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On Dec. 28, 27 days after the end of the 12-day Ford Hall 2015 sit-in, Student Union President Nyah Macklin ’16 sent an email to the community explaining the significance of her participation in the movement.
A few weeks ago, Hillary Clinton released her proposal to make college more affordable. Shortly after sharing her proposal Clinton Atook to Twitter, asking Millennials to explain how their college loans and debt made them feel using three emojis. Unsurprisingly, the plan backfired, as Twitter users took the opportunity to criticize Clinton for oversimplifying a complex issue in an attempt to reach out to young voters.
Twenty-five years ago this month, a largely student-run movement overthrew Czechoslovakia’s repressive Communist government and established a functioning, multi-party democracy. The nonviolent transition of power is now known as the Velvet Revolution due to the mostly peaceful destruction of Communism and transition of power, as opposed to a “hard” or violent revolution.
Whether you're an active participant or simply a curious follower, it's becoming increasingly difficult to go a full 24 hours without checking up on some form of social media. The new app Vine has earned a spot at the social media "cool kid's table" alongside Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. Owned and operated by the same folks who created Twitter, Vine is "a mobile service that lets you capture and share short looping videos. Like Tweets, the brevity of videos on Vine (6 seconds or less) inspires creativity," according to the Vine website. Vine allows individuals to share personal experiences whenever they want for free and aims to highlight the universality of these common events. The result is usually a hilariously relatable six-second clip with a built-in repeat button-operating on the assumption that you'll want to re- watch the clip again and again ...and again. Popular Vines range from cats jumping into toilets to videos of friends slapping each other in surprising ways. However, mixed into this world of funny pet videos and public humiliation is a genre of videos that is totally founded on racial stereotypes. I'm all for inspiring creativity, but I have a hard time ignoring the resurgence of racism that the Vine community seems to be fostering. Some of the most popular Vines harp on common stereotypes, such as Asians being good at math, African-Americans preferring fried chicken and Kool-Aid to other snacks and ethnic minorities running away any time they hear a police siren. In fact, there's an entire channel of Vines devoted to "Black People vs. White People," and these videos often rank in the most viewed Vines on the app. Monthly compilations of the "Best Vines" highlight Vines entitled, "White Moms vs. Black Moms" and "How Asian kids wake up" as well as "white girlfriends be like.." It's also true that these popular videos capitalize on sexist tropes, but I'll focus on racism here. Vine provides a forum for viewers to post, comment, like, "re-vine" and popularize negative stereotypes along racial lines. This new platform, coupled with modern Internet culture, blurs the line between Internet success and traditional celebrity. People will do whatever it takes to acquire followers and "likes." And apparently, easy-to-recognize stereotypes are the key to instant Vine popularity. Some people might argue that Vine is the perfect platform to laugh at harmless stereotypes. Vine users might protest that these short clips aren't hurting anyone and that individuals who take offense are just overly politically correct. It's true that these Vines can be funny-because many of the creators are talented, or at least enthusiastic. But something more complicated is at play here. As a white, American and middle-class woman, do I have the right to laugh at a Vine displaying African-American stereotypes? Furthermore, does anyone have the right to laugh at these controversial depictions of ethnic identity? My gut reaction is no. In my mind, laughing at this category of Vines perpetuates age-old stereotypes. It's also worth noting that Vine isn't a novel example of racism penetrating the Internet. But there's something about the nature of these looping videos that sets Vine apart from racist memes, derogatory Facebook pages, hateful YouTube videos and other examples of racially charged social media. Vine is different because its format is especially created for sharing short bursts of creativity-some are improvised and casual, others clearly painstakingly planned. No matter how much thought went into them, as soon as Vines enter the world, they repeat endlessly for anyone to see. This is the Internet at the height of its creative potential-an infinite number of people can get an endless six seconds of fame. Part of Vine's mass appeal is this accessibility. Anyone can post a video to Vine, regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic status. But the democratic nature of the medium makes it hard to differentiate between individual representations of identity and racialized generalizations about entire groups of people designed to solicit "re-vines." Are these old stereotypes so popular on Vine because they resonate as somehow truthful for people in their own lives? Or are these short reminders of racist boundaries popular because people can instantly recognize them, laugh and move on in the narrow time frame? Scholars suggest that the definition of ethnic identity reinvents itself in response to different eras of American history. Negative stereotypes thrust upon African-Americans correspond historically with a complete disregard for the development of African-American identity. Modern ethnic and racial identity is no longer confined to historically assigned stereotypes. For the most part, individuals have the opportunity to pick and choose which aspects of their ethnicity they wish to flaunt or hide. However, this reinvention of ethnic identity as a voluntary self-representation does not correspond with the continued use of inflammatory racial tropes showcased on Vine. Wouldn't it be great if Americans took advantage of Vine and used it as a tool to push past age-old stereotypes and produce Vines that don't revolve around reductive conversations on race? Vine offers individuals the chance to share personal and accurate representations of culture in an easy-to-digest way. And most of all, Vine is fun. But just because it's fun doesn't mean it has to be lazy and ignorant. Americans should take a closer look at Vine if they ever think that racism in this country has disappeared. In this sea of looping videos, we can all see an endless repetition of old racist ideas. Instead of just adding to the chorus of reinforced stereotypes, some of us should add different voices to the mix. Maybe our voices can shift the conversation on race to something that deserves repeating. Editor's note: This article was originally written for "AMST 55: Race, Ethnicity and Immigration in American Culture."
Jack Johnson's new album From Here to Now to You is all of the things that I've come to expect from the folk icon: simple, happy, romantic and relaxing. It doesn't represent a major departure from most of his previous work, but in this case I think that's a good thing. Jack Johnson's music is the kind that you listen to in a Sunday afternoon lazy kind of mood and that's been continuous throughout much of his work. Most of the songs have simple, generic titles, which might bother me in other contexts, but with Johnson I don't mind. He doesn't try to make his music something that it's not. There's no pretension or facades-it's just Johnson and his guitar. The first song on the album is also my favorite. "I Got You" is contemplative, cheerful and passionate, enhanced by its slow and rhythmic nature. It's optimistic and wistful at the same time, the kind of song you can't stop listening to-or singing-once you've heard it. The lyrics are simple to understand and engage with, as Johnson sings that he doesn't need anything more than his lover to enjoy life. At the same time, the meaning of the song is layered and deep with references to more difficult times. Another song I enjoyed on the album was "Radiate." It's a bit more catchy and upbeat than some of the others, and it's again quite forward- looking and optimistic lyrically. As Johnson sings about watching someone discovering the world and creating things, it seems like he's singing to a child, which reinforces the loving image created by the rest of the album. I really like the imagery of Johnson looking on while a child plays on a beach and enjoys the world. Musically, the track uses segments of scales creatively and ends with a cool distorted guitar instrumental, which caps it off nicely. One track that breaks the lyrical theme of the album is "Shot Reverse Shot," which makes several references to film techniques, such as "rack focus" and "depth of field," a nod to Johnson's education in film and early career as a filmmaker. This song reminded me of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire." Both shout out words in a stream-of-consciousness manner, and the two are musically alike as well, with fast rhythmic verses and similar chords. The first time I listened to "Shot Reverse Shot," I thought it was strange because it didn't match the rest of the album, but it grew on me and I decided that I liked the style departure from Johnson's typical work. Another song that I think deserves special attention is "Don't Believe a Thing I Say," which amusingly comes right before "As I Was Saying" in the album order. The former contains an interesting contrast: the theme is cosmic, with mentions of planets, fate and other ideas beyond our understanding, whereas the sound is simple and earthy, like most of Johnson's music. The lyrics also brought up some interesting questions about fate and the role of people in the universe. "Are we free or afraid/Of what we're told/Are we out of or under/Control," asks Johnson, and it makes you think a bit more than some of his other lighter songs. The final song on the track list is an excellent way to end the album. "Home" has a theme of love and happiness, and returning to a familiar place. Perfectly symbolic of Johnson's music, the song has closure but promise at the same time. "This old trail will lead me right back to where it begins," Johnson sings, and I hope that means that he'll have another album coming out soon. Meanwhile, From Here to Now to You will be on my list of go-to music when I'm in that particular Jack Johnson mood, sitting around on a weekend afternoon, not doing or thinking about anything-just being.
Do you feel insecure because you feel less experienced or knowledgeable than your peers? Even for some wildly talented and successful people, feelings of worthlessness and incompetence follow them throughout their careers. Such feelings are symptoms of a psychological phenomenon known as "imposter syndrome," a condition in which people have a difficult time recognizing their achievements. Although it is currently not considered a psychological disorder or listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, more research is being conducted on it and treatment is available in the form of therapy. On Monday, Sept. 16, the Women in Science Initiative at Brandeis held an event entitled "Imposter Syndrome Panel." The event was originally scheduled to be held in the Gerstenzang Science Library but was moved to a neighboring classroom due to the very high volume of attendees. More than 40 people attended the event. The speakers at the event included Sue Lindquist, Ph.D., of the Whitehead Institute of Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and winner of the National Medal of Science, and Prof. Judith Herzfeld (CHEM), Prof. Gabriella Sciolla (PHYS) and Prof. Daniel Ruberman (MATH). The panel consisted of the professors sharing instances their lives when they felt like "imposters" and advising students on how to overcome moments of insecurity that can be experienced by graduates and undergraduates of all disciplines, though given their backgrounds much of their advice was geared toward students in the sciences. Lindquist spoke first and shared her anxieties as a graduate student, fearful she did not belong among her more intelligent peers. "Applying to schools like Harvard University, MIT University and Stanford University for graduate school scared the Jesus out of me," she said. Eventually, Lindquist rose above her fears. "If you have a passion for what you're doing, just keep on going and eventually you will realize that you are not an imposter," she said. Sciolla also shared her experiences with imposter syndrome on her path to success. Sciolla, who studied at the University of Turin in Italy, spoke more specifically about the challenges that she faced as she was studying to be a physicist, such as the difficulties she faced because she was not a native English speaker. Sciolla also explained how insecurity carries on after being a student, by mentioning that competition does not fade once the GPA disappears and that measuring one's comparative success only becomes more difficult. In spite of the fact that she still encounters insecurity on occasion, she has changed her mind set. "Nobody asks you to do something that you are not ready for," she said. Next to speak was Herzfeld, who expressed gratitude for receiving a college education at Barnard College, an institution that encouraged women to succeed in science. As Herzfeld shared her story, she described the advice she received from her mother when she was struggling. "You can't expect more than the best from yourself and no one else can either," she said. Ruberman continued the panel discussion by sharing his experience with imposter syndrome when he began graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley. He expressed how nervous he felt while discussing his first math test with his peers, who seemed much more confident with their performance. Ruberman also said "throughout high school and college, [he] realized that [he] was actually very lazy." He further explained that because he did not want his peers to find out that he was lazy, he "decided to work hard to hide [his] laziness." This sparked laughter among the audience. After this portion of the event, the panelists answered questions from the audience. One question that arose was from a student who asked how he could know if he was in the right field. Sciolla encouraged students to ask their professors whether the professors can imagine the student in that field, with which Lindquist disagreed, claiming that professors may not always give the most accurate answers to such questions. Another student asked for advice on how to get past the obstacles they may face while studying. The panelists said that mistakes will always occur, but what is most important is to learn from one's mistakes so that they are not repeated. "It is good to be ambitious, but you should not hold unrealistic expectations for yourself," Ruberman said. The speakers also discussed the benefits of collaboration and shared how they were often afraid of asking questions when they were in class, which the panelists said was a common fear among students. "I always tell my students that you can email me your question if you are too shy to ask in class and then I post the question without the name for everyone to see," Sciolla said. Brittney Gardner (GRAD) a student studying Neuroscience, attended the event. "It was really good to hear professors share their experiences and to know that they also had a hard time to be successful. It was nice to hear them be honest and open," she said. Attendee Sara Gelles-Watnick '17 said that "It enlightened me as to what the future might bring if I continue to pursue science. "In advanced math class with upperclassmen, [I related with] the words of Lindquist since I often feel worried to speak up. I would like to see more symposiums like this in the future and more Brandeis professors in this type of setting," she said.
As part of my government relations internship this summer at a health information technology company in Washington, D.C., I had the opportunity to go to Capitol Hill to attend hearings on policies that Congress was considering. The common perception nowadays is that lazy, incapable fools operate the "do-nothing Congress," because it has struggled to pass a budget and other crucial laws in recent years. While this perception is surely an exaggeration, watching the institution up close affirms my belief that if members of Congress want to regain America's confidence, they need to foster effective policymaking instead of extravagant and attention-seeking political theater just to impress political supporters. Of all the hearings I attended, two stand out in my memory for their lack of productivity. The first hearing was with the Senate Finance Committee to discuss fixing the Medicare sustainable growth rate formula, that sets Medicare payments but has caused annual problems. Naturally, I expected the senators and experts to spend a substantial part of the time discussing the problems of the SGR, and offering ideas to fix them. To my disappointment however, the senators barely mentioned SGR during the hearing. They skillfully diverted the topic to discuss other themes about improving health care instead, and avoided outright discussion about the SGR itself. Looking back, that hearing looked more like a show the senators put on to avoid directly addressing this contentious issue, all while pretending to show their supporters the "progress" they were making in the "do-nothing Congress." The hearing was merely political theater for public consumption. It made the senators look smart, influential and important on-camera, but had little effective substance off-camera. The second hearing was with the House Energy and Commerce Committee to examine the implementation progress of the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Republicans started by attacking Democrats over the law's effects of discouraging job growth and increasing premiums, as well as the Obama Administration's hypocrisy in implementation. The Democrats fired back instantly at their turn, accusing the Republicans of prioritizing health care denial for vulnerable Americans. Needless to say, rudeness and venom characterized that hearing more than substantial discussion did. It became nothing more than a smear campaign by the committee Republicans and Democrats against each other using the law's shortcomings and successes. The need to constantly cultivate support from one's electoral base led to the behavior in those hearings, as well as other instances of Congressional dysfunction as recent as this summer. The Senate could not reconcile a budget with the House because extremist senators have refused negotiations unless the Senate promises no tax or debt limit increases beforehand. The same senators have also pledged to block crucial federal spending unless the Senate defunds the Affordable Care Act. In the House, the Republican majority had voted for the 40th time on a futile repeal of the law. Simultaneously, Congressional Democrats have consistently grilled the Republicans for their proposed modifications to programs like Social Security and Medicare and have used the ideas to brand the Republicans as uncaring toward America's needy populations. The acts that those politicians put on in hearings and on the floor were mostly for the satisfaction and interest of narrow sections of America, in other words their principal supporters, rather than for the interest of the United States as a whole. They show their supporters that they can reliably fight for their supporters' positions at all cost in Congress. With Congress unable to pass many laws nowadays, and having led the country to near fiscal ruin on several occasions, it is no wonder that it has record-low approval ratings. If Congress wants to be productive again, it needs to start by focusing less on campaigning and more on lawmaking. When members are in Washington, they can still score political points by participating in substantive lawmaking, but they should leave the political attacks, vitriol and shows for their campaigns back home. Reducing the influence of campaigns in Washington requires a two-fold effort by both the members and their voters. The members must accept that while they represent narrow constituencies, they are also federal employees whose impact is national instead of regional. Using Congress to merely please narrow constituencies will harm the country, and ultimately themselves electorally if national programs fail because of their inaction. The voters need to accept that in Congress, with 532 other members they did not elect, their own members cannot fulfill 100 percent of their pledged agenda without changes and compromise. Voters have to recognize that other members also have legislative priorities competing for attention, and those other members often have differing views on the same issues. They need to remember that while it takes one member to introduce a bill, it takes hundreds more to pass it. Under such conditions, with so many people offering input, compromise, trade-offs and sometimes broken promises are inevitable. As a result, few laws will fully meet everyone's expectations. Capitol Hill is for those who want to help the country through lawmaking, not to look impressive on screen. This past summer, Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) remarked that Washington has become a theater instead of a policymaking center, and that "if [she] wanted to be part of a theater, [she] would have gone to New York" instead. Congress managed to swallow its pride in the 1960s to cast the hard votes for landmark yet divisive civil rights and social legislation. Such feats are possible today, but only when Congress resumes true policymaking. America needs its theater, but as Senator Landrieu said, Capitol Hill is not the place to hold it.
* Brandeis has an ugly campus. * There, I said it. No 'ifs,' 'ands' or 'buts.' No soft-pedaling or apologetic qualifications. Brandeis has an ugly campus. * I'm not talking about the eclectic architectural style of our campus. Some people may like it, others may not yet, either way, that's not exactly something the university can change. * What I'm talking about is basic, routine campus maintenance. For reasons I do not understand, Brandeis has the money and resources to build beautiful new buildings all over campus and buy new furniture for the Shapiro Campus Center and Olin-Sang, but we can't seem to concern ourselves with the simple campus upkeep that would make Brandeis a more attractive place to live and learn. Let me offer you a catalogue of the kind of thing I'm talking about. Multiple signs on campus are missing letters and have been missing them for years. When students head to Sherman Dining Hall to eat, they are greeted with a sign welcoming them to the "Sherman Student Cent r." After the arduous trek up the Rabb steps, students find themselves staring at a sign for the "Olin-Sang Civil zat on Center." * The brick fa?ssade on each of the chapels is literally crumbling. The front of Harlan Chapel looks as if the building has been abandoned for years. * For my entire four years at Brandeis, several bricks have been missing from a corner of the Usdan Student Center. Broken glass windows in the castle have been carelessly replaced with blocks of wood. * Buildings all over campus have missing or broken ceiling tiles for months at a time. It seems as if it takes weeks to replace light bulbs that have burnt out in the SCC library. Paint has been ripped off part of the wall in the Mandel Humanities Center. Our campus is littered with trash. * I could go on and on. * "So what?" you ask. These are mostly small imperfections on a large campus, the kinds of things you barely notice day-to-day. Besides, who cares about aesthetics? After all, Brandeis certainly has plenty of things going for it other than the campus aesthetics. There are, however, a great many reasons this unwillingness to maintain the beauty of our campus should concern both administrators and students alike. * First of all, we students spend a lot of time here. The vast majority of us live on campus. And you know what, it's nice to live somewhere that looks nice. Given the vast sum of money we all pay to spend four years at Brandeis, it seems living on an aesthetically pleasing campus is the least we can expect. * But there is an even more important reason we should care about how our campus looks. It's simply embarrassing to present the Brandeis campus to prospective students and their families. No matter how much we touch up the campus' appearance in our brochures and on the website, people come here and they take tours. And it would be near impossible for them not to notice how little Brandeis seems to care about how we present ourselves. Don't believe me? Take a look at some comments from online forums discussing college admissions I found. "My husband took my daughter to visit. They called it 'the projects.' My husband wanted to leave as soon as they got there." "I have heard negatives regarding Brandeis' 'ugly' campus." "I applied to Brandeis before I visited. If I knew how sad looking the campus was, I would have never applied." * Again, this is just a small sampling. * For prospective students, should their college choice come down to a decision between Brandeis and one of our peer universities (e.g. Tufts University, Wesleyan University, Boston College), campus appearance could be a deciding factor. If the Brandeis administration does not seem to care about the University's dumpy appearance, it signals to a prospective student that the administration is unwilling to put in minimal effort to maintain a beautiful environment in which students can spend their time. It makes Brandeis look lazy and unserious. * These maintenance issues are small and easy to fix. It would take minutes to replace the few missing bricks in Usdan. I can't imagine that replacing the missing letters all over campus would be so expensive. How hard would it be to be a little more prompt at fixing leaking pipes and replacing old ceiling tiles? * The administration should make sure that members of our maintenance staff are consistently monitoring wear and tear all throughout the campus. Repairs should happen as quickly as possible and not wait until breaks or Admitted Students Day. In fact, if there is no one on the maintenance staff who can do this competently, I'll volunteer to personally take Vice President Andrew Flagel or Dean Rick Sawyer around the campus, pointing out exactly what ought to have been repaired years ago. * Brandeis is a wonderful university. The students here are friendly, outgoing and ambitious. Our academics are top-notch. A school as wonderful as Brandeis deserves to be housed on a campus with a physical beauty that reflects Brandeis' greatness. *
On the Thursday night before April break, a long line wrapped around Levin Ballroom as students eagerly awaited the sold-out CollegeHumor Live show, sponsored by WBRS, Student Union, Student Events and BTV. It provided students with a necessary comedic break from the rigorous academic stress that tends to cumulate right before breaks. The show opened with Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld jokingly going back and forth with punch lines that never failed to get Brandeis students to laugh. Amir then went into a slew of jokes about Passover, which, while funny to the Jews in the audience, were probably more on the confusing side to the non-Jewish Brandeis population, especially with references to the afikoman and Elijah's cup. After Jake and Amir came Streeter Seidell, who, like Jake and Amir, kept the audience doubling over with laughter as he jokingly reminisced about his college experience. Although he went to a school that is more of a "party school" than Brandeis, he was still able to tell stories that related to life on Brandeis' campus. Seidell talked about his experience with the freshman 15, and how he put on another 15 pounds for each year he was at school. He continued to discuss how this was cool in the college world but once you get into the real world, being overweight from overeating in college is not as acceptable-it just shows that you're lazy. Perhaps most relevant and relatable to the Brandeis student body was when Seidell began talking about his digestive problems with the on-campus food. He made a lot of statements about his campus dining that, while hilarious, paralleled how students at Brandeis feel about their on-campus dining situation. Some of Seidell's anecdotes about the way his body felt and reacted after eating on campus reflect many stories the students here at Brandeis tell about their experiences in Sherman Dining Hall. The audience went wild when a student shouted something out loud about Aramark, getting the biggest response of the night. Although many of Seidell's stories about crazy times with drugs, alcohol and the many big parties that were happening every weekend in college did not relate as much to the Brandeis students directly, it was still fun to hear his stories. He spoke in a way that made everything he said seem hilarious, and the reaction from the audience proved that he was a huge hit on the Brandeis campus. The show returned to Jake and Amir, who continued getting the audience to laugh with their ridiculous conversations. They then entered the last segment of the show called "shameful trivia" where they projected slides quizzing audience members on trivia that targeted one gender to answer questions that would be expected to be known more exclusively by the opposite gender. But, being Brandeis, our diverse student body showed that gender bias in trivia questions was not so applicable here. One male student easily identified characters in Twilight, and a female student quoted Lord of the Rings perfectly. Another female student was asked to identify video game characters, and the audience cried out when she named the wrong Pok?(c)mon. The show wrapped up with a karaoke rendition of Katy Perry with two students who seemed to represent the student body here at Brandeis-an Asian girl and a Jewish boy with a yarmulke on his head. It got the audience laughing and clapping along with the song. Overall, the show was great. It was fun to listen as Jake and Amir ridiculously conversed back and forth and Streeter Seidell reflected back on his own experiences from college. It was a great way to get away from academic stress and a great transition into April break. *
* Amid the speculative and fearful environment surrounding the federal spending cuts that began as part of the 2013 sequestration this past Friday, it is difficult to know what is actually going to happen. Apart from the fact that the Sequester itself is incredibly complicated and difficult to understand, no one really seems to have any definitive predictions on what the effects will be for average American citizens. * What I have been able to glean from the abundance of articles, analysis and reports, however, is that many of the cuts will have a disproportionate effect on low-income families and individuals. According to a March 3 Huffington Post article, the proposed cuts include the furlough of more than half of the over two million government workers in the United States and significant reductions on education spending including cutting 70,000 pre-kindergarten students from the Head Start program and the elimination of 7,200 special education teachers and aides. * There are a number of other proposed cuts that will affect middle- and upper-class families and individuals, like the closure of many runways at some of the nation's busiest airports, and the reduction of visiting hours at national parks, but the impact of these cuts seem trivial when compared with the loss of vital healthcare and education services for people who actually rely on those government programs to survive. * Sadly, I am not surprised that the worst losses will likely disproportionately affect the poor. After all, with America's rugged individualist and "pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps" mentality, it's just not in our nature to emphasize programs that appear to foster dependency and laziness, rather than a strong work ethic and a determination to haul oneself out of poverty. * I am however, incredibly frustrated by the negative impact the Sequester will have. Our government's consistent efforts to save money and cut spending, which often end up being harmful to the poor, stem from our overwhelming faith in the "American Dream"-because of America's freedom and opportunity, you will be able to better yourself as long as you are determined and work hard. * Unfortunately, in today's day and age, the "American Dream" is a myth. According to Fareed Zakaria's February 2013 column in Time Magazine, economic mobility in the U.S. today is low. Our nation's poorest rarely become rich, or even achieve middle-class status. The moving stories we hear of those who pull themselves out of poverty and attain incredible wealth and success are the exception, and not the rule. * The fact of the matter is that the circumstances of life in America have changed a great deal since the "American Dream" was a realistically attainable goal. Our economy is stagnant, there aren't enough jobs, higher education is more expensive and competitive than ever and even without significant cuts to federal spending, economists worry that social security will not be able to support future generations that are getting ever bigger. * If we want to make significant strides towards ending poverty, the American mindset needs to change, and the government needs to heave itself out of our glorious past and start making policies that make sense for our current economic situation. * We keep telling ourselves that even with significant cuts to government programs like education and healthcare, the poor will work it out for themselves because they can always pull themselves out of poverty if they really want to and work hard enough. * Here's a little reality check for all of us: no one can pull themselves up by their bootstraps if they don't have boots. No one can buy boots if they don't have a job that generates significant income, and for many low-income laborers, they can't even get an income-generating job if they don't have boots. * Poverty is not a simple problem with a quick fix. * We tell ourselves that there's always an out if you want it badly enough. But the truth is that there isn't an out because we keep raising the bottom rung on the ladder of economic mobility a little higher every time we make another cut to federal spending on vital government programs. At this point, the bottom rung is so high that no one, not even those extraordinary individuals with incredible talent, can reach it without a very significant external boost. * I am no economist. I know that the United States is in very serious trouble if we can't find a way to cut down on spending to reduce our national debt, and I don't pretend to have a better solution than the one the government is currently trying to implement. * On the other hand, I also know that the United States will be in a different kind of very serious trouble if we keep ignoring the needs of the poor, blocking their exit routes and then blaming them for their own poverty because they are lazy and dependent and not working hard enough. * If we pride ourselves on our freedom and opportunity, then it's time to find a way to make the "American Dream" a reality once more, albeit with a few alterations tailored to our current circumstances.
I'll be honest-I can't wait for the election season to be over. I've found it completely frustrating-the usual game of political finger-pointing, but without the same historically groundbreaking elements of gender and race that captivated the American public four years ago. Up until this past week, I was feeling very apolitical and unpassionate about the campaign and politics in general. I was saved from political apathy by an unlikely source-my governor, Chris Christie, who, for the past few years, I believed to be an idiot. The governor of New Jersey has turned out to be the most unlikely Obama advocate. Along with right-leaning New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, Christie has praised Obama's active role in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy's destruction. These two politicians have given this election a dose of sorely needed perspective, and in my opinion, have shown how a vote for Obama is in the nation's general interest.
I'll be honest-I can't wait for the election season to be over. I've found it completely frustrating-the usual game of political finger-pointing, but without the same historically groundbreaking elements of gender and race that captivated the American public four years ago. Up until this past week, I was feeling very apolitical and unpassionate about the campaign and politics in general. I was saved from political apathy by an unlikely source-my governor, Chris Christie, who, for the past few years, I believed to be an idiot. The governor of New Jersey has turned out to be the most unlikely Obama advocate. Along with right-leaning New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, Christie has praised Obama's active role in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy's destruction. These two politicians have given this election a dose of sorely needed perspective, and in my opinion, have shown how a vote for Obama is in the nation's general interest.
The 2012 Boston Red Sox are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. Sorry for the clich?(c), but it's true. The Red Sox have the potential to finish first in the American League East and contend for a World Series title, as they were expected to do last year. Then again, they could also fail to make the playoffs for a third year in a row. The beer-drinking and fried chicken-eating Red Sox of 2011, who were 31 games over .500 on Aug. 31 and then went on to suffer the worst collapse in baseball history, have disassembled. Manager Terry Francona, who led the Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007, is gone. Ditto to starting pitcher Tim Wakefield and catcher Jason Varitek, both of whom retired after serving Red Sox Nation for more than 15 years. Closer Jonathan Papelbon took his talents to Philadelphia after signing a lucrative four-year deal worth $50 million. Although the remnants of the infamous 2011 squad are back, Bobby Valentine, the new manager of the local nine, will lead them all. Valentine, who previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets, was the big-time hire that the Red Sox ownership craved. The move was designed to instill excitement in a team that was perceived as lazy, arrogant and selfish. Valentine is loud, opinionated, brash and controversial. He will not be afraid to criticize his highest-paid players in front of the media. He already called out New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter for a play that happened more than 10 years ago. For a team that was comforted and protected by Francona, a "players' manager," Valentine's managing style may raise tensions in the Red Sox clubhouse. It just might be a recipe for disaster. While Valentine's antics will be the focus of the press coverage throughout the season, the players, especially the starting rotation, will be evaluated with even more scrutiny than in years past. The starting rotation has the talent and r?(c)sum?(c) to flourish in the regular season and postseason, but one would be hard-pressed to forget the horrific collapses of each starting pitcher this past year. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, Boston's two aces and primary culprits of the clubhouse antics, will need to rebound from a lackluster September to solidify the rotation. Starting pitcher Clay Buchholz must show he can overcome his back problems to pitch a full season and newly converted starting pitcher Daniel Bard will be counted on to make an immediate impact in the fourth hole. As for the fifth and final starter, that question will be decided in spring training. A host of pitchers, including Vicente Padilla, Aaron Cook or Alfredo Aceves, can be called on to take the ball every fifth day for the team. On paper, the Red Sox have one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury, second baseman Dustin Pedroia, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, third baseman Kevin Youkilis and designated hitter David Ortiz are all All-Star caliber players that can carry the team offensively. Like the starting rotation, though, question marks continue to persist. Can Ellsbury duplicate his near-MVP season from last year? Can Youkilis stay healthy for a full season? Can Ortiz hit left-handed pitchers like he did last year? The list goes on and on. But left fielder Carl Crawford, who signed a seven-year $142 million contract before the 2011 season, is certainly the biggest question mark of them all. After hitting over .300 five times and stealing more than 50 bases five times in Tampa Bay, Crawford hit .255 in 506 plate appearances and stole only 18 bases his first year in a Red Sox uniform. If he fails to attain the same numbers he put up in a Rays uniform, Crawford will be labeled as yet another bust. In the bullpen, closer Andrew Bailey faces the tough task of replacing Papelbon, a closer whose 219 saves are the most in Red Sox history. Bailey was acquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics during the offseason, and while he has the stuff to strike out batters and rack up saves, the team must monitor his chronic injury history. Reliever Mark Melancon will be the primary set-up man, replacing Bard after a trade with the Houston Astros. Many of the pieces are in place for the Red Sox to capture a third championship in nine years, but the players must unite under Valentine and put 2011 behind them. If they fail to win the division or even a wild card spot, more heads will roll next year than during this past off-season. Until then, all 162 regular season games must be played. After all, it is only the start of the baseball season. Finally. *
Linda Gray Sexton, poet, author, and daughter of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anne Sexton, spent days on end in bed, cushioning her numbness with sleep. It became a buffer for her struggle with depression, suicidal thoughts and emotions tied to her mother's suicide. The "land of the bed" became her comfort zone in which to separate from reality. Sexton spoke eloquently and poetically to a large audience in the Mandel Center for the Humanities Reading Room on Thursday, March 1. The event was co-sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and coordinated by Prof. Dawn Skorczewski (ENG), who recently published a book about Sexton's mother's recorded therapy sessions titled The Accident of Hope: The Therapy Tapes of Anne Sexton. Sexton started off by discussing her latest work, Half in Love, a memoir about her personal struggle with depression and suicide. She made it clear that her work is not a mental health text or a self-help book, although it has definitely helped several individuals struggling with similar issues. Anne Sexton, Linda's mother, killed herself in 1974 when she was 45 years old and Linda was a senior at Harvard University. "None of us really understood the pain that took my mother to her final self-destruction. We all felt baffled, angry, guilty and ultimately rejected," Sexton said. Sexton, therefore, wanted to reach out to the people and families who had lost loved ones to suicide or who live with people who are overwhelmed by depression. She wanted to show them that she survived depression and suicidal attempts. Sexton was willing to expose her own life, feelings and family in her deeply personal memoir because, as she said in her lecture, "There is tremendous power in being willing to lay bare one's soul in public." Before delving into her personal story, Sexton explained to the audience the prevalence of depression and suicide. According to her, over one million people commit suicide worldwide annually, which is two times the number of homicides. Aside from hypertension, more Americans suffer from major depression than from any other general medical issue. More than 20 million people in the United States are affected by depression. Sexton noted that both mental illness and suicide are now considered largely hereditary. Brain chemistry, she said, is the source of mental illness, not laziness, self-pity or selfishness. Sexton and her sister made a pact early in their lives that they would never do what their mother was doing-attempting to commit suicide and disregarding her family's needs. "For me, suicide was a legacy, something that was handed down through the generations. My mother's elder sister killed herself with an overdose of pharmaceuticals. And my mother's aunt used a shotgun. My mother herself turned on the ignition of her car, and let the tide of carbon monoxide take over," she said. Sexton read emotionally charged excerpts from her memoir regarding her struggle with depression and suicide and how it coincided with her role in life as a sister, daughter, wife, friend and mother. Sexton courageously read aloud the section of the book in which she describes in detail her last suicide attempt. She spoke about how depression had taken over her life and how she lost perspective on it. "Even my love for my sons could not keep me from ruminating over my cutting, that lesser cousin to suicide," she said. Searching for Mercy Street, another of Sexton's books, speaks to the process of her maturation into a woman and mother. This book was an attempt to reach out to her mother after her death, despite her mother's many problems. Sexton described the ways in which she began to know her mother as an adult, especially with the birth of her two sons. "I discovered a fresh understanding of and compassion for how difficult being a parent is, even when it is not complicated by mental illness." Sexton added, "I had yet to learn how to come to terms with my mother's death. I needed to confront and disentangle myself from the strong tentacles her suicide had attached to my life." Sexton spoke about her process of recovery, including time spent in rehab and speaking with her therapist, whom she praised and credited with a major role in turning her life around. Students at the lecture expressed their appreciation for Sexton's willingness to speak about the taboo topic of depression and suicide so explicitly. "I just want to thank you for speaking and it is so important that an event like this was [coordinated]," one student commented. "I came thinking that it was going to be depressing, ... because it was about suicide, ... but I was one of those people who thought that suicide was selfish. ... Actually hearing the thoughts of someone who went through it all, [has changed] my perspective," said Yeji Son '14. "It was a learning experience for me. ... It was really interesting to hear form the point of view from someone who was so open. I didn't realize how intimate [her lecture] would be," Tammy Chung '14 said. Sexton has rebuilt relationships with her family and friends and her sons still stand by her side. The best part, she said, is that she found a new partner, whom she married in 2009. She has finally started writing again after taking a break throughout her depression. Sexton concluded by reassuring the audience that "I am still here, and I am better than I have been before. I would say if I was half in love with death back then, now I am fully in love with life-if that does not sound like a clich?(c)."
Spring semester 2012 has given us an array of new classes that had students hovering over their laptops at registration time in order to get a spot. Each of these courses is new to Brandeis, as are some of the professors. Many of the courses are one-time offerings. Some had a waiting list after the first day of registration and have stayed full since. Students were eager to sample from these innovative classes; the unique reading lists, discussion topics and class activities have kept them interested. From courses on Disney films to French feminist thinkers, we have compiled a list of the five most exciting new classes of spring 2012.
The biggest news in the Bruins' 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadians last Thursday night at TD Garden came from off the ice.
In May I went to Israel on the Brandeis Shorashim Birthright trip. Birthright, for anyone who doesn't already know, is an organization funded through philanthropy that sends young Jewish people from across the world on a free 10-day trip to Israel. Its purpose is to strengthen the diaspora Jewish connection to Israel, introduce young Jews to Israelis, and educate Jews about their history. As if straight out of a postcard, I rode a camel in the desert, hiked up Masada at 4 a.m., and got ripped off buying souvenirs on Jerusalem's Ben Yehuda Street. I made new friends both from Brandeis and Israel and was reminded of my love of Israeli culture and cuisine. I had a great time, but I feel kind of bad about it. My guilt comes from the ethical dilemma I always feel when my actions do not perfectly align with my personal morality. I really should be a vegan, but I'm too lazy and I just like ice cream too much. It's almost impossible to live in our society and not feel this constant nagging guilt. Every time I drink coffee out of a paper cup, drive in a car that churns pollutants into the atmosphere and steal music off the Internet, I feel the familiar pangs of shame. Of course, they're not strong enough to actually keep me from doing these things all the time anyway, but that's a rant for another column. I'm bringing up this particular kind of guilt because I was feeling a similar way before—and after—I went on Birthright this summer. I was wary of what I knew to be the subliminal (and sometimes outright) political agenda of the program, and I was uneasy about joining a program I knew had a reputation of attempting to subtly brainwash its participants. Because going on the trip would mean inadvertently supporting the organization's mission, I didn't want to be part of the whole "machine." I had heard from friends who went on the trip in previous years that it provided a narrow account of the history of Israel and the Israel-Palestinian conflict. I'm not sure how widely known this political agenda is among young American Jews. Many of the Jewish people I've talked to about Birthright seemed aware of this part of the organization's reputation, but I'm sure most know it mainly as just a great opportunity to visit Israel free of charge. The fact that Birthright often presents a limited presentation of Israel's culpability in its many internal and diplomatic conflicts has not deterred over 250,000 people from participating since its first trip in 1994. Several recent articles from Salon.com and The Nation, to name a few, have explored the "hidden agenda" of Birthright and quoted participants who noticed they were being presented with a one-sided story. The accounts have a similar theme: Birthright, aside from requiring a basic curriculum and suggested trip plan, gives a large amount of freedom and authority to each trip's tour guide. The Birthright alumni featured in these articles describe how their Israeli guides would speak about the Palestinian people with harsh "us versus them" language and state opinions about the Palestinian grab for "our land" while painting Israel as only a victim. Sometimes, speaking casually to a group of 20-year-olds, Israeli guides presented their personal political opinions—usually conservative and defensive of Israel—as universal truths. We were never told anything blatantly inaccurate on my Birthright trip. My experience aligned most closely with these stories of participant exposure to Birthright's political agenda only when our tour guide, Amit, recounted stories of Israeli military victories without much context to explain how Israel had ended up in the midst of simultaneous invasions from several neighboring Arab states at once. The "educational" portion of the trip left out many important details about Palestinian claims to the land, and I am sure any participant without prior knowledge of Israel's foreign relations and struggle with the Palestinian government would have left the trip believing in Israel's total innocence. To Birthright's credit, though, the point of these educational detours always seemed to focus more on instilling pride in participants than providing us with a textbook account of Israeli history. The fact is, I did go on the trip despite my slight uneasiness with what I had heard predeparture. In the end, the allure of a free trip to Israel vastly outweighed the fear that someone would try to brainwash me—or even worse, my fear that Birthright organizers believed young Jewish adults could be so easily convinced of anything. I actually came out of my experience with a more positive view of Birthright as an organization and genuine belief in the need for young Jews to visit Israel. Our trip was well run and, in the scope of only 10 days, covered a daunting amount of Israeli history, culture and land. My tour guide may not have sold me on his particular political views, but the exposure to Israeli opinion that Birthright provided was invaluable. I am opposed to any enterprise that presents itself as educational while masking the truth from its participants, but I would still encourage anyone who is eligible for the trip to take advantage of the opportunity. I would caution them, though, to be wary, not only of the ridiculous price hikes for T-shirts in tourist-heavy markets, but of the biases and prejudices they will undoubtedly hear from the trip's own organizers and administration.
It is currently 11:14 p.m. on a Monday night in Maastricht in the Netherlands. With my door slightly ajar, I see an Irish man wearing a lady's dress and heels, and I can hear my Spanish-speaking neighbors walking down the hall after just having finished their dinner, making out words in their conversation like musica and fiesta as the smell of cheap beer floats in and out of my room. It is the night of a cross-dressing party at the Highlander, a local bar, and as per usual, all of my fellow exchange students in my dorm are finding reasons to celebrate despite a weekend spent traveling and an 8:30 a.m. class tomorrow.Two themes have defined my time in the Netherlands thus far: intercultural understanding and celebration. The Netherlands are well known for tolerant policies and the people's open-minded global outlook-it seems as though everyone knows at least three languages, making me feel grossly inadequate. In fact, the university I attend here, Maastricht University, sells itself on being a "global" university, and I have never had more than a few Dutch students in any one of my classes. My comparative government class allows me to debate the benefits and drawbacks of various governmental structures with German, Belgian and Australian students. I have never encountered a Dutch citizen who resented me for my lack of fluency in his or her language, and throughout this small country most things come with translations for English, French and German speakers. As far as celebration goes, the Dutch have broadened my understanding of what it means to party. In the weeks leading up to Carnival, the festival before the Christian season of Lent, there are parades with brass bands and costume-clad children every few days. A particularly Catholic city, Maastricht is a popular destination for the 3-day festival, during which all students have off from school. The bars stay open for 24 hours during Carnival, and everyone from infants to grandparents dance in the streets from dusk till dawn. In fact, what strikes me about partying in Maastricht in particular is its lack of age discrimination. In this student-filled town, it is the middle-aged and older people who monopolize the bar scene, as I see most bars swarming with parents at every hour of every day. It often feels as though my dormitory, aptly named "the Guesthouse" as it is solely filled with exchange students, has taken on those characteristics unique to the region, acting as a microcosm of the Netherlands as a whole. I live side-by-side with four other Americans, five Spaniards, three Australians, two Italians, two Indians, one Mexican, one French person and one Colombian. By sharing a communal kitchen, I have been enlightened regarding how to make a Spanish omelet, why authentic Mexican tacos really are supreme and why vegemite isn't so bad. At dinnertime, with the Americans eating the earliest and Spaniards eating the latest, the smells of authentic Italian pasta, Indian curry and simple American-style sandwiches share one small, common space. In our corridor of 20, we have each needed to confront the preconceived notions our neighbors had of us based on our respective nationalities. "Just because I'm Spanish does not mean I'm lazy." "Just because I'm American does not mean that I am messy." I have also been reminded of what it feels like to be a minority, a feeling I so often forgot existed as a Jewish student at Brandeis. Here, I have been greeted with looks of shock when I mention my religion: "We don't have those in Europe, although I did used to watch that American show The O.C., and they were Jewish," I heard one day. But on the whole, people don't refer to or ask about the vast differences in each other's lives caused by the oceans between us. We are all students, we share a dorm, we respect each other, and we are friends. Drawing from the relaxed, jubilant atmosphere of Maastricht, the Guesthouse has become a place of constant celebrations. Here, even the little things can be reason for festivities. On days where it is particularly sunny or warm, the world stops as everyone gathers on the lawn outside our dorm. Music blasts. People dance. Why? Because it is a nice day. Why not? There isn't a night that goes by when I am not awakened by the sounds of students walking back in the middle of the night and into the morning. What strikes me the most is that they are constantly singing. How often in America do you hear students singing out loud for the pure and simple joy of it? And most of all, there is no excuse here not to be celebrating. So many times I have engaged in the same conversation with Spanish, Australian and Latin American students as I list excuses for why I cannot go out on any given night. They tell me, "You have an early class? You have homework? No. You are in Maastricht, you will have fun." Editor's note: Rebecca Klein '12 is a former Features editor for the Justice.
For the 2010 to 2011 season, justSports has been given a press pass to attend Boston Bruins home games. We will cover these games periodically throughout the year.Bruins right wing Michael Ryder entered last Saturday's game against the Atlanta Thrashers having not scored a goal in his last 12 games. However, Ryder broke his scoreless streak with a successful penalty shot with 7 minutes, 29 seconds remaining in the third period to give the Bruins a 3-2 win and a division crown. "I knew if I could score, it would get the team going," Ryder said. "We have a few games left, and we're hoping we can move up even further."The win allowed the Bruins-who lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shoot-out last Thursday and defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0 last Tuesday to clinch the Northeast Division title. With the win over the Thrashers, the Bruins are now 44-23-11 and can finish no worse than the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. "[The division is] what a lot of teams battle for," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "I'm just glad that's out of the way. We've got to keep winning games and see where we end up."Ryder was awarded a penalty shot after being tripped by Thrashers defenseman Johnny Oduya while he was on a breakaway. Ryder put the penalty above Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec's left shoulder, giving Ryder his 18th goal of the season and the Bruins a one-goal advantage they would keep for the rest of the game. "It's nice to see him score that goal," Julien said. "It's a step in the right direction. When he starts getting his confidence out there and allowing things to happen and not thinking about things, he's going to be a good player again."The Bruins were on the attack from the start of the game and struck first when right wing Mark Recchi scored 4:34 into the game. Bruins center Brad Marchand backhanded the puck past Pavelec, leaving Recchi an open net to score on. However, with 8:49 left in the first period, the Thrashers answered back to tie the game with a power-play goal from Thrashers defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who scored after Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask could not secure a slap shot by Atlanta defender Zach Bogosian.The Thrashers took a 2-1 lead 1:37 into the start of the second period on a goal from left wing Evander Kane. Bruins left wing Milan Lucic blocked a shot, which also caused Rask to go down to the ice to save the shot. The puck rebounded right in front of the net, where Kane was able to get it past the reach of Rask for his 19th goal of the season. Bruins defenseman Daniel Paille drew Boston level just minutes later on a shorthanded goal, and the game remained tied until Ryder's goal clinched the win for the Bruins.Prior to the game, Marchand was awarded the Seventh Player Award, which is voted on by Bruins fans onNESN.com to the player who best exceeds expectations. Marchand, a rookie who has 21 goals and 20 assists, will receive $5,000 to donate to the charity of his choice."It was a question mark if I was even going to be on the team this year,'' Marchand said. "It's an honor to win that award; it's special.''Against the Maple Leafs last Thursday, the Bruins lost 4-3 in shoot-outs. At 7:06 in the first period, Leafs defenseman Luke Schenn crossed a pass through the middle of the crease. Bruins defenseman Tomas Kaberle sprinted to the puck in a bid to break up the pass, but instead he deflected it into his own net. Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas' shutout was snapped at 122 minutes. In the second period, the Bruins got off to a hot start, scoring on a shorthanded goal. Marchand stole a lazy Toronto pass in the neutral zone, broke to the net and deked to his left, causing Leafs goaltender James Reimer to lunge for the puck. Marchand then brought the puck to his right and easily backhanded the puck into the net.One minute later, Lucic moved to the left of the net and passed the puck in front of the net to center David Krejci, who flipped the puck into the right side of the net, giving the Bruins a 2-1 lead. The lead wouldn't last long though, as Toronto left wing Joffrey Lupul added a shorthanded goal of his own a few minutes later. Just 1:25 later, defenseman Andrew Ference reclaimed the lead for Boston.At 7:53 in the third, Lupul snapped the puck past Thomas to tie the game at 3-3, precipitating overtime. During overtime, a controversial penalty shot was awarded to the Maple Leafs, but center Mikhail Grabovski was denied at the low right side of the net by Thomas. Thomas' save prompted loud chants of "U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.." Neither team converted on multiple opportunities. This lead to shoot-outs, which the Leafs handled without much drama.To open up the week, the Bruins squared off against the defending-champion Blackhawks. Due to flawless goaltending by Thomas and an offense outburst in the last two periods, Boston blanked the Blackhawks 3-0."We played well and brought our best," Thomas said. "Our players were in the right places position-wide, and we battled through until we were able to break out [with the goals]."The first period, a defensive battle, ended in a 0-0 stalemate. The goalies for both teams were impenetrable in the crease, especially Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford, who saved 12 Bruins shots. At the start of the second period, Bruins left wing Shawn Thornton took a skate to the face, causing a massive gash that required more than 40 stitches. The scene caused several fights in the next few minutes and seemed to wake up the Bruins. Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara finally broke through at 12:02 in the period with a slicing goal-his 14th of the season lead. Centers Patrice Bergeron and Marchand came up with the assists. Defenseman Johnny Boychuk soon followed with a well-placed shot past Crawford, increasing Boston's lead to 2-0. Lucic and Recchi each earned assists. With the assist, Recchi earned his 1532nd point, passing defenseman Paul Coffey for the 12th-most points all time. The Bruins' offensive onslaught continued into the third period. At 5:20, right wing Nathan Horton tapped in the puck past Crawford's weak side. Paille and center Gregory Campbell each came up with the assists.The Bruins' next game takes place tomorrow night at home against the New York Islanders. They will then face the Ottawa Senators Saturday night in Boston and will conclude the regular season Sunday on the road against the New Jersey Devils.
This year was an awesome year for music. Country music groups became more popular, hitmakers continued to shine and many newcomers hit the stage and radio with songs that became stuck in our heads. Auto-Tune was the big crutch that most artists used, but sometimes to artists' benefits. Unfortunately, artists whom we had seen and heard before didn't seem to change much, but they still managed to give us chart-topping songs. Here are my top 10 albums of 2010:1. Doo-Wops and Hooligans-Bruno MarsThis year was the year for breakout musician Bruno Mars. We first see Mars in B.o.B.'s "Nothing on You," an ode to beautiful girls. He then followed up with Travie McCoy in the summer hit, "Billionaire." After releasing his single "Just The Way You Are," Mars received what most male artists look for when beginning a career: women's hearts. Mars followed up with the hit "Grenade" at the end of the year, which is still dominating the charts today. Doo-Wops and Hooligans is a short album with just 10 songs, but it is effortlessly tuneful. The songs often sound as if they have been written on the spot, a quality that is endearing. The album flows well and is great to listen to when you want to chill. Favorite song: "The Lazy Song"- Mars sings about not doing anything, and it's the college student's dream.2. Teenage Dream-Katy PerryThis year, no one could get away from Katy Perry. From her catchy "California Gurls" single, which was played over and over on the radio, to the chart-climbing "Firework," Perry was a pop goddess force to be reckoned with. Despite the songs we all know and love, Perry has something fun to offer in this album. It is a risqué album that pushes the envelope with its sexual innuendos and connotations that can only be described as scandalous and typical for Perry.Favorite Song: "Not Like the Movies"-A great way to end the album. Perry doesn't necessarily show us her best vocals, but the song has lots of heart as Perry sings about true love.3. Thank Me Later-DrakeMany of you may know Drake as the cute, wheelchair-bound Jimmy on Degrassi. But on his album, Thank Me Later, we see that he is so much more. Drake began to dominate the airwaves with his hit "Over." Who can forget "Last name: Ever; first name: greatest," one of the best rap lines ever said? Drake is not, inherently, a bad rapper. The album's guest stars interact with these sometimes lackluster beats in different ways, turning an all-star team of support into a motley crew of mixed-bag backups. One issue I have with Drake is that he sometimes sounds lethargic and lazy when he raps. He luckily has synthesizers and other hot beats to bring it back. Favorite Song: "Find Your Love"-A rap ballad for the ages. Drake has great lyrics and a very catchy hook in this song. 4. Animal-Ke$haAt first, I didn't find anything on the album particularly noteworthy. It's neither new nor cutting edge, but it is fun. After a few minutes, I was enjoying some of the songs and was already humming them to myself. Ke$ha also knows that the main thing that pop music needs is a catchy tune, and, as expected, this album is stuffed with them. Whether she's singing about getting really drunk at some dude's house or about her one true love, the beats accompanying the songs will always be infectious or simply very fitting to the song's theme. It doesn't take long to realize that this album has one message: party hard and live life to the max.Favorite Song: "Animal"-The title track for this album is not a typical party song. It is something that can be easily enjoyed while sitting down and relaxing. 5. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy-Kanye WestI generally am not fond of Kanye West. But, ego aside, West actually manages to put out a good album with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. So what makes West's new music so 'Dark' and 'Twisted?' His outrageously hedonistic lyrics. In short, the album is brilliant. The rhymes are clever, the music is rich, the emotions are raw, and the themes are dark. Favorite Song: "Power"-West admits that he is the epitome of arrogance: "I embody every characteristic of the egotistic, he knows he's so gifted." 6. B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray-B.o.B.This album is a very good debut album because it introduces the listeners to B.o.B as an artist. The album is good creatively, but there is no real balance to it. It feels like he is experimenting a bit too much, because every single track is different (some might consider that to be a good quality), but for me, it is hard to stay focused on who B.o.B. really is. The Adventures of Bobby Ray will be well received by consumers who have an open mind and ear in the case of hip hop, but those looking for pure hip hop will likely skip B.o.B. As evidenced by such tracks as "Magic" with Rivers Cuomo, B.o.B. can fit in with mainstream pop music as well as dip into the realm of mainstream clean-cut rap.Favorite Song: "Airplanes"- There is something very endearing about wishing for a simpler time when you're an up-and-coming millionaire hip-hop star.7. Rokstarr-Taio CruzRokstarr lives up to its name. It guiltily caters to the general public in a broadened, generic sense while still maintaining a sloppy sense of self-indulgence. Rokstarr is one of those albums that you will either love or hate, but if you're already a fan of Taio Cruz, then you are going to love this album. Tracks such as "Dirty Picture," "Higher" and "Dynamite" are all excellent songs that will get you to dance and celebrate. I recommend this album to those who are always looking for the next party.Favorite Song: "Dynamite"-The second chart-topping single from Cruz. "Dynamite" is an anthem to looking good and feeling good anytime you want.8. Pink Friday-Nicki MinajNicki Minaj is one of the most creative female rappers of all time. Her will to rocket her way to the top of the music industry is apparent in her artistic lyrics and over-the-top music videos. If you like the singles "Right Thru Me," "Check it Out" and "Your Love," then you will love Pink Friday. Pink Friday has some songs aimed directly at the Top 40.Favorite Song: "Last Chance"- Featuring vocals by Natasha Bedingfield (shocker!) the song is a great flow of Minaj's rap and Bedingfield's soulful vocals.9. Recovery-EminemFor years, Eminem has only had his pain and anger from the problems with his mother and ex-wife to rap about, and it got tiring and annoying after a while. Now that Eminem has gone through the hardships of rehab and survived a suicide attempt, he gets a little raw and begins to rap about real things. Favorite Song: "Talkin' 2 Myself" ft. Kobe-This song is very engrossing and draws you into singing the chorus along with Kobe. I never heard of this guy before, but the track was very effective and enjoyable. 10. Crazy Love-Michael BubléMichael Bublé is the anomaly in this top-10 list. He's not a typical pop star, but he has had some success on the mainstream radio with "Haven't Met You Yet." This is Bublé's first album in 2 1/2 years, and it features two original songs along with his always-original take on 11 standards from various eras. It's a great compilation of soulful and poetic works that our generation has forgotten.Favorite Song: "Georgia on My Mind"- A classic song that is soulfully recreated by Bublé; this is a great de-stresser.