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The Boston Bruins finally had the momentum. After notching their first two-game winning streak since Jan. 12 last Thursday, Boston hoped to finally get its season back on track. Instead, their problems continued, falling 4-3 to the Washington Capitals last Saturday.
Prior to last Saturday's game against the New York Islanders, Bruins head coach Claude Julien suggested that the Islanders would be a tough challenge despite their 1-4-1 mark in the past six games.
Despite preparation for this weekend's Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants, the Bruins hoped to capture the attention of New England fans with another three wins at home. However, after a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators, the Bruins faded for the first time this year, suffering two puzzling losses to the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins. Last Saturday, the Bruins played against Pittsburgh, where the defenses would set the tone for the game.With eight seconds left in the first period, Penguins center Evgeni Malkin capitalized on the power play, firing a goal past Bruins goalie Tim Thomas for a 1-0 lead. After a goalless second period defined by missed scoring opportunities from the Bruins, Pittsburgh forward Matt Cooke broke through Boston's defense once more, tapping a goal past the outstretched glove of Thomas for a 2-0 lead. As the period progressed, the Bruins crowd grew increasingly silent. With only six minutes, 45 seconds remaining, defenseman Joe Corvo would attempt to revive the Boston crowd, hooking a shot past goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to cut the lead to one goal. Yet, the Bruins still failed to find the back of the net, resulting in a 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Hosting the Carolina Hurricanes last Thursday, Bruins Coach Claude Julien knew that his team would want revenge after losing in its three previous matches against the Hurricanes. It did not seem to make much of a difference, however. The Bruins were shut out for the first time since Dec. 8. "They're a good team," Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask said. "You look at the standings, and they're not where they want to be, but. ... especially against us, they play some good hockey. Although the Bruins outshot the Hurricanes 22-8 in the first period, Carolina capitalized, scoring the first goal of the game. The Hurricanes would take advantage of a fading Boston defense, outshooting the Bruins 14-5. Carolina added their second goal from right wing Tuomo Ruutu with three minutes, 19 seconds left in the period. The Hurricanes added their final goal of the game on a wrist shot from center Brandon Sutter three minutes, 14 seconds into the third period. The Bruins began their marathon week last Tuesday with a game that resembled so many others this season. Despite facing a 3-1 deficit, Boston managed to once again pull out an inspired 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. "We need to clean up different parts of our game, but we played well in the third and hopefully we carry this into our next game," said left wing Brad Marchand, whose third-period equalizer spurred the Bruins on to victory. The Bruins would not be denied a goal in the first period. Defenseman Zdeno Chara ripped a slap shot into the bottom-right corner to send TD Garden wild just 11 minutes, 57 seconds into the game. Thomas was beaten by center Colin Greening with one minute, 14 seconds left in the first to tie the game at one. The Senators added on another two goals to take a formidable 3-1 lead. However, left wing Milan Lucic wasn't about to let the period end without a goal, sending a laser to the top-left corner with 45 seconds left in the second period. Marchand was on hand to tap the puck in the net after a missed shot, 17 minutes, 40 seconds left in the third period. Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg put the Bruins ahead for good in the third period, ripping a shot from behind the blue line for a 4-3 lead. After a Sunday afternoon win against the Washington Capitals, the Bruins will continue their recovery from last week's three-game losing streak at Buffalo tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
After a Sept. 10 loss to Clark University, the men's soccer team rebounded last Wednesday night, dismantling Worcester Polytechnic Institute 5-0 in their home opener. Judges goalkeeper Blake Minchoff '13 made five saves against the Engineers, helping Brandeis earn its third shutout of the season, and move to 3-1 on the year.
The men's soccer team outshot and outplayed Clark University last Saturday but couldn't put the ball in the net and conceded a 1-0 road loss. A second-half strike from freshman forward Josh Demers gave Clark a lead they would not relinquish, handing Brandeis its first loss of the season.
I've seen a lot thanks to Boris' Kitchen. I've seen the ravages that come with drinking pretend Four Loko. I've seen the pure, inflatable awesomeness that is a Jet Raptor. I've seen the glory of sandwiches. I also saw a man in a thong giving out those little Hanukkah chocolate coins to people sitting just one row away from me. I'm less excited about that last one. Loss of innocence aside, I saw a lot of entertaining stuff at Boris' Kitchen's 11th annual semester show last Friday, some of it from other colleges, some by classmates and all of it really funny.The night started off with The Fifth Humour, a student group from Yale University. Rivaling Boris' Kitchen in terms of size and with a name that's a pun on Galen's "four humors" (something I'm not sure whether I should be proud or ashamed of getting so fast). The group offered a solid and lengthy block of sketch comedy. There were a lot of sketches, and they were all good, but the standout was the one on the dangers of prom when "beers, wines" and a blood alcohol content of 3-not 0.3, just 3-come into play, and the tragedies that can occur.After The Fifth Humour, it was time for Hello.Shovelhead! from Boston College. Responsible for the above-mentioned Four Loko sketch, this group had fewer members than The Fifth Humor but its material was just as good. Besides the Loko skit, its best was probably the one on The Sound of Music's Von Trapp family attempting to escape from the Nazis, and how breaking into song is not helpful when trying to secretly cross into Switzerland. All in all, these guys had some really tight sketches that would do Boston College grad Amy Poelher proud.There was a short break in the schedule when a surprise video by Little Hands, a new video sketch comedy group from Brandeis, was shown. The group only had one video, but it reminded me of the better SNL digital shorts. Then there was The Miserables, a professional comedy group from Chicago that features Boris' Kitchen grads Matt Hope '09 and Sam Roos '09. Honestly, the group's material was great. These guys are truly professionals and offered up some of the funniest, most random and, at times, downright weird sketches of the night. This was the group that had one of its thong-clad members hand out chocolate to the audience, and it was also the one behind the sandwich sketch. What started out as a seemingly regular sketch that used withholding sandwiches as a metaphor for the gay marriage debate soon took a hard left turn. Sandwiches were found in the audience, sandwiches were being given out, sandwiches were thrown; it was a veritable flurry of sandwiches. It was, without a doubt, one of the most memorable, sandwich-filled moments of the night.Finally, it was time for Boris' Kitchen to take the stage. There was some awesome stuff on display, and it was all written by Boris' Kitchen members. There was Jet Raptor, a commercial for the titular action figure that harkened back to the commercials of the '90s, which meant every word was delivered through the medium of screaming. Later, there was "Make Out Point," a look into the world of the multiple, competing and increasingly dapper Peeping Tom societies. The night ended with "Sexy Hospital," which is basically what the title says; a hospital that remembers that sexiness can cure just about anything-except massive internal injuries. The hospital doesn't really have anything for that. It was a long night with a lot of promising talent on display. I wasn't able to make the Saturday show, which featured Tufts' We're Major: Undecided, Cornell's Skits-O-Phrenics and the New York duo Two Fun Men. But if Friday night was any indicator, it was quite a show.
Cartoon was inappropriateIn response to your article "Don't ban Four Loko; leave the decision to us" (Forum, Nov. 16):While I make no judgment on the content of this article, I am extremely disappointed at the cartoon the Justice chose to run next to it. It depicts a devilish male student pouring Four Loko into the drink of a female student in an effort to get her "BEMCo-ed." Considering the epidemic of date rape on college campuses, it seems wholly inappropriate to use the idea of young men poisoning young women as a topic for humor. It belittles the traumatic experiences many young women----even at Brandeis-have had to go through. Moreover, as far as I can tell, neither the article nor the incidents to which it refer ever indicate that anyone consumed Four Loko involuntarily. Rather than poking fun at a real incident, this cartoon goes out of its way to make sexual assault a gag. Rape culture works by making violence against women laughable. I sincerely hope that the Justice will take serious steps to avoid the perception that it promotes this attitude.-Jonathan Sussman '11State of Zionism is acceptableIn response to your article "Lamenting the fractured state of Zionism at Brandeis" (Forum, Nov. 16):There is an extremely disconcerting tendency to equate Zionism with full support for every policy of the Israeli state. Many of those who oppose Israeli occupation and colonization support the people of Israel and consider ourselves Zionists. Why does Zionism equal full support for every policy of the Israeli state? If you support the interests of the people of Israel, you would have to oppose Israeli policies of occupation and colonization, as they sacrifice peace and security for territorial expansion. This week seems to have shown that the Zionist dream is alive and well, and many people care so deeply about the Israeli people that they do not want to see them suffer for the sake of Israel's territorial expansion.-Matt Gabrenya '13Appreciate disabilities servicesIn response to your article "Disabilities services goes above and beyond" (Forum, Nov. 16):Fifty years ago there was no Brandeis Office of Disabilities Services and Support; there was no Americans with Disabilities Act, and there was no specific office on the campus that dealt with accommodating the unique requirements of my fellow students. And while there was an office of student affairs, there was certainly no one like Director of Disabilities Services and Support Beth Rodgers-Kay, who you speak so positively about. Your column and description of Rodgers-Kay's enthusiasm for her critical assistance gives this old alum an incredibly positive feeling about Brandeis. Kudos to Rodgers-Kay and kudos to you for being very public and upfront in saluting the services that she has offered you and other students in need. And additional praise is given to those Brandeis faculty and staff who understand and do what needs to be done. -Martin Zelnik '61
After reviewing the Student Union Constitution's election policies, Student Union Secretary Herbie Rosen '12 decided last Tuesday to allow Missy Skolnik '12 to take the position of Village Senator even though she may not be able to serve for the entirety of her term.According to Article IX, section 1 of the Student Union Constitution, a student must be a registered Brandeis student for "the entire period in which s/he will hold office" in order to run for election.Skolnik was ineligible to run as an official candidate because she may study abroad next semester. Instead, she ran a write-in campaign and defeated Jake Weiner '13, who officially ran unopposed, by five votes, 23-18.Rosen explained that he wanted to make absolutely sure that Skolnik could officially hold the position since, based on the constitution, she could not officially run for the position. He said that he decided to ask the Student Judiciary for an unofficial recommendation.Chief Justice of the Student Judiciary Matt Kriegsman '11 explained in an interview with the Justice that Rosen asked the SJ to see if there was a clear-cut answer as to whether Skolnik could take the position but that it would be Rosen's final decision either way. The SJ was unable to find a clear-cut answer to the situation based on the information it was given and therefore left it up to Rosen's discretion, according to Kriegsman. However, had an official case been filed, Kriegsman said, the SJ would have been able to reach an official decision.Rosen explained that since the constitution did not provide a clear answer and because Skolnik's constituents voted for her even though there was a possibility she might not serve her full term, he decided that she could take the position of Senator for the Village."The important thing to know is there wasn't a problem, there wasn't an argument, nobody did anything wrong," Rosen said. "I just wanted to make sure I was doing my job right, because I'm supposed to follow the constitution. Rosen also said that elections to fill the senatorial positions for Ridgewood Quad and the Mods, which were left vacant after the elections, as well as junior represenative to the Board of Trustees, Oct. 12.A Student Union Press Release stated that Executive-Board Director of Community J.V Souffrant '13, Director of Special Events Linda Li '13, and Junior representatives to the Board of Trustees Suppreetha Gabbala '12 are resigning.In an interview with the Justice, Skolnik said, "I wouldn't have asked people to write me in or wouldn't have even told people it was an option if I thought it was unconstitutional in the first place.""I understood it was in [Rosen's] best interests to look at the exact language of the constitution. . I think that [Rosen's] decision was completely on par with the constitution and the desire of the student body," Skolnik said.Though Kriegsman explained that Weiner has the right to file a case with the SJ about this decision, Weiner said he does not plan to do so. "[Skolnik] did beat me by five votes, which isn't a ton, but the constitution is a little vague. I don't want to have to drag anyone through the mud [by filing a case]," Weiner explained.Several Union officials are now interested in examining whether the constitution needs to be amended in order to avoid similar confusion in the future.Rosen, who is interested in exploring whether the constitution needs an amendment, said that the Student Union can make amendments to the constitution at any time as long as it follows the proper procedure for doing so as outlined in article XII of the constitution.If there are aspects of the constitution that the student body as a whole believes should be addressed, "of course we have to take a look at it," Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 said."The most important thing is to make sure that students are involved in the process. This constitution reflects the ideas of students and what students want. The constitution is what we function under. We have to respect it," Acheampong explained.Skolnik agrees that a change may be necessary. "If we are going to allow write-in candidates to be an exception, then that should be specified in the constitution. . But as the constitution stands right now, there's nothing saying that a write-in campaign isn't legitimate and isn't a legitimate way to take the seat no matter how long you'll be on campus," she said.Skolnik also mentioned that because of the way the constitution is currently written, the Student Union might be excluding some students inadvertently. Rosen explained that it's possible that the constitution no longer adequately reflects the recent University housing policy changes, especially with regard to the Senator for the Village position, because the policy changes have affected who lives in the Village. Now, sophomores live in Village A for the full academic year, and students planning to study abroad in the spring live in Village B and C, with midyears replacing the study abroad students in the spring semester, according to the Department of Community Living's website.Rosen said that he hopes to consider these changes when addressing potential amendments to the constitution."If students are not being represented because of their academic planning, traveling abroad and such, or midyear students, we have to find a way to immediately address it," Acheampong said.
The Student Union elections that took place Sunday, Sept. 29 elected the Sustainability Fund representatives and the Senior Representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. as well as two senators for the Class of 2014 and senators from all residence quads except Ridgewood Quad.All positions were filled, with the one exception of the senator for Ridgewood. Student Union Secretary Herbie Rosen '12 said in an interview with the Justice that there will be no senator for Ridgewood because the candidate, Keith Barry '12 received fewer votes (4) than there were abstentions (11). "It might say a candidate wins, but we have to make sure that they receive more votes than abstains," explained Rosen.Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 said in an interview with the Justice that the Union was working on the issue in compliance with the Student Union Constitution and that he and Rosen were speaking with Chief Justice of the Student Judiciary Matt Kriegsman '11."By either tonight or tomorrow afternoon, we will have an idea of exactly what we're going to do," he said. Mitchell Schwartz and Dillon Harvey were elected to serve as senators for the Class of 2014. Schwartz wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that "[his] goals are to speak for the 2014 class, ALL of the 2014 class." He wants to make sure that the meal plans are explained thoroughly to all first-years, and he would also like to get quarter machines put into all of the laundry rooms in the first-year quads. The senators for Massell and North Quads will be Rosby Kome-Mensah II '14 and Shekeyla Nicole Caldwell '14, respectively. The election for Massell Quad's senator received the highest percentage of voters, with just over 50 percent of eligible participants voting.The Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board representatives will be Susan Paykin '11 and Nicholas Polanco '13. These positions are new this year as a result of the Brandeis Sustainability Fund that was created last semester.Albert Feldman '13 and Miriam Halimi '13 won the position of senator for East Quad and the Castle, respectively.In an interview with the Justice, Feldman said he has been sitting as a "lame duck" as senator for the Village for the past year, and as the official senator for East, he wants to "do things that make people enjoy their time here." The Transitional Year Program senator will be Alyssa Green. The senator for Ziv Quad will be Mark Levi '12, while Elizabeth Fields '13 will fill the senatorial position for Rosenthal Quad. Tae Wan Kim '12 and Evyn Rabinowitz '12 both ran unopposed and will fill the spots for the Charles River Apartments and the off-campus senators, respectively. There was one successful write-in candidate this year: Anthony Rios '11, will fill the position of senator for the Foster Mods. There was no official candidate running for that position, so eligible voters wrote in on the ballot whom they wanted to fill the position. Jake Weiner '13 was running unopposed for the position of Senator for the Village, but he was defeated by Missy Skolnik '12, a write-in candidate. In an interview with the Justice, Rosen explained there may be a problem with Skolnik assuming the position, because the Constitution states that a candidate may not run for office if he or she will not be able to serve for the entire term, and Skolnik will be going abroad in the spring. However, Rosen also said that since Skolnik ran a write-in campaign rather than an offical campaign, there is a question about whether or not she should be allowed to take office. Rosen said that the Student Judiciary will be discussing the matter; a decision is to be made this morning. As of press time, no decision has been made. "We're simply looking to see if there's a clear-cut answer to this question," Kriegsman said in an interview with the Justice. "If there is no clear-cut issue, it will be up to [Student Union Secretary] Herbie Rosen's discretion to decide how this applies." In either case, however, Rosen will make the final decision on this matter, Kriegsman explained.If the candidates disagree with the final decision, they can file a case with the Student Judiciary, "and that's where we can actually have an official opinion," Kriegsman said. In an interview with the Justice, Skolnik said that while she created a Facebook group, she did not run a campaign. She also emphasized that while the issue with her role as Village Senator stems from the fact that she would not be on campus for the whole because of studying abroad, she had not made the decision to study abroad yet. "I hope that the Executive Board considers the environment we're trying to promote at this school. They should be aware of what the student body wants," Skolnik said, adding that she believes there should be an amendment to mitigate this issue. The Village Senator last year, Leigh ?Nusbaum '11, only served for a semester.The Senior Representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee will be Jenna Rubin '11. The election for the UCC received the lowest number of eligible participants, with slightly less than 3 percent of voters taking part. These elections were only the second time the instant run-off system, in which voters rank the candidates in order of their preferences, was used for voting. Rosen said that he "think[s] this system is the most ideal because it gives all candidates the most justice." Rosen, who served as elections commissioner, said in a later interview with the Justice that he "was happy with how elections went. I was really excited we had so many candidates, especially from the first-year classes." -Alana Abramson, Brian Fromm and Jillian Wagner contributed reporting.
The heavy rainfall last Thursday night was not enough to stall the men's soccer team's offense as the Judges exploded to score 13 goals in the most lopsided victory in the team's history: They defeated Newbury College 13-0.The previous record for goals in a game was 12, set in 1986 against the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. They also scored 10 goals in 1977.The Judges also defeated Worcester Polytechnic Institute 4-1 away from home last Tuesday, giving them a record of 6-0 on the year.Five different players combined to give Brandeis a 5-0 lead at halftime, while forwards Alexander Farr '12 and Nick George '14 each scored hat tricks in the second half to lead the game's scoring. Goalkeepers Matt Lynch '11 and Blake Minchoff '13 combined to give Brandeis its fifth shutout of the season, with each goalie having only to make one save."When you can keep a clean sheet, it's always a good thing," defender Ethan Bercelli '14 said. "But we were most effective in keeping the ball. When we had the ball, we kept it and never gave it back to them."Brandeis outshot Newbury 52-2 and had no difficulty starting the attack. The opening goal came in the 10th minute as midfielder Steve Keuchkarian '11 headed in a cross from midfielder Joe Eisenbies '13 for his second strike of the season.Eisenbies produced his second assist in the 28th minute, slotting a pass into the path of midfielder Ben Applefield '14, who slammed a shot into the back of the net for his second goal of the season. Just 7 minutes later, forward Luke Teece '12 made a surging run into the penalty area before finally crossing to midfielder Matt Peabody '13. Peabody latched onto the cross with a diving header, firing the ball into the net.In the 43rd minute, defender David McCoy '12 got hold of possession and sent a searching cross into the penalty area after Newbury misplayed a free kick. Newbury subsequently cleared the cross into the path of Eisenbies, who unloaded a shot for his fourth goal of the season.Midfielder Stephen Kostel '11 scored his first goal of the year in the 45th minute, adding a fifth tally to the team's run. Forward Steve Salazar '14 played a pass to an open Kostel, who simply took a touch and buried his chance into the back of the net with a cannon from 20 yards.In the 48th minute, George played a low cross through the penalty area that found the feet of midfielder Noah Bass '13. Bass hit a first-time drive toward the near post, scoring his second goal of the season and Brandeis' sixth of the evening.After a shot from midfielder Matt Hauser '13 in the 62nd minute, George picked up the rebound and pounded the shot into the back of the net for his second score of the year.One minute later, Farr took possession of the ball after a defensive turnover by Newbury. Farr took a few touches and slotted a hard, low drive for Brandeis' eighth of the evening. Just 2 minutes later, Farr scored the second of his three goals. Farr took on the Newbury defense and broke through, slotting a shot into the back of the net for the 9-0 lead. Farr completed his hat trick 57 seconds later as he received a pass from midfielder Harold Salinas '14 and again powered through Newbury's defense, eventually pounding in his third goal of the game and Brandeis' 10th. Farr's hat trick, which occurred in just 4 minutes, 13 seconds, broke the Brandeis record for fastest hat trick."I came in and put a couple away right away," Farr said. "We got things done really well. . I actually wasn't aware that I had broken the record [until the next day]. But it's pretty exciting and hopefully it continues."George completed his hat trick in the ensuing minutes. In 80th minute, George broke free of his defender and entered the penalty area one-on-one with the goalkeeper. George rounded the keeper and shot into the open net for his second goal of the game. Just 47 seconds later, midfielder Tudor Livadaru '14 slotted a pass into the penalty area that George latched onto, where he took a touch and scored.Brandeis' final goal came in the 86th minute as defender Gil Jacobs '14 beat a midfielder on the wing and proceeded to take on the Newbury defense. Jacobs continued his run, rounded the final defender and chipped a shot over that trickled over the goal line for his first career goal.Against WPI last Tuesday, Brandeis allowed its first goal of the season to in the 80th minute, but the Judges' offense continued its scoring run. Midfielder Lee Russo '13 scored two goals, while midfielder Kyle Feather '14 and Teece scored the other two goals."We've been making sure we've had our formation and our spacing right," said Feather. "We want to score quickly and finish off the game."The team continues its season tomorrow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at 4 p.m. before squaring off against Babson College Saturday at home at 2:30 p.m.
Angry mobs patrolled the streets of Osh, Kyrgyzstan with sticks, machetes and guns. Stores were looted and burned. Many were shot and killed. Surrounded by chaos, Matt Kupfer '12 and Emily Canning (GRAD) hid inside their homes, uncertain of the future. Kupfer and Canning spent their summer months living amid ethnic tensions and violence between the Uzbek and Kyrgyz people of the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan. Today, these students have returned to their normal lives, but they are still processing their experiences in Osh."I feel kind of uncomfortable with my story. . It sounds very much like an action movie, . and the fact is, I don't think I was any braver than anyone else," Kupfer says. Kupfer, an Anthropology and International and Global Studies student, and Canning, a doctoral student in Anthropology, did not expect to be living in a warzone when they moved to Kyrgyzstan to pursue their academic interests. Kupfer came to the southern city of Osh to gain experience working for a nonprofit organization and to improve his Russian. "I worked for a [Non-Governmental Organization] called Info-Center Rainbow that educates people in Osh about AIDS, narcotics and sex education," Kupfer says. This was Canning's third summer living in Osh. "I was doing fieldwork on peoples' perceptions of local languages ... and how they communicate their ethnic identity through language," Canning says.As a linguistic anthropologist, Canning is interested in the way that the two major ethnic groups of Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz and the Uzbeks, communicate with each other. In June, Kupfer and Canning's work was disrupted when violence erupted in Osh. The Kyrgyz majority launched attacks against the Uzbek minority. The seminomadic Kyrgyz and more sedentary Uzbek farmers and merchants have always argued over land distribution. The ousting of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, a Kyrgyz, on April 7 led to a battle for political control between the Kyrgyz and other minority groups. The April riots were temporarily quelled by the interim government, headed by Roza Otunbaeva. When Canning and Kupfer arrived in to Kyrgyzstan in early June, they believed the situation had stabilized. "I was living in an Uzbek neighborhood: ... the good neighborhood. I had anticipated living in a safe place- houses with gates, centrally located," says Kupfer.On the evening of June 10, gunfire, looting and rape erupted in Osh. Most of the violence was carried out by Kyrgyz mobs against Uzbek stores and businesses. Today, the cause of the June riots is still unknown. Some speculate that pro-Bakiyev members of the government and military may have played a role.Kupfer, living with an Uzbek family, was unable to leave his home due to the gunfire in his neighborhood. "The things that used to be important stopped being important. I didn't care if I didn't bathe for three days. I didn't care if changed my clothes. There was a war going on-I wasn't concerned with appearances," says Kupfer. Canning, on the other hand, felt "emotionally drained" from her experiences in Osh but for different reasons than Kupfer. She was living in an all Kyrgyz neighborhood and felt conflicted. "It was really frustrating for me because as an anthropologist I want to be neutral ... On the other hand, I had very strong opinions about what happened. I did not agree that Kyrgyz were victims. I had a hard time relating to the Kyrgyz people I was meeting. I had friends who were Uzbek. Going to see them, it was a different world. People were without hope," she says. Kupfer's host father became increasingly alarmed as Kyrgyz continued to target the Uzbek neighborhood. He encouraged both his wife and Kupfer to flee the neighborhood. Kupfer's host father remained to protect his home from looters. "One day me and some others [in my host family] left and went out the back gate. We went across the fields and over the crops," says Kupfer. Still in Osh, but away from the Uzbek neighborhood, Kupfer felt a sense of relief. "When we were in the fields, I didn't feel nervous. Every year, a lot of tourists come to nature to trek in the wilderness, and now we're trekking in the wilderness. And we kind of laughed," says Kupfer. However, the continuing unrest necessitated his evacuation. With the help of the U.S. Embassy and a group of NGO workers, both Kupfer and Canning were flown to the capital city of Bishkek. Though Kupfer's host family remained in Osh with their home intact, its businesses were destroyed. Most people were not so fortunate. The Human Rights Watch published a report that estimates a minimum death toll of 356. This is a modest estimate. At least 2,600 homes were completely destroyed in Osh and nearby Jalal-Abad, mostly belonging to Uzbek families. While in Bishkek, Kupfer found work at the International Research and Exchanges Board, an organization working to empower young female leaders through a conference called Tech Age Girls. Canning moved first to Bishkek, then to Uzbekistan and back to Osh. Upon her return, Canning says Osh looked a bit different than she had remembered. "Huge parts of . [Osh] were utterly destroyed. I remember taking a local bus and seeing burned-out shells of homes. I saw people living in the rubble because they were trying to stop the government from taking their land and building apartment buildings," Canning says. The situation in Kyrgyzstan has been stabilized, to a degree. The interim government has made some efforts to reconcile the two groups in Osh. Nevertheless, feelings of mistrust and resentment remain between the Uzbek and Kyrgyz people. "There are currently no mass killings happening, but there are small acts of everyday violence and the situation is volatile," says Canning.Canning attributes the conflict to the disparity of wealth between the Kyrgyz and Uzbek people. "The Kyrgyz have a monopoly on political power, and the [Uzbeks] have monopoly on economic power. ... In the end, the Kyrgyz won: They chased out the Uzbek population," Canning says. Thousands of Uzbek people fled Kyrgyzstan for neighboring Uzbekistan during the riots. The Uzbek families who remain in Kyrgyzstan are afraid to leave their neighborhoods. Unfortunately, neither Kupfer nor Canning are very optimistic about the future of Kyrgyzstan. "There has to be a willingness to say that mistakes have been made. I just don't see that happening now. I saw only once, a sticker on the wall of an Internet café. It said, 'We are all guilty. We will forgive each other.' I think that unless people can accept the attitude that we all are guilty, that we all had a part, I don't think there is much hope," Kupfer says.Canning feels nationalism is a major hindrance to coexistence in Kyrgyzstan."As long as people believe that Kyrgyzstan is the land of the Kyrgyz, Uzbeks will never feel welcome there," she says. Today, Kupfer and Canning are safely back at Brandeis, attending classes in Mandel Quad and picking up coffee in Einstein Bros. Bagels. They have not forgotten about the problems that they witnessed firsthand this summer and are resolved to return. "After I graduate I'd like to ... collect narratives of people in the conflict. I would like to go back and do more research," Kupfer says. Canning plans to conduct fieldwork in Kyrgyzstan for a year in order to complete her doctorate. "Now I have a strong conviction for people to know about these people [of Kyrgyzstan]," says Canning. "It's a land of a lot of uncertainties," Kupfer says.
Wide-eyed first-year Adam Rosen '10 stepped into the WBRS office with no radio experience and only a love of sports as his guide. Four years later, Rosen is leaving behind a legacy of enthusiasm, accomplishment and professionalism that drove the substantial growth of WBRS sports during his tenure as sports director. The Division III status of Brandeis athletics, the prime focus of WBRS sports, may not carry the prestige or recognition associated with mighty Division I programs. However, this did not hold Rosen back from trying to elevate his station to a major-league level. "It's all about your perspective and how you view yourself," said Rosen. "People kind of make fun of me about it, but I try to treat WBRS like we're ESPN Radio. I think you've got to view yourself like you're the best if you want others to perceive you that way. It all starts with that mentality."Little thing like buying matching ClimaCool polo shirts and printing up business cards have underscored major accomplishments: WBRS' multiple encounters with current Philadelphia Phillies pitcher/former New York Mets pitcher and Brandeis alumnus Nelson Figueroa '98, for example, and scoring an on-air shout-out from Mets television announcer Gary Cohen. In February, the station brought in David Halberstam, a former Miami Heat radio broadcaster and the father of Manny Halberstam '10, a member of the WBRS sports staff, to speak to the staff and announce a Brandeis basketball game with his son. Rosen considers the station's connection with Figueroa, the only Brandeis alumnus ever to play in Major League Baseball, his proudest accomplishment. It started Rosen's sophomore year when he found out that Figueroa was making his first major league start with the Mets. "I mentioned it to the sports director at the time, [Steve Gross] '08, who was also a huge Mets fan," reflected Rosen. "I was like, 'Steve, maybe we should think about applying for some kind of media credentials, see if we can cover the game.' He kind of laughed at me at first, . and he was like, 'You know, I think I'm probably going to take a pass, but if you want to give it a shot, go ahead.'"Rosen took the initiative and was granted credentials for the game. The WBRS team drove to Shea Stadium in Flushing, N.Y., where it went to the pregame press conference with Mets manager Willie Randolph, interviewed Cohen and managed an exclusive post-game interview with Figueroa.Rosen reminiced about his first interview with Figueroa."Nelson is the nicest guy you could imagine," said Rosen. "It was his first start in the bigs in like four years, and he had a ton of family at the game, but he still took 15 minutes out of his time to talk to us."Rosen and the crew made two more trips to Queens during Figueroa's tenure with the Mets and showed the major leaguer their own home turf when Figueroa returned to Brandeis to have his number retired last October. Rosen and Ian Cutler '11 brought Figueroa up to the WBRS studio, which moved in 2003 from its original home in the Usdan Student Center, where Figueroa was once a student disc jockey to the third floor of the Shapiro Campus Center. Their 26-minute interview can be heard at http://wbrs.org. "Whether it's bringing in the professional broadcaster or a major league player, part of what I wanted to do was bring more credibility to WBRS-just to add this to our résumé, as a sports department, of things we've done," said Rosen. "Hopefully, guys in the future will continue to have new ideas and to build off of what we've done the last few years."Cohen, who got his grounding in broadcasting with WKCR radio at Columbia University, also stressed the importance of making connections in the professional world. "Part of what you learn as a young adult in college is how to have the confidence and the personal wherewithal to assert yourself and sell yourself," said Cohen in a telephone interview with the Justice. "Any time that a college student has a chance to go into the real world and make contacts and get a better taste of what it's like to perform that task in real life-I think that's all for the good."Cutler, who takes the reins as next year's sports director, attributes Rosen's success to his blend of networking and passion."That's something I think is important to have," said Cutler. "I'm going to try to bring that as much as I can." While Cutler is skeptical about his ability to match Adam's much- renowned level of devotion, he aspires to display a similar amount of dedication.Just like Rosen, most people who first step into the WBRS office do so with no prior experience. The task may seem daunting at first, but according to Rosen, the station's hierarchy of exposure helps to ease the transition. "Truthfully, we really don't get a lot of listeners to our radio shows. It really is mostly friends and family," said Rosen. "Keeping that in the back of your head helps." For the particularly nervous beginners, overnight shows are a less stressful way to gain experience. However, with experience and hard work, students can, like Rosen, move up and become sports director.In his sophomore year, Rosen developed comfort speaking on the air as a panelist on one of the several sports talk shows WBRS streams between games. Then he worked his way into the station's featured basketball broadcasts, keeping statistics and doing halftime shows. By his junior year, he was doing seamless play-by-plays and color commentary. "That's the beauty of college radio," Cohen said of the experience that he, Rosen and countless others have had. "The best way to learn how to be a broadcaster, no matter what role you ultimately fulfill, is to learn by doing. . It really serves as a training ground for people who have really had no contact with broadcasting before." Besides doing every home basketball game, WBRS does a number of baseball games and, for the first time this year, softball games. Rosen and Matt Kessler '10 ended up broadcasting the Brandeis softball team throughout its run in the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament, the team's first ever appearance in the tournament."I have a couple of friends on the softball team, and they've all been nagging me that we should do games over the past few years," said Rosen of the station's decision to begin broadcasting softball games. "When I was finally elected sports director, ... I realized it was possible." Rosen also vied for and was granted a budget increase to travel more with both basketball teams, and WBRS consequently broadcasted more road games this year than ever before, travelling to University Athletic Association rivals Case Western Reserve University, Carnegie Mellon University, Emory University and Rochester University. They then followed the men's basketball team through the entirety of its Elite 8 NCAA run to St. John Fisher College and Williams College, where the team played its games. Although Rosen is graduating, his radio savvy likely will not be left behind in the WBRS office. Rosen hopes to carry the experience he's gained at WBRS into the professional world and is applying for jobs in sports broadcasting."People say that you should do something that you love, and I know that I've definitely loved doing radio here. It's definitely been the highlight of my college experience," said Rosen. "If the right opportunity came up, it's definitely something that I'd have to consider." As he leaves behind the radio station to which he has lent so many hours of work, thought and preparation, Rosen is confident about the future of WBRS sports and the Brandeis students whose task it will be to realize it. "Even if I haven't taught anybody anything about sports or broadcasting-although I like to think that I have-at the least I hope that my enthusiasm has rubbed off on people and that people will take that same initiative. Because it is possible; as a college radio station, there's a lot of opportunities of things you can do. It's just a matter of how aggressive you are and how badly you want to do it."Editor's note: Gary Cohen is the writer's father.
The student body will vote Thursday, April 26 on a constitutional amendment that, if passed, would increase the student activities fee by $7.50 per student each semester to form a Brandeis Sustainability Fund, according to an April 12 e-mail Student Union Secretary Diana Aronin '11 sent to the Brandeis community. Hannah Saltman '12, Matthew Schmidt '11 and Matt Gabrenya '13, three representatives from Students for Environmental Action, brought the proposal with the 10 mandatory signatures from senators to the April 11 Senate meeting. According to the amendment proposal, a copy of which Aronin sent in her e-mail, the Brandeis Sustainability Fund would provide "financial support for Brandeis undergraduate students willing to undertake projects and/or activities to improve Brandeis's environmental sustainability." The proposal further explains that the funds would be administered by the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board, which would become a secured organization if the amendment is approved. Saltman, the president of SEA, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that several members of SEA began campaigning to implement this fund for the fall of 2009 after learning that several colleges and universities enacted similar "student sustainability fees" to help fund environmental initiatives."This fee is the next step in this University's commitment to sustainability and a step that brings sustainability to the doorsteps of students; allowing us to actively engage this money to shape the sustainable future of this University," Saltman wrote. Saltman provided examples of hypothetical projects the board would fund, such as improving the bike-sharing program, installing more efficient lighting in University buildings and increasing the amount of recycling and composting on campus.Additionally, there will be two elected representatives to the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board, and the representatives will serve yearlong terms. The proposal explains, "In order to maintain a year to year leadership cycle, one representative shall be chosen during the Fall Elections and one representative shall be chosen during the Spring Elections."According to Saltman's e-mail, the board would consist of the Union treasurer, the treasurer's representative, two elected representatives, a representative from the Office of Facilities Services, the dean of Arts and Sciences or his or her representative and one faculty member from the Environmental Studies Department. Saltman explained that since it is too late to hold elections this semester, only one student would be elected to the board for this upcoming fall semester, and he or she would serve with the Student Union treasurer and the treasurer's representative until the spring semester, when the elected representative would resume the yearly position. Saltman wrote that students on the board can submit their own proposals but cannot vote on whether they will receive funding or not. She also stressed that while SEA brought forth this proposed amendment, "the Brandeis Sustainability Fund and its governing board are completely separate entities from SEA."Student Union President Andy Hogan '11 said in an interview with the Justice that he found the idea of a sustainability fund an "interesting proposal," but was unable to discern the likelihood of its passage. However, Hogan also said that while very few students voted on the amendments proposed by the Constitutional Review Committee, he hoped that more students would vote now that only one amendment was up for discussion."Most senators we spoke with were very supportive of the Fund and thought it was a great initiative to further Brandeis's sustainability," Saltman wrote, adding that SEA had met "extensively" with Hogan and Union Treasurer Daniel Acheampong '11 to further work out the details of the fund, and is holding a Brandeis Sustainability Fund Informational Meeting this Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Village TV Lounge.Saltman also wrote that SEA had also met with Vice President of Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy, Vice President for Campus Operations Mark Collins, Vice President of Capital Projects Dan Feldman, Energy Manager Bill Bushey, Sustainability Coordinator Janna Cohen-Rosenthal '08 and Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe, all of whom supported the proposal.-Anya Bergman contributed reporting.
Polls open today for Student Union elections. The posts of president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and junior representative to the Board of Trustees are all open for election. Members of the Student Union Finance Board will also be up for election. This is the first election that will take place after the constitutional amendment to implement instant runoff voting, which will eliminate the need for students to vote in multiple rounds of student voting by utilizing a ranking system that requires students to vote only once in the elections.Daniel Acheampong '11, J.V. Souffrant '13, Matt Kriegsman '11 and Sahar Massachi '11 are the candidates for Student Union president. Andy Hogan '11, the incumbent president, has decided not to run for re-election. In an e-mail to the Justice, Hogan explained, "I decided not to run because I wanted to dedicate my time to other things in my life next year," such as applying to law school and working on a thesis. Acheampong, the current Union Treasurer, defined the student body in an interview with the Justice as the "backbone of the University" and explained that one of his goals as president will be "to form a committee of students and administrators to work together on the renovation of [the Charles River Apartments]," as well as the Usen Castle. Kriegsman, in an interview with the Justice, said, "I want to leave Brandeis knowing that I changed something." He plans to make the Union more approachable and deal with campus overcrowding, Usen Castle renovations and connecting students with administrators.Souffrant is running to improve the relationship between the Student Union and the students, focusing on academic mentorship, BranVan use and improving the use of facilities. He explained in an interview with the Justice that "one of the first things" he would like to do as President is to "talk to Facilities [Services], see if they need anything from administrators, [and] tell the administrators what the . needs" are within facilities services.Massachi, who previously served on the Constitutional Review Committee, is campaigning to make issues within the Union more transparent. Senator for the Class of 2012 and Massachi-supporter Abby Kulawitz said in an interview with the Justice that Massachi hopes to "increase communication between administrators students and the Union." In an e-mail to the Justice, Massachi wrote, "I've fallen in love with the idea of Brandeis, and I've dedicated myself to pushing it toward its ideals. We are a school explicitly founded to fight against discrimination and bigotry, and to this day we talk about our strong commitment to social justice." Shirel Guez '12 and Senator for Ziv Quad Ryan Fanning '11 are running for vice president."I'm frustrated and disappointed with a lot of things at Brandeis," explained Guez in an e-mail to the Justice, also citing "unhealthy" dining halls, a lack of school spirit and overcrowding in dining halls as reasons for her frustration and disappointment. Fanning could not be reached for comment by press time. David Fisch '13, Sophie Riese '11 and Herbie Rosen '12 are campaigning for the position of secretary. Rosen, a 2010 orientation coordinator, defined the secretary position as "one of the links between the Student Union and student body" in an interview with the Justice.Running for the junior representative to the Board of Trustees are Nipun Mawaha '12, a former Union senator; Supreetha Gubbala '12, former Student Union Director of Academic Affairs; and Marla Merchut '12, a member of the Presidential Search Committee. "The main responsibility of this position is to bring a student's perspective to issues that come to the board," Merchut wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. Like other candidates running for office during this election season, Merchut has chosen to utilize social media in her campaigning. She said that she understands that students "are very available to mediums such as Facebook and Youtube for a campaign." Other students running for office are Akash Vadalia '12, member of the Finance Board who is running for treasurer. Savannah Pearlman '12 is running for representative to the Alumni Association. Students running for membership to the F-Board include Paul Sukijthamapan '13, Eitan Mosenkis '13, Gabriel Weingrod Nemzow '12, Sidak Pannu '12, Jessica Preis '13 and Makensley Lordeus '11. Currently, the F-Board is staffed by seven student members, including the member for racial minority students. Students running for the member of the F-Board for racial minority students include Adhip Sacheti '13 and Bo-Reum Lee '13.In his e-mail to the Justice, Andy Hogan wrote that "Although all of the candidates certainly have merit, I feel that Daniel Acheampong, the current Treasurer, has the connections, experience, and motivation necessary to successfully continue the initiatives that we started and bring the Student Union to higher levels."-Clare Churchill-Seder and Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
Daniel Acheampong '11 will serve as Student Union president for the 2010 to 2011 academic year after defeating opponents J.V. Souffrant '13, Matt Kriegsman '11 and Sahar Massachi '11 in the April 13 Student Union elections. Acheampong won in the first count with 908 votes, followed by Massachi with 388 votes, Kriegsman with 280 votes and Souffrant by 131."[The presidential candidates] all had great ideas. That is what really made this election special. . My whole campaign was about moving forward together, and I really want to bring the student body and the Student Union and the administration together to move our university forward," Acheampong said.This was the first election that implemented instant runoff voting, which eliminates the need for additional runoff rounds of voting. Students rank candidates in order of preference, and if no candidate wins a majority of votes after the first count, students whose first-choice candidate received the fewest votes have their second-place choice counted instead. Voting counts continue in this fashion until a majority winner is obtained.Shirel Guez '12 won the seat for vice president over current Senator for Ziv Quad Ryan Fanning '11. Herbie Rosen '12 will serve in the position of secretary after winning in the first count with 871 votes. Akash Vadalia '12, who will serve as treasurer, won in the first count with 1,105 votes. Supreetha Gubbala '12 won the most votes for the junior representative to the Board of Trustees, and Savannah Pearlman '12 for junior representative to the Alumni Association. Pearlman won in the first count with 939 votes. The seat for the representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee was not filled. Students who won seats on the Finance Board are Sidak Pannu '12, Jessica Preis '13, Makensley Lordeus '11. The fourth seat on F-Board, as well as the seat for racial minority students, has not been filled. The F-Board is staffed by seven students, including the representative for racial minority students.Positions for which the majority of voters abstained will be filled in the second round of elections. The second round will occur next Thursday along with the voting for senators for the Class of 2011, senators for the Class of 2012, senators for the Class of 2013, senators at large, racial minority senator and associate justices for the Student Judiciary. There was a 50.94-percent turnout in the elections for president. The lowest percentage turnout of 38.66 percent was for the representative to the Alumni Association. Kriegsman told the Justice, "I honestly hope that [Acheampong] takes all of our platforms seriously. I think that we all had very good ideas and we all actually drew in a lot of different communities on campus. So, with that in mind, . he should also consider our platforms and our communities, too." He added that although he was not sure about his next position in the Union, he will still try to remain involved. Commenting on the experience of campaigning, Massachi said, "Every student on the Brandeis campus secretly or not-so-secretly kicks ass. I've known this since my freshman year. I still see it today. Campaigning, you get to meet a lot of people, and that means you get to meet a lot of people who kick ass."Souffrant told the Justice, "Even though you don't win . you cant give up . so it's important that . I continue to fight for the rights of the students academically any way possible, so I don't need the Union to achieve my dreams."Guez said that she will "push for Greek life to be recognized by Brandeis" after receiving support from Greek life for her campaign. The University does not currently recognize Greek fraternities or sororities. She added that she will also work on improving residence hall conditions. Current Student Union President Andy Hogan '11 told the Justice that he is "very excited for [Acheampong] to take office. I think he will do a fantastic job as president. One thing that needs to be worked on will be issues surrounding overcrowding. I know he will bring his own issues to the table."Hogan said that he was "really surprised" at the voter turnout of 50 percent. Commenting on the instant runoff voting system, Hogan said that although the system worked well, some issues still need to be worked out. He elaborated that there should be more rules in the instant runoff system that are geared toward abstains and write-ins. Former Student Union President Jason Gray '10 said, "I think that [Acheampong has] got a great opportunity to do an incredible job next year, and he has my full confidence."-Hannah Kirsch, Harry Shipps, Brian Fromm, Alana Abramson and Fiona Lockyer contributed reporting.
Say what you will about their personal drama and bad decisions, but when there's a real tragedy, Hollywood celebrities have a habit of getting their acts together and stepping up to help.More than 100 of the biggest names in music, movies and television worked as phone operators in the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon, which aired Jan. 22 on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, the CW, HBO, MTV, VH1 and CMT. The lineup included Jennifer Aniston, Alec Baldwin, Drew Barrymore, Sacha Baron Cohen, Daniel Craig, John Cusack, Ellen DeGeneres, Zac Efron, Neil Patrick Harris, Debra Messing '90, Jack Nicholson, Adam Sandler, Steven Spielberg, Ringo Starr, Robin Williams and Reese Witherspoon-just to name a few.The telethon also included performances by Wyclef Jean, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira and Sting in New York City; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift in Los Angeles; and Beyoncé and Coldplay, as well as a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z and Rihanna in London."Hope for Haiti" was hosted by Wyclef Jean in New York City, George Clooney in Los Angeles and CNN's Anderson Cooper reporting in from Haiti. (You may remember the media frenzy and hero worship for Cooper that erupted last week, when footage of him abandoning his camera to rescue a young boy from a violent looting was aired on CNN.) President Bill Clinton was also featured, as well as Brad Pitt, Clint Eastwood, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Jon Stewart, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Robert Pattinson (Twilight fans, I hope you were watching!), Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks and Muhammad Ali, each of whom briefly addressed viewers to report statistics, share anecdotes and ask viewers to donate to Hope for Haiti Now. The telethon raised over $57 million, benefiting a number of charities including the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, the UN World Food Program, the Red Cross, UNICEF and Yele Haiti Foundation.
It may seem counterintuitive: buying tickets to see advertisements? With the advent of DVR, TiVo and on-demand streaming video online, you may have rendered your life (largely) commercial-free. Indeed, the advertising industry has suffered considerable losses in the years since these television enhancements became widespread. Nonetheless, the art of short-form commercial filmmaking continues to be celebrated by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers, which is partnering with the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston to host screenings of award-winning ads from the U.S. and the U.K. When asked what led the ICA to hold an event focused on advertising rather than traditional film or video art, Branka Bogdanov, curator of film at the ICA, said in an interview with the Justice, "In the essence, the mission of the ICA's Film program is to present work which explores and pushes the envelope of cinematic language today. This is exactly what the American and British commercials do. Additionally, it is very interesting to witness in the best of American and British commercials a conflation of new media, usage of innovative technology, old storytelling, ideas and crafts." The Saturday, Jan. 30 showing of Award-Winning British Commercials 2009 will be the Boston premiere of this collection of the 31st annual British Television Advertising Awards' chosen works. The ads provide a window into British daily life for viewers who may not be familiar with the experience of watching British television. Some ads are provocative, some visually stunning; some feature amazing stunts and celebrity endorsements. Said Bogdanov, "A mischievous sense of humor is what sets apart British from American commercials. It seems that this very specific style of humor has its roots in British history, culture and in acclaimed TV comedy. The British commercials are born of that same culture. (One of my favorites is a Christmas ad where a puppet monkey sells tea dressed as the queen Elizabeth.)" Matt Miller, President and CEO of AICP, wrote in an e-mail interview with the Justice, "While at a point in time, you could generalize and say that American advertising had a bit of a harder selling message, and British advertising was a softer, more entertaining messaging, the distinctions are much less today. This is because the world is becoming much more homogenized in communications, ideals, values and culture. While advertising still reflects the culture and creative sensibilities in different countries, thanks to shared global media experiences, like the internet and global television outlets, the once obvious tone and characteristics are fading." While nearly 100 British television commercials were recognized with awards, the ad that won the grand prize eschews celebrity endorsement and flashy stunts by the likes of breakdancers and skydivers for a more serious message. The ad, for Hovis Bread, features a historical tour of London as a boy runs home from the market carrying a loaf of bread. Said Bogdanov of the choice, "'Hovis: Go on Lad' . is so charming, nicely shot, and beautifully produced-it is a whole film in 122 seconds (a second for every year since Hovis was founded.) I think that this choice speaks about the jurors' admiration not only for the production values of the ad, but, as one juror stated, 'What impressed us was the bravery the client demonstrated by investing so substantially . in the hope it would halt a 10-year decline in sales.' Hovis was selling 72,000 more loaves a day a month after launch, or 26 million more loaves a year!" The ICA will also host two screenings of The Art and Technique of the American Commercial, a collection of the AICP's top-winning ads, now in its 18th year. The ads are judged in 26 categories including visual style, performance, animation and original music and are chosen by a panel of 300 judges that include members of advertising agencies, production companies and editorial companies in addition to other industry professionals. At the Thursday, Jan. 28 event, Miller will introduce the screening. "[I] will introduce the 2009 AICP Show to the audience and discuss the significance of this archival project," he said. "The Show is more than an awards competition-it is an exhibition that honors the various collaborative crafts of commercial filmmaking, much like the Oscars honor the craft of filmmaking-there are awards for cinematography, visual effects, art direction, etc. The AICP Show is an ongoing project with archival significance-each year's installment (this being the 18th) reflects the pop culture of that given year.
Like many college students, Brahm Wachter '12 spends his Sunday evenings watching the HBO television show Entourage. He sits down with a bowl of popcorn, turns on the TV and admires the glamorous lifestyle of the Los Angeles actors around whom the comedy is based.During one episode, Wachter found himself particularly impressed by sneakers that a character named Turtle sported. The sneakers were gold and black Air Force Ones. Wachter immediately wanted a pair of his own.Wachter knew he would not be able to buy his own pair, as there is only a limited amount of the custom-made shoe available. Determined to own a similar pair, Wachter decided to learn how to design his own sneakers, so that he could create a pair like the coveted footwear. "What I wanted to do is take the sneaker I saw and redesign it but make it similar," says Wachter, who is 6 feet 1 inch tall and speaks confidently about his interest in sneaker design. Now, 15 months and approximately 12 pairs of sneakers later, Wachter has started his own unofficial sneaker design company called Brahm Wachter Sneaker Design Studios that has been featured in a magazine and gained the attention of several prominent sneaker blogs. Although the Manhattan native, who is double majoring in History and Business, attests that his first sneaker design was poorly done, his interest was caught by the art form. Last spring, he decided to turn his hobby into an unofficial company. He now produces sneakers for various charities and clients, who are mostly friends of his. Wachter often chooses themes as inspiration for his various sneaker designs. His first design was based around Keith Haring, a New York City artist who uses his art to promote social change.Wachter says his biggest success in sneaker design was a pair he made for the charity Hoops 4 Hope. According to its Web site, Hoops 4 Hope is a global not-for-profit organization that supports youth development in southern Africa by setting up basketball and life skills programs. The sneakers, which are green, yellow and red and are lined with motivational sayings, brought him to the attention of Bounce magazine, a grassroots basketball magazine, and various sneaker blogs. "I connected with this girl from Hoops 4 Hope, and those were a big hit," says Wachter. Bounce describes Wachter as the sneaker "customizing king." The sneakers were displayed at Hoops 4 Hope's biannual fundraiser. Wachter has also made sneakers for a fundraiser for his high school and the Red Sox Foundation. Wachter says the number of pairs of sneakers he designs is limited by time constraints. "Depending on the pair of sneakers it can take me a day, it can take me four days, it can take me an hour. It's a lot of work," he says.Because he only has a certain amount of time, Wachter says he does not make sneakers for everyone who asks. He is selective about his clients."I don't really like to [design] just for clients. I like to do it for a cause," Wachter says.In the future, Wachter plans on reaching out more toward charities. He is currently interested in working with the Oceanic Preservation Society. To design a pair of sneakers, Wachter starts by using acetone to strip the factory sealing off the shoe and wiping it off with an old sock. Then, he lets the acetone evaporate.Next, Wachter makes a blueprint design of the sneaker and asks for the approval of the client, to make sure they like what they see. After that, Wachter begins painting the shoe with special leather paints. Lastly, Wachter gives the sneakers either an acrylic or matte finish and picks out the colors of the shoelaces. Wachter designs sneakers in his dormroom and several of his sneakers line a shelf in his room.Wachter's roommate, Daniel Popper '12, says, "It's exciting [to live with Wachter] because people will come in[to the room] and look at the sneakers all the time."In promoting his company, Wachter has used Facebook and his Web site. "I try and get a lot of people to join the [Brahm Wachter Sneaker Design Studios] Facebook group, obviously," says Wachter. "A lot of the promotion happened kind of naturally I made a Web site. I don't know how exactly it happened, but that's when all the sneaker blogs found out about it, and that's when I got a lot of attention."In the future Wachter hopes to further expand his company. His main goal is to produce the best sneaker designs possible and work with more charities. He is also looking into getting an internship at Nike this summer. "The best way to develop [the company] is to refine my technique. Each time I make a sneaker they're different," he says. "I'm trying to simplify my designs now and make them more succinct.
With just a few seconds left in the men's soccer team's season finale at home against University Athletic Association rival New York University, forward Corey Bradley '10 and the rest of the Judges were desperately trying to put the finishing touches on a furious comeback. After trailing 3-1 with 2 minutes to play, Bradley scored to cut the deficit in half, but Bradley's final shot as a Judge with just 22 seconds on the clock went just wide of the net, ending all hope for the team and the careers of Bradley and four of his senior teammates with a 3-2 NYU victoryThe loss dropped Brandeis to 6-10-2 on the year, including a 1-5-1 record in UAA play. The Judges finished seventh in the conference, while the Violets' 2-3-2 conference record (7-8-2 overall) was good enough for fifth.Goalie Matt Lynch '11 said that the team was resilient until the end of the game and badly wanted the victory."We knew that there was still time left on the clock and anything could happen," Lynch said. "It was the end of the season, so we just wanted to play hard for the seniors and do well for them."The first half was relatively quiet compared to the second. NYU scored the only goal of the half and took a 1-0 lead into halftime on senior Brandon Hintz's first goal of the season in the 27th minute. Brandeis answered quickly in the second half, scoring just 7 minutes into the period. In the 52nd minute, forward Lee Russo '13 played a nice ball into the NYU far corner for midfielder Sam Ocel '13. Ocel ran down the ball and used several nice fakes to beat the last NYU line of defense just inside the box. From there, the Brandeis midfielder blasted a shot that was stopped by NYU senior goalkeeper Marek Urbanski. However, Ocel retrieved his own rebound and tapped the ball into the open net to knot the game at one apiece."[That] was a huge goal for us because it tied up the game," Lynch said.NYU scored the next two goals to jump ahead 3-1. In the 67th minute, sophomore Adam Fein sent a ball across the mouth of the net, and rookie Kyle Green barely beat Lynch to the ball and put it home. Just 9 minutes later, Hintz scored his second goal of the game to double the Violets' lead. Fein assisted this goal as well, this time putting a cross into the box that Hintz headed in.Brandeis began to battle back almost immediately.Led by Bradley and classmate Jamie Batista '10, the Judges spent much of the last 15 minutes with the ball on the NYU side of the field. The pressure finally paid off when Bradley and Batista hooked up in the 88th minute to cut the lead to 3-2. Batista found an open Bradley with a through ball into the box, and Bradley sent the ball into the lower right-hand corner of the net. The goal was the third of the season for the team's captain.However, the rally finished just short as the Judges were unable to strike again. Coach Mike Coven gave credit to Bradley and the rest of the senior class for their great careers. After an all-UAA season last year, Coven felt that Bradley was "even more complete this year, playing great defense in addition to being a complete offensive player." Summing up the captain's career, the coach stated that Bradley "has just been terrific."All five of the Judges' seniors were hampered by injuries for much of their career, including Bradley, who missed most of his first year with a bruised heel. Batista missed a significant amount of time in his sophomore and junior years with a series of concussions. After recovering, coach Coven said that "we needed him to come back at full strength, and he's done really well for us."Forward Mike Silverstein '10 also missed a lot of time but was an essential element for the Brandeis squad. After a great campaign last year, Silverstein blew out his knee. He missed the end of last season and the beginning of this one, but Silverstein came back and helped the Judges raise their game this season against several tough UAA opponents. "A big part of the team playing well later in the season was [Silverstein] really coming around," Coven said.Perhaps the most missed player due to injuries was midfielder Adam Guttman '10. After starting as a first-year and maintaining his success through his second season, the co-captain tore his hamstring and missed most of his last two seasons. Despite the injury, Coven noted his presence at every practice and praised Guttman for his determination to battle back. "He would have been great if he hadn't torn [his hamstring]; we really missed him on the pitch," Coven said.Midfielder Alex Zenerovitz '10 also missed much of this season due to illness. Coven said Zenerovitz had a "very solid career," despite not getting much time on the field this season. Even with a solid senior class, the Judges played a majority of first-year and sophomore players this year. The added experience for the younger players will hopefully help the Judges improve on their 2009 campaign, which saw the team win its first UAA game in three seasons. "It was a great learning experience for [the younger players]. It's going to help them all be better players next year," Coven said.
In the closing minutes of the men's soccer team's home opener against Worcester Polytechnic Institute last Wednesday, the Judges trailed 3-2 and were desperately trying to tie the score. The team had fired shot after shot on Engineer junior goalie Paul Moan but continued to come up short. In the last 10 seconds, the Judges hurried to set up a corner kick seconds after forward Matt Peabody's '13 header was deflected to the left of the goal, spurring a groan from the crowd. As the ball was put into play, the Judges had one last shot that was blocked by an Engineer defender. With that, time expired: The game was over, and the Judges' record dropped to 0-3-1. "Realistically," coach Mike Coven said, "at the end of the first half [we] should have been [ahead] four or five to zero. . We had open-net shots the entire first half, which seemed harder to miss than to actually score on. . It's inexcusable to not score those goals, and that's just a lack of composure."The Judges were dominant in the first half, outshooting the Engineers 14-4. However, the disparity in shots did not reflect the score, as the team only led 1-0 at the half. The goal was scored by forward Alexander Farr '12 and assisted by forward Luke Teece '12. Goalie Matt Lynch '11 scooped up a ball that came into his area and rolled it out to a Brandeis player who was streaking up the field, who then passed to Teece, who set up the goal for Farr at 39 minutes, 35 seconds. Early into the second half the Judges got a chance to extend their lead as they were given a penalty kick in the 54th minute on a WPI tripping foul inside the box.Midfielder Joe Eisenbeis '13 took the shot but missed it by hitting the right post. The Judges had a chance to to score on the rebound as the ball bouncd right to Peabody, but his shot was stopped by Moan, ending the threat.The team realized that having rookies like Eisenbeis and Peabody on the frontline of the offensive attack increased the potential for missed opportunities."The two players playing up are freshmen," midfielder Jaime Batista '10 said. "So it's no surprise that there is a sort of transitional period. Playing in college is different than playing at any other type of level. But I do have full confidence that they're going to find their stride. I just hope it's sooner rather than later.""They're young kids; [they're going to] make those mistakes," Coven said.Soon after, the Engineers received a penalty kick of their own which they were able to capitalize on. At 57:36, Engineers senior Tommy Zajac lined up and fired a ball that got past Lynch to tie the game at one. "We started to get a little nervous and we lost our composure, and we committed a horrible and unnecessary foul," Coven said, "which gave them a penalty kick, and they scored on it."Later, the Engineers capitalized on another opportunity when Zajac was given a free kick from 25 yards away at 74:45. Zajac arched a perfect shot that was just out of Lynch's reach and went into the goal in the top left corner to put WPI up 2-1. Just over two minutes later at 76:50, Engineer junior Matt Ford stole a ball in the offensive zone and was able to dribble in on a breakaway and kick it by Lynch, increasing the lead to 3-1."We work all week on not holding the ball in front of the goal in our defensive third of the field, and one of our freshmen held onto the ball and was very slow to get rid of it in front of our own goal," Coven said. "Someone pressured him, he lost it, and the WPI player went in on a breakaway."The Judges did not give up, though. At 85:11, the Judges brought the ball down the field and midfielder Kyle Gross '11 put the ball up for forward Lee Russo '13, who was able to head it past Moan to cut the lead to 3-2.The Judges would come no closer as WPI improved to 5-1 with the win."The first half showed that there is a combination that does work," Bautista said. "We just need to figure out how to keep it consistently throughout 90 minutes.""That was a game that was ours to lose, and we did," Coven added. "It was very disappointing."The Judges will look for their first win of the season tomorrow at 7 p.m. at home against the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.