(01/14/14 5:00am)
On Dec. 18, the Brandeis American Studies program announced its departure from the American Studies Association, a nationwide collective of American Studies departments at colleges and universities, after the ASA announced its participation in a boycott of Israel's higher education institutions. Brandeis University was the second school to end its partnership, after Pennsylvania State Harrisburg, and joins institutions such as Indiana University and Kenyon College in ending its American Studies Association membership after the decision. 157 colleges and universities have made formal statements in opposition of the boycott. This board supports the decision made by Prof. Thomas Doherty (AMST) and his colleagues to end the partnership and oppose the illogical boycott. * The ASA is the most prominent institution participating in this boycott, stating that "Israeli academic institutions function as a central part of a system that has denied Palestinians their basic rights." The ASA plans to prevent its member schools from participating in conferences and events sponsored by Israeli universities, but the association's power is purely symbolic. As an academic institution, its only function is to promote dialogue between colleges on American studies, and the boycott prevents even this from being accomplished. This decision represents the politicization of an academic association that should be committed to the free exchange of all ideas. By blocking Israeli colleges from participating in scholarly exchange, The ASA contradicts its own constitution, which states that it seeks to promote "the strengthening of relations among persons and institutions in this country and abroad devoted to [American Studies]." * While ASA members should be free to make their own choices about political issues, blocking an entire nation from participating in free exchange causes all to suffer, most of all the students who cannot engage in or recieve an Israeli perspective on issues of American culture. * The boycott has been denounced by the Association of American Universities, which represents 62 schools across the United States and Canada. Telling about the nature of the boycott is a similar rejection by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who stated that he "does not support boycotts of the institutions that the ASA is now targeting." Brandeis' decision to withdraw from the ASA should be lauded not only for showing the University's continued support of Israel, but more importantly, for showing its commitment to academic integrity and the free exchange of scholarly work. * In University President Frederick Lawrence's response to the decision, he stated, "The boycott even defies common sense; what Israeli universities can do that would end the policies that the ASA has condemned is hard to imagine." This board agrees wholeheartedly with Lawrence, and applauds the American Studies program's response to the boycott.
(01/14/14 5:00am)
Prof. Jonathan D. Sarna '75 (NEJS) was elected president of the Association of Jewish Studies at its 45th annual December conference in Boston. The Association of Jewish Studies elects its presidents every two years, according to the association's website. Candidates are nominated by a committee on the board of directors, and are then put to a vote among the association's members. Sarna wrote in an email to the Justice that he is "deeply honored to have been elected." Previously, Sarna served as a board member of the Association and, most recently, its secretary-treasurer. Sarna stated that he views himself as the "John Quincy Adams" of the organization; this is due to the fact that his father, Nahum Sarna, was president of the organization from 1984 to 1985, according to a BrandeisNOW article published on Jan. 6. Nahum Sarna was a professor at Brandeis from 1965 to 1985. Sarna wrote that he recalls his father's "high scholarly standards" and "devotion to the Association for Jewish Studies," and that this influenced his previous involvement in AJS. He has been a part of the organization since he was a graduate student, which, according to Sarna, means that he has been involved for nearly 40 years. In the BrandeisNOW article, Brandeis University Provost Steve Goldstein '78 expressed pride at the role Brandeis played in "the creation and nurturing of the field of Jewish Studies in the United States;" he noted the contributions of the faculty members who "served the profession in this role." Goldstein also stated that Sarna's "scholarly contributions and international stature are valued both by Brandeis and the Association." According to his biography on the department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies' website, Sarna earned his undergraduate degree in Judaic Studies and History from Brandeis, and his doctoral degree in history from Yale University. He taught at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati until 1990, as well as at Yale University, the University of Cincinnati and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Sarna came to Brandeis in 1990 to join the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department, and has since served as the department's chair twice. The Association of Jewish Studies was founded at Brandeis in 1969 by "a small group of scholars seeking a forum for exploring methodological and pedagogical issues in the new field of Jewish Studies," according to the association's website. The organization's mission is to "advance research and teaching in Jewish Studies at colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning, and to foster greater understanding of Jewish Studies scholarship among the wider public." It has more than 1,800 members, including "university faculty, graduate students, independent scholars and museum and related professionals who represent the breadth of Jewish Studies scholarship."
(01/14/14 5:00am)
Prof. James Arena-DeRosa (Heller), an adjunct lecturer at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and a resident of Holliston, Mass., has joined the race for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, local sources such as the Metro Daily West and MassLive.com reported late last month. Arena-DeRosa, who teaches courses such as HS 218f: "Communication for Impact" and HS 281f: "International Advocacy in Action," will run against Steve Kerrigan, a former Senator Ted Kennedy aide, CEO of Leading Cities Mike Lake and Jonathan Edwards, a selectman from Whately, Mass., in the September Democratic primary. Arena-DeRosa was formerly the director of Public Advocacy for Oxfam America, New England Regional Manager for the United States Peace Corps in Boston, and currently oversees $10 billion of food and nutrition programs in the Northeast for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to his profile on the Heller School's website. According to a Jan. 13 MassLive.com article, Arena-DeRosa plans to focus on hunger, nutrition and food policy, should he be elected. "There are billions of dollars of long-term savings if we can get people to have a healthier lifestyle," Arena-DeRosa told the online news outlet. "There's tremendous interest in fresh, local healthy foods," DeRosa continued. "The rules are set up unfortunately to sometimes help the bigger corporate entities. We need someone who's fighting for our small farmers." The position of lieutenant governor has been vacant since June, when Timothy Murray resigned to become president and chief executive officer of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce according to a May 23 Worcester Telegram article. Murray left the elected post amid scandals involving a high-speed car crash and allegations of improper campaign fundraising, according to the article. -Tate Herbert
(01/13/14 5:00am)
The Brandeis men's and women's track and field teams made a great start to the 2014 portion of their season at the Dartmouth Relays this past weekend. The men and women, squaring off against Division I competition that included teams from host Dartmouth College, Boston College and Harvard University, more than held their own. The men's squad placed ninth of 14 teams with six points, while the women took eighth. The highlight of the day was Vincent Asante's '14 third-place finish in the men's 60-meter dash. After a seventh-place finish in the preliminary race, he ran the distance in a blistering 6.98 seconds, second among Division III runners and qualified for the New England Division III Championship in the process. Grady Ward '16 finished 17th in the men's mile, running four minutes, 29.95 seconds. Matt Doran '17 (45th, 4:42.56) and Liban Aden '16 (63rd, 4:52.49) joined him in the marquee event, ultimately won by Dartmouth senior Will Geoghegan in 4:05.75. The women were similarly successful. Kelsey Whitaker '14 just missed out on scoring, taking ninth in the event in 5:19.95. Molly Paris '16 and Lydia McCaleb '17 took 31st and 32nd. Paris ran in 5:53.32 while McCaleb finished in 5:53.95. Omar Scruggs '17 led the way for Brandeis in the 400-meter dash, taking 15th place in 52.73 seconds. Mohamed Sidique '14 (55.02), Jeremy Wilson '17 (55.55), Trevor Tuplin '16 (56.86) and Joshua Romanowicz '17 (59.58) took 28th, 32nd, 38th and 44th, respectively, in the race. Additionally, the Brandeis 4x200 relay team of Asante, Sidique, Wilson and Tuplin placed 14th in 1:36.74. While she was the only competitor in the event, Ashley Piccirillo-Horan '17 picked up points in the 800-meter run, finishing fifth with a time of 2:25.86. Quinton Hoey '17 had a strong showing in the men's 3000-meter run, completing the 15-lap race in 9:10.94, good for 30th overall. Ultimately, 10 of the women's 12 points came from the women's 3K. Maddie Dolins '17 and Victoria Sanford '14 took fifth (10:26.37) and sixth (10:27.09), respectively. The Judges next travel to Saturday's Greater Boston Track Club Invitational at Harvard.
(12/19/13 5:00am)
Senior Vice President and General Counsel Judith Sizer will be stepping down at the end of this month after almost 22 years at the University to join the education practice at Rose, Chinitz & Rose, a Boston law firm. Deputy General Counsel Steven Locke will take Sizer's place as general counsel following confirmation of his appointment by the Board of Trustees in January, as confirmed by Senior Vice President of Communications Ellen de Graffenreid.
(12/10/13 5:00am)
Last Thursday, the Brandeis community joined the global community in mourning the death of Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa who led the movement to free his country from its racist, unjust system of apartheid laws. As a University dedicated to social justice, the loss of Mandela affects Brandeis deeply. This board encourages professors, students, and staff to look to Mandela's legacy as an inspiration. While inviting students to a peace vigil and candlelight event, Dean of Students Jamele Adams wrote of Mandela as "a hero and legend who stood for justice for all," adding that "we commemorate and celebrate him." Mandela's story of peaceful struggle in the face of hatred has inspired Brandeis for years. In February 1986, at the height of the anti-apartheid movement, students built and lived in a shanty town across from Goldfarb Library, vowing to occupy the quadrangle of land until the University cut all relations with companies tied to the South African government. The protesters staged forums and marches, which even led to a group of students being arrested on campus. Then-President Evelyn Handler ended the school's financial ties to the regime after these protests. Kweku Mandela Amuah and Ndaba Mandela, founders of the Africa Rising Foundation and Nelson Mandela's grandchildren, will be the keynote speakers at Deis Impact, a festival of social justice, this February. This shows the University's continued focus on the issues of freedom, equality and above all, the global awareness for which Mandela stood. We applaud this decision as a positive memorial and discourse to have on campus. Students must continue to share and draw inspiration from the life of Nelson Mandela and never forget his unique ability to work alongside and love the people who represented the system he fought against. We ask the Brandeis community not to forget its commitment to social justice, and aspire to teach students the principles necessary to become the next great leaders of our time. *
(12/10/13 5:00am)
The men's and women's fencing teams both hosted nationally ranked teams on Sunday at the Brandeis Invitational held in Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. Though the teams did not walk away with winning records, they put forth impressive efforts. The men's team secured a 2-3 record on the afternoon, picking up wins over Johns Hopkins University and the Air Force Academy while falling to No. 5 St. John's University, No. 7 Columbia University and Yale University. The women also defeated Johns Hopkins on the way to a 2-4 record. While they also defeated Yale in addition to their win over Johns Hopkins, but lost to No. 5 St. John's, No. 3 Columbia, Air Force and Cornell University. Saberist Adam Mandel '15, who posted a 13-2 individual record on the day, noted that the team had the right mindset even though their results were less than desirable. "We went out there with the right attitude and the drive to win, but we fell short of beating Yale and St. John's like we wanted to," he said. "We ended up coming close to beating both, but in the end came down to a few 5-4 losses." Although the men's team fell to their two ranked opponents-12-15 to St. John's and 7-20 to Columbia-the Judges managed a close contest before falling to Yale 10-17. They then managed to gain some momentum in their 15-12 defeat over Air Force and 18-9 triumph over Johns Hopkins in the first two bouts. In the win over Hopkins, both Mandel and foilist Julian Cardillo '14 led the way for the Judges with respective 3-0 victories over their Blue Jays opponents. The saberists managed to secure three wins in their five events on the day, followed closely by the ?(c)p?(c)eists and foilists, who both respectively secured two victories on the day. Foilist Noah Berman '15 had a strong day for the Judges, taking seven victories on the afternoon, while ?(c)p?(c)eist Tom Hearne '16 matched Berman's win count with seven of his own. Mandel credited the results to the strong leadership of Cardillo, the Judges' captain, who kept his teammates focused on their strengths. "The team was both very excited and nervous about coming into this meet today," he explained. "A lot of us were nervous about potentially not getting the results that we wanted, but our captain Julian Cardillo, did a really good job in helping us focus on fencing rather than thinking about the results." "I think his message got through to a lot of the team and was directly reflected in our results today." Even though the team could not defeat Yale-a match they targeted beforehand as one they wanted to win-Mandel was still impressed with the effort turned out by the Judges-including wins over teams that sit just outside the top-10 national rankings. "I saw a lot of great wins from the Brandeis team today, like the foil squad against St. John's and the saber squad against Yale," he said. "No one gave up any easy touches and there were many amazing wins which came from it." The women's team managed a 2-4 record on the day, posting a 16-11 victory over Johns Hopkins and a 14-13 victory over Yale. However, the Judges could not overcome St. John's (13-14), Air Force (12-15), Cornell (9-18) and Columbia (4-23). As they did for the men, the saberists led the way for the Judges, securing an impressive 5-1 record on the day. The team only fell to Columbia, and throughout the day, was led by Annabel Sharahy '17 who secured eight individual victories. Foilist Caroline Mattos '16 once again led Brandeis with nine victories, matched by ?(c)p?(c)eist Sonya Glickman '16, who also took home nine wins. In ep?(c)e, Glickman was joined by Gwendolyn Mowell '16, who managed seven victories on the day, including a perfect 3-0 record against Air Force. Even though the teams did not preform as well as they would have liked, Mandel saw plenty of positives in the Invitational. "I think that this team shows more promise than any of the previous years I've fenced on and I'm optimistic about what the rest of the season holds," he said. "We are definitely a force to be reckoned with and I think the Judges will be knocking on some serious doors in years to come." Both Brandeis teams return to the mat with the USA Fencing North American Cup on Jan. 17. *
(12/10/13 5:00am)
On Dec. 2, Student Union President Ricky Rosen '14 delivered the annual State of the Union address in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium to a crowd of approximately 70 students and administrators. Rosen opened the address by thanking the members of the Union for being so vocal in advocating for their constituents, stating that this has been a "pivotal semester in Brandeis time." He listed changes and new initiatives such as the implementation of the strategic plan, efforts to turn Brandeis into a household name, the arrival of new campus partners like Sodexo and Joseph's Transportation and the changing administration-including Jamele Adams' promotion to dean of students and Cheryl Sousa's '90 new position as assistant vice president of health and wellness, as part of the pivotal semester. Rosen highlighted Union successes this semester, including the addition of hammocks on campus, increasing communication with students through the Student Union bulletin board in the Usdan Student Center, holding more outreach events and making modifications to the Boston shuttle bus schedule to best benefit students. Rosen stated that the Union also hopes to change the time and access for the Wednesday and Thursday Riverside MBTA station shuttles. Rosen also revealed information about a variety of upcoming dining changes. The New York-style delicatessen that will replace Quiznos will be called Louis' and will be constructed over the winter. The delicatessen will open on Monday, Jan. 13, the first day of classes for the spring 2014 semester. The food truck, which serves food in between the Shapiro Campus Center and the Feldberg Communications Center, will begin accepting WhoCash and points next semester. Plans to install a caf?(c) in the science quad are also in discussions that will continue next semester. After an analysis of the results of a dining survey sent out recently, Rosen announced that the Student Union and Sodexo are presenting a joint recommendation to the University that The Stein be turned into a sports bar, instead of the Guy Fieri On Campus restaurant which was initially proposed. "We are hoping that The Stein will become the premiere on-campus weekend destination for Brandeis students," Rosen said. Rosen also stated that the project is in the final stages of planning approval, and a detailed construction timeline will be announced before winter break. The Stein was officially closed on Nov. 19 for the remainder of the semester. Class of 2016 Senator Jon Jacob is also working to have local Waltham restaurants accept WhoCash as a form of payment, in addition to Cappy's Pizza and Subs, said Rosen. "So far, Carl's Subs, Sabatino's and Tree Top Waltham have all expressed interest in joining this program," said Rosen. He added that their goal is to get Asia Wok and Baan Thai to join in the project, which he hopes will be completed by the end of the year. The Union has also been working on constructing new meal plans with Sodexo. These meal plans, which will likely be implemented in fall 2014, will include the element of unlimited access, "meaning students will be able to go in and out of all-you-can-eat dining facilities [using meals and points] as many times a week as they would like," said Rosen. He also stated that more changes would come in the next few weeks. Rosen thanked Class of 2017 Senator David Heaton and Union Vice President Charlotte Franco '15 for their work with the Dining Committee. Rosen also revealed three longer-term changes to the dining facilities: over the summer, the Usdan Caf?(c) will become a buffet-style location. To complement this, Usdan Boulevard will feature "retail food locations and potentially fast food franchise restaurants, including Quiznos," according to Rosen. Sherman Dining Hall will also be renovated the following summer in 2015. One ongoing Union initiative that Rosen highlighted was divestment from fossil fuels. In response to the referendum on divesting Brandeis funds from fossil fuel corporations last semester, a Divestment Working Group was set up over the summer to investigate the possibility of divestment. Rosen stated that this is part of an attempt to "make Brandeis a sustainable institution and reduce our carbon footprint." The group will continue to examine alternative investment opportunities for the University throughout the academic year. In addition to this, the Senate established a Sustainability Committee, headed by Class of 2015 Senator Anna Bessendorf. The goal of the committee, according to Rosen, is to reduce wasteful resource usage and streamline student efforts to increase campus sustainability. One notable success of the committee was being approved for a Brandeis Sustainability Fund grant in order to install 60 toilets with dual-flush capabilities on campus. Another Union initiative is to create an email system for the mailroom to notify students when there is a package for them. Rosen hopes the project will be completed by the end of the year; Jacob and Executive Senator Annie Chen '14 have spearheaded the initiative. Rosen also spoke about 'Deis Impact, the weeklong festival celebrating and focusing on social justice. 'Deis Impact is a collaborative effort between the Union and the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life. The festival will occur from Feb. 1 through Feb. 10 and will feature Ndaba Mandela and Kweku Mandela Amuah, founders of Africa Rising and the grandchildren of the recently deceased Nelson Mandela, as keynote speakers. Rosen also discussed parking on campus, stating that it has been a "serious problem for over a decade." According to Rosen, the Department of Public Safety has issued 3,126 parking permits for the 2,300 parking spots available on campus this year. In response to student dissatisfaction with available parking, research by the Union found that Brandeis is the only school in its conference-the University Athletic Association-that does not have a parking facility on campus, does not allow sophomores to park on campus and requires faculty and staff to pay for parking. Rosen stated that this was one of the Union's "chief objectives," and that the Union wants to "make [parking] a priority for the administration and students in the years to come." The final initiative that Rosen mentioned was the creation of a bus shelter outside of the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Admissions Center, which he hopes will serve as a memento to the 2013 to 2014 Student Union and its efforts.
(12/10/13 5:00am)
Following Student Union President Ricky Rosen's '14 State of the Union address in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium on Monday, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel led a town hall meeting about the University's fiscal year budget. Flagel was joined by Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid and Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Marianne Cwalina. During the presentation, Flagel explained the University budget to the audience, including the University's revenues and expenses. According to Flagel, the revenues were composed of 40 percent undergraduate tuition and fees, 13 percent graduate tuition and fees, two percent continuing programs tuition, eight percent room and board, 10 percent endowment support, four percent annual giving, four percent restricted gifts use, 13 percent sponsored programs direct revenue, three percent sponsored programs indirect revenue and three percent other income. The expenses budget totaled $394.6 million-a four million dollar deficit-and was comprised of 18 percent staff salaries, 11 percent faculty salaries, three percent student wages and support, seven percent benefits, 19 percent operational expenses, six percent depreciation of buildings, three percent interest on the total debt, 12 percent sponsored research, 14 percent undergraduate financial aid, seven percent graduate financial aid and 0.2 percent continuing programs financial aid. A significant point of the presentation was the inclusion of financial aid in the charts. "Normally, when Universities present the expense and revenue budgets, they don't include financial aid," said Flagel. He explained that this occurs because aid is generally considered a discount as opposed to an expense. This method was "more intuitive," according to Flagel, and showed the true revenue and expenditures. Flagel later said that the budget is "not wildly dissimilar to other institutions." Aid and salaries make up the largest portion of University expenses, said Flagel, and the University is "really tied up in [that] portion of the budget;" thus, it would be difficult to reduce spending in these areas. Following the presentation, Flagel opened the floor to questions from anyone present. When asked how the budget compared chronologically to past University budgets, he said that the "percentages are fairly similar from year to year," and "you don't see much of a shift." Flagel did note that the University has exceeded its revenues for many years, and thus been required to pull funds off of the endowment in approximately a five percent yearly rate. One attendee raised a question regarding tuition and possible increases. Flagel responded that he "[did] not have a specific number, but the [fiscal] model tries to keep tuition increase below four percent [each year]. ... How much we spend on dining, on housing, et cetera ... all are components of trying to make sure that we're keeping Brandeis accessible." Flagel further clarified that the fiscal model's goal is not a price point, but to make sure that the University is not excluding talented students from attending Brandeis. "That's a tremendous challenge in a fiscal model to provide, so [the administration] want[s] to find the best ways possible to preserve the Brandeis experience but make it accessible," he said. After receiving a question about why Brandeis charges regular tuition to students studying abroad, even though their programs may have cheaper costs, Flagel responded that Brandeis' model for study abroad is to either mark a student as on sabbatical, which Flagel said is popular among other institutions, or "pay our fee, [full Brandeis tuition] and stay enrolled at the University and still have access to all the things you would have access to as a student." When asked how the University is planning to respond to the recent Boston Globe article that criticized the compensation package for President Emeritus Jehuda Reinharz, in light of the budget deficit, Flagel responded that there "isn't much we can do about an article." He noted that the main issue was one of fairness to the administration, and stated that Board of Trustees is "very concerned" and will "continue to look into this matter." He also said that two undergraduate and graduate representatives to the Board would carry the voices of the student body to the Board. The History of Ideas program, which was the center of a scandal accusing the University of mishandling a donor's money for the program, was also brought up at the meeting. After being asked about the situation and what was being done, Flagel told the audience that "all the funds that come in from donors are maintained with extraordinary ethical standards." He later added that "not everyone who was engaged agrees with the decisions that were made," but that "in terms of maintaining the integrity of the donor's wishes, all of that has been taken care of." In an email to the Justice, Rosen stated that "having a forum such as the town hall meeting last week ... is a tremendous first step towards more budget transparency." Rosen further stated that the student body "[has] the right to know why our tuition is increasing ... and whether Brandeis as an institution is responsibly managing its funds." *
(12/10/13 5:00am)
An in-depth account examining the demonstrations that took place at Al-Quds University on Nov. 5 and the nature of Al-Quds' subsequent response, titled "A Report to the Brandeis Community on the Events of 2013 Involving Brandeis University and Al-Quds University," was made public yesterday afternoon. The report, written by Daniel Terris, the director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, Profs. Susan Lanser (ENG) and Daniel Kryder (POL) concludes that Al-Quds University acted swiftly to condemn the demonstrations and recommends that Brandeis "resume and indeed redouble its commitment" to the partnership with Al-Quds. Additionally, a resolution from the advisory board of the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life encouraged both Brandeis and Al-Quds to take steps to lift the suspension of Al-Quds University President Sari Nusseibeh from the advisory board of the Center. University President Frederick Lawrence and University Provost Steve Goldstein '78 requested the report and asked the three professors to learn about the demonstration during a previously-scheduled research visit to Al-Quds, according to the report's introduction. The demonstration in question, according to the report, "featured young men dressed in black military-style outfits, wearing black masks, and sporting fake automatic weapons." In response to a Nov. 17 letter regarding the demonstration from Al-Quds University President Sari Nusseibeh, Lawrence suspended Brandeis' partnership with Al-Quds. On the whole, the authors expressed their confidence with the immediate response of Al-Quds to the demonstrations. "Within 24 hours, the University administration had taken steps to address the unacceptable elements of the rally directly with student leaders, it had issued a direct and unambiguous condemnation of the event, and it had set up a formal investigative committee," read the report. In reference to the Nov. 17 letter from Nusseibeh to his students that Lawrence referred to as "unacceptable and inflammatory," Terris, Lanser and Kryder acknowledged that many members of the Brandeis community felt that there was an "indifference or hostility towards the Jewish people and towards the state of Israel" in the letter. However, they put forth their own belief that the letter was a meaningful effort by Nusseibeh to communicate to his students values of peace and respect. "The four lengthy paragraphs of the letter that condemn violence and hatred ... have received too little attention," they wrote. Details of the demonstration The report provided many new, previously-unknown details about the nature of the demonstrations at Al-Quds. First and foremost, the report explained that the demonstration was sponsored by a student organization at Al-Quds whose name "translates loosely as 'Islamic Bloc.'" The organization is described as "an affiliate of the Islamic Jihad political party" that was trying to "exaggerate its own local strength" through the demonstration to another political student group. The report explains that many political student organizations at Al-Quds are "direct affiliates of national parties, which may also provide external funding and advisement." The demonstrators' application to Al-Quds for permission to stage the rally "proposed four activities: a ceremony honoring the three best students in each school with awards; speeches; a dramatization that as to relate in some way to student life on campus; and Islamic music," according to the report. The rally evidently did not follow this plan. Agreements between Al-Quds and student groups prohibit military-style events and the disrespect for any nation or its symbols, including the Israeli flag, according to the report. On Nov. 5, however, a "highly charged political atmosphere" led Al-Quds security officials to conclude that "any intervention or confrontation carried serious risks" and might lead to violence between two opposing student factions-one associated with Islamic Jihad and one associated with Hamas. To avoid any violence, Al-Quds allowed the rally to proceed despite its inappropriate nature. Regarding the link to Nazism, the student group holding the demonstration denied any connection between Nazism and its gesture, according to the report. Instead, the gesture was meant to be related to a pledge supporting Al-Quds. The report also mentions that while scholars on both campuses indicate that the salute is used by other Middle Eastern political groups, "those who perform it can be expected to know that it will be seen as ... a symbol of hatred towards the Jewish people." Al-Quds' response The report explained that the student affairs staff of Al-Quds University gathered all of the student groups "immediately after the rally" to emphasize that the rally had violated Al-Quds' policies. The day following the rally, Nov. 6, Nusseibeh and Executive Vice President Imad Abu Kishek established a committee to "investigate the circumstances of the event and to recommend sanctions for individual participants as well as revisions to University policy." The report indicated that the committee's work was still in process on Nov. 20, when the Brandeis delegation left Al-Quds. In an email to the Justice, Terris wrote that he, Lanser and Kryder "have not had an update about this since before Thanksgiving. As far as we know, the committee is still continuing its work." When asked whether the committee had also considered sanctioning the "Islamic Bloc" student organization who organized the event, Terris responded that he, Lanser and Kryder "do not know exactly what sanctions the committee is considering at this time." On Nov. 17, Nusseibeh wrote a letter to Al-Quds students that was intended to address several different events that had impacted the school. The Nov. 5 rally had served as one of them, according to the report. Lawrence, in a Nov. 18 press release on BrandeisNOW, called this letter, which was translated to English from the Arabic, "unacceptable and inflammatory." Lawrence suspended the partnership between Brandeis and Al-Quds shortly following receipt of the letter on Nov. 18. The authors acknowledge that Nusseibeh's use of the term "Jewish extremists" in the letter is "jarring" but emphasize that there is a distinction between "Jews" and "Jewish extremists," similarly to the way that people have learned the distinction between Muslims and Islamic extremists. "Presumably the same distinction [between Muslim people in general and Islamic extremists] applies when speaking about other groups," they wrote. Community responses Lawrence was traveling in India at the time of the report's release and could not be reached for comment. Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid wrote in an email to the Justice that Lawrence "will review [the report] carefully and he continues to keep the lines of communication open with Al Quds University." "These are sensitive issues and I know that President Lawrence is committed to gathering all of the data that is available and considering a broad range of input from the community," de Graffenreid continued. Terris wrote in an email to the Justice that he had not yet received feedback from the University administration. "The report was just released this afternoon. We haven't received any feedback from those groups that I know about," he wrote. Prof. Mari Fitzduff (Heller), the founding director of the master's program in Coexistence and Conflict, expressed her appreciation in an email to the Justice that the report "paid great attention to the context, the language and the cultural and community nuances that were a necessary part of understanding the Al-Quds incident." She further expressed her support for the partnership. "I do hope the partnership will be actively continued, along with the reinstatement of President Nusseibeh to the Board of the Ethics center," she wrote. Prof. Jonathan Sarna (NEJS) expressed concern with the partnership in an email to the Justice. "Reading the report of the committee, I could not help but wonder how our university would respond if a Ku Klux Klan rally complete with robes, hoods, and the burning of crosses took place at one of our partner institutions," wrote Sarna. "I fear that what we are witnessing here is what George W. Bush once termed 'the soft bigotry of low expectations.'" "I find it deeply regrettable, especially when displayed by colleagues whom I otherwise so deeply respect," Sarna continued. Eve Herman '15, the president of the Brandeis Zionist Alliance, conveyed her distress with the events at Al-Quds in an email to the Justice. "Organizations that support or host anti-Israel or anti-Jewish events (such as the Nazi-style rally) should have no place on our Brandeis campus. All the more so, any similar behavior is not to be tolerated by partnership institutions, and Al-Quds' students' actions were simply unacceptable," she wrote. Representatives from the student organization Brandeis Students for Justice in Palestine did not respond to an email requesting comment. Eli Philip '15, the co-president of J Street U Brandeis, expressed agreement with the report in an email to the Justice. "J Street U Brandeis joins professors Terris, Lanser and Kryder in their call to resume a vibrant partnership with Al-Quds University. Engaging with narratives different than our own is often difficult, but ultimately a partnership will help both universities empower productive voices who are interested in peace and understanding," he wrote. -Tate Herbert contributed reporting
(12/10/13 5:00am)
John Evans has guided the Brandeis track and field and cross-country programs to a plethora of success since taking charge as head coach in 2004. In just 10 years he amassed many accolades. Evans led four teams to the NCAA Division III cross-country championships, saw 12 individuals earn All-America honors and 10 first-year athletes to University Athletic Association Rookie of the Year honors. After a decade at the helm, Evans announced last Wednesday that he would resign at the conclusion of this semester. His wife Sinead Evans-an assistant coach with the program for the past four years-will step in as interim head coach for the remainder of the indoor season, as well as the 2014 outdoor track season. Evans, who is also a consultant at New Balance, noted that while it proved to be an incredibly difficult decision, he felt it was best to now focus on a more work-intensive role. "With my role at New Balance expanding, I felt that this was the time to focus my efforts there," Evans said. "This was a difficult decision, as I have loved every minute coaching at a great institution like Brandeis. I've worked with tremendous student-athletes over the years, hard workers and bright students." Under Evans, the men's cross-country team experienced an unparalleled run of success, earning three straight trips to the NCAA championships between 2008 and 2010. The women, meanwhile, punched their ticket this fall to Nationals for the first time since 2001. Evans also brought his own collegiate and professional success to the role. Evans was a three-time Big East and IC4A champion at Providence College in 1989-eventually earning the coveted All-American honor in the 1500-meter run-and has coached professional runners at New Balance since 1994. Now, as Evans departs, Sinead Evans will prepare for her first head coaching role since a short stint at Regis College in 2002. Since joining the Brandeis staff in 2009, she has led the squads' distance and middle-distance runners to several strong finishes. Eight runners under her supervision qualified for the NCAA Division III track and field championships, two of whom included All-Americans Grayce Selig '11 and Chris Brown '12. In a Dec. 4 press release, Senior Associate Director of Athletics Lynne Dempsey cited that while John Evans' indispensable contributions will be sorely missed, the Judges consider it an asset to give control of the program to Sinead. "He has brought quality student-athletes to the Judges' program over the years, both on the track and off," Dempsey said. "We will miss him and wish him well, but we are glad that we can keep the program in the family." *
(11/26/13 5:00am)
Sexy, risqu?(c) and provocative are the three words I think of to describe Cabaret, a daring musical set in 1930s Berlin, Germany. The Brandeis Theater Company perfectly captured the seduction and tension of the musical during their production of it this weekend. Cabaret has a long performance history, dating back to its 1966 Broadway premiere in Manhattan, and is certainly an ambitious undertaking. The musical is arguably best known for actress Liza Minnelli's 1972 portrayal of Sally Bowles in the film adaptation.
(11/26/13 5:00am)
On Thursday night, friends and family crowded into Levin Ballroom for Adagio Dance Company's "Dancefest 2013: It's Your Turn." Adagio, which is run by students, is Brandeis' largest dance group and open to all who wish to participate. Students with varying levels of skill can join and the company will teach their participants and then perform different dance styles at Dancefest. The show was comprised of Adagio performances, as well as several other on-campus dance groups and a few from other schools.
(11/26/13 5:00am)
This past week, Brandeis celebrated Trans Awareness Week with a variety of events aimed at educating the student body about the needs of the transgender community, as well as the challenges it faces. The week was co-sponsored by TransBrandeis and the Intercultural Center. Trans Awareness Week is a nationally celebrated week that promotes awareness of the transgender community. According to the website of Fenway Focus, a group dedicated to serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community of Boston's Fenway neighborhood, Trans Awareness Week was first started by the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition to advocate for the transgender community. This year, the week was celebrated nationally from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17. It was recognized and celebrated at Brandeis between Nov. 18 and 24; this marks the third time Brandeis has celebrated the week. The dates differed for Brandeis, according to Sara Brande '15, the coordinator of TransBrandeis, because it was believed that having them cover an entire academic week would be a more effective way of reaching out to the community. TransBrandeis is a branch of Triskelion, Brandeis's umbrella LGBTQ group, which focuses on the transgender community at Brandeis. Brande said in an interview with the Justice that the week had seen a great showing from the community, and that the events had been "very well received." Jessica Pedrick, the program coordinator for sexual and gender diversity at the Intercultural Center, said in an interview with the Justice that the week was a strong success. "There seems to be a large interest in trans awareness on campus," she said. Pedrick said she mainly served in an advisory capacity for the week, meeting with representatives for each event to finalize details and ensure the proper resources were available and "supporting them any way they needed." On Monday, Nov. 19, the Queer Resource Center handed out cookies and informational pamphlets outside of the Usdan Student Center in an effort to promote Trans Awareness Week itself and general information about the transgender community to students. The event on Tuesday, Nov. 20 was the Trans Awareness Week Coffeehouse, which occurred in the ICC Swig Lounge. The coffeehouse received a "strong showing of support from the community," Brande said, and featured performances including a cappella groups, sketch comedy and individual acts. The ICC hosted an "Allies Brown Bag Lunch" on Wednesday in the Swig Lounge, which featured a discussion about the variations in gender identity and expression. The event was very successful, according to Pedrick, as a diverse group of individuals attended, including undergraduate and graduate students, and various staff members from the Interfaith Chaplaincy and the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, among others. The brown bag lunch also "promoted the ICC," Brande said. "People don't always visit the ICC, and events like this help expose them to what it can offer," she added. On Thursday, the Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil took place in the Trisk Lounge. There, the names of some of the victims of transphobic murders were read aloud in a memorial service for the 238 reported victims of the past year. Brande said that this event was particularly difficult, as the number of victims "is 238 too many." On Friday afternoon, Trans Awareness week joined the Peace Vigil at the Peace Circle for a ceremony promoting peace among all people. The final event of the week, Queer Swim, occurred on Sunday at the pool in the Joseph M. Linsey Sports Center. From 2:15 to 4:15 p.m., any person was able to use the male, female and handicapped locker rooms and pool entrances in an effort to promote gender inclusivity. "Basically, anyone [could] use whichever entrance they prefer to identify with," said Brande. "It is a great way to make the space more gender inclusive." Yesterday, a follow-up event called "Allies Topic Training: Coming Out" was held from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Swig Lounge. This discussion centered on how an individual can be a supportive ally, specifically with the challenges that follow when an individual considers whether to "come out" and disclose their sexual orientation, sexual preference or gender identity. Trans Awareness Week is not the only focus of TransBrandeis, however. A major initiative the group has focused on for two years has been implementing gender inclusive bathrooms in public buildings. "There are already gender inclusive bathrooms in many of the residence halls, which is great" said Brande. "The next step is pushing for more [gender inclusive bathrooms] in public buildings around campus." According to Brande, there are only four gender inclusive bathrooms in public spaces: one in the Intercultural Center, one in the Shapiro Campus Center and two in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Pedrick told the Justice that this initiative was "well under way," and that "the majority of the leg-work has been done, and now we have to compile the information into a report." She estimated that a motion would be submitted to the administration sometime during this academic year. *
(11/25/13 5:00am)
On Nov. 8, Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in Eastern Samar, Philippines, leaving 230,501 injured and a death toll of 5,235 and climbing, according to a Nov. 22 CNN report. Less than a week later on Thursday Nov. 14, a small group of students from the organization Students for a Just and Stable Future packed into a car bound for Tufts University for an emergency meeting about organizing a student fast—a fast to spread awareness about the superstorm's devastation and turn the conversation more broadly toward the urgency of the climate crisis.
(11/19/13 5:00am)
Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World held an event on Tuesday about Israel's ultra-Orthodox population, called Haredim. The event brought together about 60 students and faculty. The Haredi population is perceived by many Israeli citizens as absorbing state resources without paying proper duties to the state, including military service, participation in the labor force and proper care toward gender equality, according to program materials. Speakers during the event and students in a follow-up discussion examined the other side of this debate, considering how history led to Haredi dependence on the state, why Haredi ideology developed apart from the rest of Israel and how Haredim would be affected by changes to the legislation that currently supports them. "Even if we are afraid of [this topic], the ultra-Orthodox are our partners," said bVIEW Co-Founder and Programming Director Gil Zamir '15 in his opening remarks. Citing statistics that 700,000 of Israel's eight million citizens are Haredi and that one in four Israeli children are educated at an ultra-Orthodox institution, Zamir emphasized that they are more than just a "parasite," a term he heard them called when growing up on an Israeli kibbutz. "We believe that when thinking about Israel's future we cannot disregard this topic, even if we are afraid of it," he said. Prof. Yehudah Mirsky (NEJS), an ordained rabbi, and former Haredi Ysoscher Katz, director of a preparatory year program called Beit Midrash at the rabbinical school Yshivat Chovevei Torah, spoke at the event. Mirsky discussed the history of the Haredi population, describing how their ideology developed into ultra-orthodoxy during the 20th century. Orthodoxy, which had developed into a myriad of groups, split between "the Old Yishuv," or "the old Jewish collective," and "the New Yishuv." The rise of the Zionist movement and the world wars that vindicated the Zionist cause enabled Zionists to determine the "agenda of Jewish political life," according to Mirsky. For this reason, "the old yishuv" was "never able on its own terms to attain a great position of leadership in the Jewish world," Mirsky said. The old Jewish collective, which developed into the ultra-Orthodox community, opposed the secularization of the most profound symbols of Jewish people and established its support from the state through the status quo agreements of 1947, which established their exemption from military service and arranged for them to receive funding for their institutions, according to Mirsky. Ideological battles regarding the ultra-Orthodox in recent years, Mirsky said, have erupted in response to Israeli society becoming "remarkably secularized and sexualized." The "extraordinary bargaining power" ultra-Orthodox citizens had in the government allowed them to "negotiate almost anything," Mirsky said. Recent elections, however, have "for the first time in many years" removed Orthodox parties from the cabinet in the Israeli government, he added. Katz's perspective on Haredim provided a different insight, as he had for most of his life been Haredi himself. "There is a logic and reason to their world," he said. Modernization in Israel has led there to be only two options available to traditionalists, he said: ultra-Orthodoxy or ultra-secularism. The two groups have not yet met "core-to-core," and instead have only encountered each other "periphery-to-periphery," causing the issue to be unresolved. Regarding critiques of gender relations in ultra-Orthodox communities, Katz said that ultra-Orthodox communities were more complex than simply being "male-centric." The public face, he said, was male, but the private was dependent on women. Though his argument did not defend the system as being gender-equal, his defense of the ultra-Orthodox gender system depicted the system of dependency that appears to maintain unequal gender relations. Shani Abramowitz '14, logistics director of bVIEW, clarified bVIEW's intentions in coordinating this event in an interview with the Justice. "The point is to expose people to the other side of the narrative, because we're so quick to label and generalize, explicitly with [the Haredi] community and the discussion that surrounds it," said Abramowitz. Chen Arad '15, one of bVIEW's co-founders, described the political situation that made the issue of Haredim particularly important to discuss. "There are no Haredi parties in the government right now," he said. "So they are not there to prevent ... cutting of budgets for Haredis if they don't join the military and all kinds of legislation that currently allows a high degree of not joining the military among Haredis." *
(11/12/13 5:00am)
Former Executive Director Larry Sternberg's M.A. '78 tenure officially ended this past week, and Hillel at Brandeis' Board of Directors appointed Samuel Mendales to take over as the interim executive director for Hillel, according to a Nov. 9 email to Hillel student leaders from student president of Hillel Rachel Mayo '14. This decision comes after Sternberg announced on Oct. 18 that he would be leaving the University after over 30 years at Brandeis as a student, faculty member and staff member. Mendales wrote in an email to the Justice that he plans to start in his position as the interim executive director this week with a few "stealth" visits. Mendales said that he plans to be on campus twice a week and "as needed in the future." According to Mayo's email, more specific details of Mendales' schedule and tasks are still in development. "My major goal is to support the terrific staff and students through this transition and work with all of you to find the best possible candidate for Brandeis Hillel." Mendales explained that the new executive director will not be him, as he has a full-time job at Hillel Council. According to Mendales, he has worked with Brandeis students over the years on Hillel Council regional events and has helped to send Brandeis students on Israel programs. "I even attended services at Brandeis when I first moved to Boston before joining a synagogue," Mendales wrote. He added that he is excited to work with Brandeis students. "I feel proud and humbled that ... the Board and the [Schusterman] International Center [through Hillel] asked me to join the Brandeis community for this transitional period," wrote Mendales. Mendales has been the executive director of Hillel Council of New England since 1985, according to a biography attached to Mayo's email. Mendales transformed Hillel Council into a regional agency, which promotes advocacy and supplies regional services and programming for Hillel staff and students, as well fiscal management for the larger Hillels in the Greater Boston area, according to the biography. Mendales is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University and the School of Jewish Communal Service at Hebrew Union College, according to the biography. Mendales is a board member of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston, a member of the Combined Jewish Philanthropy's Board of Governors, a founding board member of the Jewish Organizers Initiative, a member of Temple Isaiah in Lexington, Mass. and a member of the Bedford Center for The Arts. Mayo declined to comment on Mendales' appointment. -Marissa Ditkowsky
(11/05/13 5:00am)
On Friday, approximately 50 students joined Namaskar, Brandeis' Association for Hindu, Jain and Sikh students, to celebrate the festival of Diwali in Ridgewood A Commons. Those in attendance included members of Namaskar, students and other members of the Brandeis community. Diwali is a major holiday celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs around the world. Translated as "row of lamps" in Hindi, Diwali holds a different significance for each religion observing, according to an email sent to the Brandeis Community by the Interfaith Chaplaincy. Sikhs celebrate Diwali on the anniversary of the day the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind ji was freed from imprisonment. For Jains, Diwali marks the Nirvana, or spiritual awakening, of Mahavira, a major spiritual leader. In the Hindu tradition, Diwali represents the return of Ram, a form of the god Vishnu, after he defeats the demon Ravana, who had kidnapped his wife. More broadly, Hindus celebrate Diwali as a triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. At Brandeis, Namaskar celebrated Diwali with food and festivity. Ridgewood A Commons was decorated with strings of lights and fabric artfully draped over the walls. A small shrine with candles and photos of various religious figures from the different traditions was prominently displayed in the center of the room. Before dinner, there were two different crafts offered. The first was a station where students and community members could decorate white paper with patterns made of glue and rice. Students drew on the paper with glue and then sprinkled colored rice over the top. The other craft option was lamp decorating. Lighting lamps is a significant part of Diwali and everyone was invited to paint on simple clay lamp holders. Some designs were simple with dots and stripes but other lamps had intricate drawings of plants or flames. The Indian dinner was one of the highlights of the evening. According to Shruti Vaidyanathan '16, the Namaskar public relations coordinator, the dishes served were aloo sabzi, a spicy potato dish, and paneer makhani, a buttery dish with chunks of Indian cheese, rice, mango juice and naan, Indian flatbread. For dessert, students could choose from an array of options including gulab jamun, a sweet dumpling, peda, a sweet made out of milk, sugar and flavorings like cardamom, and jaggery, a brightly colored hard sugar treat. During dinner, coordinator of the Interfaith Chaplaincy and the University's Catholic Chaplain Rev. Walter Cuenin said a few words on behalf of the Interfaith Chaplaincy and formally introduced the University's new Hindu adviser, Vaishali Gupta. Cuenin told the group that "almost all religions have a sense of light in a world of darkness." This marked the first year that Brandeis has had a spiritual adviser for the Hindu, Jain and Sikh community. In years past, students ran the prayers and explained the holidays themselves. When discussing Diwali, Gupta expanded upon the theme of openness to many faiths and cultures when she spoke about Diwali. She said that regardless of faith, everyone has "inner spiritual light." Following the delicious dinner, members of Namaskar and Gupta led the group in two rounds of prayers, or aarti. The first was a traditional Jain prayer done in honor of Mahavira, while the second was a Hindu aarti. During the prayers, Hindu, Jain and Sikh members of the community approached the altar and partook in traditional ceremonies with candles. Every student who so desired was blessed by Gupta. To end the spiritual occasion, Namaskar President Sharada Sanduga '14 invited all the guests to light ceremonial lamps that symbolized the triumph of light over darkness. It was a fitting end to a beautiful ceremony. *
(11/05/13 5:00am)
In the midst of all the new, modernist music that tends to be played at Brandeis, sometimes it's nice to revisit the musical classics and remember why they have remained so influential and popular for centuries. Saturday night's concert, as part of the Marquee Series in Slosberg Music Center, featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert, gave the Brandeis community an opportunity to appreciate the genius of these composers and the absolute beauty of their pieces that have shaped music history.
(11/05/13 5:00am)
Friday's matchup against No. 1 Washington University in St. Louis represented an opportunity for the women's soccer team to test itself against the top team in the nation. While the squad was able to keep the Bears scoreless for 40 minutes, the visitors ultimately scored just before half-time to go up 1-0, before notching two further goals after the break en route to a 3-0 win. Later in the weekend, the Judges tied the University of Chicago on Sunday in a dramatic 1-1 game. The team is now winless in six straight games, with only two goals scored over that span and with contention for a spot in postseason tournaments all but over. As a result, the loss and subsequent tie push the Judges' season record to 9-6-2 overall and a 1-3-2 record in UAA play. Sunday's game still yielded some positive results, though, in framing the future of this team. The lack of offense may be attributed to the season-ending injuries of team-leading forward and co-captains, forward Dara Spital '15 and midfielder Mary Shimko '14. However, the injuries opened up opportunities for a slew of first-years to start and they made sure to capitalize on the opportunity. The group is led by defender Julia McDermott '17, who made her second appearance of the season on Sunday and registered an effort in overtime that flew just over the Chicago crossbar. She is joined by forward Cidney Moscovitch '17 and midfielder Jessica Morana '17, who also received significant playing time in the Judges' match against the visiting Maroons. Though it can be tough for a new player to step into a pressure environment, right-back Emma Eddy '15 was impressed with the performance of these three players. "I thought they were awesome," she said of the trio who saw significant action in Sunday's close matchup. "They've been playing this whole season and we've got a lot of new [first-years] that will help the team a lot." Sunday's game ended up being a very tightly fought defensive battle. Most of the play took place around the middle of the field, with chances coming few and far between for both teams in the first half, which ended in a scoreless draw. The second half was a different story, however. After the break, Chicago opened the scoring, capitalizing off a rare defensive lapse from an otherwise strong Judges defense. Chicago senior midfielder Micaela Harms rang a shot off the crossbar in the 59th minute, which bounced straight down into the goal box. Though it appeared initially that the Judges had been given a let-off, they were ultimately made to pay. Chicago junior midfielder Sara Kwan was the first to react to the shot, putting the ball into the net to give the Maroons a 1-0 lead. Incidentally, it was also a misplay by the Chicago defense that allowed the Judges to score the equalizer less than 10 minutes after conceding the opening goal. A botched Maroons goal kick came straight to forward Sapir Edalati '15. Edalati showed quick reflexes, as she had the presence of mind to head the ball down to fellow forward Melissa Darling '16, who took a touch before slamming a hard, low shot behind Chicago junior goalkeeper Jacinda Reid to tie the game. Despite the fact that the team was unable to achieve the victory that it sought, Eddy was ultimately able to draw on some positives that came from the tie. "[Offensively] we did better than we have the last couple of games. We got a lot more going and we're starting to figure out our new formation a lot better," she said. Sunday's game, though, was an improvement in all areas from Friday's defeat against WashU. In an initially tight game, WashU broke away with two late goals within 68 seconds -just before the 80th minute -to take a 3-0 victory. The Judges were not able to capitalize on early free kicks, as WashU sophomore goalkeeper Amy French stopped shots from Morana and forward Sara Isaacson '16. Midfielder Corinne Bortniker '15 was sent on net in the 81st minute but could not put the ball past French, who notched the Bears' 12th shutout of the season. While the scoring woes were at least temporarily mitigated in Sunday's game, Friday was a real embodiment of the frustration and adversity that the women are currently facing in light of injuries to key players. The result was ultimately not the one that the team wanted, especially given its winless run. However, despite the number of injuries, the women played a tight defensive game against the top-ranked Division III squad in the country. The team returns to action next Saturday at home in their regular season finale, against UAA opponent New York University at 2:30 p.m.
