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(04/07/14 4:00am)
The men's and women's track and field teams took part in the Yellow Jacket Invitational hosted by American International College under cold and windy conditions on Saturday. The squads came away with some impressive solo finishes, even though overall the teams had mixed results. The men finished with just 0.5 points earned in the high jump. Mark Franklin '17 tied for ninth place with a jump of 1.73 meters. The women fared slightly better, finishing in 14th place with a total of 18 points. The 18 points all came in the 1500-meter run as the Judges took first and second in the race. Kelsey Whitaker '16 and Amelia Lundkvist '14 took the top two spots with times of four minutes, 41.39 seconds and 4:45.98 respectively. Maggie Hensel '16 and Maddie Dolins '17 also managed to finish in the top 25. Hensel placed 19th overall in the race with a time of 5:03.40, a drop behind her time of 4:55.00 she recording during the seeding race. Dolins finished the race in 22nd out of the 91 competitors with a time of 5:04.76 in the finals. Whitaker felt that it was important to get her first race of the spring season out of the way and she tempered her expectations coming into the race. "Since it was the first race of the season, the main goal was to just get the first outdoor race out of the way and to establish a starting point for the season," she said. "The plan was to just run with the top pack and finish strong. I knew I could stay with the front runners but I did not go into the race expecting to win." The women only competed in one other event on the day-the javelin throw. Ashley Klein '16 finished in 13th place with a throw of 28.55 meters while Selena Livas '17 was right behind her in 20th place with a throw of 19.73 meters. Whitaker said that she hopes to continue her success as the spring season moves on. "I'm excited for the rest of this season," she continued. "I am hoping that we can perform well as a team at [the University Athletic Association Championships]. "Individually, I hope to continue improving my performances and hopefully qualify for NCAA's again with my teammates." The men came into the day with more competitors than the women but finished with some mixed results. Much like the women, the men's best event was the 1500 -meter run. Grady Ward '16 finished in 16th place overall out of 84 competitors with a time of 4:06.59, and Quinton Hoey '17 snuck right behind him and into the top 20 with a time of 4:07.88. Matt Doran '17 also competed in the event, finishing in 42nd place with a time of 4:16.95. Both Ward and Hoey ran the prelimanry round in 4:05:00 flat, though the pair could not match their time in the final round. In the 200 and 400-meter dashes, a promising pair of first-year sprinters represented the Judges. In the 200-meter dash, Nick Wactor '17 had a strong showing with his 21st place finish in 23.26 seconds while Jeremy Wilson '17 came in at 39th with a time of 24.42 seconds. Wactor improved on his time of 23.88 seconds he recorded in the prelimanry round. Wactor followed his 200-meter race with a time of 53.30 in the 400-meter dash, putting him at 32nd for the event. Wilson, meanwhile, finished in 52nd with a time of 54.55. The men also had a strong overall showing in the long jump, despite the inability of Mohamed Sidique '15 to place in the top 10 and earn any points in the event. Sidique came up .08 meters short of his seed distance of 6.48 meters, putting him in 11th place in the finals for the event. Sidique came two-tenths of a meter from finishing in 10th place for the event. Adam Berger '16 and Franklin also competed in the long jump, finishing with distances of 5.95 and 5.62 meters respectively. Both the men and women will travel to Brown University on Saturday afternoon to take part in the Brown University Springtime Collegiate Invitational.
(03/25/14 4:00am)
Rather than hosting a basketball game or a track meet, Gosman Sports and Convocation Center was used for a far different purpose this past Saturday. The Archery Club hosted its second-annual Shamrock Shoot, a distinct event in the Northeast in part due to the attendees and also the competitions that took place at the event. Dustin Aaron '14, president of the Archery Club, stated his overall satisfaction with his club's event this past weekend. "All things considered, it was small but highly successful," commented Aaron. "This is our second year running it, so we had a lot of experience last year and we learned how to make this a decent competition, so everything ran really well. "It was not as highly attended as we had hoped-about the same as last year-but in terms of quality we got really lucky." The Shamrock Shoot featured some of the top archers in the country, aside from Brandeis students. "We had a No. 1 ranked in the world men's compound shooter, a recent gold-medal winner in the Indoor World Cup a month ago, a team silver medal winner, and another former top archer in the world which was really great," Aaron said. The Shamrock Shoot has been in development for quite a while, and finally, it is starting to take off in just its second year. "This had been something that had been in the works even before I was here," Aaron explained. "Even to just host a tournament at Brandeis is an amazing fundraiser for the team and it's great exposure and unique, and what ended up happening was we had an opportunity to bring even bigger names but constraints on the tournament didn't allow it." The competition is the only 70-meter indoor competition in the United Sates thus far but is styled like an outdoor competition, making it an attraction for all types of archers. Aaron mentioned that a smiliar venue is currently being built on the West Coast, and would host a much larger competition than the Shamrock Shoot. "Archery competitions come in two forms, indoors and outdoors," explained Aaron. "The beauty of our competition is that it's an outdoor style competition held indoors. Being in New England lets people shoot a little bit earlier than they would [have] otherwise. "That's the main draw," Aaron said. "It is the only indoor 70-meter competition so far in the United States. For now it's a great appeal to New England." Aaron explained that shooting indoors allowed archers to begin shooting while the weather was still cold and the outdoor ranges unavailable for use. The tournament gave each competitor four minutes to fire six arrows at a standard bull's-eye. Each of the bull's-eye's concentric rings is given a specific point value with the center standing as the most valuable target. The competitor, meanwhile, stands at a distance depending on their bow to attempt their six shots. Aaron explained that competitors at the Shamrock Shoot used two types of bows; recurve bows and compound bows. Recurve bows, made of wood or carbon fiber, have a single string on which the arrow is mounted and are more closely associated with the classic bow and arrow. Conversely, compound bows are larger bows with multiple strings and wheels at the top and bottom allowing for quicker and more accurate shooting, making them the preferred bow for hunting. Aaron explained that most of the Archery club uses recurve bows. The Archery Club, much like the distinctive event it hosts, stands out as well. "As a collegiate archery team we straddle two different halves of the world," Aaron said. "There's the collegiate competition and the national competition, so we technically belong to two governing bodies, collegiate archery and national archery." Aaron explained that the Shamrock Shoot attracted archers who were competing on their own merit, completely unattached to a college or professional team. "When we run something like this, we do it as a national archery body so we have people coming who are completely disassociated with a college and everyone who shot there shot as an individual, including the few people who shot from [the] Brandeis [team]." Since the competition was an individual event, only the top Brandeis competitors actually took part on Saturday. However this did not detract from the overall experience of the day for Aaron. "If this was a collegiate tournament we'd all be shooting, but since this is an individual tournament, we put our top shooters in the competition," Aaron continued. Aaron explained that the team had an intra-team competiton on Friday to determine who would shoot on Saturday, but stressed that overall he was proud of the direction of the Archery Club. "[As a senior] I really feel like there's a strong base left behind with the team and I honestly expect great things because we're still on the up. Every year we get a little bit closer, we win a little bit more. "Hopefully in years to come this will grow, that's the goal," he said. "We got off the ground last year, we did it right this year, and hopefully in the future we'll do even better." The Archery Club would like to thank club sports coordinator Matt Callahan, without whom the event would not have been possible.
(02/10/14 5:00am)
This winter, the men's and women's indoor track and field squads have tested themselves against some of the top competition from not only Division III but Division I. The Judges passed yet another test on Saturday during the Valentine Classic at Boston University. The men's 60-meter dash featured five Judges. Vincent Asante '14 led the way, covering the distance in 7.11 seconds for 23rd place. Chi Tai '16, Adam Berger '15 and Ben Pomerantz '17 finished 109th, 110th and 111th while Makalani Mack '16 fell right in line, placing 116th. Seven Brandeis competitors turned in notable finishes in the 200-meter dash. Nick Wactor '17 placed in 23.88 seconds, Jeremy Wilson '17 finished in 24.34 and Pomerantz fell just behind, crossing the finish line at 24.51. Berger placed in 24.61, Tai ended in 24.93, Mack closed in 25.63 and Brandon Odze '16 rounded out the field with a finish of 25.71. Wactor and Wilson then picked up 145th and 154th, respectively, in the 400-meter dash, clocking in at 52.51 and 52.83, respectively. In the distance events, three Brandeis competitors broke the 4 minute, 30 second barrier in the men's mile. Quinton Hoey '17 placed 125th in 4:25.10 and Grady Ward '16 fell just behind in 4:25.63. Matt Doran '17, meanwhile, had the 187th best time of the day, crossing the line in 4:27.08. Berger proved to be the lone representative in the field events, producing a 23rd place finish in the triple-jump with an effort of 12.29 meters across the three jumps. Matthew Becker '16 finished seventh in his heat and 168th overall of 233 competitors in the 800-meter run, timing in at 2:01.47 Though the only competitors on the women's side were four distance runners, they made their mark in the longer events. Kelsey Whitaker '16 took eighth of 84 competitors in the women's 1000-meter run, clocking a scorching 2:55.73 for the five-lap race. Her time was nearly four seconds better than her previous best and broke a school record for the race in the process. Kristi Pisarik '15 and Molly Paris '16 both broke the six-minute barrier in the women's mile. Pisarik's 5:25.21 was good for 119th, and from there, Paris took 156th in 5:43.25. In other distance-related events, Maddie Dolins '17 narrowly missed breaking the 18-minute barrier for the 5000-meter run, completing the 25-lap race in 18:06.18. With the University Athletic Association championships will be held at Gosman Sports and Convocation Center in just three weeks, it is important that the team maintains its focus throughout the upcoming winter break. According to distance runner Victoria Sanford '14, who rested the Valentine Classic, the UAAs mark the beginning of the postseason. It is here where the team hopes to be in its top form. "[UAAs are at] the beginning of the championship season, so it is were we want to start to peak," Sanford remarked. "Our goal [is] to continue to peak throughout the rest of the season." Additionally, Sanford says that the team is excited by the prospect of hosting the marquee conference event this year, an opportunity that the Judges have not had since the 2009 to 2010 season. "The team is really excited that UAA's are at Brandeis this year," she said. "We are looking forward to some strong individual performances." The Judges will compete next on Saturday at the Tufts University Cupid Challenge.
(11/26/13 5:00am)
Soccer can sometimes be a very cruel game. The No. 17 men's soccer team learned that the hard way on Saturday in its Sweet 16 NCAA Division III Tournament match against Williams College. Last year, after making the tournament for the first time in 27 years, the squad lost to Williams, 1-0, in the Sweet 16 round. On Saturday, for the second straight year at Amherst,-against the same opponent and in the same round-the team fell 2-0. This year, the Judges conceded an early goal and created a plethora of chances to tie the game but Williams delivered the coup de grace with seven minutes to play. The team ends its season with a 16-5-1 mark. Following the game, coach Michael Coven felt that his team deserved more from the match. "This loss really hurts, because I think we were a much better team [than Williams]," he explained. "Last year's game was a good match, I think we should have won, but we were the better team today." Yet, just a month before, this year's team looked to miss the tournament after successive losses to Carnegie Mellon University and Emory University on Oct. 18 and Oct. 20, respectively, leaving its record at 11-4. However, Brandeis went 3-0-1 during the rest of the regular season, before beating Johnson & Wales University and Roger Williams University in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, to set up a chance at redemption. After weathering defensive pressure from Brandeis, the Ephs took a corner kick just over three minutes into the game. While service was cleared, Williams left-back Chris Condor sent in a high, left-footed delivery that eluded goalkeeper Joe Graffy '15 and sailed into the top corner for a 1-0 advantage just three minutes, 54 seconds into the game. While the goal set the Judges back, they knew that they had plenty of time to respond. In the 10th minute, midfielder Sam Ocel '13 cracked an effort that Williams senior goalkeeper Peter Morrell tipped over the goal. At the other end, Ephs sophomore forward Mohammed Rashid almost doubled his team's lead. After being set free in the box, Rashid attempted to curl a shot into the far corner, which Graffy adeptly deflected. Despite threatening, the Judges were unable to chip away at the deficit and went into the half down by a goal. Following the break, the Judges went on the attack. However, instead of finding the equalizer, the team spurned a few great chances. In the 54th minute, midfielder Michael Soboff '15-who scored some key goals for the Judges this season-was unable to direct a cross home from left-back Ben Applefield '14 inside the box, slicing his close-range shot wide of the left post. Shortly after, midfielder Tudor Livadaru '14 sent a free-kick on goal. However, the shot sailed straight to Morrell, who made the save. Forward Tyler Savonen '15 had a half chance to equalize, running in toward the Williams goal with Morrell out of position. However, instead of taking an ambitious early shot, he waited and the ball was cleared from danger. With eight minutes to play, forward Zach Vieira '17 sent a header over the bar, marking Brandeis' last meaningful chance. As the Judges continued to push for an equalizer, Rashid-who struggled to finish all afternoon-finally delivered the killer blow in the 83rd minute, curling an effort around Graffy that caromed off the right post and into the net. The Judges had several chances to try to cut the deficit, but it ultimately was not to be-Williams ran out 2-0 winners. Coven lamented the team's failure to finish its shots. "We played very well in the back third and middle third but I think we had one too many touches, one too many passes in the attacking third of the field," he said. "We were looking to just make that perfect shot, perfect pass and perfect dribble in the box. I tell them, 'once you get the ball in the box, shoot it.' We got behind their backs quite a bit but couldn't finish." Though disappointed that his team was knocked out at the same stage of the season by the same foes, Coven admitted that-following successive losses to Carnegie Mellon University and Emory University on Oct. 18 and Oct. 20, respectively-he did not even think his team would make the NCAA Tournament this year. "I remember sitting in the airport after the losses," he said. "We had a four-hour wait and I was sitting there saying, 'We'll be an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference team. Maybe we'll win that tournament.' Never did I think that we would turn it around and make the NCAA Tournament. But we did. They showed a lot of character, they knew what they had to do and they did it well." While the team loses Applefield, midfielder Kyle Feather '14, Livadaru and Ocel, as well as other valuable contributors such as defender Ethan Berceli '14, midfielder Harold Salinas '14 and forwards Steve Salazar '14 and Matt Peabody '13, the team has a solid foundation coming back. "This year's seniors are a special group," he said. "I'll miss them. They set a wonderful example for the younger kids, in the classroom, on the field and off the field. "We lose some great players, but we lose great players every year," Coven continued. "A good program loses good players every year, but you're going to have other players coming up to replace them. If you can do that, then you're going to traditionally be good program." And despite the stinging feeling of the loss, Coven was happy to look back on a successful campaign. "It was a great season," he said. "We all feel bad right now and we all feel that we should be playing [in the next round]. But how many Division III schools in the country have soccer programs? Maybe 400? And here we are in the final 16. You have to be happy with that." This year's senior class, a core that advanced to two consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, leaves the team in a position to hopefully compete for years to come. *
(11/19/13 5:00am)
For the second straight season, the men's soccer team hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Gordon Field. And, for the second straight season, the Judges advanced to the Round of 16 with back-to-back victories. After dominating Johnson & Wales University on Saturday by a score of 3-0, Brandeis beat Roger Williams University 1-0 on Sunday night. While Saturday's victory came rather easily, head coach Michael Coven was happy with the team's performance on Sunday. "I think we dominated play," he said. "The boys never lost their composure, we controlled the tempo of the game and we possessed the ball well." Despite dominating early proceedings on Sunday, the Judges knew that the Hawks posed a threat. Given that Roger Williams had benefited from several fortuitous plays in its 3-1 first round victory over Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Newark, the rain provided a seemingly perfect setting for the Hawks to once again take advantage. The visitors almost went up 1-0 in the 18th minute. A fast, right-wing cross played in from sophomore forward James Sheldon appeared to have been deflected into the net by Judges' goalkeeper Joe Graffy '15. While some Roger Williams fans began to celebrate an apparent goal, the cheering was cut short as the ball had in fact dropped behind the goal for a corner kick and was then cleared. The chance was a warning for the Judges, who were wary of the threat that Roger Williams senior forward Trevor Hoxsie-who scored 14 goals this season-posed. "We knew he was good," said center back Matt Brondoli '14, who, along with fellow center-back Conor Lanahan '16, limited the striker to just one shot. "The coaches warned us about him, but I think for the most part we just focused on our game." Yet, despite seizing the initiative, it would be the last threat that the Hawks would mount. Instead, it was Brandeis who struck in the 25th minute. Midfielder Sam Ocel '13 played a ball to the left wing, where left-back Ben Applefield '14 was waiting. Applefield sent in a curling left-footed cross toward the center and forward Tyler Savonen '15 sent a powerful header into the bottom left corner for a goal that sparked fervent celebrations. "Applefield played a great ball," said Savonen, who scored his 12th goal of the season. "The play leading up to it was really nice. I was in the right place at the right time." With 43 seconds left in the half, midfielder Tudor Livadaru '14 sent a rocket of a shot from the left flank just wide. Despite the effort, the Judges held on to a 1-0 lead at the half. Instead of trying to maintain its one-goal advantage, the Judges pressed forward for a second goal. Applefield, in fact, almost provided a second assist in the 56th minute, as forward Michael Soboff '15 rammed a point-blank shot at Pelloso from the left back's cross. The Judges were dominating the game, possessing the ball well and creating chances. Yet, as the score remained at 1-0, the potential for Roger Williams to take advantage of a defensive miscue increased. With less than five minutes left, Sheldon looked to break the deadlock with a marauding run down the left wing. However, just as he prepared to shoot, Lanahan made a brilliant defensive play, knocking the ball off of Sheldon for a goal kick. From there, the Judges ran out the clock to secure a monumentous 1-0 victory over the Hawks. The Judges wasted little time getting on the board, meanwhile, on Saturday against Johnson & Wales. Much like last year, the hosts established their supremacy early on. After just one minute, 51 seconds, Savonen cut in from the right flank and crossed the ball to Michael Soboff '15, who put the ball home to give the Judges the early lead. At the 4:54 mark, Soboff then became the provider, sending in a low cross from the left flank which Savonen put into the net for a 2-0 advantage over Johnson & Wales. The Judges' strong play in the center of the park was evident. "I think our communication and the way we work together has been great," said Livadaru. Early in the second half, the Judges quickly extinguished any hopes of a Johnson & Wales comeback. In the 49th minute, forward Evan Jastremski '17 scored for the second straight game to make it 3-0, a lead that remained the rest of the way. For the second straight year, Brandeis will face Williams College in the Round of 16 in Saturday's matchup at a time to be determined. The Ephs defeated the Judges 1-0 in last season's game. However, given the strength of the team's performance this season, Brandeis believes it has a great chance to win. *
(11/19/13 5:00am)
For the second straight season, the men's soccer team hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Gordon Field.
(11/05/13 5:00am)
JustArts sat down with Samantha Gordon '14 and Nicole Carlson '14 to talk about their senior project, a production of the play Matt and Ben, which will be showing this weekend. JustArts: Would you tell us a bit about how you chose Matt and Ben to be your senior project? Nicole Carlson: I looked through two-woman shows, and all of the sudden I found this one, and I was like, "Oh my god, Mindy Kaling wrote this! Oh my god, it's about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck! Oh my god, it's girls playing Matt Damon and Ben Affleck!" So I sent that information to Sam. Samantha Gordon: And I was abroad when this was happening. I read the scripts and I really liked Matt and Ben the most. JA: For those who are unfamiliar, would you give us a brief synopsis of the play? SG: It's basically Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, pre-fame, in the late 1990's, in Somerville, Mass. And the script of Good Will Hunting just falls into their laps. It's this sort of fantasy take on them writing this script, and instead of them actually writing it, they just get handed it, and [the rest is] what happens and how their friendship is affected by it. NC: And then they go through a re-hashing of their friendship in high school, up to this point, and what they want to do with the script. JA: So how long have you guys been working on this project and what has that process been like for you? SG: We've been working on it since like April. We had to apply to the [Theater] department ... and we wanted it to count for a class, so we had to go through that whole process. NC: We were memorizing, looking at the script over the summer. ... Our first read-throughs and table reads were over Skype. ... We've really had it on its feet since the beginning of October, and the rest of that has really just been building our relationship. We're playing these two people who really are best friends and know everything about each other and have had years of experience together ... Before this process, we weren't incredibly close, but now she's one of my best friends. JA: Are there any other challenges in bringing the production to the stage that you've faced? SG: Finding pants for me as Matt Damon was very trying. I usually cry when I have to put on pants. NC: What's going to stress me out right now ... is fitting people in our room. We really can't do it on a stage. SG: We perform so much better in front of people, we interact with the audience a lot, too. NC: We wanted it to be really intimate, like you're hanging out with us in our apartment, because that's what it is. This is my post-college apartment. SG: Memorizing was really difficult. For the two of us to memorize each half the show, and then a lot of her lines are just little words, and a lot of my lines are big monologues. JA: Are you hoping to continue to stay active in theater after graduation? SG: That's a difficult question, because you're talking to two people who are going into different fields than theater, but two people who love theater. I do improv also, so I know I'll definitely be involved. NC: I am probably going to graduate and be an elementary school teacher, and I would really like to either be the elementary school teacher who runs the drama program, or if a school has an elementary school drama teacher, I would love to be that person. JA: What do you hope your audiences will take away from the play? SG: I hope they'll be grateful for their friends and have had a fun time laughing for an hour. - Rachel Hughes
(10/28/13 4:00am)
The St. Louis Cardinals were 90 feet away from victory-and a commanding 2-1 series lead-in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 3 of the World Series. Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay stepped up to the plate with runners on the corners, fully knowing that a fairly innocent fly ball would land the Cardinals in the driver's seat of the World Series. The Red Sox sent closer Koji Uehara to the mound, their best hope for escaping a jam and sending the game into extra innings. Jay then put a ground ball into play that landed right in the glove of Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia then fired the ball off to Sox catcher Jared Saltamacchia for the surefire second out. From there, though, one of the most unconventional plays in World Series history unfolded. Saltalamacchia decided to nail St. Louis first baseman Allen Craig at third base for the decisive third out. However, the ball went left of third baseman Will Middlebrooks and chaos ensued. Craig raced to home plate, but meanwhile, stumbled several times over Middlebrooks. The ball, meanwhile, sailed well ahead of Craig at home plate; the shocking call was safe. Just like that, after a rarely used obstruction call, Boston fell to a 2-1 deficit in the Fall Classic. Saltalamacchia summed it up best following the Game 3 loss. "You don't want to lose," he said. "I don't know what the rulebook says. If the rulebook says obstruction, you tip your cap and walk off the field and take it like a man." The Red Sox had almost gotten away with a stunning victory too. Starter Jake Peavy struggled in four innings of work, surrendering two quick runs in the first inning and loading the bases twice. However, he did just enough to keep the Red Sox in striking distance. Left fielder Mike Carp and right fielder Daniel Nava put two runs on the board to tie the game. Red Sox manager John Farrell sent in relief pitchers Craig Breslow and Junichi Tazawa to take care of business, the same duo that has been nearly flawless in the postseason. On Saturday, though, the two unraveled, setting the scene for a pivotal two-run double from right fielder Matt Holliday. St. Louis then turned to its own formidable relief duo of Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal. Martinez and Rosenthal likewise buckled to the pressure, ceding two runs to shortstop Xander Bogaerts and Nava. Third base umpire Jim Joyce rushed to defend the obstruction call. "With the defensive player on the ground, without intent or intent, it's still obstruction," Joyce explained following the game. "You'd probably have to ask Middlebrooks that one, if he could have done anything. But that's not in our determination." Sunday night, the Sox got a measure of revenge with a 4-2 victory in Game 4. After going down 2-0, shortstop Steven Drew singled designated hitter David Ortiz home in the top of the fifth inning to make it 2-1. One inning later, left fielder Jonny Gomes hit a three-run homer to make it 4-2 Boston. Then in the bottom of the ninth, closing pitcher Koji Uehara picked off a hit from shortstop Kolten Wong to secure a momentum-shifting victory.
(10/07/13 4:00am)
Unlike indoor and outdoor track, cross-country is a sport that features different courses for runners every week. The women's cross-country team is showing, this season, that it doesn't matter where the course is-they still have the ability to emerge victorious. Led by Amelia Lundkvist '14, who finished second overall and first among Division III competitors, the women took the Keene State Invitational by seven points. Host Keene State University was second with 59 points. "The race went very well I think," said Lundkvist. "We got out a lot better and faster than [our meet at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth] and moved up [past our competitors] quickly and fairly easily. As we moved up, we had people to [chase] so that made it go by fast. The finish was tough, but other than that it was a very solid race for us as a team." Additionally, the men took second to Keene State, racking up 58 points to the Owls' 24. The University of Southern Maine was third, finishing 10 points behind the Judges with 68. Lundkvist toured the five-kilometer course in 18 minutes, 46 seconds. Yet, while Lundkvist has been leading the pack for her team this year, she wasn't the only Judge to have a good day. Rookie Maddie Dolins '17 was third, just eight seconds behind Lundkvist. Kelsey Whitaker '16 completed Brandeis' sweep of places two, three and four, coming in at 19:04. On a day where Victoria Sanford '14, who is usually one of the Judges' top-three finishers, was absent, the Judges were able to get some scoring help from the team's younger runners. Ashley Piccirillo-Horan '17 successfully broke the 20-minute barrier as Brandeis' fourth runner, taking 15th overall with a time of 19:46. Kate Farrell '17 rounded out the scoring for the Judges. She completed the course in 20:28, good for 34th place. Though the men didn't take the team victory, they managed to upt forth a promising performance despite challenging circumstances. With Ed Colvin '14-who is usually the Judges' top runner-injured, Jarret Harrigan '15 was the first finisher for the men, taking sixth place overall. Harrigan covered the tough, eight-kilometer course in 27:04. Even with Colvin absent, the men showed their strength. Quinton Hoey '17, who was second on the team to Harrigan at a Sept. 21 meet at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, was also the second Brandeis runner across the line, taking 11th place in 27:27. Michael Rosenbach '15 took 14th overall, timing in at 27:42. Rookie Matt Doran '17 was close behind Rosenbach, placing 17th in 27:56. Grady Ward '16 rounded out the scoring for the men, putting all five competitors in the top 20 and taking 19th overall in 28:01. Though the Judges' team performance indicated obvious strengths, they still have the potential to improve. "Last week was an easier week," said Lundkvist. "Most of the girls only did five miles per day, which is less than what we normally do for a normal week of training. Now we're beginning to pick it up again. We should be back to 55-60 [miles] this week and getting back to regular mileage." In addition to upping their training, the Judges are getting excited for competitive meets ahead in their schedule. "A lot of the good New England schools will be at [our next meet at Connecticut College.] We're really excited to race there and see what we can do against some of the best teams in our region. Looking forward to [Division III New England] Regionals, we're obviously hoping to be one of the top seven teams [which advance to the NCAA Division III Championship], but we're just going to do our best and see what happens." Though ultimately the team's training will be the decisive factor on their fitness heading into the larger meets, Lundvist believes that the Judges' attitude is in the right place as well. "We are feeling good," she said. "We are definitely excited to show what we can do. I think we're going to surprise a lot of people." The Judges will race on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Connecticut College Invitational. *
(09/23/13 4:00am)
The Brandeis University men's and women's cross-country teams got their respective seasons off to strong starts at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Shriners' Invitational on Saturday. Without captain Ed Colvin '14, who usually sets the pace for the men's team, the Judges still finished sixth out of 28 teams at the competition. Jarret Harrigan '15 and Quinton Hoey '17 who finished 21st and 22nd, respectively, paced the Judges. Both comeptitors averaged just under five minutes, 20 seconds per mile and impressed coach John Evans. "We're a young team, with three first-years, and it'll be a transition year for them. They all came together pretty well," he said. In addition to the men's success in their races, the women-much to the delight of Evans-took second out of 29 competing teams in the five-kilometer run. The Judges took three of the top six overall times, five of the top 25 times, and an individual win from co-captain Amelia Lundkvist '14, who covered the five-kilometer course in 18 minutes, 15 seconds. The variety of strong results led the Judges to a second-place finish behind Rowan University, which won the meet with 45 points, which was six better than Brandeis' tally of 51 points. Lundkvist was not the only strong performer for the women's squad, though. Maddie Dolins '17 had an impressive day, edging co-captain Victoria Sanford '14 for a sixth-place finish in 18:39, giving the Judges three runners in the top 10 overall places. "The women ran really well," said Evans. "It was a big step up from previous years and I was really pleased." In addition to the three runners in the top 10, the Judges snuck one more into the top 20, which was rounded out with Kelsey Whitaker '16, who finished in 19:25. "Amelia ran incredible and Dolins stepped in. [Those two and Sanford] give us a really great top three," remarked Evans. Putting four runners in the top 20 is certainly a notable achievement, but the Judges were lucky to have runners finishing right outside those places. First-year Ashley Piccirillo-Horan '17 just missed the top 20 while rounding out the Judges' scoring on the day, finishing in 23rd, a mere two seconds behind Whitaker at 19:25. Additionally, Maggie Hensel '15, whose finish in 20:45 placed her in the top 100, provided depth for the squad. The men were also successful in their pursuit of having quality performances in the team's five leading runners. Behind Harrigan and Hoey, they received impressive performances from Michael Rosenbach '15 and Matt Doran '17. Rosenbach averaged five minutes, 26 seconds per mile to finish the eight-kilometer race in 27 minutes even, good for 33rd place. Doran's pace of five minutes, 30 seconds per mile saw him finish in 41st place at 27 minutes, 11 seconds. Scoring for the men's team-which was made more challenging by the fact that they were one of only three schools to bring the minimum five competitors to the competition-was rounded out by newcomer Daniel Leon '17, who finished 108th out of 210 racers, covering the distance in 29:03, which was an average of five minutes, 49 seconds per mile. Although the Judges finished just outside the top five as a team, the showing was impressive considering the small number of competitors they featured. With these early-season successes, the men's and women's cross-country teams have reason to be confident about their future performances. As a result, Evans looks at these performances as a metaphorical stepping stone to something bigger and better. "It was a promising start," he said. "We will move on to the next race [on Oct. 5], and we're going to hopefully be in the mix at the end of the season." Both teams will have opportunities to prove themselves when they each travel to Keene, N.H. for the Keene State College Invitational on Oct. 5. A week after that, on Oct. 12, they will find themselves competing against the best teams from all division in the region at the Open New England Championships to be held at Franklin Park in Boston.
(03/11/13 4:00am)
This week, JustArts talked music with Osaze Akerejah '14, who is a hip-hop recording artist under the moniker Saz.E, and David French '13, an arts student who directed Saz.E's forthcoming music video for the song "Matt Murdock." JustArts: Would you each tell us a bit about your experience in the music industry? How do you guys work together? Osaze Akerejah: I've been recording since I was about 14. Through high school, I kept recording and kept building up myself and building up my name. Then I went off to college and started networking more, met more people in Boston who wanted to work with me, started making beats. And then I met David to work on the video for this big song I have called "Matt Murdock," and I really wanted to have like a very, very interesting visual for it. I felt like he was going to be able to capture this cinematic-type feel to it. I didn't want it to look like a regular music video. David French: So I grew up in Hickville, Nowhere, basically-like in the middle of Texas. So there wasn't really a music industry. I very specifically came to Brandeis because it was near Boston. Since the beginning, I was involved in Punk Rock n' Roll club and I started filming concerts and then this year, I decided I was going to make a short film, and to get ready for that, I decided to start with music videos, because you can just start with a visual concept and just go. JA: Very cool! Osa, the new video is coming out very soon. Would you tell us about the process of writing the song and creating the video concept? OA: I was listening to Florence + The Machine, and I hit up my producer from Chicago...So he took that, and he came back with "Matt Murdock," which is this really pretty Florence sample with really heavy drums, and it sucks you into this beautiful, yet dark world at the same time. And then when I kept thinking "darkness," I wanted to write something about my frustration with people not seeing artistic vision. Artists will have a vision for something, and the masses won't see it, and you're wondering, "why?" So "Matt Murdock" is kind of nerdy. It's the alter ego of Daredevil, the superhero who's blind. So I took that and I wrote the song, trying to weave metaphors of sight and blindness, into this record. JA: David,could you tell us about how you took this project from concept to film? DF: I met with Saz.E, and we talked about some stuff. He mentioned that "we should have a blind guitarist guy," so I was just trying to get a visual concept of who we would cast or how we would handle that for the film. And I just hit "blind guitarist" into a Google search, and came up with pictures of Blind Willie Johnson, and then it snapped into place. There's actually a surprising number of blind Blues musicians-the reason for going with that is that these guys were not appreciated in their time. That kind of sinks into the metaphor, A) about blindness, but also B) about people not appreciating great art or great talent. So it's taking the idea-Saz.E's idea-about desiring recognition, and it references it, but then it also folds it in on itself. JA: David, it sounds like you have your hands full with several film projects. Are you hoping to make this a career after graduating from Brandeis? DF: That's a complicated question. I decided I don't want to do film. Not like "typical" film. I'd be interested in doing independent projects, but if I actually go into an industry, I'm actually thinking about video games. Because there is a lot of weird, experimental stuff going on in that field, versus, still in film, you have to play the game. JA: Osa, what does the new video say about your current direction as an artist? OA: I think one of my biggest frustrations is, as a hip-hop artist, people always try to put us in a box. And the problem is that a lot of us say, "Okay, that's cool. I'll just keep making stuff that's in that box." And I kind of feel like you should just make music for the sake of making music. I like sampling these weird Indie acts or these foreign folks...making visuals that are not run-of-the-mill. There's no booty-shakin' chicks in this video. We didn't have the budget for it-but still. I probably wouldn't put it in there anyway. I'm very inspired by the very forward, creative thinkers of the genre. Kanye West is my favorite. So it's basically going to be about creativity and no rules-no rules but my own. JA: What do you hope that new fans will take away from it? OA: Stop being blind to new artists. Just because most of the radio hip-hop is really bad, don't count out all these new guys. Some of these new guys might actually pop up and surprise you. -Rachel Hughes
(01/21/13 5:00am)
"The boys are back and they're looking for trouble," boom the Dropkick Murphys, a raunchy Irish-punk septet from the Boston area on the aptly titled opening track, "The Boys are Back" of their newest album, Signed and Sealed in Blood. And that song is a phenomenal "sum-upper" of the new release, which hit the shelves on Jan. 8. The Dropkicks, bassist and lead vocalist Ken Casey, lead vocalist Al Barr, guitarists James Lynch and Tim Brennan, bagpiper Josh "Scruffy" Wallace, mandolin player Jeff DaRosa and drummer Matt Kelley, strive to sound triumphant and excited on the album, not focusing on any complex concepts or lyrical motifs. Most of the album, vocally, sounds more like bar chants recorded in local Bostonian bars than anything else. The album rip-roars through 12 tracks over the course of 40 minutes, barely stopping to rest. The Dropkicks have gained recognition as one of the loudest and most aggressive bands in the current rock world, yelling and almost chanting about loving Boston and their Irish and Celtic heritage on every single song. Signed and Sealed in Blood certainly retains that same classic Dropkick Murphys sound, containing both straight punk jams like "Don't Tear Us Apart" as well as inherently Irish bar-singalongs like "The Boys are Back," "The Season's Upon Us" and "Jimmy Collins' Wake," many of which pull from classic Irish melodies. Because of this strategy, some of the Dropkicks' songs, especially on Signed and Sealed in Blood compared to previous albums, become somewhat repetitive aurally. The second track, "Prisoner's Song" greatly resembles a slightly more Irish-bar version of the Dropkicks' biggest hit, "Shipping Up to Boston." Unlike the band's last record, the conceptually rigid 2011 release Going Out in Style, which chronicled the life of a working class Irishman, Signed and Sealed in Blood pushes to be unstoppably catchy, fun and exciting from beginning to end. However, the issue with the recent trend regarding alternative rock bands supposedly "returning to their punk roots" (case in point: Green Day) seems to be a lack of focus. These groups, the Dropkick Murphys included, try so hard to sound like they are having a blast, simply cranking out quick punk singles instead of focusing on writing truly great music. Thus, fulfilling this trend, Signed and Sealed in Blood has very few standout tracks the likes of the Dropkicks' earlier massive hits "Shipping Up to Boston," "The State of Massachusetts," "Tessie," and "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya," making the album slightly less accessible. The strongest and probably most poetic track on the record is without a doubt "Rose Tattoo." The song features Mumford & Sons' Winston Marshall on banjo and is a classic Dropkicks ballad about Irish pride in the gruff, working class life. One of the slowest on the entire album, "Rose Tattoo" is the catchiest and most poetic track, and the most unlike the rest of Signed and Sealed in Blood. Thus, "Tattoo" sticks out above the other songs on the album, but still fails to reach the bar of some of the Dropkick Murphys' classics. As formerly mentioned, Signed and Sealed in Blood is mostly composed of fist-pumping bar anthems delivered with a choir of chanting and yelling whereas nothing about "Rose Tattoo" even remotely fits such a description. The Dropkick Murphys aren't known by any means as an "album band," one that demands that albums are listened to in their entirety based on depth of overall composition and thematic continuity. On the contrary, the Dropkicks are rather known to blast through speakers like a bunch of friends loudly reminiscing and celebrating together, delivering albums with lots of fun tunes but only one or two truly mind-blowing power-singles. Signed and Sealed In Blood certainly follows this path and shows that the Dropkick Murphys have by no means lost their touch and only brings hope to all fans of these Irish boys from good ol' Bean Town.
(11/19/12 5:00am)
The men's soccer squad, after securing a thrilling 1-0 victory over Vassar College in last weekend's second-round NCAA Division III match, looked to carry its momentum to Amherst College in a match against No. 9 Williams College. Although the men fought with lockdown defense and a relentless attack, Williams came away with a 1-0 regulation victory, knocking the Judges out of the tournament and ending the team's strongest season since 1985. Coach Michael Coven noted that the Judges played very well on the field, but that Williams was able to break down Brandeis' strategy. "I thought we were the better team," he said. "They were a little more athletic and physical than we were. Knew that we liked to possess the ball. Broke us down a little bit." Williams senior goalkeeper Than Finan already had his work cut out for him in the third minute of what proved to be a back-and-forth affair. Midfielder Sam Ocel '13 sent in a header to cross the ball, which deflected off a Williams defender, forcing Finan to make a diving save to prevent an own goal. Williams continued to apply offensive pressure, but by the 11th minute, the action shifted to the other side of the field as senior forward Patrick Ebobisse ripped a one-timer in the air which he received off of a well-placed through ball right outside the 18-yard box. Goalkeeper Blake Minchoff '13 made a lunging save, ultimately keeping the Judges in a scoreless draw. Midfielder Kyle Feather '14 helped to shift the offensive momentum back to the Judges' side of the pitch, charging down the field on a counterattack, which soon turned into a breakaway. Feather, though, was deliberately tripped inches outside the 18-yard box, resulting in a 20-yard free kick. The free kick was taken by Ocel, who fired the ball just wide of the post. Two minutes later, the Judges had yet another offensive opportunity, as forward Tyler Savonen '15 sent a perfectly placed cross to Ocel right in the middle of the 18-yard box, who fired the shot just inches above the crossbar. The game continued to be a hard fought battle, as the Judges pursued a high-powered attack. The offensive combination of Ebobisse and freshman forward Mohammed Rashid also caused many close calls for Brandeis' defense. Center back Joe Eisenbeis '13, particularly, stopped several key balls, keeping the Judges in the game. The sides ultimately ended the half with four shots apiece, keeping action on the wings and in the midfield. Center back Matt Brondoli '14 and midfielder Robbie Lynch '15 helped to preserve the draw with several key tackles. The deadlock continued to kick off the second half until the 63rd minute. Rashid found a loose ball and then raced to the box, sending a well-placed cross to Ebobisee, who then fired the ball at the bottom left corner of the net to put Williams ahead 1-0. That fateful goal proved to be the game-winner that sealed the Judges' fate. The Judges, now needing a goal to keep their postseason hopes alive, began to create a plethora of offensive opportunities. However, they were unable to get past the lockdown defense of senior defender Matt Ratajczak and junior defender Dan Lima, who stopped nearly all of the Judges' offensive chances as the final whistle drew closer and closer. The Judges had one of its last, and possibly best, chances of the night in the 81st minute when a bouncing ball landed in the path of forward Lee Russo '13 deep inside the 18-yard box. He had an open opportunity for a close range shot. However, Finan charged out from the net and claimed the ball just before Russo could get the shot off. With just 40 seconds left on the clock, the Judges were awarded a corner kick, giving the team one last chance to stay alive. Russo sent the corner in to Ocel, who got a head on it, but Finan was there to make the save. As the game wound down, Lima accidently gave up a handball with 17 seconds left on the clock, giving the Judges one last opportunity to continue to rewrite the history books. Russo took the free kick, but Finan was there yet again, making the save and icing the ball for the win. The seniors of the team-Eisenbeis, Minchoff, and Russo-finished their careers at Brandeis with 61 wins, two ECAC championships and the squad's first berth in the NCAA Tournament since 1985. Ocel, who was injured as a sophomore, will return to play for the team next year as a graduate student. Coven was quick to reflect on the memorable season he had as coach of the 2012 men's soccer squad. "Sometimes you get lucky as a coach, but everything falls into place," he said. "This team from day one was together and made to succeed." However, Coven is already looking ahead to prospects for next season. "The minute the game was over I was recruiting," he said. "We lost Blake [Minchoff], Lee [Russo] and Joe [Eisenbies] but we look good in terms of what we've got coming back for the squad." The expectations will certainly be high for this resurgent men's soccer team in 2013. *
(11/06/12 5:00am)
* Even though she hit the East Coast over a week ago, Sandy's disastrous effects are still lingering for millions in the form of lack of power, flooded homes, fallen trees, crushed cars and broken roofs. Although Hollywood itself has remained largely unaffected, watching the hurricane unfold from across the nation, celebrities from all over are coming together-and they're doing more than just the tweeting to East Coasters to "stay safe." * This past Friday, NBC aired "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together," an hour-long benefit concert whose proceeds help Red Cross relief efforts. Hosted by Matt Lauer from Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan, the good intentions of the concert were clear, but the event itself was rather ironic because the majority of Sandy's victims weren't even able to watch the concert! * The telethon provided emotional entertainment from New Jersey and New York-born comedians and artists, whose speeches and ballads offered comfort and hope to the hurricane's victims. Billy Joel, a current resident of post-Sandy suffering Long Island, N.Y., performed "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)," while Christina Aguilera, a native of hard-hit NYC borough Staten Island, belted out "Beautiful." Jon Stewart cracked some jokes about his fellow celebs at the concert and New Yorker Jimmy Fallon also provided some comedic charisma in hopes of raising money for hurricane relief. Jersey boy Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concluded the live broadcast with "Land of Hopes and Dreams," honoring all the individuals who helped others in the wake of the disaster. * Sure, the clips of newscasters reporting during the storm or video footage documenting Sandy's aftermath were heart-wrenching. But it was particularly powerful to see celebrities who we usually associate with exclusive gated communities and multi-million dollar homes link themselves to their hometowns experiencing extraordinary disaster. * Jon Stewart apologized to viewers for yet another telethon where celebs "very somberly ask compassionate people ... to give money for disasters overseas or somewhere else across the country." But this time, he argued, things were different: "You never think that it's going to be your home or where you grew up. And now that it is, I find it more difficult to [speak at the telethon]." During this short hour, celebs stripped themselves of their famous titles and readopted their original personas-watching a performance of Bronx-born Mary J. Blige, rather than 'Mary J. Blige, R&B Icon'-making the benefit all the more powerful. I hope that other celebs-whether they actually hail from Sandy's victim states or not-take advantage of their influence and access to fans and encourage the country to, as NBC so succinctly stated, "come together."
(10/23/12 4:00am)
Going into my first Cholmondeley's open mic night, I didn't know what to expect. Would the gang from Friends be there? Should I snap instead of applaud? Are scarves a requirement or just a suggestion? When I walked in, I realized that while scarves were definitely not required, the night would be anything but typical. The Oct. 18 coffeehouse featured a cappella, slam poetry and other musical performances. People milled in and out, watching performances, conversing, eating and even getting impromptu haircuts from Chum's employees. Students were encouraged to bring their own instruments for a final inclusive jam session at the end of the night. Add Nutella hot chocolate, grilled cheese and sweet potato fries, and you've got the unique combination of people, music and food that creates the quirky atmosphere of Chum's. Josh Berman '15, a Chum's employee who helped organize the event, was especially pleased with how the night went. He described that "there was a huge turnout, which I was really happy about. I think that everyone had a good time with the set performances, but I was especially pleased about the jamming. Brandeis does not have enough outlets for people who love to play music. Hopefully Chum's can fill that role and provide a space for the Brandeis community." More jamming sessions to come, Berman plugged. The evening started off on a pleasant note (pun intended) with three lovely songs by Manginah, one of the University's Jewish a cappella groups. Soloists included Matt Sidell '14 and Jess Pullen '12. Pullen's sweet, melodic voice and Sidell's earnest tenor made for an enjoyable performance. Next was a surprise slam poet described by Melanie Steinhardt '13 on the event's Facebook page as "socially challenging and thought provoking." The man himself turned out to be none other than Brian Slepian '14. Slepian delighted audience members with two whimsical poems. He began with "Consent," which included saying the word "consent" about fifty times with different emotions. Following "Consent" was "The Adventures of Mancat and Dogwoman," a conversation between-you guessed it-a mancat and a dogwoman. The poem ended with Slepian on the floor, screaming profanities in an emotional uproar. Maybe it's just because of my love for drama and silliness, but this was undoubtedly my favorite performance of the night. Following Slepian was a remarkable five-song set by Blunt Logic, a two-person male rap group not unlike Outkast-if Outkast had been two liberal arts college students, specifically Coleman Mahler '13 and Nick Polanco '13. At first I wasn't sure if they were serious or just being ironic, as rappers sometimes are. However, their final song, titled "Registered Motherf*cking Sex Offenders," convinced me of their ironic intentions to satirize rap culture. Even so, the length of their performance was definitely overkill. Ayan Sanyal '14 took the stage next, playing guitar and singing original songs. Sanyal was a natural and talented performer with breezy, enjoyable melodies. Next was Matt Sidell '14 on the keyboard with Clay Williams '14. The performance, while not in any way bad, was not particularly memorable either. Unfortunately for the performers, by this point in the night, most people were socializing instead of watching. The night concluded with a spirited jam session which depended on audience participation-not an issue in a school with so many creative and musical students. One musician would start off, and slowly people would join in, creating a jazzy fusion. This event is definitely not meant to be viewed in its entirety; most people stayed for a few performances and then left. Due to the disparity in performance quality, along with the 10-minute gaps between each performance, the event would be best enjoyed in small doses. Overall, while the quality of the performances greatly varied, the atmosphere proved to be supportive, cozy and fun.
(10/22/12 4:00am)
Often, the hardest-working bands strive throughout their entire career for grandiose magnitude in their overall sound. Muse, a British alternative rock band fronted by Matt Bellamy on guitar and vocals, Christopher Wolstenholme on bass and backing vocals and Dominic Howard on drums and percussion, is one of the frontrunners of this "go big or go home" mentality. Muse's most recent album, The 2nd Law, released on Oct. 1, stays true to said traditions and pushes to be as epic in theme, musicality and overall vibe as possible. The album is filled with 13 massive stadium-rock crowd pleasers that jump between a range of genres spanning from hard rock, pop, dubstep and all the way down to classical. The 2nd Law is by far Muse's most experimental album to date, however, such a classification does not make it the band's best. Certain songs definitely rank highly next to other Muse work, though the album as a whole musically and lyrically is all over the place. The band tried extremely hard to push their "2nd Law of Thermodynamics" theme, but barely stuck with it as an album-wide concept. In addition, these boys from Devon, in the United Kingdom, lift in musical style from artists like Aerosmith, U2, Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder and Queen all throughout The 2nd Law, which is indeed a fun, listenable album, though it falls somewhat short of some of the band's previous releases. The record kicks off with the ominous "Supremacy," one of Muse's best efforts to date, complete with a head-banging introduction that segues into a crushing riff in drop-A tuning that recalls the James Bond theme. "Supremacy," like The 2nd Law, is a mash-up of various styles, genres and effects including hard rock, hence the lead riff and the breakdown, spacey-progressive rock that points back to Pink Floyd, the cheesy, 80's-esque guitar solo and the perfectly produced horn section. "Supremacy" furthermore proves that Matt Bellamy is absolutely on top of his game as a singer, blasting through the track with wails, screams, falsettos and slower, dark vocals. "Madness," the most famous single, which the public first heard on Aug. 20, comes from a completely different musical world than "Supremacy," built upon a synth beat and an electronic vocal track constantly repeating the phrase "m-m-m-m-mad-madness." Like a lot of The 2nd Law, "Madness" will grow on listeners after initially leaving them mildly dissatisfied and perhaps confused. The third tune on the record, "Panic Station," certainly stands out next to "Supremacy" as one of the eclectic release's highlights. "Panic Station" mixes funk and soul, combining riffs reminiscent of those of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" and Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." Nonetheless, the musicianship on the track, as expected, is near perfect and "Panic Station" is tremendously catchy, regardless of any externalities After the third track, classical and operatic influences shine through, primarily on "Survival," the record's first single and the official song of the 2012 Olympics. Like "Madness," "Survival" may leave you with the question of "What the heck did I just hear?" To say that "Survival" is bad would be harsh, because pieces of the track are better than others. Nonetheless "Survival" is certainly an adequate pump-up song that shows a tremendous amount of effort in production, though perhaps a lack in the lyric department. The second section of The 2nd Law begins to dwindle in quality beginning with "Follow Me," a corny ode to Matt Bellamy's newborn son. "Follow Me" and "Explorers" are probably the weakest efforts on the record. Putting the smooth, sexy, "Animals," built upon Matt Bellamy's guitar mastery, between the two was strategically wise, despite the fact that Bellamy does not break any new ground musically on the track. "Big Freeze," a near cover of "Where the Streets Have No Name" by U2, stresses the extreme diversity of the album but also the constant lifting from other sources. The next four tracks on the record appear in linked groups of two. Bassist Wolstenholme's first major contributions to composition, "Save Me" and "Liquid State," which discuss the thirty-three-year-old's battle with alcoholism, are decent if one factors in the fact that Wolstenholme rarely writes full songs. They do not feel, however, extremely "Musey," rather seeming like they could have been produced by any alternative rock band. The album is somewhat redeemed in its final moments by the absolutely epic double-track suite, "The Second Law," which pulls from classical music, electronic dubstep and movie scores, though, like the rest of the record, has a shocking effect on the listener. The 2nd Law demonstrates Muse's happy talent for lifting styles and strategies from other places (they have been mocked for ripping off Radiohead since their inception, though their sound has more recently gravitated away from the band's sound) yet still maintaining a recognizably "Muse" vibe. After their previous album, 2009's Resistance, fans hoped the band would return to their more straightforward rock roots. The band continued with The 2nd Law right where Resistance left off. Though the 2009 record included several genres (rock, brit-pop and classical), the band's 2012 release progressed even more, lifting from almost every musical idea imaginable. Perhaps Muse was too ambitious during this past series of studio sessions, but that is what makes The 2nd Law a Muse album. The trio is known for being ambitious, combining concepts and unstoppably supporting their evolving tendencies. *
(09/24/12 4:00am)
Babson senior forward Eric Anderson scored six times against the men's soccer team in his career before Wednesday's game.
(09/10/12 4:00am)
Possessing a 2-0 lead midway through the second half, the men's soccer team must have felt that it had last Sunday's game against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology all but wrapped up.
(09/04/12 4:00am)
Before the season, men's soccer coach Mike Coven, after losing his top seniors, expressed cautious optimism while assessing his team's chances for the 2012-13 season. After winning the Keene State College Invitational Tournament, he must be more confident. "We had a nice weekend," said Coven. "We made some mistakes which might come back to haunt us in our more difficult games, but we're definitely headed in the right direction. We're a pretty new team, but things are starting to come together pretty well for us." The Judges beat Ithaca College and Keene State on Saturday and Sunday by scores of 3-0 and 4-0, respectively. As a result, the squad-for the second straight year-won the tournament, which proves to be a good measuring stick for their progress this season. The Judges replicated the offensive attack that gave them a 15-5-1 record last year early in their match against Ithaca. Brandeis was awarded a free kick just outside the box. Midfielder Sam Ocel '13 stepped up and curled the set piece around the wall and into the net, which caught the hosts flat-footed. The Judges' struck again later in the first half when new holding midfielder Jake Picard '16 whipped in a cross for forward Tyler Savonen '15, who made no mistake in putting the Judges 2-0 up. "[Picard] has done a good job at the defensive midfield position," said Coven. "Matt [Brondoli '14] and Joe [Eisenbies '13] have done a good job replacing Ari [Silver '12] and David [McCoy '12], who were two of our key players last year. They've done a much better job than I would have thought so far." Midfielder Tudor Livadaru '14 got his name on the score-sheet soon after to make it 3-0. This time, Ocel was the benefactor rather than the beneficiary, sending a ball in to Livadaru with a good chance, which he converted. "Tudor is much improved from last season," Coven said. "We like to play a controlled tempo with our game. Tudor is very fast and energetic, but once he learned to settle down, he really fit into our system. He did a very nice job [on Sunday]." Brandeis then bettered its goal total from Sunday against Ithaca. Ocel notched his second goal of the game by finishing into an empty net to wrap up the scoring for the match. Saturday was much of the same story for the Judges. Forward Lee Russo '13, who led his team in scoring last season with nine goals, got the scoring started in the 31st minute by taking a feed from Savonen and slotting the ball into the net. Russo doubled his tally in the 56th minute, burying a rebound from an Ocel shot to double the score. Wingback Josh Hacunda '16 wrapped up the scoring late in the game, firing home a loose ball to give Brandeis its first win on the season. There had been talk about moving wingbacks Ben Applefield '14 and Robbie Lynch '15 up to central midfield, as the middle of the park was where both had played before coming to Brandeis. However, Coven was quick to point out that playing outside back does not hinder their attacking capablities. "We play a 4-3-3, so the wingbacks can often overlap down the flanks to give us some offense," he said. "[Applefield] especially loves to come down and play onto his left foot." Despite the initial successes, Coven is not overconfident. The team has three tough tests at home this week. They play Colby-Sawyer College tomorrow at 7:00 p.m., followed by contests against Clark University on Saturday and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Sunday. "We really hope to get some good fan support out there," said Coven. "I was really happy because about 10 or 20 Brandeis students drove up to New Hampshire to watch us. It was really great to have them there." With this kind of early season form, this season could be just as good as the last. *
(04/02/12 4:00am)
Tied 2-2 in last Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, left wing Benoit Pouliot slotted home a goal in the third period to put the Bruins ahead for good. Boston would leave the Lightning in the dust after that pivotal goal, winning handily in a 5-2 rout.
