(05/04/10 4:00am)
The baseball season ended in disappointment on Sunday as the Judges lost their final game to the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth 11-4, stumbling to a final record of 11-24. The Corsairs scored seven runs in the first three innings in a game that, like the Judges' season, seemed lost from the start. Brandeis stayed off the board until the fourth inning, in which left fielder Chris Ferro '13 hit his team-leading fifth home run to make it 7-1. The team added three more in the eighth to make it interesting, but the Corsairs added three of their own in the bottom of the inning to silence the would-be comeback. However, on Wednesday, the Judges showed the same burst of life that appeared sporadically throughout the season. Coming off a rain-shortened 11-6 home win over UMass-Dartmouth on Tuesday, their seventh come-from-behind win ended in exciting and unlikely fashion against Bowdoin College in Brandeis' home finale. Down seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Judges put nine on the board to win 17-15. It marked the third time this season that the team has won in its final turn at bat. "That was a great win for us," said first baseman Drake Livada '10. "All year, we've been giving up big innings and never really had a big inning ourselves. Everyone was hitting [in the eighth], and hitting [is] contagious." After allowing three runs in the first two innings on Wednesday, Brandeis battled into the lead with five in the third. A two-run home run from center fielder Tony Deshler '11 and an RBI double from third baseman Jon Chu '12 combined with singles by shortstop Sean O'Hare '12 and Ferro, a wild pitch and a hit batter to give the Judges a two-run lead. The Polar Bears went back in front in the fifth with two more runs. After Brandeis got one back in the bottom of the inning on catcher Artie Posch's '10 single that scored Chu, Bowdoin scored four runs to go up 9-6. Brandeis picked up two runs in the top of the seventh to pull within one, but Bowdoin quickly retook a commanding lead, scoring six runs in the top of the eighth before pitcher Andrew Weissenberg '13 able to close out the inning on a 4-6-3 double play.The Judges came from behind two times and broke two ties in their home opener win against Bridgewater State University back on March 18, and despite entering the bottom of the eighth inning facing a 15-8 deficit and high odds, were determined to leave the Stein Diamond the same way that they had arrived. After leading off with a Deshler double, Brandeis sent a barrage of men across the plate that left a stunned Bowdoin team looking at a two-run deficit when the dust settled, where seemingly moments earlier they had seen themselves on the short path to victory. With only four hits in the inning, the Judges were able to score nine runs with the help of two Bowdoin errors, two walks, a hit batter, three wild pitches and a passed ball. Pitcher Alex Tynan '12 delivered the finishing touch with his first career save. The upset of a strong Bowdoin team was neither the Judges' first nor their most impressive during the season. On Feb. 19, during the team's season-opening southern road trip, Brandeis pulled out a nine-inning, 7-6 upset over Trinity University in Texas, which is currently ranked No. 14 by the d3baseball.com NCAA poll. Livada said that games like the ones against Bowdoin and Trinity give the team hope for the future. "We play one of the toughest schedules in the country, so we know that we're capable of playing with anybody," said Livada. "That just gives us hope for the team next year. All year, we gave up one big inning every game, which cost us in our losses, but other than that, we were right with them for a lot of games." Going into next season, the team will lose key seniors that include the three team captains-Livada, Posch and second baseman John O'Brion '10-and four-year starter Drew Brzozowski '10. To fill those holes, said Livada, the team will look to players like Deshler, O'Hare, and pitcher John McGrath '11. Pitcher and utility player Pat Nicholson '11, who won five games with a team second-best 4.58 earned run average in the 2009 season, will return from an injury that caused him to miss the entire year. Further, the team has an impressive class of rookies that will continue to develop, including lefthander Mike Swerdloff '13, who had the team's third-lowest ERA with 5.40. He also pitched 40.0 innings during the year, which was the third most on the team.Ferro, who played a significant role in almost all Brandeis wins and often added a touch of Judges pride to tough losses at catcher and in the outfield, had a team-leading .355 batting average, five home runs, 44 hits and 25 RBIs. For the departing seniors, a tough moment in any athete's career was made more bitter by dissapointments, but Livada said he speaks for all seniors in his appreciation of the Brandeis program and confidence in its future."It's definitely been a positive experience. It's a great group of guys, and the athletic administration has been great. It's been a bumpy road, but there have been more pros than cons, and us seniors are going to reflect on the good things that happened in the four years for us. We've had a [great] time together, and we'll miss the program.
(05/04/10 4:00am)
CORRECTION APPENDEDThe Brandeis Phi Beta Kappa Selection Committee met last week and elected 75 new members to Phi Beta Kappa from the Class of 2010 and six new members from the Class of 2011. These lists were then confirmed at a meeting of the members of the Brandeis Phi Beta Kappa Chapter at 4 p.m. on Monday.The Brandeis Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa elects about 10 percent of the senior class and about 1 percent of the junior class each year. Selection is based on three criteria: quality of academic record (of which the GPA is an important consideration); breadth of interest (indicated by courses taken beyond a student's concentration); and opinions of faculty and senior administrators concerning the scholarly achievements and character of the candidate in the form of letters of recommendation.Electees from the Class of 2010 are: Ariel, Tamar; Balik, Paul S.*; Beller, Daniel A. *; Brigham, Faith L.; Channon, Alison J.; Cohen, Jonah N.; Cooper, Sharon E.; Cornell, Samantha L.; Dembowitz, Marti E.; Dillon, Alison M.; Ellerton, Sara R.; Eron, Abby R. *; Ettinger, Allyson K.; Fineman, Andrea D.; Fischman, Kathleen N.; Fishman, Ezra I.; Frenkel, Michael J.; Friedman, Clarence D.; Gewurz, Danielle E. *; Goldwasser, Mia R. *; Griffin, Emily; Gross, Alissa L.; Guyshan, Leonid V.; Hallock, Hannah R.; Hamami, Ayala; Hecker, Amanda R.; Hilburg, Rachel E.; Hirsh, Jared A.; Hutchinson, Sean Z.; Jadwin, Ari D.; Karagodsky, Igor; Karasick, Andrew S.; Khmara, Kseniya; King, Etta; Kirsh, Jarrad M.; Kuehnlenz, Sri K.; Landau, Susan A.; Levin, Theodore F.; Lewis, Courtney N.; Loren, Rebecca; Maizlish, Rivka A.; Margulies, Zachary Abram; Marmor, Lee A. *; Meltzer, Ethan I.; Miodovnik, Daniel; Mukunda, Shilpa; Nada, Garrett; Narayanan, Arun A.; Nhaissi, Corinne; Opas, Dana S.; Pancheshnikov, Anna; Payson, Christine R.; Pease, Sarah E.; Perry, Russell W.; Pisarik, Elizabeth A.; Pitt, Michael J.; Ravichandran, Kanchana; Reuss, Joshua E.; Rich, Mariah R.; Rittner, Spencer E.; Rosenberg, Sophie T.; Rothwax, Jason T.; Sacks, Benjamin P.; Saly, Danielle L.; Sarquilla, Lindsey S.; Saunders, Elizabeth C.; Serby, Benjamin J.; Setren, Elizabeth M.; Shevelyova, Anna *; Sklar, Hannelore Z.; Sniderman, Rebecca S.; Snir, Batia R.; Spiro, Stephanie B.; Stein, Benjamin W.; Stewart, Clarissa L.; Strong, Bruce E.; Strykowski, Derek R.; Trott, Alexander R.; Vasquez, Claudia G.; von Guggenberg, Miriam K.; Werfel, Seth H.; and Wolman, Dylan N.* (also elected as juniors)Electees from the class of 2011 are: Engelhardt, Netta; Goodman, Julie E.; Hand, Laura B.; Liken, Jessica P.; Shafir, Michael P.; and Stern, Rephael G.Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honors organization in the United States. Founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776, its high and rigorous standards of excellence have made election to it one of the highest academic honors an undergraduate at a college in the United States can receive.No other university in the United States has been granted the privilege to form a Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa more quickly than Brandeis.The Initiation Ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. on May 22 of Commencement Weekend on the Mainstage of the Spingold Theater Center.The ceremony will be followed by a reception at 4:00 p.m. for all new Phi Beta Kappa members, their families and their friends.Correction: The article originally misspelled the given name of a student. It is Rephael Stern, not Raphael.
(04/27/10 4:00am)
After giving up eight runs in the seventh inning in an 11-2 loss to Amherst College on Tuesday, the Brandeis baseball team suffered the same fate in Friday's 13-7 loss to Suffolk University. The Judges also lost 4-3 on Thursday to Endicott College in 11 innings and now stand at 9-21 on the season."It's pretty frustrating," second baseman/right fielder John O'Brion '10 said of the team's tendency to give up big innings to the opposing team. "It seems like it's been happening quite a bit this year. We're playing well for most of the game, and it's almost like a little bit of bad luck." Brandeis got out to an early lead against Suffolk in the first inning, as center fielder Tony Deshler '11 led off the game with his second home run of the season. The Judges then scored twice more in the inning thanks to two Rams errors to take a 3-0 lead. Suffolk, however, came right back with two runs in the bottom of the inning to pull within one and tied the game in the bottom of the third inning.The Judges then retook the lead in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI fielder's choice from left fielder Chris Ferro '13 and an RBI single from first baseman Eric Rosenberg '11. These moves put Brandeis up 5-3 before the Rams once again pulled within a run in the bottom of the inning.After a home run from third baseman Jon Chu '12 in the top of the seventh put the Judges up 6-4, Suffolk sent 13 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs on seven hits, all with two outs. Brandeis starting pitcher Drew Brzozowski '10 gave up six straight hits and four runs after getting the first two outs of the inning, prompting head coach Pete Varney to replace him with right-handed reliever Kyle Ritchie '10. Ritchie walked the first batter he faced to load the bases before hitting the next two batters to bring home two more runs for the Rams. Ritchie then gave up a two-run double before being pulled for rookie left-hander Jesse Link '13, who was able to end the inning.The Judges got one unearned run in the eighth inning, but then Suffolk added one of their own in the bottom of the frame to secure the 13-7 win.On Wednesday, the Judges again got out to the quick advantage when a sacrifice fly from Rosenberg scored Chu. Endicott scored twice in the bottom of the frame to take its first lead of the game, aided by an error from Rosenberg that scored a run. The game remained tied until the sixth inning, when the Judges loaded the bases with two outs. A walk from shortstop Sean O'Hare '12 tied the game 1-1, but the Judges were unable to score again in the inning. Brandeis briefly got the lead back in the seventh inning on an RBI single from Chu, but Endicott came back in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game.The Gulls, however, walked off with the win in the bottom of the eleventh inning on a one-out RBI single from rookie third baseman Joe Kasabuski off Brandeis relief pitcher Mike Swerdloff '13, wasting a strong outing from starting pitcher John McGrath '11."It seems like one game we'll have a strong pitching performance, but we won't be able to score, and the next game we'll score a bunch but our pitching will struggle a little bit, so it's just aggravating that we can't really gel together as a team," O'Brion said. On Tuesday at home against Amherst, the Judges once again took a lead going into the seventh inning before giving up eight runs. Brandeis was up 2-1 after a home run from second baseman James Likis '10 and an RBI single from Rosenberg in the fourth inning. Left-hander Alex Tynan '12, who replaced starting pitcher Dylan Britton '13 in the seventh inning, gave up a walk and two hits, including a two-run double, before recording his first out. Tynan, along with relievers Andrew Weissenberg '13, Stephen Weiss '13 and Nick Pollack '10 combined to give up seven hits, two walks and a hit batter as Amherst pulled away. For good measure, Amhrest added two more runs in the eighth inning off of Link.The Judges hope to bounce back with two straight games at home today versus University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth at 3:30 p.m. and tomorrow against Bowdoin College at 4 p.m. They then wrap up the season with three straight road games at Keene State College Thursday at 3:30, Wheaton College Saturday at 1 p.m. and at University of Massachussetts at Dartmouth on Sunday at 1 p.m.
(04/20/10 4:00am)
The timeworn proverb reads "All good things must come to an end," but the Brandeis baseball team took solace in the converse on Sunday as they ended a demoralizing seven-game losing streak with a 10-5 win over Babson College The Judges, now 9-18 on the year, have had trouble matching strong pitching with good run support throughout the season, with the former increasingly lacking in Brandeis losses coming into the team's recent drought. But the Brandeis pitching and hitting rebounded on Sunday. Right-hander Drew Brzozowski '10 got the win, coming back from a five-run third inning to finish strongly and register his third complete game of the season. He gave up only two earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four. "I thought I pitched well," said Brzozowski. "Babson's a good team, and I knew we had a chance to beat them."The win was both relieving and invigorating for a Brandeis team that has struggled for consistency this season."It feels great, especially the way that we played," said third-base coach Brian Lambert. "The kids all played hard, and they all did exactly what they were supposed to do. [Brzozowski] made a couple of mistakes early but then corrected for all of them later. It was a great all-around game for us."Brandeis opened the scoring first with three runs in the second on a sacrifice fly from left fielder Zach Malis '12 and a two-run double from second baseman James Likis '10. Babson battled back with two runs off Brzozowski in the bottom of the second and three more in the third to take a 5-3 lead. All three third inning runs were unearned, as two errors set the stage for a couple of two-out RBI hits by the Beavers. Brzozowski dug in after that, allowing just two more base runners over the next four innings to keep the Judges in the game and eventually secure the win. "It just kind of shows that as bad as he pitches one inning, he'll forget about it and then just start all over again," said Lambert of Brzozowski's ability to keep his composure on the mound."Drew's been here for four years. . He's obviously been in tough situations," said catcher Artie Posch '10, who filled the role of designated hitter on Sunday. "I think he just battled hard for us, and he knew that he needed to finish strong and keep us in it so we could score a few more runs for him and hopefully come out of there with the [win]." The Judges began their battle back into the game in the fifth inning. A one-out double by third baseman Jon Chu '12 and a single by left fielder Chris Ferro '13, who played catcher in the game, put two on for Posch, who delivered with a single to score Chu and put Brandeis within one run. With runners at the corners and first baseman Eric Rosenberg '11 at the plate, Lambert flashed the sign for a double hit-and-run. The play turned into a double steal when a pitch out of the strike zone escaped Rosenberg's reach but was salvaged when Posch induced a rundown between first and second base, allowing Ferro to score from third and tie the game. "That's definitely something we've practiced before, the double hit-and-run," said Posch. "[Rosenberg swung] threw it, so in that situation I'm supposed to stop and try to get in a rundown and try to let that run score. That definitely was a good play; it worked."In the sixth inning, a sacrifice fly by center fielder Tony Deshler '11 scored pinch-runner Nick Cortese '13 from third to give Brandeis the lead. A seventh-inning rally added four insurance runs, including a three-run homer by Malis, but six runs were all Brzozowski needed to secure a long-awaited Brandeis win. "It feels good," said Brzozowski of the victory. "My senior year's been a little disappointing for me, personally. I haven't been pitching as well as I thought I would be, but . back up north I'm starting to pick it up, so hopefully I'll just build off that and try to win every time I go out there."On Thursday, the Judges lost 8-7 to Johnson and Wales University, in which a five-run Brandeis comeback capped by a game-tying grand slam from shortstop Sean O'Hare '12 wasn't enought as a solo walk-off home run won it for the Wildcats.Before the loss to Johnson and Wales, the team suffered a 12-4 defeat to Worcester State University. The team hit a season-high three home runs on the day, coming from Ferro, Deshler and Rosenberg.The Judges play today at home, taking on Amherst College, which has a record of 13-9 on the season.
(04/13/10 4:00am)
Brandeis' graduate students in studio art will show off the fruits of their labor beginning tomorrow with "Prospect II", an art exhibition in the Dreitzer Gallery at the Spingold Theater Center. The show, which is the second installment of a two-part series of exhibitions, replaces "Prospect I", which closed yesterday. The exhibition will feature the work of Maria Alvarez, Jean-Jacques du Plessis, Kelsey Elverum, Mathiew Greenfield, Jonathan Kindness '09, Molly Ledbetter, Erin O'Leary and Nichole Speciale '09, all students in the post-baccalaureate program in studio art. The program hosts art students at varying points in their careers-many students enroll in the program for one or two years between their undergraduate studies and moving on to a higher degree in studio art.Organized by Prof. Sean Downey (FA), "Prospect II" will open with a reception tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. and runs through Sunday, May 2.-Julian Agin-Liebes contributed reporting.
(03/23/10 4:00am)
The baseball team's bats came alive during Thursday's return to the Stein Diamond as the Judges won their home opener against the Bridgewater State Bears with a walk-off RBI by third baseman Tony Deshler '11 in the bottom of the ninth. The Judges came back from two deficits and broke two ties, finally securing the 10-9 victory in the last inning when Deshler beat out a double play attempt to score pinch hitter Zach Malis '11 for the game-winning run. The game's standout was left fielder Chris Ferro '13, who helped account for eight of the Judges' 10 runs with five RBIs and three runs scored, including a fourth-inning home run that erased a two-run Brandeis deficit. After failing to hit in his first few games, Ferro has come on strong to hold a team-leading .407 batting average, two home runs and 11 RBI so far. Hitting coach Nick Gallagher noted Ferro's hitting capabilities and his improvements."Before the season, he was our best hitter in fall practice," said Gallagher. "He got off to a slow start, but this is more of what we expected from him this year.""Coming into the fall ... right away, you could tell he was a hitter," first baseman Drake Livada '10 said. "He's been hitting all spring and all winter, so none of us have been surprised by it."The home win was especially sweet for the Judges, who only clinched two wins in nine games on their road trips in Texas and Florida. "It was definitely a relief to get that first win at home, especially after our two trips down south didn't go as well as we hoped," said Livada. "We've been saying since we got back that we'll look at those trips as just us getting ready for our season up here, and as far as we're concerned, we're 1-0 right now back up in Boston."Livada believes that the Judges' bats will be the key to their success this season. "If we make the routine plays and our pitchers throw strikes, we can hit with any team in the country," said Livada.Gallagher agreed with Livada, but also discussed how other teams have potent offenses as well. "We're [going to] have to hit the baseball," said Gallagher. "In this league, over the schedule we play, ... everyone can hit, so you have to score to win." The Judges' pitching troubles, which have plagued them for much of the season, started early on Thursday. Right-handed starter Dylan Britton '13 walked Bears' senior shortstop Brian Medairos to begin the first. Medairos advanced to second on a fielder's choice and then went to third on a pitch to the backstop. Britton then gave up an RBI single and, after recording the second out, a two-run homer to junior left fielder Ian Williams before getting a strikeout to end the inning. In the second, senior first baseman Tom Couet led off with a solo home run. Britton recorded the first out before allowing a single to left. After just 1 1/3 innings, right-hander Nick Pollack '11 came in, ending the inning with no further damage. Brandeis got on the board in the bottom of the second when Ferro, after hitting a one-out single, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on Malis' sacrifice fly to center. In the third, center fielder Nick Cortese '13 led off with an infield single and, after Deshler struck out swinging, moved to second on defensive indifference. A 1-2 pitch caught shortstop Sean O'Hare '12 on the arm. Designated hitter Jon Chu '12 then grounded into a potential inning-ending 6-4-3 double play, but a throwing error allowed Chu to reach first, which scored Cortese from second. Livada singled to center in the fourth, and Ferro drove Livada and himself in on a home run to left-center. Despite managing to load the bases, Brandeis did not score any runs after second baseman Jon O'Brion '10 grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning. Bridgewater State regained the lead in the fifth. Pollack's streak of eight straight retired hitters ended with a one-out walk, hit batter and two-run double. They scored a run on a single before right-hander John McGrath '11 came on to end the inning. Brandeis then scored three runs of their own on doubles by Ferro and O'Brion followed by a wild pitch from freshman reliever Bryant Warner.Right-hander Drew Brzozowski '10 came in for the Judges in the sixth and pitched three scoreless innings, working out of trouble in the seventh and eighth to leave five runners on base. Meanwhile, Brandeis added runs in the sixth and eighth, on a Ferro single and sacrifice fly. Ferro's single in the sixth caromed off of the pitcher's leg to the second baseman. O'Hare was able to score from second on a headfirst slide.Brzozowski began the ninth trying to hold the lead and secure the Brandeis win, but the Bears were finally able to get to him with a one-out single followed by a game-tying home run by freshmen pinch hitter Tyler Dennis. Kyle Richie '12 came in and was able to record the last two outs to preserve the tie. Looking to win the game in the bottom of the ninth, Malis started off the inning getting hit for the second time in the game, stole second and advanced to third with one out when Zach Wooley '11, pinch hitting for Cortese, reached on an error. Deshler hit a grounder on the infield, and was able to beat the turn at first to score Malis for the winning run. The Judges will play seven games between today and Sunday. The team's next game will be at the Stein Diamond today against Wheaton College at 3 p.m.
(03/16/10 4:00am)
The Brandeis men's and women's fencing teams were in action for their last meet of the season last Sunday, the NCAA Northeast Regionals at Brown University. Will Bedor '10 qualified and is moving on to the NCAA Nationals in the men's épée.Bedor placed sixth overall in épée, powered by strong showings in nearly every round, placing seventh, ninth and sixth in the second, third and fourth rounds, respectively.Although only Bedor qualified, many on the team came close to qualifying. Adam Austin '11 made it to the final 12 but placed last in that final round.Austin "needed to make the top eight, but he ran out of gas and had a little muscle pull," said coach Bill Shipman. Sean Norton '10 finished 12th, which was a good finish considering that he was seeded 29th.This week, four women's fencers were placed on the all-University Athletic Association Northeast Conference team. Anna Hanley '11, Emma Larkin '11, Zoe Messinger '13 and Vikki Nunley '13 received these honors. This was Hanley's second straight year being placed on the all-UAA Northeast team and the first time for everyone else.Hanley was also named fencer of the year in the UAA Northeast Conference last year. The women tried to build on these honors and had a somewhat successful day. While no fencer qualified for nationals, the team did field younger students who fenced very well.According to Hanley, the women's first-years are looking forward to a good year next season."I think the freshmen did really well; they all made it out of the first round. They definitely met expectations," said Hanley. Nunley fell in the second round."Vikki fenced really well for her competition," noted Shipman. "The freshmen set a good foundation for their future," said Hanley, who qualified for Nationals last year but fell in the semifinals Sunday to what Shipman later said was strong competition. "[I'm] a little disappointed; [it was] not her best in the semifinals when we needed it. There is not much of a margin for error in this tourney," said Shipman. Alex Turner '11 had a solid tournament as well, finishing in the top 25, but she did not qualify for regionals."I thought a lot of people fenced well, but I wasn't happy with the qualifying results; I hoped to get two or three [fencers] in," said Shipman. However, Regionals is the toughest competition that Brandeis faced this year. "[Regionals was] definitely our most important meet of the year," said Hanley."Competition included former Junior all-Americans and fencers on the world team. You have to really fence your best to make an impact; there is not much of a margin for error," said Shipman.Although the ending to the season was a bit disappointing, both teams can definitely look forward to next year, as they are both very young and have a lot of potential."We have everyone back, and we'll add some new people. I'm hoping that [the returning team members] keep their enthusiasm and desire, improve and be even better next year," said Shipman. However, the team will have to replace Bedor, Brandeis' only qualifier and one of its top fencers. "Hopefully our returning men's épée will step up to fill Bedor's hole,"added Shipman, who is first looking forward to Bedor's NCAA Nationals in two weeks and is confident he will finish high despite the tough competition."Physically and athletically he can do well; he'll be able to hold his own," said Shipman.
(03/09/10 5:00am)
We Brandeisians often pride ourselves on our students' long history of political activism. From sit-ins and protests in the '60s and '70s to activism in Liberal, Conservative, Communist or Zionist groups on campus today, Brandeis students are politically aware. But after some experiences of mine over February break, I've begun to wonder whether this type of youthful activism is actually healthy for the political culture of our country.Over February break, I was lucky enough to attend the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. CPAC is an annual gathering of conservative- and libertarian- leaning activists from around the country at which people network, politicians pander and a good time is had by all. Walking around CPAC, though, gives the vague impression of walking around a College Republicans convention: Year after year, the majority of attendees are college students. Since I'm a good Republican, I had quite a good time at CPAC, but I was profoundly disturbed by several aspects of the conference, especially the behavior of the college students in attendance. Most of the conference involved sitting in a big conference hall listening to people speak. Participants would walk in and out of the large ballroom constantly; after all, eight hours is a long time to sit and listen to speeches. But I was shocked when I saw which speakers my fellow college students chose to listen to and wildly applaud. They were primarily speakers whose rhetoric was populist, extreme and simplistic.On the final day of the conference, a panel spoke to the crowd about what a conservative foreign policy ought to be. The lineup on the panel was wonderful: a former official from the Reagan administration; Joanne Herring, who had helped fund Afghani troops in the fight against the Soviet invasion of their country; and Jason Chaffetz, a congressman from Utah. The level of discourse on the panel was very high, and each member sought to inform the crowd that the business of foreign policy is not simple: It requires prudence, wise judgment and decisions among less-than-ideal options. The crowd in the room for the panel was small, and the panelists were greeted with credulity and very little applause. Not long after that panel, right-wing firebrand and pundit Ann Coulter spoke to the convention, and when she spoke, the room was packed to capacity. Throngs of college students came to hear Coulter stoke populist flames and appeal to the most base elements of the Republican psyche with liberal-bashing one-liners one could practically classify as political pornography. During the question-and-answer session with Coulter, one college student asked her what she thought of Joanne Herring's suggestion that assisting Afghani farmers grow chickpeas could help stabilize the country. To this question Coulter replied, "I thought bombs were the solution to our problem in Afghanistan." The young people in the room responded with thunderous applause. I don't tell this story in order to discuss foreign policy in the Middle East or to express my distaste for Ann Coulter. I tell it because I was shocked at how poorly the crowds of young activists like me responded to serious suggestions about how to develop a viable, right-wing foreign policy and how happy they were to hear calls for bomb-dropping to solve our problems.The issue of young people's unfortunate tendency to lean toward populism, utopianism and idealism is not limited to the American Right. It exists on both sides of the political spectrum. Just take a look at some of the political advocacy groups here on campus. Although they don't enjoy the support of a majority of students on campus, Students for a Democratic Society and Democracy for America are two far-left-wing groups who enjoy support on campus out of proportion to what they would enjoy off campus. SDS and DFA even helped bring the radically left-wing, former domestic terrorist Bill Ayers to campus last year. Whatever one thinks about Ayers, he is clearly a radical who would have a difficult time getting a hearing anywhere but a college campus. We spend a lot of time and energy in this country trying to encourage young people to vote. Since I started becoming aware of the political process back in 2004, I remember "Rock the Vote" campaigns to make voting seem cool to young people. (We all remember when Sean "Diddy" Combs wore that infamous "Vote or Die" T-shirt). And praise was heaped on then-presidential candidates Senator Barack Obama and Congressman Ron Paul in 2008 for being able to encourage young people to get involved in politics. I think in light of the penchant for populism and extremism, this may be a flawed way to support our political system. Encouraging youth to get involved in the political process is not an inherently worthy pursuit. If what young people bring to the table are overly simplistic and excessively populist ideas about public policy, then they do damage to the political process at a time when wisdom, sound judgment and nuance are needed to solve the tremendous economic and security problems the country faces at home and abroad.Instead of promoting campaigns to get kids to turn up at political rallies or go to the polls, we as a country ought to promote that kids be educated about the issues. Such an effort could use media like television or YouTube to promote education about the major policy issues this country will have to deal with in the near future. College Democrats and Republicans ought to be more focused on education than activism, and their conferences and events should be adjusted accordingly. An educated young person won't simply call for bomb-dropping as the solution to all our problems abroad, nor will he reduce domestic problems to a simple conflict between, say capitalism and socialism or between the religious right and secular left. The world is a complex place, and promoting educational opportunities geared toward young people would be a great way to curb our bent toward extremism. We also ought to stop praising politicians simply for getting young people to turn out at the polls. The politicians who deserve our praise are those who deal seriously with the issues, not those who can get kids to show up at their rallies.Perhaps then, as fun as CPAC was, young people should not be encouraged to attend events like it. At CPAC, many speakers come and fan populist flames. They play to young people's proclivities, confirm what they already think and justify their simplistic views. Youth involvement in this kind of politics is damaging to our nation's political climate. Nonpartisan educational events and conferences would be far more beneficial to college-age students than partisan political rallies.I understand the irony of me, a relatively politically active college student, railing against the involvement of people like me in the political process. But in writing this, I am reminding myself of how I can more positively involve myself in politics, and I hope to transmit my own introspection to this article's readers.
(03/09/10 5:00am)
Kristin Parker, the archivist and records manager at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, has been hired as the new collections manager and registrar for the Rose Art Museum, according to a campuswide e-mail sent last Friday by Provost Marty Krauss.Valerie Wright, the Rose's former collections manager and registrar, resigned last December after receiving an offer to serve as registrar of the Art Museum at West Virginia University.In addition to serving as archivist and records manager at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Parker is also the museum's collections manager and manager of contemporary art and public programs, Krauss wrote in her e-mail. Parker will join the staff of the Rose on March 22, Roy Dawes, the current director of operations at the Rose, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.Dawes said in an interview with the Justice that he was primarily in charge of the search process for a new collections manager and registrar. He added that he also consulted Krauss and Director of the Office of the Arts Scott Edmiston about the hire. Dawes said that about 50 candidates applied for the position and that Parker was selected after successful phone and in-person interviews. "[Parker] has an amazing career at [the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum], and she has a specific interest in contemporary art, which is something that I was looking for, and she has a very clear understanding of kind of the challenges that we here at [the Rose Art Museum] face over the next couple of years and she had some excellent ideas about us moving forward," Dawes said. "[Parker] is especially interested in the intersection of museums, libraries, and archives, and how museums can use new technologies to become more integrated with these institutions," Krauss wrote in her campuswide e-mail. Parker could not be reached for comment by press time. A search committee is still in the process of reviewing applicants for the position of education director at the museum, which was vacated when Emily Mello resigned last June, Krauss wrote. In addition to Dawes, who is the search committee's chair, the committee is comprised of Profs. Nancy Scott (FA), Andreas Teuber (PHIL), Sean Downey (FA), Dirck Roosevelt (ED) and Edmiston.Dawes said that the committee has received approximately 15 résumés for the position and that search committee members will conduct interviews next week. He added that he hopes to fill the position within six to eight weeks.Currently Dawes and Director of Financial Control, Budgeting and Analysis Karina Sheerin are the Rose's only two staff members. Dawes and Sheerin run the museum's operations with the help of Brian Friedberg (GRAD) and Nikki Rosenberg '10. Harvard student Paul Richardson M.A. '10, who served as registration and collections management intern at the Rose last summer, helps with the registrar work, Dawes said.
(02/02/10 5:00am)
In last Tuesday's meet against Division I Boston College, the men's and women's swimming and diving teams could not salvage a win. Despite their best efforts, the women lost by a score of 176-78 while the men fell 168-84.The men's squad was only able to take first-place finishes in two of 16 events but also managed to rack up a significant amount of points in second-, third- and fourth-place finishes. Going into the tough contest against BC, Coach Jim Zotz went into the meet differently than he normally does."We approached the BC meet as an opportunity for all of the athletes to pick their own events," Zotz said in an e-mail to the Justice. The team's only wins came in the 200-yard breaststroke and the 400-yard freestyle relay. Marc Eder '12 placed first in the 200-yard breaststroke, clocking in with a time of 2 minutes, 21.44 seconds. He finished 5.61 seconds ahead of teammate Aaron Lefland '13. The team of Josh Allgaier '12, Jesse Hershman '10, Justin Wellins '10 and James Liu '10 took home the 400-yard freestyle relay win with a time of 3:20.06. Wellins also contributed points to the team in the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard butterfly, finishing third and fourth respectively. Liu took second in the 200-yard butterfly and was defeated by just under 1.50 seconds in the 200-yard butterfly by junior Brett Bromann . Liu's third-place finish came in the 100-yard backstroke, just 46 milliseconds behind teammate Daniel Danon '13. Danon took second in the 100-yard freestyle, being outstretched by 11 milliseconds by freshman Sean Heffernan. He also took fourth in the 50-yard freestyle, clocking in with a time of 23.11, just 17 milliseconds behind first-place finisher senior Timothy Jordan of BC. Lefland added a third-place finish in the 100-yard breaststroke as well.Alex Cemaj '10 placed second in the 500-yard freestyle in front of Allgaier and Eder. Bennett placed second in the 400-yard individual medley, with Brandeis taking third, fourth and fifth in the event. The relay team of David Fei '12, rookie Jared Goldman '13, Lefland, and A. Eli Tukachinksy '11 also added a second-place finish for the Judges in the 400-yard freestyle relay.Despite the results, the squad chose to look at the meet from a better perspective. "This wasn't a meet we went in to hoping to boost our record," Eder said. "We went into it hoping to swim hard and fast, get in some yardage and training and get an idea of how we are doing."On the women's side, the squad was able to take first-place finishes in three of 16 total events but managed many second-, third- and fourth-place finishes.Emily Heldman '12 netted the Judges a win in the 500-freestyle, clocking in at 6:06.41. She also finished third in the 100-yard backstroke and took home a second-place finish in the 400 yard freestyle relay as a member of the team that also included Dana Simms '11, Holly Spicer '13 and Lisa Rice '10. Simms also earned points for the women's squad in addition to the relay. She placed third and fourth in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events respectively, both times around 20 seconds behind first-place finisher and junior Ashley Driscoll of BC. Spicer also finished third the 100-yard backstroke and in the 200-yard breaststroke. Hollis Viray '10 was the other to capture a first-place finish, as she took first in the 200-yard breaststroke, clocking in at 2:31.76. Viray missed out on a second individual win by mere milliseconds, getting out-touched by BC sophomore Shannon Landers by 15 milliseconds in the 100-yard breaststroke. She was also a contributor to the squad's 400-yard freestyle relay win that also included Angela Chui '12, captain Siobhan Lyons '10 and Elise Alan '12. Lyons also contributed two fourth-place finishes for the Judges, one in the 100-yard butterfly and the other in the 200-yard individual medley. Chui also lost a close one, getting beat out by 41 milliseconds in the 200-yard backstroke by first-year Alyssa Niebrugge of BC. Both squads will look to rebound from Wednesday's meet when they travel to Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. on Feb. 16 for the University Athletic Association Championships. Lyons believes that both squads have worked hard and are ready to be tested against the other UAA schools. "We've put in a lot of time, a lot of yardage and a lot of mileage," Lyons said. "At this point, it's all about fine-tuning the little things,Despite having no diver on the men's team, Zotz expects a solid performance by the men.The men's challenge will be the lack of a diver on the team," Zotz said in an e-mail to the Justice. "Otherwise, we expect the men to perform very well.Editor's Note: A. Eli Tukachinsky is a senior illustrator for the Justice.
(01/19/10 5:00am)
After the No. 20 Brandeis men's basketball team upset No. 3 Washington University in St. Louis on the road in overtime on Friday night, the Judges had a chance to do something only one other UAA team in history had ever done: sweep the Midwest road trip against WashU and the University of Chicago. Coach Brian Meehan let the team know about this opportunity as extra motivation before their Sunday game against the Maroons."I just wanted them to understand that there's something to shoot for. Don't be satisfied with just winning one game when you come on this road trip; let's try to get two," Meehan said. And the Judges pulled it off, defeating Chicago 75-69 to move to 2-1 in the University Athletic Association. The Judges' overall record now stands at 11-2 after they defeated Bates College last Tuesday 81-57."It's a very, very difficult trip to come out and win two games, so us being the second team to do so . speaks a lot about what our guys did this weekend," Meehan said. "They kind of took the challenge and went with it. You squeak out the big win on Friday, and now you have the chance to get out of here with two. Most teams are very happy just getting one, so it's obviously a good feeling and the kids really worked hard to get that."The Judges led by as many as nine points in the first half, but the Maroons were able to cut the deficit to four by halftime. Chicago then came back to tie the game, and the lead went back and forth until two free throws by guard Andre Roberson '10 gave the Judges the lead for good with 13 minutes, 3 seconds left in the game. Roberson was the Judges' leading scorer for the game with 24 points, including going 8-for-10 from 2-point range."[Sunday] was one of the first games of the year that I really felt confident and just relaxed out there," Roberson said. "I just took what the defense gave me, I thought I hit my open shots, and I was able to knock down some buckets early on that really put me over the top."But Roberson was not alone as the Judges had three other players in double figures: guards Tyrone Hughes '12 had 16, guard Kenny Small '10 has 12 and forward/guard Vytas Kriskis '12 had 11. Hughes added four steals and three assists while playing the full 40 minutes for the first time in his career.Brandeis forced 10 Maroon turnovers in the second half compared to just five in the first half. Meehan said he knew his teamwould be tired from the long road trip, so he planned their strategy accordingly."We decided that we had about we had about one-half of a mountain ofenergy to press, so we waited until the second half," Meehan added. "We confused them, we forced them into turnovers. Some of the turnovers led to easy baskets for us, so any time we can get those easy baskets, it really helps our cause."On Friday night, the Judges upset two-time defending national champion WashU in overtime by a score of 58-55. Brandeis trailed by as much as 6 in the first half but eventually came back to tie the game with 9:25 left in the half. They then took a 9-point lead on a fastbreak layup by Hughes, but the Bears pulled it within 30-26 at the break.The Bears came back to tie the score twice in the second half before both teams went on a 4-minute drought without scoring. At one point, the Bears had the ball for six consecutive possessions down by 1 or tied but could not take the lead. A three-pointer from Kriskus finally gave the Judges the lead once again with 3:59 left in regulation, but the Bears came back to send the game into overtime."We knew that [WashU] runs this offense that is one of the toughest offenses to guard in the country, so we just tried to buckle down and stay composed and help each other out in every aspect of the game," Roberson said. "We were covering them, making them take tough shots, and it kind of bent in our favor."The Judges never trailed in overtime, leading by as much as four and holding on when Thompson's half-court 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.It was the first time in 86 games the Bears lost while holding an opponent under 60 points. Much of that was a result of the physical defense of the Judges, especially Hughes, who spent much of the game covering WashU graduate student guard Sean Wallis, who had 10 points, but also eight turnovers, despite coming into the game averaging just 1.9 turnovers per game. On Tuesday the men bounced back from a loss last week to New York University and defeated Bates College. The Judges trailed 29-19 with 5:12 left in the first half before going on a 29-4 run that gave them a 15 point lead just under 5 minutes into the second half. However, the Bobcats never got closer than 11 points after that as the Judges cruised to the win. Kriskus led the team with 19 points off the bench, while Small and Hughes each added 16. The Judges hope to continue their UAA winning streak when they conference foe the University of Rochester Friday at home.
(12/01/09 5:00am)
After the No. 20 Brandeis men's basketball team upset No. 3 Washington University in St. Louis on the road in overtime on Friday night, the Judges had a chance to do something only one other UAA team in history had ever done: sweep the Midwest road trip against WashU and the University of Chicago. Coach Brian Meehan let the team know about this opportunity as extra motivation before their Sunday game against the Maroons."I just wanted them to understand that there's something to shoot for. Don't be satisfied with just winning one game when you come on this road trip; let's try to get two," Meehan said. And the Judges pulled it off, defeating Chicago 75-69 to move to 2-1 in the University Athletic Association. The Judges' overall record now stands at 11-2 after they defeated Bates College last Tuesday 81-57."It's a very, very difficult trip to come out and win two games, so us being the second team to do so . speaks a lot about what our guys did this weekend," Meehan said. "They kind of took the challenge and went with it. You squeak out the big win on Friday, and now you have the chance to get out of here with two. Most teams are very happy just getting one, so it's obviously a good feeling and the kids really worked hard to get that."The Judges led by as many as nine points in the first half, but the Maroons were able to cut the deficit to four by halftime. Chicago then came back to tie the game, and the lead went back and forth until two free throws by guard Andre Roberson '10 gave the Judges the lead for good with 13 minutes, 3 seconds left in the game. Roberson was the Judges' leading scorer for the game with 24 points, including going 8-for-10 from 2-point range."[Sunday] was one of the first games of the year that I really felt confident and just relaxed out there," Roberson said. "I just took what the defense gave me, I thought I hit my open shots, and I was able to knock down some buckets early on that really put me over the top."But Roberson was not alone as the Judges had three other players in double figures: guards Tyrone Hughes '12 had 16, guard Kenny Small '10 has 12 and forward/guard Vytas Kriskis '12 had 11. Hughes added four steals and three assists while playing the full 40 minutes for the first time in his career.Brandeis forced 10 Maroon turnovers in the second half compared to just five in the first half. Meehan said he knew his teamwould be tired from the long road trip, so he planned their strategy accordingly."We decided that we had about we had about one-half of a mountain ofenergy to press, so we waited until the second half," Meehan added. "We confused them, we forced them into turnovers. Some of the turnovers led to easy baskets for us, so any time we can get those easy baskets, it really helps our cause."On Friday night, the Judges upset two-time defending national champion WashU in overtime by a score of 58-55. Brandeis trailed by as much as 6 in the first half but eventually came back to tie the game with 9:25 left in the half. They then took a 9-point lead on a fastbreak layup by Hughes, but the Bears pulled it within 30-26 at the break.The Bears came back to tie the score twice in the second half before both teams went on a 4-minute drought without scoring. At one point, the Bears had the ball for six consecutive possessions down by 1 or tied but could not take the lead. A three-pointer from Kriskus finally gave the Judges the lead once again with 3:59 left in regulation, but the Bears came back to send the game into overtime."We knew that [WashU] runs this offense that is one of the toughest offenses to guard in the country, so we just tried to buckle down and stay composed and help each other out in every aspect of the game," Roberson said. "We were covering them, making them take tough shots, and it kind of bent in our favor."The Judges never trailed in overtime, leading by as much as four and holding on when Thompson's half-court 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.It was the first time in 86 games the Bears lost while holding an opponent under 60 points. Much of that was a result of the physical defense of the Judges, especially Hughes, who spent much of the game covering WashU graduate student guard Sean Wallis, who had 10 points, but also eight turnovers, despite coming into the game averaging just 1.9 turnovers per game. On Tuesday the men bounced back from a loss last week to New York University and defeated Bates College. The Judges trailed 29-19 with 5:12 left in the first half before going on a 29-4 run that gave them a 15 point lead just under 5 minutes into the second half. However, the Bobcats never got closer than 11 points after that as the Judges cruised to the win. Kriskus led the team with 19 points off the bench, while Small and Hughes each added 16. The Judges hope to continue their UAA winning streak when they conference foe the University of Rochester Friday at home.
(11/03/09 5:00am)
Mix violence, coarse language and a simple, fun but darkly humorous plotline, and you've got a great movie. This formula, despite its rarity in theaters, worked for the original Boondock Saints, a movie that I, along with many others, loved. Ten years later, the newly released sequel attempts to recreate the feeling of the original but doesn't have the same success as the first. Sequels rarely outshine their predecessors, but it seems in all the time between the two, Troy Duffy (the writer and director of both films) has lost confidence-something that resonates clearly on the screen.The simple concept behind Boondock Saints is what made the first movie so interesting. The film followed two religious Irish Catholic men, Connor and Murphy McManus (played by Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus) and their father Il Duce/Poppa M (Billy Connolly) as they "clean up" Boston's most infamous criminals. The film ended with a bang and the Saints' disappearance after they made a very public courtroom appearance. The second film follows the Saints eight years after the end of the original movie. They are back in Ireland, laying low from the Boston scene they were previously so much a part of. When they find out a priest has been killed and the assassin has used their signature of placing pennies over the victim's eyes, they come out of retirement to murder their way back to finding out who killed the innocent holy man-they don't consider themselves "Saints" for nothing. Their path reunites them with many old friends from the original film, though the sequel is plagued by the fact that the original came out 10 years prior and seeing these recognizable faces without the original context ruins the 'aha!' moment a clever cameo should bring (specifically a very surprising cameo at the very end). As is said during one of these random cameos, "Peace is the enemy of memory," and the long peace between the movies made the film not as memorable. Wine and movies just don't age the same way.Where the film runs into most trouble is in Troy Duffy's script and direction. He appears to never be really sure if he is making a sequel or a stand-alone film with the same set of characters. At some points he appears to be trying to fit in parts of the previous film to the point where certain scenes feel altogether useless. He also seems to be playing around with his filmmaking style for the first half of the film, putting in the same scene multiple times-once at regular speed and once in slow motion right after. The story is very confusing, taking the simple concept from the original that worked so well and throwing in more F words, more characters, multiple storylines and attempted humor instead of letting the lines flow and the dark humor fill itself in. One example of this is the addition of a sidekick, a Mexican man named Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr.). He is supposed to serve as a comedic foil to the Saints, and although he has his lines, the character really struggles to come into his place in the film. The actors themselves are not at fault, as all the lines are delivered with the same great feel as in the first, but I feel that the final product didn't portray these performances to the extent it could have.The ending did come together and explain everything (such as a seemingly random aside about the father's backstory that ends up becoming an important plot point). The final scene, as in the first movie, left more to be desired but also a clear opportunity to create yet another film. Who knows: Maybe this film will be the last, or one day 10 years from now The Boondock Saints 3 might be hitting theaters near you. Let's just hope that after beginner's luck faded the second time around, the third time will be the charm.
(09/22/09 4:00am)
The sixth play in August Wilson's epic Pittsburgh Cycle, Fences opened the 2009 to 2010 season at the Huntington Theatre Company, and the acclaimed production hasn't lost steam since its opening Sept. 11. With discount ticket offers, it's well worth catching before it closes Oct. 11.The Pittsburgh Cycle is perhaps one of the greatest American dramatic works. Each of the plays, one for every decade of the 20th century, penetrates the very soul of the African-American experience. They explore, often humorously, race relations, family and our relationship with history. Fences, written in 1983, earned Wilson his second Pulitzer Prize for Drama (his first was awarded for The Piano Lesson).Set in 1950s, Fences is the story of Troy Maxson (John Beasley), once a great Negro League Baseball player, whose bitterness about the past infects his family and friends. He is a tragic figure, and Beasley's performance is as grounded as it is rich with grit and heartache. And although Beasley has little in common with the booming presence of James Earl Jones, who won a Tony for his portrayal of Maxson on Broadway, he is just as masterful and is a force to be reckoned with. The ensemble also includes Crystal Fox as Rose, Troy's wife of 18 years. Fox's performance is as solid as her character's devotion to her husband and her son Cory, aptly played by Warner Miller. Bill Nunn, Eugene Lee and Brandon J. Dirden complete the cast as Troy's apparently mentally disabled brother, Gabriel; his best friend, Jim Bono; and his son from a previous marriage Lyons, respectively. Faith Lambert and Hyacinth Tauraic alternate in the role of Raynell. The entire cast is excellent, capturing the humor and sorrow of Wilson's text. Their artistry makes the intricate rhythms of the period's dialect sing.This is not particularly surprising considering that the production's director is Kenny Leon, who collaborated with Wilson before he died and has directed all of Wilson's plays. Leon is also responsible for the 2004 Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun, (yes, the one with Sean "Diddy" Combs). He has once again assembled a knockout cast here; if what they say is true and directing is 90 percent casting, then Leon gets an A. Still, not every aspect of the production shone as brightly as the ensemble. Transitions felt clunky, either painfully slow or haphazardly rushed. Marjorie Kellog's massive set and Anne Wrightson's lighting were richly textured and served the play by primarily focusing the action on a surprisingly large stage. Yet both design elements, despite imposing such a large physical presence in the space, did not adequately keep the play's temporal shifts grounded. Night turns to day, weeks pass, several years go by-and yet this is hardly acknowledged in the set and lighting. It is chiefly through the skill of the actors in this production that we follow the changes in season and their characters' changes of heart.Like its older cousin Death of a Salesman, Fences is an incredible domestic drama. However, Fences seems somehow more heartening, and for all its sorrow, more optimistic. In both plays, a man's infidelity and bitter relationship with his past threaten to destroy the family he has worked so hard to maintain, but the characters in Fences have a much stronger sense of their own past, and thus their stories carry a much richer historical context and dramatic life. In the end, another generation picks up the torch, racing across boundaries to carry light into the future. Fences runs through Oct. 11 at the Boston University Theater on the Huntington Theater's main stage, Monday through Thursday nights at 7:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Matinees take place on select Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.Tickets are available online at Huntingtontheatre.org; $15 student rush tickets are also available two hours before curtain at the box office.
(08/25/09 4:00am)
As students at Brandeis, we are charged with the pursuit of truth "even unto its innermost parts." If we hold to those words, then we have a duty to insist on a civilized, rational discussion of policies that will affect our lives and the lives of our fellows. In this light, it's worth considering the utter degradation of civilized discourse that transpired over this past summer, a summer that saw truth fall as the first victim to a most troubling form of vitriol and venom. What an odd summer it has been. We have seen the U.S. president subjected to countless rumors and dark accusations lacking any foundation in reality, all apparently intended to delegitimize and undermine the administration. The president's policies have been subjected to the crudest caricatures and painted as catastrophic abandonments of American principles; his supporters in government have suffered irrational attacks as well. According to his detractors, he is a socialist while he is somehow also a fascist; he was born in Kenya, thus ineligible for the presidency to which he was elected; he wants to euthanize the elderly; he is an ardent and unabashed racist. These falsehoods go on and on. Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and their ilk have pandered to the most ludicrous fears of a fringe element, broadcasting that paranoia to millions. Acting in pursuit of ratings, not improved policy or discourse, they recklessly endanger the public welfare, their actions contrary to a free exchange of ideas. Nothing is achieved by such ridiculous accusations of Nazism and nefarious intent except the abandonment of civility and the desertion of the social justice for which Justice Louis D. Brandeis so ardently fought. Respect for our democratic institutions and a commitment to vigorous and spirited debate are the vanguard of our American republic; however, these myriad efforts to exaggerate, sensationalize and outright lie to the American people have rendered any meaningful discussion impossible. Justice Brandeis wrote in 1915, "What are the American ideals? They are the development of the individual for his own and the common good; the development of the individual through liberty, and the attainment of the common good through democracy and social justice." Limbaugh expressed a hope for the failure of the administration, but failure does not promote the common good; lies and distortions betray our democracy and restrict our true potential for social justice. In this climate, absurd comparisons to Adolf Hitler are the rule, not the exception; those concerned about government policies are encouraged not simply to articulate opposing viewpoints but to shout down and intimidate officials at town hall meetings nationwide. Our country has seen obfuscation and distortion like this before: President Chester Arthur weathered rumors that he was a foreigner, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower was accused of being a Communist. Both the far left and far right have long and storied histories of misrepresentation and fear-mongering, but this most recent strain seems particularly troubling. The wild insinuations about the president and his policies that have propagated in recent months will inexorably chip away at the perception of his character. This is more than simple voter dissatisfaction; this is the systematic delegitimization of the office of the presidency and the man who holds it.Why should we at Brandeis care? Because words matter. Language matters. And blind demonization of one's opponents has consequences. The nation has found itself sliding into an economic abyss, descending deeper than any time since the 1930s. We have seen our university suffer dearly in this turmoil, and many of us have seen our parents suffer as well. As students, as citizens, we all have a stake in the success of this nation. Many of us voted last year, and regardless of whether we identify as Democrats, Republicans or Independents, our futures are intimately dependent on the success of our country. What we need now is not demagoguery but reasoned debate, a spirited discussion about the policies that will affect each of our lives. Only then can we begin to work toward securing our common good and achieving the social justice we seek.
(08/25/09 4:00am)
On paper, the men's soccer team should have trouble replacing three-time Universal Athletic Association selection Ben Premo '09, the fifth-leading scorer in school history, but this year's men's soccer team expects an improvement in their disappointing 8-9-2 record last season. The 2008 to 2009 team failed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2005."Unfortunately, the last two years we were very average. I think that this team is a lot better than the teams we have had the past couple years," said coach Michael Coven, who is entering his 37th year with the University. "I think we've got some seasoned veterans and a good group of young freshmen, so I am hopeful that we will have a great season."Coven hopes to feature a different attacking style this season to replace Premo's goal-scoring ability. He believes his team's offensive strategy became complacent and predictable when focused entirely on their former star: "When you have a player of that caliber, everyone looks for [Premo] to score, and we became very predictable."The team will hopefully feature a more creative, multifaceted approach this season."Without a go-to guy, we might have 10 go-to guys. I think we will be a better overall team with more players sharing the responsibility for scoring goals."Corey Bradley '10 and Adam Guttman '10 will serve as captains for the Judges this season.Bradley started 18 games for the Judges in 2008, and while he totaled only one assist in his midfield role, he earned All-UAA honorable mention. "He was one of the top players in the UAA last year. He has the ability to take guys on one-on-one and really break down defenses, opening up the attacking third of the field with his speed," Coven said. Coven is optimistic about his incoming rookie class, especially center midfielder Joe Eisenbies '13. Eisenbies impressed Coven by winning the annual two-mile team run on the first day of practice Aug. 22, an "unusual feat for a freshman." Coven also has high hopes for Sam Ocel '13 and Lee Russo '13, saying "[Eisenbies, Ocel and Russo] right off the bat will play quite a bit and maybe start. They have all been looking good." Sean O'Hare '12, the 2008 to 2009 Justice rookie of the year, will not be returning to the men's soccer team. O'Hare won the starting goalkeeper position for the Judges in his rookie season but also played shortstop and centerfield for the baseball team. O'Hare will only suit up for the baseball team this season.The parting of ways was entirely amicable, according to Coven, "Baseball's gain is my loss; Sean potentially could have been one of the greatest goalies [Brandeis] has ever had. . [O'Hare] is a quality kid and a wonderful athlete, and it was my pleasure coaching him last year."Taylor Bracken '10-returning after a year away from the team-and Matt Lynch '11 will compete for the goalkeeper position.If the Judges have any chance at a return to the postseason, it will have to be through their improved depth and an increased team-first strategy."Right now I think we'll have the depth so that if someone in our starting 11 gets hurt, we can replace them," Coven said.The Judges will face the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Wheaton College to begin the season. The two are part of the four- team Adidas Kick-Off Classic, which will also feature the Southern Maine Huskies and the host Wheaton College Lyons.
(05/19/09 4:00am)
It takes a special kind of athlete to start on a varsity team as a rookie. To start and contribute is even more impressive. But Sean O'Hare '12 has exceeded both those accomplishments. O'Hare came onto the Brandeis Athletics scene as a two-sport star, starting in net for the men's soccer team in the fall and as shortstop and center fielder for the baseball team in the spring."In my 36 years of coaching [I've seen] some very good athletes here. Sean O'Hare is already one of the top four or five that I've ever seen," men's soccer coach Mike Coven said. In the fall, O'Hare started the soccer season, splitting time with Taylor Bracken '10 as the team's primary goalkeeper, but earned the starting job in the fourth game of the season against Babson College. By season's end, he logged over 1,000 minutes in goal and started in 10 games, leading the team with 52 saves. O'Hare has had even more success this spring. Playing two of the most athletically demanding positions, shortstop and center field, O'Hare started all but two games and finished the season with an even .300 batting average while finishing second on the team with 26 RBIs and third on the team with 42 hits. Aside from his ability to excel at two positions, O'Hare led the team with 28 runs scored and nine stolen bases with a perfect stolen base percentage. "He was a big get for us; we thought of him as a shortstop and outfielder, and he's a tremendous athlete," assistant baseball coach Brian Lambert '97 said. "Especially in the mental aspect of the game, he only needs to see or hear something once, and he figures it out."O'Hare, a native of Southampton, Mass., was initially recruited by Coven to play soccer, but word of his two-sport potential got out fast. "I still know a lot of people in the area, and when I mentioned O'Hare's name, people would tell me what a great baseball player he was," Coven said.Coven informed Lambert and baseball head coach Pete Varney, who also had their eye on O'Hare. "We had definitely seen him [before Coven told us about him], and we knew he was a two-sport athlete and a great student, so Brandeis seemed like a great fit for him," Lambert said.O'Hare said the attention he received from both coaching staffs and the academic standards at Brandeis drew him to the school. "The chance to play two sports was important, but Brandeis also has such an outstanding academic reputation," O'Hare said.O'Hare has not yet picked a major but said that he intends to study Computer Science, which did not surprise his teammates. "Besides being obviously a very good athlete, he's definitely focused and has his head screwed on straight," baseball team captain and outfielder Mike Alfego '09 said.Both sports benefit from O'Hare's athletic skill set, as his hand-eye coordination and combination of quickness and agility allow him to alternate acrobatic saves between the pipes with diving catches out on the diamond. Coven explained how these skills crossed over in both sports."Particularly as a shortstop, [playing goalie requires] the same kind of lateral mobility and hands that work together, and [O'Hare] has hands like glue," Coven said.Although playing two sports is not a new challenge for him, O'Hare said he feels he has to give up one of them to achieve his full potential. O'Hare will play only baseball next year; playing both sports forced him to be at an uncomfortable playing weight, he said. Still, O'Hare stressed that the 20 hours of practice per week that both teams require during their respective seasons was never a problem. "I've never played baseball in the fall before-it's always been that I played soccer in the fall and winter and baseball during the spring and summer-so that was actually pretty normal for me," he said.Despite his success, O'Hare remains humble, saying the opportunity to spend time with teammates on both teams was the most worthwhile experience of his rookie year."Being able to spend time with two great groups of guys [has been the most rewarding]. It was great to be welcomed in and put on the same level with everyone else, especially to have the older guys on both teams as leaders and to see how those guys go about their business," O'Hare said. "I can't imagine college life without being on a team, and I've been lucky enough to play for two special ones.
(04/28/09 4:00am)
Riding a two-game winning streak last week, the Judges led 4-2 through the first five innings in the first game of a doubleheader against the defending national champion No. 6 Trinity College (Conn.) last Sunday and seemed to be on their way to a major upset in what has been a tumultuous April in which the team had gone 5-8. In the top of the sixth inning, however, starting pitcher and captain James Collins '09 saw his two-run cushion disappear as he surrendered a solo home run to Trinity junior first baseman Kent Graham-his first of three on the day-and was lifted in favor of left-handed reliever Justin Duncombe '11. But after Collins' departure, the Judges fell back into a familiar pattern as a combination of mental miscues, physical errors and pitching problems came together. Trinity scored eight straight runs over the final two innings to win 10-4 in seven innings. Brandeis dropped the second game 13-3, and fell to 15-21 overall and 5-10 in April. Collins turned in his best start of the season as he held Trinity to only three earned runs, striking out four and surrendering just seven hits across five-plus innings, but the Judges could not hold onto the lead. "He pitched his heart out," pitcher Kyle Ritche '10 said of Collins. "He got into some jams but worked his way out each time and kept us in the game the whole time."Duncombe replaced Collins and recorded one out but was lifted after issuing a walk, setting the stage for the Bantams' comeback. Reliever Nick Pollack '11 followed Duncombe and took the loss. With one out, third baseman Tony Deshler '11 committed an error on a ground ball to his left, leaving the door open for the Bantams to continue the inning and take the lead. The error would prove costly as Trinity added another run to break the tie and take a 5-4 lead. Trinity added five more runs in the top of the seventh inning to close out the game. In the second game, Ritchie started the game and struggled with control, issuing four walks to get the loss. The Bantams capitalized on another Deshler error and jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with only one earned run in the first two innings. The Judges fought back, bringing the score to 3-2 after O'Hare hit his second home run of the year. Rookie reliever Alex Tynan '12 kept Trinity in check until the fifth inning, when Trinity hit back-to-back home runs and a double to increase their lead. Tynan was removed from the game, but the rest of the Brandeis bullpen fared no better as Trinity exploded for eight runs on seven hits and one error on the inning, putting the game out of reach for the Judges. The middle of the Trinity order headed into the game hitting well, as Graham and senior captain catcher Sean Kileen, hitting at the third and fourth spot in the lineup, entered the game hitting .441 and .484, respectively. Their success continued as they combined to go 7-for-15 with nine RBIs and six runs scored while hitting five home runs over the two games.The sweep occurred after the Judges had won four of their last five games with impressive starting pitching and timely hitting from the heart of their order. The week started out with a 9-2 win over the University of Massachusetts at Boston last Thursday, one day after designated hitter Drake Livada '10 was named UAA baseball co-player of the week after he raised his batting average from .295 to .365 during the week of April 15 to 22. He continued his hot streak at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs. Captain second baseman John O'Brion '09 helped Livada in the middle of the Judges order at the third and fourth spot throughout the week as he ended the week leading the team in batting average (.382), slugging percentage (.632) and home runs (4)."[Livada and O'Brion] swing the bat well, and they aren't too picky up there," assistant coach Brian Lambert '97 said. "The biggest thing is that they are coming up in clutch situations and producing. Those guys are the ones that we want up in those situations."Last Friday, the Judges handled Endicott College 4-0 on the strength of Drew Brzozowski's '10 best start of the year. Brzozowski lasted 8 1/3 innings and struck out a career- high 10 Gulls while allowing only three hits.Yesterday's game at Amherst College ended too late for this edition. The Judges will play again tomorrow at Bowdoin College at 4 p.m. The team will close the season with its final home game against Wheaton College Friday at 3 p.m. and then with a doubleheader at Suffolk College starting at 1 p.m.
(04/07/09 4:00am)
Last week's action saw the baseball team's bats catch fire as the Judges averaged 7.4 runs per game in five games with four players combined to hit six home runs. Unfortunately for Brandeis, the offensive success could not match that of its opponents as the Judges allowed 10 runs per game over the five-game stretch en route to a 1-4 week that put the team record at 11-14 with 18 games left in the season.The Judges played all five games at home, opening with a loss to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 8-2 last Tuesday and then to Fitchburg State College 9-7 last Thursday. The team next split a doubleheader with Clark University last Saturday, taking the first game 13-6 and dropping the second 10-7 but closed out the week with a lopsided 17-8 defeat at the hands of Keene State College. "The worst part is that we're scoring runs, then we'll give up a walk and make an error," assistant coach Brian Lambert '97 said. "We're scoring our runs by capitalizing on other teams' mistakes, but we're giving other teams those same opportunities, and they're killing us." Last Sunday's 17-8 loss against Keene State featured six total home runs split evenly between the two teams. The Judges trailed by as few as two runs at 7-5 in the fifth inning but gave up three runs in the top of the sixth inning to fall behind 10-5. Keene State never looked back as the Owls continued to outscore the Judges 7-3 over the final three innings.Keene State's outpouring of runs came with 20 total team hits, nine of which were for extra bases. The Owls scored in double digits for the 10th time in only 19 games this season as they lifted their team batting average to .370.Brandeis starting pitcher Kyle Ritchie '10 took the brunt of the abuse and the eventual loss for the Judges, lasting 5 1/3 innings and surrendering 10 runs, seven of which were earned, to fall to 1-3 on the season. "[Ritchie] wasn't necessarily making bad pitches and missing spots," third baseman Tony Deshler '11 said. "They were a really good hitting team. They'd hit balls out of the zone and then anything."The Judges offense was paced by a 2-for-2 performance from first baseman Pat Nicholson '11, who hit his first home run of the year and added a double to finish with two RBIs. Shortstop Sean O'Hare '12 went 3-for-4 with a walk, while designated hitter Drake Livada '10 added an eighth inning pinch-hit home run to add the last two runs for the Judges. Deshler also hit well last Sunday, going 2-for-5 with a home run, his second in two days. The performance was the culmination of a week in which Deshler hit safely in all five games with two doubles and two home runs while starting games at center field, shortstop and third base. "[Deshler is] very talented and can play anywhere on the field," Lambert said. "He's been able to fill in at outfield, shortstop, third base while being one of the best hitters in the lineup, so that versatility has definitely helped [the lineup]."Last Saturday's doubleheader against Clark University saw the Judges take one of two games despite recording 20 runs in the two games. After returning full time from a hip injury he suffered last fall, captain second baseman John O'Brion '10 paced the Judges in the first game, going 2-for-3 with a home run to finish with four RBIs. Deshler, playing shortstop, went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Pitcher Drew Brzozowski '10 started for Brandeis and picked up the win to improve to 3-1, lasting 6 1/3 innings, giving up six runs, five earned, while striking out four and walking two.In the second game, the Cougars jumped out to an early lead, converting a two-out Brandeis error into five unearned runs via two-run and three-run home runs. The Judges fought back in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on a Cougar error and wild pitch. With the score tied at seven in the sixth inning, left-handed pitcher Justin Duncombe '11 entered the game and exited four batters and one-third of an inning later with the loss. After Duncombe gave up a double, Clark freshman Mitchell DeLorenzo hit a two-run homerun to centerfield that gave the Cougars the lead. They added one more insurance run to win 10-7.In the team's previous games against MIT and Fitchburg State, the Judges surrendered six unearned runs due to errors, combining to give up 17 runs overall. "Errors are obviously never good, but they've been coming back to kill us consistently," Deshler said. "We're swinging the bat better, but it seems like half of the runs that we give up are unearned, and we need to get better."The team will next play today at home against Tufts University at 3 p.m.
(04/07/09 4:00am)
The only thing different about the men's tennis team's 9-0 road loss to No. 7 Amherst College last Saturday from its previous six matches was the opponent. The reeling Judges have now lost seven matches in a row and are 5-9 on the season, having been swept in three of their last four competitions. Their last win came in Orlando, Fla. Feb. 23 against Capital University. In doubles, the No. 1 team of captain Scott Schulman '09 and Simon Miller '11 proved to be the most competitive, but they lost to Amherst senior captain Zack Lerner and sophomore Moritz Koenig 8-4. The No. 2 doubles pairing of Mayur Kasetty '11 and Seth Rogers '10 was knocked off 8-1 by Amherst sophomore Priit Gross and rookie Austin Chafetz, while No. 3 partners Craig Elman '12 and Josh Bookman '12 also lost 8-1 to Amherst rookies Wes Waterman and Andrew Jung. The Judges have not won any of their doubles matches during the course of their seven-match losing streak."The guys just don't have enough confidence on the doubles court against those top teams," coach Ben Lamanna said.Singles play did not prove to be any more fruitful for the Judges. Though No. 2 singles player Schulman was able to force a second-set tiebreaker against Amherst freshman Julian Camacho, he ended up losing both sets, 6-4, 7-6 (5). The remaining five singles players combined to win just eight games overall, as each Brandeis player was swept in at least one of his two sets. Miller was defeated at No. 1 singles to rookie Surain Asokaraj 6-2, 6-0; Rogers was knocked off at No. 3 singles by sophomore Sean Doerfler 6-0, 6-1; Kasetty was handled at No. 4 singles by junior Dan Kim; Bookman fell at No. 5 singles to Robby Sorrel 6-4, 6-0; and Elman lost at No. 6 singles by sophomore Tony Sheng 6-0, 6-1.Despite the one-sided scores, Lamanna said he felt his team was competitive. He said Rogers' 6-0, 6-1 loss was an example of a match in which the score would indicate a blowout but in reality was one in which Rogers was "in every single game," forcing deuce in many of the points."It's a really lopsided score, but there's a lot of positive things going on out there," Lamanna said. "We're just not able to put together those big points well." Five of the seven teams the Judges have lost to during their seven-match losing streak-Amherst, Middlebury College, Trinity College, Bates College and Tufts University-are ranked in the top 30 nationally according to collegetennisonline.com as of March 17. The Judges have also played the last four matches without regular top singles player Steven Nieman '11, who has mononucleosis, and have not played a single match this spring with Mike Tatarsky '12, who has a herniated disc in his back."Obviously we're not going to make nationals or anything this year but every time you play a match, especially against these good teams, it should be a good opportunity to get better," Schulman said. "That's how you get better-by playing strong opponents." The Judges will next compete today at home against Boston College at 3 p.m. A match against Babson College at home yesterday ended too late for this edition.
