Bears set the pace early and dominated throughout most of the first half. Bowdoin won the tip-off and sank a three-point shot just seconds into the game, extending its early lead to as many as 10 points. Brandeis struggled in the first half, unable to force contact and get to the foul line, and the team continually fell victim to second-chance points, giving up 17 offensive rebounds in the game.The Judges finally started to find the basket and their half-court defense late in the half to climb to within two points with over seven minutes left. But the Polar Bears responded with a late 6-0 run, and led 30-22 at halftime.A far more tenacious Brandeis team emerged from the locker room after halftime. With adjustments on defense, Brandeis was able to keep the game tight, closing to within three points several times. On offense, the team came out firing behind Allison Chase '07, the Judges' leading scorer in the first half, who hit a three-pointer in the first 30 seconds after halftime. After back-and-forth scoring in the second half, the Judges had the opportunity to take the lead after Chase hit a three to tie the game 56-56 with just 1:31 remaining, seemingly seizing the momentum for the Judges.But Bowdoin quickly answered as senior forward Justine Pouravelis fed senior guard Vanessa Russell for an easy basket.Pouravelis's play ended up being the game-winner. The Polar Bears missed three of four foul shots in the last minute, giving the Judges the opportunity to tie it, but Bowdoin's swarming defensive trap caught captain Amanda DeMartino '06 on an in-bounding play with six seconds left in the game, taking crucial ticks off the clock and forcing a Brandeis timeout.With just one second remaining, the Judges found Capra on the inbound who heaved a three-pointer from more than 30 feet out, but the shot hit the rim and bounced off the basket, ending the Judges' first ever run to the NCAA tournament."I just think we had a couple of unlucky bounces," Simon said. "We didn't get some offensive rebounds, and you can't do that with a team like Bowdoin. They are a very good team, and you have to give them credit. It really could have gone either way. We were right there."Bowdoin dominated the Judges on the boards 40-27 and grabbed 17 offensive boards, compared to only four for Brandeis. The Judges sported a balanced offense, with Chase and Caitlin Malcolm '07 pacing the Judges with 14 points each while DeMartino and Capra each added eight."They stayed tough, they were physical," Bowdoin coach Stephanie Pemper said. "I definitely give them credit all over the place. I admire their poise and their confidence. Even though we were getting all those boards, they never seemed to get distraught or upset with each other. They stayed tough."Before their season-ending loss to the Polar Bears, the Judges faced Salem State College here Friday in the first round. The game was close from the beginning, with Salem State's seven-point lead early in the first half equaling the largest margin of the game.After seven lead changes throughout the first half, Capra attempted to give the Judges the advantage at the break-with a shot from just past half court but was stuffed by two Salem players and fell flat on her face. As Simon adamantly argued the lack of a foul call, Capra laid on the court for a few moments but was ultimately unharmed. The Judges trailed 33-32 heading into halftime.The second half opened with a defensive struggle on both sides as neither team found the basket for the first three minutes of the half. The Judges scored first behind a Capra layup and the game remained close throughout multiple lead changes. After a three-pointer by Lauren Orlando '09 tied the game 49-49 with seven minutes to play, Chase sank a pair of free throws to give the Judges the lead for good and their first NCAA tournament victory."When you get to this level, facing such good teams, it's really the little things that are going to put you over the edge," Simon said. "We knew this was going to be a good game, we knew it was going to be close and we knew it was going to come down to probably the last five minutes, and that's really what happened."Though their first appearance in the NCAA tournament was a short one, players said they were just excited to be there."When you get to a level where we're at right now, the ECACs aren't good enough for us anymore," Simon said. "I think we have set a standard for the program and now getting to NCAAs is a standard, our expectation is NCAA."Making it to the Big Dance played particularly special importance for captains DeMartino and Clancy, who have seen the program turn around over the last four years. "To make it this far, there's nothing better," DeMartino said. "I wish we could have won tonight, but I walk away not disappointed and with no regrets whatsoever."The Judges return next season without either captain, each a pivotal player who has helped carry the program to the level it has reached today."It's emotional, when you spend four years with two very special kids," Simon said. "It was such a joy to coach those two, and they have become part of my extended family. It's hard to describe because it's very heart-warming and heartfelt how much I care for those two."The season is over, but players and coaches are already looking forward to what the next season has to offer. With so many returnees, Simon pointed to a new standard for next year's team, bearing the legacy of this year's triumph."I think [the team] understand what it takes to be a champion, what it takes to be a winner, the work ethic that it takes," Simon said. "I think they've learned that when you come to Brandeis to play basketball, there's a very high standard that we set and that the expectations are very high, because it's not easy being one of the top teams in the country-it doesn't just happen, you've got to work for it.
(03/07/06 5:00am)
Eugene Vortsman '08 had been a rock all day for the men's fencing team against New York University, but with Brandeis trailing the Violets 13-12 he found himself behind three touches to one, and the team's chance for a UAA championship was slipping away. From the sidelines, Will Friedman '09 saw his teammate needed help and quickly called "timeout". Friedman stepped forward, put his hand on Vortsman's shoulder, and said a few words of encouragement to his teammate. Following the timeout, Vortsman did not relinquish even one touch the rest of the bout, keeping the Judges alive on the way to their eventual UAA Championship title that day. Players rarely call timeouts to give advice on most teams, but for the Judges, it's a common practice that illustrates the close relationships the players share. "It makes it so that you're able to listen to your teammates without getting angry at them, and I think that's really important," Friedman said. Vortsman referred to the team as a bunch of "hard-working jokers," and at practice last Friday, it was easy to see both sides of this double-edged sword. Captain Brendan Doris-Pierce '07 greeted his co-captain Jeremy Simpson '06 by pretending to tackle him as he walked into the door. Doris-Pierce continued to poke fun at Simpson as they were warming up, saying: "You tied your shoelaces and stretched your back, all on one foot." Teammate Mike Mello '07 rolled his eyes and said, "Brendan, you talk too much." Laughter filled the room, with the loudest laugh belonging to Doris-Pierce. "It's easier to help people out because you know you can be honest with them," Kirsten Heinz '09 said. "It makes it easier for us to push each other."With a team of sharp blades and sharp jibes, Doris-Pierce was only one of many victims of playful mockery. As Jessica Newhall '09 waited for Caitlin Kozel '09 and Kai Keller '07 finished their practice match, she told the two of them to "stop flirting and fence." "We're all a bunch of goofballs," Doris-Pierce said. "We all joke around and we all make fun of each other. If we didn't joke so much, we'd probably kill each other."The level of goofiness is only matched by the intensity of the competition during practice. The boisterous jokes from Doris-Pierce's mouth earlier in the day are soon followed by loud screaming coupled with the slamming of his helmet and saber against the floor after losing a touch during a bout against Simpson. Earlier, when a bout between Newhall and Hannah Rosen '08 went on through the end of the women's team's practice, Rosen and Newhall both refused to stop. When the bout finally ended with Rosen winning 15-14, the men's team was already starting to warm up for its practice, and both fencers' faces were bright red. "We take the sport seriously, but we don't take ourselves seriously," Doris-Pierce said.This contrast is truly a rarity. There are many teams that work hard, but tighten up under pressure. There are other teams that play fun and loose but never work hard enough to fulfill their talent. The fencing teams are goofy and easy-going, fiery and super-competitive, able to conjure whatever side is needed for th situation at hand."The closer you are with people, the more you enjoy getting better than them," Friedman said. "If I weren't friends with Eugene [Vortsman], J.D. [Carroll] and Mike [Mello], I couldn't be like, 'Hey, this is what you have to do, this is the mistake you're making.' They would normally get pissed at me if I did that, but because we're all friends, I can easily help them."For this group of sharp-object wielding goofballs looking to defend their UAA crowns and improve nationally next season, the very tricky key to success will be balancing the added pressure of a winning season with their boisterous personality. But the returning captains know the best way to manage their core of tremendous young talent is to make sure that they keep having fun and acting like doofuses, or else. "When recruits come in and watch the team interact, they see it as a family," Doris-Pierce said. "If you can see a team that's performing very well and gets along very well, that's a team anybody would want to play for.
(02/07/06 5:00am)
The Italians have their ravioli and the Poles have their pierogis, but for the best filled dumplings, it's necessary to travel east. There, in the land of gyoza, wontons and shumai, wait delicate dumplings, perfectly steamed and fried, ready to be dipped into sauces both vinegary and sweet. A dumpling is simply a boiled piece of dough, used in Western Europe and most frequently just dropped in soup. However, when filled, their bland, doughy taste can be transcended by succulent combinations of varied fillings.When making dumplings, the first thing to figure out is the type of wrappers to use. Wrappers aren't that hard to make from scratch, but for convenience's sake, buying them in a store will allow you to focus more on what goes inside. Many supermarkets now stock wonton wrappers in their produce section, but a trip to your nearest Asian grocery may be needed. Wonton wrappers are Chinese in origin and have egg in them, making them perfect for steaming, frying and boiling. In some stores you may also find gyoza wrappers, which are Japanese in origin. This variety lacks the egg; therefore, steaming will dry out the wrappers, but they will yield a lighter dumpling. Also, the thinner the wrappers, the better. If they are too thick, the dumplings will come out too doughy, which will overpower the taste of the filling.In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, ginger and garlic, and continue to saute until the leeks begin to soften. Stir in the wine, sugar, cilantro and soy sauce, and cook for another minute. Add the mushrooms and tofu, and cook for another three minutes, or until the mushrooms have absorbed the liquid. Remove from heat, place in a colander and let cool. Press down on the mixture to drain as much moisture as possible. Place in a bowl and stir in the egg white.To form the dumplings, place a tablespoon of the mixture in the center of the wrapper and wet the edges with water. If the wrappers are circle-shaped, simply fold over to form a half-crescent, and press down on the edges with a fork. For square wrappers, the easiest fold is to create a "bag" look: Just push up the edges together in the center.To cook the dumplings, you can opt for deep frying, boiling, steaming or pan-frying. The "potsticker" approach, which is ideal for gyoza, is to first pan-fry the dumplings in a few tablespoons of oil for about two minutes. Add half a cup of boiling water, cover and cook until the water is absorbed-about three minutes, and then fry for another minute so they become crispy again. For wonton wrappers, the ideal method is to first steam them for five minutes, and then flash pan-fry them for about a minute on each side over medium-high heat. The least ideal method is boiling, as steaming will result in firmer dumplings, and often when boiling the filling will lose flavor and become watery. For the dipping sauce, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and vinegar, and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Serve the dumplings accompanied with the dipping sauce.Dumplings 1 egg white1 medium leek, diced2 cloves garlic, diced1 tbsp minced ginger1/3 cup sherry or rice wine8-10 shitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sugar3 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced2 tbsp sesame oil1/4 cup firm tofu, finely dicedabout 25 dumpling wrappersoil for frying (optional)Dipping Sauce(Makes 16)3 tbsp balsamic vinegar4 tbsp soy sauce1 tbsp sesame oil1 tsp sugar1 tsp sesame seeds
(02/07/06 5:00am)
Saturday's New Music Brandeis concert opened with a startling bang. Eliot Gettegno, a professional musician, wonderfully executed a solo titled "Sketches for Solo Soprano Saxophone," written by Derek Jacoby (GRAD). Gettegno made every note on the saxophone seem completely effortless-you could see the intensity with which he played, watching him push his breath through the instrument. The solo was not merely the same jazz that one often associates with the saxophone, but seemed to have a deeper range.Separating the evening's two saxophone works was a complicated ensemble work by Justin Rust (GRAD). Jeremy Sagala conducted musicians on flute, oboe, clarinet, percussion, violin, viola, cello and bass. The piece had three movements, all with varying levels of energy. The dynamic execution of the work featured standout performances by Lydian Quartet members Mary Ruth Ray on viola, Joshua Gordon on cello and Judith Eissenberg on violin. The sound of the bass, played by Tom Van Dyck, added a deep quality to the work. Making each line seem completely unique was the background of Craig McNutt's percussion, which, while distinct from the rest of the instruments, perfectly blended into the piece.Joseph Johnson's (GRAD) "Wound Too Tight," played by the stellar Radnofsky saxophone quartet, utilized many different moods, tempos and styles. The quartet was composed of professional musicians Philipp Staudlin, Kenneth Radnofsky, Eliot Gattegno and Eric Hewitt. Radnofsky, a professor at the Boston Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory, formed the quartet in 2003, and they have performed all over Boston. The reason for their widespread acclaim is evident in the passion and precise skill with which they performed. Johnson's piece incorporated trills, staccato, a variety of different tempos and other conventions, which showed the audience the potential of saxophone music.
(01/31/06 5:00am)
Ah, France! The land of fromage, towering steel structures, snooty cigarette puffing, berets and-but of course-crapes. Those glorious thin pancakes that are crammed with delicious fillings and topped with just about anything, from a simple dusting of powdered sugar to an extravagant Suzette flamb.Although a visit to France is always a good time to eat a crape, the French themselves tend to devour the treat on Candlemas, the Catholic holiday celebrating the ritual purification of the Virgin Mary. The holiday falls this Thursday, making it the perfect time to make some crapes for yourself. To make your own crapes, sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Continue to cook until the butter begins to brown and immediately remove from heat. In a blender, mix together the milk, butter, eggs and the dry ingredients. Mix batter well for 30 to 45 seconds. Let the batter chill for at least an hour to allow the flour to absorb as much liquid as possible.Frying the crapes can be a bit tricky, but with enough practice, anyone can master it. Warm up a 7- or 8-inch frying pan over medium heat, and make sure it is lightly greased with butter or cooking spray. Pour in about three tablespoons of the batter, and roll the pan around to make sure the batter is evenly spread out. After one to two minutes, the crape will be almost dry on top. Loosen the edges with your spatula, and doing the best you can, flip it over. Cook for another 15 seconds and you will have yourself a beautiful crape, ready to be filled.Truly the trickiest part of crapes is not making them, but deciding how to fill them. A crape rolled around a filling is called a pannequet, but you can also pile high layers of crapes and a sauce to create a cake. Most importantly, don't be fooled by the assumption that you can only use sweet fillings; savory fillings can be used to create a wonderful main dish for a meal. Try caramelizing some onions with melted Gruyaere cheese. Fill with scrambled eggs and black beans, and then top with diced tomatoes and chopped fresh cilantro.Still, if you have a hankering for something sugary, you can't go wrong with serving crapes as a desert or snack with a sweet filling. For a more exciting sweet take, you can saut fruit in liqueur and sugar. The classic version of this dish is Crapes Suzette, often considered the epitome of high class eating in the early 20th century. Crapes of that era were served with a sweet orange sauce, with brandy drizzled on top and lit to create a brief flame for presentation.For an equally delicious alternative without the fire hazard, bananas with an almond-liqueur sauce work just as well. First, cut the bananas in half, then into 2-inch pieces. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Saut the bananas for a few minutes on each side, until golden. Remove the bananas and set aside. Stir in the sugar and Amaretto, and continue to cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Roll each crape with the banana inside, and then top with the sauce and almonds.Crapes(Makes 16)- 1 1/2 cups flour- 1 1/2 cups milk- 2 tbsp butter- 1 tsp sugar- 3 eggs- Dash of saltBananas with Amaretto- 4 tbsp butter- 1/2 cup brown sugar- 1/3 cup Amaretto- 2 bananas- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
(01/31/06 5:00am)
Fans of all ages began lining up Friday at 7 p.m. outside the general admission venue at Boston's Paradise Rock Club, striving to get closer to Chicago-based indie-rockers OK Go. The show was the band's fifth stop on its current 34-city North American tour.Just off the heels of a sold-out tour across the United Kingdom, the band-composed of lead singer and guitarist Damian Kulash, bassist Tim Nordwind, drummer Dan Konopka and guitarist and keyboardist Andy Ross-came on stage to such thunderous applause that it was surprising anyone in the audience could hear the rest of the show. Dressed in clothes better suited to 1970s wallpaper, the band performed songs from both of their tremendously popular albums. After OK Go's critically acclaimed and commercially successful debut album in 2002, the band toured incessantly, waiting an unusually lengthy three years to release their second record, Oh No, in 2005. Their sophomore effort was met with even greater praise than their first; a rare feat for any band. "You have 20 years to write your first record and only six months to do the next one," Kulash said before the show. "So people often just completely fold under the pressure. I'm much more proud of our second record than our first, so I'm happy to hear that people are responding to it well. We sort of cheated in that there were almost three years in between both records."Although the quartet has released two albums on Capitol Records, they have managed to develop something of an underground and incredibly dedicated fan base, one that sang along with nearly every word during the band's hour-long set. The group's immense energy extended far beyond the edge of the crowded stage, and at some points in the show, the band members did as well. In the middle of one song, Kulash, with a microphone in hand, left the stage entirely and sauntered into the middle of the sweaty, bouncing crowd, which instantly parted to let the singer walk through. The audience was particularly excited to hear the band's most successful single to date, "Get Over It," a cynical "deal-with-your-own-problems-and-move-on" anthem.Since the release of Oh No, OK Go has become a bona fide underground and online sensation, thanks in large part to the music video they filmed to accompany the release of the single "A Million Ways." Filmed in Kulash's backyard with only a digital video camera on a tripod, the grainy video features all four band members, dressed in their trademark suits, performing an elaborate dance routine while drummer Tim Nordwind lip-syncs to Kulash's vocals. By late last year, the video had become the most downloaded music video ever, reaching more than 3 million downloads.After finishing their set Friday night, OK Go were drawn back onstage by deafening cheers and applause. The group appeased the audience by re-enacting the choreographed dance routine to a recorded version of "A Million Ways." Kulash is as knowledgeable about politics as he is music. In the lead up to the 2004 presidential election, he wrote an online guide called "How Your Band Can Fire Bush," directed towards other bands hoping to help unseat President George W. Bush. The project met mixed reaction, as some of those who did not necessarily agree with Kulash's political orientation sent him mountains of hate mail."We are not an overtly political band," he said. "I don't write songs about tax codes." But, he added, "I wanted to write something to sort of help inspire people to be a little more open with [politics] at a time when it mattered." "The bands that I respect are the ones that have lasted the longest," Kulash responded when asked what groups he most admires. "Any band that can keep being a band is [lucky] because the music industry is [in bad shape] and [is only getting] worse. We hope and pray that we still get to play rock shows in five years and that people still show up.
(01/24/06 5:00am)
It was a tale of two halves for the men's basketball team on Sunday at Washington University in St. Louis. After bursting out on an early 15-2 run and taking a 36-27 lead into halftime, the Judges' fortunes took a turn for the worse after halftime, as they shot just 5-28 from the field and lost 61-52. After dominating the first half by outrebounding the Bears 26-8 and holding its opponents to 9-28 shooting, Brandeis was unable to find any offense and allowed the Bears 13 points in a row early in the half. Brandeis dropped to 8-7 overall with the defeat, and 1-4 in the UAA conference. The disappointing loss came after a critical 72-60 road win at the University of Chicago on Saturday. The win ended a three-game losing streak for the Judges, and was their first UAA victory of the season. It also marked the first victory for Brandeis at Chicago since the 1993-94 season.Florian Rexhepi '08 and Kwame Graves-Fulgham '08 led the team with 17 points apiece. After trailing 37-30 at the half, the Judges opened the second half with a 12-4 run and shot 58 percent from the field in the half to pull away from the Maroons. "We played really well from beginning to end," coach Brian Meehan said of the Chicago game. "We hung in early, and then in the second half we increased our pressure and cruised coming down the stretch."Unfortunately for the Judges, their shots did not fall nearly as easily against Washington in the second half."We did a good job defending and a good job rebounding the ball, but we just had a lot of shots that went halfway down and out," coach Brian Meehan said. The Bears' defense adjusted in the second half to force the Judges to take shots from the outside for most of the half. The Judges played into the Bears' strategy by making just 2-14 three-pointers after halftime. "They were doing a great job of taking away our drives to the basket," Meehan said. "We had wide open looks which were really good shots. It was just something they decided they were going to take a chance on giving up, and they got away with it."Steve DeLuca '08 led the Judges with 25 points and nine rebounds in the loss. He cited the Judges' lack of intensity after the break as the team's downfall. "In the second half we played a little hesitant and tentative," DeLuca said. "We stopped executing on offense, started going one-on-one, and just weren't hitting open shots."Another huge problem for the Judges on Sunday was turnovers, as they committed an uncharacteristically high 23 in the game. Stephen Hill '08 attributed the Judges' turnover problems to the Bears' pressure defense. "They pressured a lot harder than most teams," Hill said of the Bears. "They picked us up at half court and got right on us."Other than DeLuca, no Judges player scored in double figures on Sunday, as DeLuca's 25 points represented nearly one half of the team's total."He did his job, and we didn't have anyone else to step up and hit shots," Meehan said.Although the Judges were perfect from the line they were able to take only 10 free throw attempts in the game compared to 21 for the Bears. Meehan attributed the Judges' inability to get to the line to the officiating."They allowed it to be physical, and that's just the way it is," Meehan said.Hill also attributed the Judges' lack of free-throw opportunities to the officiating. "I thought there were a couple of calls during the game that we should have gotten," Hill said. Brandeis gave up three straight offensive rebounds with under two minutes to play, a far cry from its first-half dominance of the glass. Still, the Judges' rebounding was a significant bright spot in their defeat, as they finished with a 45-28 edge on the glass for the game."For us to come in against a far bigger team and dominate the glass, I am very satisfied," Meehan said. The Judges' rebounding was especially impressive considering their lack of a true center. The team's tallest player and only true center, John Saucier '08, is out after surgery on a broken foot. With this in perspective, Meehan said that he has been happy with the team's performance."We are virtually playing with no post presence on either end of the floor, and every game we have still been right there," Meehan said. "Considering what we are and where we are coming from, we are doing a great job."Looking toward the tough UAA schedule ahead, Meehan stressed that the team will have to adjust, given its small size."You play with the guys you have," Meehan said. "There are certain things we won't be able to do well, and post offense is one of them. That's why we don't get really easy baskets on the inside. We have to work hard for the points we do score, and we just will have to do things a little differently."The Judges return home on Friday to face Case Western Reserve University at 8:00 p.m.
(01/17/06 5:00am)
Normally when someone goes fishing, he hopes to reel in a big trout or bass, but for Imad Abu-Kishek, an administrative and financial assistant visiting from Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, his biggest catch while living in Waltham was human.On a hot July day, Abu-Kishek took his sons Fayeq, 9, and Fares, 6, down to the Charles River to relax in the sunshine and hope for some bites. When they arrived, the river was halcyon and nearly empty except for the presence of a lone elderly boatman. It appeared to be the start of a perfectly lazy summer afternoon. Then, the day's serenity was suddenly interrupted with a large splash, and a cry from one of Abu-Kishek's sons; the boater had gone overboard. Abu-Kishek sprung into action."I threw a rope for him, and he caught it immediately, and I started to pull him to the edge of the dock," Abu-Kishek says. "He was too heavy, and he kept slipping from my grip. He slipped from my hand, and I could not imagine losing him."Abu-Kishek sent his sons to a nearby Mexican restaurant for help, and they returned with a Christian missionary. So, Muslim and Christian, side by side, they pulled the man to safety. This was one catch that Abu-Kishek was not about to throw back.In a sense, the collaborative effort in this fisherman's tale is a good metaphor for what Abu-Kishek is trying to achieve with his work uniting religions. On the one hand, he is working at Brandeis as the assistant to University President Jehuda Reinharz for financial and administrative affairs, and supervises the financial department and the budget. But Abu-Kishek's real passion involves working side-by-side with men and women of differing religious backgrounds. As a member of the People's Campaign for Peace and Democracy in Israel, Abu-Kishek works with Muslims and Jews in an effort to find a solution for the conflict in the Middle East. The group focuses on regular citizens and has collected over 400,000 signatures from both Israelis and Palestinians who urge for the existence of two states, one named Israel and the other named Palestine."In order to create change, we need to create a force on the government from the bottom up to urge leaders to make a solution," Abu-Kishek says. "It's important that we focus on grassroots instead of politics. We don't focus on leaders because we fear that they do not want to make a solution. But, if we show them that people from both sides agree and have the same principles, it puts pressure on [the leaders]."Abu-Kishek says that there are many obstacles to overcome before peace can happen. He says one of these problems is the new wall that the Israeli government is building to divide itself from Palestinian territories-on land that the Palestinians feel they deserve. This wall cuts out 20 percent of the West Bank and Gaza from Palestinian sovereignty, which when intact, represented 22 percent of what was once Palestine. Feelings about this wall vary greatly, as demonstrated by its two different nicknames. According to Abu-Kishek, the Israelis call this wall the "Defense Wall," while the Palestinians call it the "Apartheid Wall." Abu-Kishek says that one thing is for sure, though: As long as these different views remain prominent, there cannot be peace.Another major obstacle that stands between Israel and peace is the discussion over holy sites."The real conflict is over the Dome of the Rock and the [Western] Wall," Abu-Kishek says. "What I hope people can realize, is that neither of these places belong to us anyway, they belong to God. It's also important for peace, to realize that we have the same god, the god of Abraham. Neither Jews nor Muslims should have sovereignty of these places." Even though Abu-Kishek believes no group should claim ownership to the holy sites, he does realize that pragmatically, people should have some control over certain places. For this reason he believes that the Jewish people of Israel should manage the Western Wall, while Muslim Palestinians should manage the Dome of the Rock.Abu-Kishek says that one of the hardest parts about coming to the United States has been leaving behind his connections both social and professional. In order to combat this feeling of isolation from his home, and to help the cause that he is most passionate for, he continues on a quest for peace. Although most of his work with the People's Campaign for Peace and Democracy takes place at his home in Palestine, Abu-Kishek is taking advantage of his time at Brandeis as well."We have done a lot of work at home, but we are at a point where there is no solution without the help of international communities," says Abu-Kishek. He says part of his goal here "is to make this population aware of the real problem in Israel and Palestine. Right now there could be fighting for another 40 years, and for what? We don't want to give the Devil the opportunity for us to kill ourselves."Abu-Kishek says that he wants to take special advantage of the fact that he is at a place like Brandeis. First, he says being a Palestinian in a place with Jewish ties gives him the chance to appeal from the other side of the issue."I know that Brandeis is supported and created by a Jewish community," he says. "[Being here] allows me to explain my side of the conflict to my colleagues in order to get support to find a solution. It's good to be here because the main goal of this university is justice. In order for there to be a solution in Israel, I think we need help from international places just like Brandeis.
(01/17/06 5:00am)
A city water main located near Rabb steps burst at 1:30 p.m. Monday, causing a relentless flow of water to travel down the peripheral road and toward the Usen Castle. It took approximately another nine hours for the source of the leak to be discovered.Facilities and city workers were on the scene until after 11 p.m., when enough water had been pumped into nearby storm drains to locate the broken main. The workers dug a gaping hole in the peripheral road and shut off a number of pipes leading into its system, limiting the severity of the leak. "[City workers] are afraid to continue digging in the dark, and they don't have the necessary parts to fix the main," Head of University Services Mark Collins said Monday night. Collins said there may be a lack of water pressure in North Quad and in some other nearby buildings.Collins also said that by Tuesday morning, he intended to sand and re-open the part of the peripheral road near the damaged water main, which had been shut off by public safety for most of the day as the flowing water turned to ice.Public Safety sent a campuswide e-mail early-afternoon Monday. "Due to a break in a water main, we have had to close a portion of the peripheral road," it read. "Traffic will be two-way from the Rabb Steps to the Castle roadway until the matter is resolved."The main was located about eight-and-a-half feet underground. Upon its discovery, it spewed more than seven feet of water into the air like a geyser. Earlier in the day, there had been some discussion as to whether the mane was 12 or 24 inches wide. By night's end, Collins said he thought it was the latter.Public Safety originally spotted the leak and notified facilities, which in turn contacted Collins. Collins had just arrived home from Brandeis when he received the call at 2 p.m., prompting him to return to campus.Collins said when he arrived on scene about 30 minutes later, one of the University's private contractors was assessing the situation to determine that it was indeed a city main that broke and not a pipe or valve belonging to the University.In addition to several other Brandeis workers monitoring the leak, Director of Facilities Peter Baker was outside with Collins late into the evening. It took another hour after Collins' arrival for city workers to arrive, he said. In the meantime, his crew put down sand to melt ice that had already formed in the cold weather. They also used mounds of dirt to create a man-made levy to redirect the gushing water into storm drains, something Collins said "greatly helped" the situation."In the grand scheme of things, this is a very limited area," Collins said, referring to the hole and where the crew had redirected the water.Jack Gorman, a Waltham Water and Sewer foreman who was on the scene, said the situation took longer than expected to handle because the three pumps extracting water from the hole frequently broke down for varying periods of time. Gorman also said the broken main leads into South Street, and from there continues into different areas."We are hoping it's just cracked around the edges so we can patch it up," Gorman said before the main was found. "If it's broken in half, we will have to replace a part of the pipe, which is more difficult."The Justice could not confirm whether the main was broken in half or only cracked. Because the main belonged to the city, Brandeis workers could not operate the machinery used for draining. They could only monitor the situation, though one of the University's pumps was used by the city workers.Collins said he expected the city to send its workers to campus early this morning to work on the leak and repair the torn-up road."It's a difficult situation that hasn't progressed as I would have liked," he said.
(12/13/05 5:00am)
Pizzicatos and piano trills resonated throughout Slosberg Recital Hall as students, faculty and family gathered Thursday night for the first and only performance by the Student Ensemble in Residence Program Trio this academic year. The SERP Trio is comprised of violinist Graham Patten '07, cellist Sidney Coren '07 and pianist Joshua Klein '07, all recipients of the Leonard Bernstein Scholarship here at Brandeis. The trio studies under the Lydian String Quartet. The evening's repertoire included famous works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as a piece by 20th century Hungarian composer Zolt*n Kod*ly. The concert began as Patten and Coren walked on stage with their instruments. The tension in the room rose as Patten took a long moment to compose himself, finally breaking into his solo of Bach's "Sonata No. 1 in G Minor." For five minutes that lasted a delightful eternity, Patten skillfully manipulated his bow as his instrument spoke to the audience with elegant simplicity and finesse. Next, Coren took the spotlight, performing his solo-Bach's "Suite No. 1 in G Major," a highly melodic piece that was just as technically demanding as the first. Coren's beautifully polished articulation guided the melody to create dramatically expressive and highly fluent atmosphere. After both solos, Patten and Coren performed Kodaly's "Duo for Violin and Cello." Coren prefaced the song by announcing that they chose the piece for its "lush and passionate" qualities. This particular work possessed very rich as well as dynamic and innovative qualities, and its elegiac uncertainty established by the perfect tonal balance and form was highly characteristic of Kodaly's compositions. The night's fourth piece, performed by Klein, was Beethoven's "Piano Sonata No. 14," more commonly known as "Moonlight Sonata." This work's original name, "Quasi una Fantasia," or "almost a fantasy," signifies its dreamy, divine qualities. Most prominent in the first movement, these moods were masterfully interpreted by Klein. The second movement replaced the somber tones of the first with a brighter melody. The piece's culmination, its invigorating presto agitato movement, was also Klein's most spectacular performance, keeping the audience members on the edge of their seats as Klein's hands blurred over the keyboard with each rapid progression. After a roar of applause, the trio finally assembled for its final work, Beethoven's "Trio IV for Piano, Violin and Cello." The prominent movement "Pria ch'io l'impegno," or "Before I begin work, I must have something to eat," carried a light and comical air, as implied by the name. As before, each player's finesse persisted until the final note. Its end greeted by a standing ovation, the performance was unquestionably a huge success. It's a shame there won't be one like it in the spring.
(12/06/05 5:00am)
The unusually large Gossman crowd that gathered for the Brandeis Invitational on Sunday were treated to more than just the men's and women's fencing teams' first home meet of the season. They also got to see some of the best fencers in the region, as the Judges held their own with a bunch of strong performances.The men's team went 2-2, defeating Vassar College 18-9 and Yale University 17-10 but losing to Brown University 14-13 and to St. John's College 16-11. The women went 1-3, defeating Vassar 21-6 but losing to Brown 16-11, Yale 15-12, and St. John's 21-6.On the way to the match, assistant coach Elif Sachs was involved in a car accident and was transported to the game by a Waltham police officer (see pg. 15).The Judges came out stale in their tightly contested loss to Brown, saber team member Isaac Lieberman '07 said. "We really should have taken it to Brown and beaten them pretty badly, but we didn't get started fast enough and we took them too lightly, so that was a little disappointing," Lieberman said. Brandeis went on to take consecutive wins against Vassar and Yale before losing their final match to St. John's, who went 4-0 against both the men and the women.The women's team rebounded after a tough start to post good results in some tight matches, including a close one against Yale University, which featured Olympic bronze medalist Sada Jacobsen. "We did lose to Yale, but last year, we weren't even that close, and we're fencing them again later on," captain Deb Model '06 said. "I think it's really possible for us to beat them, and we only beat them once every few years."Liesse Marie-Slemon '07 managed to get three touches on Jacobsen before succumbing 5-3.Marie-Slemon beamed at the experience of competing with one of the world's best."You walk on the strip and you're really anxious," she said. "You have to do it touch-by-touch. You're only going to get better by fencing people like [Jacobsen]. It was really cool."Coach Bill Shipman said he was satisfied with the performance of the men's team, but acknowledged that they could have done better."I'm not too unhappy, but it could have been better with three or four good bouts," he said.Captain Brendan Doris-Pierce '07 said he was impressed with the performance of the Judges young foil squad, featuring rookies Will Friedman '09, J.D. Carroll '09 and Eugene Vortsman '08."It's a credit to our two young freshmen who are filling some very big shoes this year," Doris-Pierce said.Both the men's and women's teams showed a concerted effort to support their teammates. Doris-Pierce recalled going up against a competitive Yale fencer."I'm getting up, and all of a sudden, I hear loud clapping-it was just them being very energetic about the bout," he said. "I go out and I win 5-0."Coach Elif Sachs acknowledged that the teams have room for improvement."There's an edge that some teams have that make them nastier in some ways, and that's the edge it sometimes takes that our kids are still slowly warming up to this year," assistant coach Elif Sachs said."The Judges next fence against Harvard University this Wednesday.
(11/22/05 5:00am)
Those familiar with Neil Simon's plays know how well he instills a tragic situation with humor. Hillel Theatre Group's production of one the famed playwright's best works, The Gingerbread Lady, was fittingly well-received this weekend at the Shapiro Theater. Despite some stumbling in the first act, the play quickly developed into a triumphant achievement.Joanie Axelbaum '07 played Evy Meara, a rehabilitated drunk, who returns to her insecure, superficial relationships with struggling gay actor Jimmy Perry (Alain Ackerman '08) and her narcissistic best friend Toby Landau (Rebecca Kotlicky '06), who hides behind layers of make-up. As Evy tries to find her worth in an alcohol-free world through the "help" of her unstable friends, she fails to recognize the sanity and reason offered by her daughter Polly, played by Julia Tejblum '08.At times, the first act's demanding dialogue seemed too strenuous for HTG. That wasn't the only problem, either: Jimmy's image of a struggling, gay 40-year-old actor was slightly marred by gratuitous flamboyance and hand-gesturing, qualities which only distracted the audience from important dialogue in later acts. Fortunately, such problematic instances were balanced by the delivery boy Manuel (Esteban Morales '07). Although Manuel's role in the action (helping to reveal Evy's sex addiction) was minor, he helped to keep the audience alive through the longest act of the play. Things picked up, however, by Act II, which brought with it more humor and much more convincing dialogue. As Evy's desperate need to belong drive her to break her vows and drink again, her friends fail to provide the much-needed emotional support. Here, Axelbaum's acting became more convincing with every drink, until it was hard to believe there was only grape juice in her wine bottle.Meanwhile, a simultaneously tense and hysterical monologue from "Toastmaster" Perry drew the audience to the edge of its seats as it segued right into Evy's cathartic, booze-induced breakdown. Similarly, Kotlicky's commanding stage presence and her unique ability to perform a frenzied collapse without losing plausibility swept the audience off its feet. Tejblum, too, was a sight to behold, evoking with precision the simple and genuine attitude of a 17-year-old daughter who really cares about her mother. Her compelling interactions with Evy established a strong chemistry between the two actors that carried them until the final curtain.The aura of professionalism established after the first act was successfully maintained through the end of the play. Axelbaum played the victim extremely well, and the audience was forced to pity her feeble attempts at emotional fortitude. As the conclusion neared, the clever character development of the play reached a climax: The disappearance of Toby's makeup revealed both her face and an intimate side filled with concern for her best friend. At the same time, the crumbling of Evy's happy-go-lucky facade paralleled her full understanding of her despair and serves as the ultimate step toward her final recognition of her daughter's unconditional love.Director Kenny Fuentes '08 managed to convey the dynamism and wit characteristic of Simon's humorous drama. Conveyed through the actors' body language and inflections, frantic emotional instability dominated the performance. The set and costumes of the play only strengthened the production. All in all, The Gingerbread Lady carried a subtle but powerful message: No matter how passionate a relationship with a delivery boy or how strong a martini, nothing can ever replace familial love. Editor's note: Julia Tejblum '08 is a staff writer for the Justice.
(11/22/05 5:00am)
Leaders of the Brandeis chapter of Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) called for Massachusetts to divest its roughly $1.2 to $1.4 billion worth of holdings in companies that do business in Sudan in a public hearing Thursday. Along with Harvard STAND members, Brandeis STAND officers addressed the Joint Committee on Public Service at the Massachusetts State House in Boston in support of Senate Bill 2166, which would authorize such divestment. STAND President Weldon Kennedy '06 and Daniel Millenson '09, the executive director of Brandeis Students Uniting for Divestment Action Now, a branch of STAND, spoke at the hearing, which they had arranged with Jay Kaufmann, a state representative from the 15th district. "By going before the committee, we've really given this bill momentum," Kennedy said. "We've pushed it over the edge and now we can, hopefully, make sure it rolls down the right path."Kennedy and Millenson worked with Kaufmann to bring in experts to speak before the committee, including James Ryan, Massachusetts teacher of the year for 2003, Eric Reeves, a Sudan researcher and analyst and English professor at Smith College, and Rebecca Hamilton, the co-founder of the Darfur Action Group at Harvard University. If the bill passes, Massachusetts will be the fourth state to divest, Millenson said, following New Jersey, Oregon and Illinois. Millenson said this bill may help spark national divestiture and also encourage universities and private entities to divest. "It's a domino effect, and all you need is to reach a certain tipping point," Millenson said. "Massachusetts might not be that tipping point, but it will certainly further our goals in that respect.""[The state] recognizes how great it is that students from around the country are working to see that there is change is Sudan," Kennedy said. While the bill must go through two more committees, Kennedy and Millenson said they are fairly confident the committee will recommend the bill favorably. STAND officer Elana Kaufman '06, who attended the hearing with six or seven other officers said she was impressed with the extensive background information Millenson compiled for the committee. "Brandeis made a good case as to why Massachusetts should divest," Kaufman said. She added that "hitting [the Sudanese government] in the wallet" should prompt it to "improve its human rights record." Until the bill reaches the next committee on Dec. 8, the group plans to lobby members of the next two committees until then to ensure that this bill is passed.Millenson is also spearheading the effort to get Brandeis to issue a statement of "disinvestment," an agreement not to invest in companies that do business in Sudan until the genocide ends. "This has the potential to be very effective," Millenson said. "This is not an activist dream; it is a very hard-headed, realistic, goal-oriented effort to effect real change.
(11/15/05 5:00am)
Different year, different team, same old goal. After barely missing out on the NCAA tournament for the second straight year last season, the reigning back-to-back ECAC champion women's basketball team hits the hardwood this year determined to attain the goal that has eluded it through two still successful seasons."When you only lose four games in a season it's hard to make any drastic changes," coach Carol Simon said. "It's a matter of creating our own identity from last year."The Judges return four of their five starters from last season, including UAA Rookie of the Year guard Jamie Capra '08, and team scoring leader and honorable mention All-American forward Caitlin Malcolm '07 as well as coach Carol Simon and the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year. All of this experience, coupled with the addition of six rookies, has made for an all around optimistic team."We seem to be doing pretty well right now," Simon said. "We have a great work ethic and great team chemistry."The dynamic inside-outside duo of Malcolm and Capra gave the Judges the bulk of their offensive firepower last season. Malcolm led the team in scoring with 15.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while Capra had 11.5 and 5.4 rebounds points per game. Simon said Malcolm's size and physical abilities give her the edge in conference play. "[Malcolm] is probably the strongest post, physically, in the UAA, and she's just continuing to work as hard as she can," Simon said. Simon expects Capra to garner greater attention from opposing defenses after her breakout season."For [Capra], now she is known, which is the hardest thing to adjust to," Simon said. "So now it's just a matter of what teams are going to try to take away from her and how she will adjust."Captains Amanda DeMartino '06 and Christine Clancy '06, as well as Alison Chase '07, will join Malcolm and Capra to form the starting lineup. DeMartino, an Honorable Mention All-UAA who took the helm as point guard last season and leads the team in assists, is already a tested leader, while Chase is a newcomer to the Judges' starting lineup. Clancy, a center, was a second team All-UAA selection last season.Despite experienced starters, the Judges have a significantly more youthful team than last season and will be looking to the rookies to contribute. "The [chemistry] is very different from last year, but it's coming along," Capra said. "The [first-years] have definitely stepped in, and they are stepping up and playing well.""We are lacking in experience in some ways," Clancy said. "But in order to have a successful season we need our freshmen to step up." DeMartino agreed that the first-years"I was a little worried about the team chemistry this year because you never know what to expect," DeMartino said. "But I think that the chemistry is really great. I think that our freshmen need to get used to playing college basketball, but they can do a lot of big things for us and really help us out."The Judges come into the season ranked No. 8 in the D3Hoops.com preseason Top 25 poll. Still, players are focused on the fundamentals."Defense and boxing out are two things that will get us where we really need to be, and we need to work on those," DeMartino said. With only nine losses over the past two seasons and back-to-back ECAC Championship titles, the Judges are still hungry for an NCAA bid. Last season, the Judges were ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation before a string of late-season conference losses knocked them out of contention. Simon acknowledged the team's frustration in missing out on the tournament last season."It was a disappointment last year," she said. "It's always our goal to make and win the tournament."If the Judges hope to reach the Big Dance this year, they will have to win consistently during challenging regional games and an even more grueling conference schedule."We want to go undefeated in non-conference games," Capra said. "Last year we beat [non-conference opponents] very easily, but this year I know it's going to be more of a challenge with a harder schedule."The team opens the season with the annual Tip-Off Tournament, hosted by Brandeis. The Judges will take on Salve Regina College on Friday at 6 p.m. in the first round.Editors Note: Kiersten Holgash '08, pictured on the right in the top left picture of this page wearing No. 13, is a staff writer for the Justice.
