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(09/15/09 4:00am)
The Brandeis Climate Action Plan, a comprehensive set of suggestions to gradually reduce Brandeis' energy consumption, will be released today, according to Janna Cohen-Rosenthal '03, the University's sustainability coordinator and chair of the plan. Cohen-Rosenthal has been working with the Brandeis Environmental Sustainability Team on the climate action plan since last winter and said that the plan is essentially a timeline for the University to achieve carbon neutrality. "The plan mainly consists of milestones [for the University to achieve] until 2050," she said. Cohen-Rosenthal explained that in 2007, Brandeis became part of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, a group of over 600 universities determined to combat climate change. Part of this commitment is an agreement to develop a comprehensive plan for each university to ultimately become climate-neutral, which she said means reducing virtually all energy consumption. Although Cohen-Rosenthal was unable to provide specific details of the plan because it has not yet been officially approved, she explained that it is divided into different categories such as energy conservation and efficiency, clean and renewable energy, green buildings, transportation, waste disposal, food and education. She said some of the potential ideas to promote energy reduction include working with the eco-reps, students in each quad who encourage their peers to conserve resources. With the assistance of the eco-reps, the plan aims to promote combating climate change, provide incentives for graduate students to carpool and continue to improve the energy efficiency in the buildings on campus.Cohen-Rosenthal acknowledged that this plan is a work in progress and that the committee is open to suggestions. Prof. Laura Goldin (AMST), the founder of BEST, said that the measures in the current plan are realistic, although some of the ideas, such as substituting fossil fuels with alternative energy, will be harder to implement because of financial constraints. Goldin said she plans on contributing to the plan through her classes, as she teaches classes in which students work on environmental projects that contribute to energy reduction. She cited her class "Greening the Ivory Tower: Improving Environmental Sustainability of Brandeis and Community," as an example. Matt Schmidt '11, the president of Students for Environmental Action, who played an active role in formulating the transportation aspect of the plan, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that he plans to work with the administration to implement the behavioral change section. "While carbon neutrality by 2050 may seem like a stretch, [more than 40] years is plenty of time to arrive at this goal if we commit to taking the action necessary. As a leading academic institution, and a bastion of progressive leadership, it would be a shame if we cannot make the hard decisions and achieve this goal," Schmidt wrote.Goldin added that achieving carbon neutrality would inevitably impose sacrifices upon students and faculty."I do think that we will all have to make sacrifices; we couldn't make it happen without those. I think they will have to be in the way we use and expect to use energy, and much of that will be in the way of conservation," Goldin said.Both Goldin and Cohen-Rosenthal were optimistic about the ultimate outcome of the upcoming plan."I would hope, and really do expect, that at a place like Brandeis, which holds as such an essential value social responsibility and contribution to the public good, that this would be something that people would embrace," said Goldin.
(09/15/09 4:00am)
The men's soccer team was in the midst of a hard-fought game at Clark University last Sunday in a match that was rescheduled from the day before because of rain. But in overtime in the 96th minute a ball coming off the foot of Clark junior Kyle Klapp sailed past Judges goalie Matt Lynch '11, essentially ending the game with a Brandeis defeat. With the loss, the Judges dropped to 0-2-1 and failed to avenge a 2-1 loss to the same Clark team last season. For Clark, the win marks the team's third straight victory and improves its season record to 3-1.After a scoreless first half in which both teams combined for only five shots, Clark graduate student Mike Trobagis scored a goal in the 52nd minute off of an assist from junior forward Tim Doenmez to give the Cougars a 1-0 advantage.In the 71st minute, the Judges responded and evened the score at one with the first collegiate goal from forward Matt Peabody '13, off an assist from fellow rookie midfielder Sam Ocel '13. Ocel's pass was set up by forward Alex Farr '12. "We have a really good freshman class," Lynch said. "They have a lot of skill and a lot of potential. We gave them a lot of playing time, which is really good. I've been really impressed with how they've been doing all season. They're stepping up. It's important to get the underclassmen in the game."The two teams battled until regulation ended. As soon as overtime began, Clark senior midfielder Jeremy Radovsky came close to ending the game with a shot that took an amazing save from Lynch to preserve the tie."[Radovsky] got some good power on it," Lynch said. "[He] was able to put it to the far corner. It was pretty close to going in but I was able to come away with it."Brandeis also had a chance to take the lead in overtime when Ocel pursued the net and had a close-range shot, but Clark rookie goaltender Ryan King was able to turn it away. Later, 26 seconds into the 96th minute, Klapp was able to fire a loose ball past Lynch for the game winner.Farr reacted to the tight finish and took a positive look at the close defeat. "We've been playing well," Farr said. "Especially [in] this last game, . we all think that we should have had it, but we didn't come up with the win. I think we played really well. . We had a few chances that we should have finished up on."The Judges will play their first home game of the season tomorrow at 7 p.m. against Worcester Polytechnic Institute in hopes of attaining their first win of the year. The Judges beat WPI 2-1 last season.
(09/01/09 4:00am)
Men's soccer coach Mike Coven is entering his 37th season at his position. Coven spoke with justSports about the upcoming season last week. The Judges open the year Saturday in the Adidas Kick-Off Classic at Wheaton College.JustSports: There are numerous positions up for grabs on this year's squad. Have any particular players impressed you in the preseason?Mike Coven: We got a group of guys coming back who are going to play on a fairly regular basis, and they look pretty good. The problem is that some of the guys who I feel will be regular players have been hurt and really haven't participated all that much in preseason. ... You are right when you say there are a lot of positions open, and we have our first game on Saturday. You know it's going to go right down to the wire [when making the starting lineup] on Friday night to see who is healthy and who is not. JS: Your team has eight new rookies this season. How have they done thus far in integrating themselves into your system? Do you foresee any of them making an instant contribution in their first season?MC: Oh yeah, definitely. Come Saturday, we will have minimum three freshmen starting. I think Joe Eisenbees '13 has been one of our better players. Lee Russo '13, who has been playing up top-he can play in the midfield, too-has been great. As of late Matt Kingsley '13 has been playing great. He came in very strong, but then he had a tight hamstring, and we didn't want him to pull it, but now he's been back. [It's early in the week], but if I had to put a starting team on the field tomorrow, those three would be starting. JS: Your team faces a tough pair of opponents:Rutgers-Newark University and the University of Southern Maine at the Sept. 5 and 6 Adidas Kick-Off Classic at Wheaton College. How have you been preparing for the opening back-to-back games?MC: You know, back-to-back games don't scare us. I don't know [these opponents] since we haven't played either of these teams. I know that Rutgers-Newark won their ECAC tournament for their region last year, which is a tough region, so I think they will be very good. Southern Maine I know is a good team. They had a couple of kids graduate last year, but I think they will be very athletic. Again, I'm just trying to see who I want for our top 11 players and who our top three or four subs are. It is difficult just because we haven't yet been all able to play together. It is hard, to be honest with you. Right now I'm not worried about these two teams, I'm more worried about us, just getting us in shape and finding out who is going to play early in the season and who can't. JS: The soccer team fell short of the postseason last year. What does the team need to change to make it this season?MC: The last two years, it has come down to the final game of the year: the game against New York University. If we had beaten them the last two years, we would have made the [Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships]. You know we need to become a better team. Obviously we need to defend a little better and attack a little better. [Last season] we gave up lots of games that we were up 1-0, we let a goal slip in, or two goals slip in and we would lose or end up with a draw when we should have won the game. ... We didn't have a balanced scoring attack; everybody was just looking for [Ben Premo] '09 to score. [The rest of the team] kept giving him balls when he was covered by two or three players. The teams we play, we have a very difficult schedule, and every team would double- or even triple-team him, and it made it impossible for him to score. I think this year without [Premo] we will be a better all-around team. I am hoping to get a lot more players involved in the attack so teams won't be able to defend against us as easily as they did the last two years. JS: One last question: I've heard a rumor that [University] President Jehuda Reinharz is a soccer fan. Do you think you would have a spot for him in your lineup?MC: Well, you know, it's pretty competitive. So he has got to get out there. He missed a couple sessions, so he's behind the eight ball right now. He has got to get out there and prove to me he can play.
(09/01/09 4:00am)
After a 10-year absence from the NCAA Division III Championships, the men's cross country team surprised many when it reached the most competitive meet of the season and finished in 20th place out of 32 teams, recording 512 points. This season, the team expects an appearance in the NCAA Championships, and anything less would be a disappointment.The team is ranked third in the Division III New England Region behind Williams College and Amherst College and 13th nationally, the highest ranking among all University Athletic Association squads."We're really excited," runner Paul Norton '11 said. "We definitely expect to make [NCAAs] this year."Brandeis graduated only four runners at the end of last year-Jake Devereaux, Matt Jennings, Matt Phillippo and Mike Stone-and returns Devon Holgate '11 after he did not compete last season. The team also welcomes rookie Alex Kramer '13, a Massachusetts native who won the New England Regional Championships in the one-mile run in high school. With most of its top runners back on the team, Norton was not surprised by the team's high ranking but said it would be a different experience for a team that has not had such attention before."I think it's new to have these expectations on us," he said. "We hadn't made NCAAs in 10 years, and when you return [a lot of runners], people look out for you."The Judges won their only head-to-head meet last season against Bentley College to open the fall schedule last year and had a number of top finishes throughout the season in various competitive meets. Aside from their 20th-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the Judges were fourth of eight teams at the UAA Championships and fourth of 49 teams at the New England Division III Regional Championships.Norton said he thinks the team will live up to its rankings and improve upon its finishes from last season."We should be challenging to win at UAAs and regionals and should be fighting for a spot on the podium at NCAAs," he said.Norton added that during preseason training, the team has focused on preparing for the meets later in the season leading up to the championship meets."We have a few small injuries here and there but nothing serious," Norton said. "I don't think we'll be full strength for the first few meets, but we'll be ready for November."On the women's side, the Judges hope that the loss of only two runners from last year to graduation-Katy Agule and Rebecca Happnie-will not be detrimental to a team that has room to improve but still is respected in the cross country community.Brandeis is ranked ninth in New England and expects that its standing in a tough region will translate into successful late-season meets."We're one of the top contenders in our league and our region, and as long as we stay healthy, I think we'll do well throughout the season," captain Beth Pisarik '10 said. The Judges started off very well last season, defeating Bentley College in its opening meet and then taking third place of 41 teams at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational, but the team struggled at the UAA Championships, finishing seventh of eight teams. Brandeis fared well at the New England Division III Championships, however, taking 13th place out of 39 teams. Marie Lemay '11 highlighted the team's performance at the regional championships by improving her placement in the six-kilometer-run by 60 places. Lemay took 41st place in the race after finishing 101st in her rookie season the year before. This year, the women's team will also strive for higher goals."We're always going for UAA title, but I guess we'll see how far we can go once we start competing," Alyssa Pisarik '12 said. "We have really high hopes this year."The men's and women's cross country teams will open the season against Bentley College Friday at 3 p.m. Last season, the men's team defeated Bentley in a 19-42 decision while the women's team beat the Falcons in a 20-41 decision.
(08/25/09 4:00am)
On paper, the men's soccer team should have trouble replacing three-time Universal Athletic Association selection Ben Premo '09, the fifth-leading scorer in school history, but this year's men's soccer team expects an improvement in their disappointing 8-9-2 record last season. The 2008 to 2009 team failed to reach the postseason for the first time since 2005."Unfortunately, the last two years we were very average. I think that this team is a lot better than the teams we have had the past couple years," said coach Michael Coven, who is entering his 37th year with the University. "I think we've got some seasoned veterans and a good group of young freshmen, so I am hopeful that we will have a great season."Coven hopes to feature a different attacking style this season to replace Premo's goal-scoring ability. He believes his team's offensive strategy became complacent and predictable when focused entirely on their former star: "When you have a player of that caliber, everyone looks for [Premo] to score, and we became very predictable."The team will hopefully feature a more creative, multifaceted approach this season."Without a go-to guy, we might have 10 go-to guys. I think we will be a better overall team with more players sharing the responsibility for scoring goals."Corey Bradley '10 and Adam Guttman '10 will serve as captains for the Judges this season.Bradley started 18 games for the Judges in 2008, and while he totaled only one assist in his midfield role, he earned All-UAA honorable mention. "He was one of the top players in the UAA last year. He has the ability to take guys on one-on-one and really break down defenses, opening up the attacking third of the field with his speed," Coven said. Coven is optimistic about his incoming rookie class, especially center midfielder Joe Eisenbies '13. Eisenbies impressed Coven by winning the annual two-mile team run on the first day of practice Aug. 22, an "unusual feat for a freshman." Coven also has high hopes for Sam Ocel '13 and Lee Russo '13, saying "[Eisenbies, Ocel and Russo] right off the bat will play quite a bit and maybe start. They have all been looking good." Sean O'Hare '12, the 2008 to 2009 Justice rookie of the year, will not be returning to the men's soccer team. O'Hare won the starting goalkeeper position for the Judges in his rookie season but also played shortstop and centerfield for the baseball team. O'Hare will only suit up for the baseball team this season.The parting of ways was entirely amicable, according to Coven, "Baseball's gain is my loss; Sean potentially could have been one of the greatest goalies [Brandeis] has ever had. . [O'Hare] is a quality kid and a wonderful athlete, and it was my pleasure coaching him last year."Taylor Bracken '10-returning after a year away from the team-and Matt Lynch '11 will compete for the goalkeeper position.If the Judges have any chance at a return to the postseason, it will have to be through their improved depth and an increased team-first strategy."Right now I think we'll have the depth so that if someone in our starting 11 gets hurt, we can replace them," Coven said.The Judges will face the Rutgers-Newark Scarlet Raiders on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Wheaton College to begin the season. The two are part of the four- team Adidas Kick-Off Classic, which will also feature the Southern Maine Huskies and the host Wheaton College Lyons.
(05/19/09 4:00am)
Both the women's and men's outdoor track teams competed at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Championships in Springfield, Mass. last Friday. The men's team finished in a four-way tie for 51st place of 56 teams with two points, focusing more on improving individual performances than team achievement due to its small size and lack of depth. The women's team, however, had a few more bright spots, taking 17th place out of 56 teams with 13 points while also trying to build upon its members' personal scores. Moravian College won both the men's and women's meets, with 64.50 and 67 points, respectively.On the women's side, the team's best race of the meet came in 1,500-meter run, where Beth Pisarik '10 turned in a second-place performance at 4 minutes, 36.22 seconds, almost six full seconds behind the first-place winner, junior Jacqui Wentz of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Still, Pisarik was able to score eight of the Judges' 13 points with her impressive finish.Joining Pisarik with top finishes in the 1,500-meter run were Grayce Selig '11, Marie Lemay '11 and Erin Bisceglia '12, all of whom finished in the top 14 of the event. Selig was sixth with a time of 4:41.96, recording three points for the Judges, while Lemay was ninth at 4:43.31, one slot shy of bringing in points for her team. Bisceglia took 13th place in the race with a time of 4:54.00."They're so strong. They're a great core group that worked together and really hard throughout the season to get to where they were," runner Katy Agule '09 said.Agule was responsible for the Judges' two remaining points on the day. She earned them by taking seventh place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase in 11:27.87. Agule finished almost 45 seconds behind the event's winner, Ursinus College senior Christa Johnson, who turned in a 10:45.92 race. Agule improved her time in the event by a full 13 seconds from her last run at the Open New England Championships in Amherst, Mass. May 8, where she finished 19th with a time of 11:41.14. However, her time last weekend was still not as impressive as the finishes she had earlier in the season at the New England Division III Championships May 1 or the University Athletic Association Championships April 26. Agule was second at the UAA championships with a time of 11:25.79 but recorded her best time of the season in the event at the New England Division III Championships, where she finished third with a time of 11:15.15."Honestly I was kind of disappointed with my race because I was hoping to run faster," Agule said. "I was pretty tired with finals and end-of-the-semester things like that, so I definitely think that was a factor. I felt much better the week before, so that was good." Lucia Capano '12 gained experience in her rookie campaign as the Judges' only jumper to compete at the ECAC Championships. She was 16th in the long jump and 14th in the triple jump with leaps of 4.85 meters and 10.87 meters, respectively.On the men's side, the team also stockpiled its runners in the 1,500-meter run but were not as successful as the women's team in recording high finishes and tallying team points. Though the team had three runners end up in the top 10 of the event, it came away with only two points for the entire day.Mike Stone '09 had the best finish, taking seventh place with a time of 3:59.51, recording the Judges' only two points. Classmate Matt Jennings '09 was ninth in the event with a time of 4:01.27, while Chris Brown '12 was just one second behind him in 10th place at 4:02.28. Stone, Jennings and Brown were the only men's runners to place in any event."It was a good meet," Stone said. "We highlighted our strength in the 1,500 on both sides."The NCAA Division III Outdoor Track Championships will be held at Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio starting Thursday and lasting through Saturday. The Judges will send at least one runner, Paul Norton '11, to the National Championships but may also send Pisarik. Pisarik is waiting to hear from the NCAA if she will be able to compete because the NCAA is not yet sure how many runners it will be able to invite to the National Championships. Stone said Pisarik should hear from the NCAA this week.Norton, the men's top runner, will race in the 10-kilometer run, an event that Stone said he could have done very well in at the ECAC Championships had he not sat out last Friday's meet to rest for the NCAAs. "[Norton going to NCAAs] is a significant event for our team," Stone said. "[Norton] could've won the [10-kilometer run or the 5-kilometer run last] weekend definitely, but he was preparing for Nationals."Stone also said that Norton's teammates are excited to see him compete on the national stage."[Norton has] put a lot of hard work in and is totally committed, and this will be a great moment for him," Stone said. "Everyone's happy to see him go, and this is just the start for him. He's still improving.
(05/19/09 4:00am)
At 5 a.m. in the middle of winter, members of the Brandeis swimming and diving team wake up for an early-morning practice. By 5:45, they're ready to board a van headed for Regis College, Bentley College, Babson College or Wellesley College, depending on the day, to get time in the pool to prepare for their weekly meets. After the Linsey pool was closed Oct. 28 when the air-handling system that heats and ventilates the pool stopped working, the team was forced to adjust."We didn't have necessarily exactly the same schedule every week. It would depend on when we got pool times and . on what pool we were going to," captain Rachel Nadas '09 said. "It was a challenge, but we were all very committed and wanted to swim, . and we did what we could to make it happen."Despite the Linsey pool's closure, this year, the men's and women's teams were able to produce one of the most successful seasons in school history.Though the men's team had a dual-meet record of 4-5, it broke eight school records and sent one swimmer, Marc Eder '12, to the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships for the first time since the Judges sent Matt Christian '05 in 2005. The team placed 16th out of 23 teams at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships, the second-highest finish for Division III teams at the meet. The women's team had a 6-3 dual-meet record and finished 13th out of 26 teams at the ECAC Championships, the best finish out of all Division III teams at the meet. The team broke an impressive 12 school records this season, including all five of the program's relay event marks. Both teams won the tri-meet Michael Zarilli Memorial Invitational early in the season as well."I would say that 95 percent of the goals we wanted to achieve, we achieved," head coach James Zotz said.A lack of depth plagued the men's team dual-meet record. The team had no divers, which automatically put them 32 points behind its opponent in every meet. Still, the Judges rode James Liu '10, Bobby Morse '09, Aaron Bennett '11 and Eder to a successful season.Zotz commented on the team's diving situation."It affects us in terms of scoring points," he said. "Without any [divers], we were falling behind," he said.One of the team's biggest accomplishments, however, was sending Eder to the NCAA Championships. Eder competed in the 200-yard breaststroke, 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley.He finished 47th of 49 in the 200-yard individual medley, 27th out of 36 in the 200-yard breaststroke and 26th out of 42 in the 100-yard breaststroke. Despite all his success, Eder still hopes to improve his skills."I'm nowhere near where I want to be as a swimmer," Eder said. "I don't think we have had a [University Athletic Association] champion at Brandeis in a long time, and I would like to win an event at the UAAs."The men's team graduates only two seniors (Morse and Mike Rubin), and Jesse Herschman '10 and Alex Cemaj '10 will return after studying abroad this past semester.The women's team benefited from an impressive rookie swimmer, Angela Chui '12, who accounted for 11 of the 12 school records broken by the team this season. Hollis Viray '10 holds the 12th record broken this season in the 200-yard breaststroke. Chui broke six individual records in freestyle, backstroke and individual medley events and was a member of the relay team that broke all five of the team's relay marks. The quartet was made up of Chui, Viray, Siobhan Lyons '10 and Julia Derk '12, all of whom will return next season. As a team, the Judges came through in the clutch, breaking eight of the 12 records this season at the ECAC Championships. Chui fell one space short from qualifying for the NCAA Championships, finishing 21st out of 20 available spots. Ironically, her 400-yard individual medley time at the ECAC Championships would have placed her 13th in the NCAA meet."She is very consistent; she is very mentally tough," Zotz said, "And I'm confident that she would have done equally well [as she did at the ECACs].""We had a small group, but we had good depth," Zotz added. "Overall, they swam great, they dove great, and it was a good year."The University currently has no plans to rebuild the pool at an estimated cost of $10 to $12 million in light of the current financial crisis. The swimming and diving program will continue practicing at other schools through the 2009 to 2010 season, but currently the University has no plans to continue the program after that.With their successes in mind, the men's and women's teams can't help but focus on their uncertain future. Members of the team have met with President Jehuda Reinharz and Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa '90 to discuss their fate, but as of now, nothing has changed. The team will be suspended upon the completion of the 2010 season. Zotz plans to work with the team, parents and alumni "to push forward on all fronts" to save the team and follow the golf team's example to resurrect the program, [see story, p. 21]. The team only hopes it can manage to stay afloat.
(04/28/09 4:00am)
"Is this comedy?" a man asked nervously at the box office before the performance of Boris' Kitchen's semester show Friday evening. He and his wife were about the right age to be pre-frosh parents, although a son or daughter was nowhere to be seen. Upon being assured that Boris' Kitchen was a sketch comedy group, they each bought a ticket and went inside.Whether audience members were prospective parents looking for a wholesome atmosphere to entrust their child to or alums looking to relive their glory days may have made a big difference in how they received the show. Titled "Grounded Indefinitely," the 90-minute program offered a half-nostalgic, half-subversive take on adolescent boredom. For example, in one skit, Paul Gale '12 played Pinky to Sam Roos' '09 Brain, asking, "What are we doing tonight?" To which Roos answered, "Same thing we do every night," and whipped out a bong. In "There's No Such Thing as a Free Meal," Lydia Flier '09 played an apathetic daughter forced to watch murder mystery dinner theater only to end up murdering the performers. "No one suspects the wet-blanket sibling!" she proclaimed.Fittingly for a show with such nostalgia for childhood, the group skewered a few almost too-familiar targets, such as zombies, transgendered individuals and Sham WOW. "Woah, Man," a skit in which Charlie Kivolowitz '11 volunteered for a transgender operation, provoked mostly groans as his character Fred cast off his womanizing ways and experienced a gruesome first period. Sex and romance won many laughs throughout the evening. "That Guy Olympics" sent up pretentious, rude men who still manage to get laid, "Frank's Bar and Grille" depicted dysfunctional couples meeting in a seedy alternative to eHarmony, and "The Way I Aren't" showed Ron Kendler '09 on the waitlist for a girl's affections.As with most Brandeis comedy, the skits were even funnier if you knew the people in them. As Kendler delivered an impossibly speedy and elaborate send-up of recent political news, some in the audience laughed before he even got to the punch line. Kendler's litany was part of the evening's longest skit, "The News," in which Roos and Mike Martin '09 offered their takes on the latest world events. It wasn't quite The Daily Show, but it was a lot funnier than Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update and may have earned the most resounding laughter.Parents were a target, as well-particularly mothers. Portrayals included a pill-popping mother offering cocaine in exchange for Webkinz, a nymphomaniac mother whose desires were revealed during a family therapy session and an overbearing mother who nagged her son via a video game. The skit "I Hope They Keep My Room the Same" played on fears of moving back home after graduation, pitching it as a financially savvy move for parents and children alike.The writers didn't miss a chance to skewer the university in locus parenti, either. In one sketch, Brian Melcher '10 donned a sandwich board advertising "The New Rose Art Museum." At another point, Matt Hope '09 announced, "Fart is Happening."The show was beautifully produced with well-shot videos and effective props. The transitional music between sketches included cartoon theme songs, hip-hop mashups and Britney Spears' "If U Seek Amy." For their grand finale, troupe members danced to The Who's "Baba O'Riley," completing their sharp and witty exploration of the territory.
(04/28/09 4:00am)
The Student Union Judiciary passed down a pluralist decision ruling in favor of the Student Union in the case of Klionsky and McElhaney v. Student Union and instructing the Union to hold elections for Racial Minority Senator as soon as possible, but a majority decision regarding the permanent existence of the RMS seat was not reached, according to UJ Chief Justice Rachel Graham Kagan '09. Associate Justices Julia Sferlazzo '09, Judah Marans '11 and Matt Kriegsman '11 were in favor of the Union; however, Justice Jordan Rothman '09 was in favor of the petitioners. Graham Kagan was partly in favor of the plaintiffs because she believed anyone should be allowed to run for the positions held for racial minority students but that voting for the seats should still be restricted to minority students. Sferlazzo, Marans, Kriegsman and Graham Kagan stated in the decision, "We direct the Secretary of the Student Union to hold the election for Racial Minority Senator as soon as possible in accordance with the Constitution." Marans, Kriegsman and Graham Kagan also directed the Union president to ensure that a constitutional review process is scheduled for the next academic year to address the issue of the positions in detail.Last Wednesday the UJ heard the case after petitioners Gideon Klionsky '11 and former Union Director of Community Development Ryan McElhaney '10, filed a complaint after Klionsky was not allowed to run for the position of RMS. According to Klionsky and McElhaney, the position violated the supremacy clause of the Student Union Constitution, Section 3, which states, "This Constitution shall be enacted in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, and University policies, but the Union Government shall not be responsible for the enforcement of such laws and policies." McElhaney and Klionsky originally directed their case against the Union Elections Commission after Union Secretary Tia Chatterjee '09, who oversees the commission, denied Klionsky's request to run for the senatorial position because he does not identify as a minority. However, Graham Kagan later ruled that the petitioners were challenging the Union constitution, not a body of the Union."[Justices who voted in favor of allowing the case to be heard] felt that it was a very important issue," Graham Kagan told the Justice last week. Graham Kagan attempted to engage the Brandeis community in the trial by permitting each side to bring forth undergraduates, Transitional Year Program students or administrators to present legal arguments. The petitioner was represented for the majority of the trial by McElhaney. Lead counsel for the the Student Union was Union Director of Communications Jamie Ansorge '09; assistant counsels were Matthew Kipnis '11 and Castle Senator Nathan Robinson '11. The plaintiff argued that the UJ had the right to hear the case because it dealt directly with the Union Constitution and that all students should be allowed to run and vote for the RMS position because to dictate otherwise was unconstitutional based on the supremacy clause. The defense argued that the UJ had no jurisdiction in the case because it involved a standard set in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. The defense stated that only the University Board of Student Conduct has jurisdiction over Rights and Responsibilities standards. The Student Union argued that the RMS position does not have the effect of "unreasonably interfering with a person's education or work performance by creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment in which to work, study, or live," a standard outlined in section 7.4 of Rights and Responsibilties.At the hearing the defense called Jess Kent '09, chairwoman of the UBSC, who testified that only the Board of Student Conduct has the jurisdiction to hear and decide on cases involving Rights and Responsibilities.Chatterjee testified that the University registrar, rather than the Student Union, determines students are registered as racial minorities. Klionsky explained that although he could declare himself as a minority student, he chose not to do so because he believed that a person of any race should be able to run for the position. J.V. Souffrant (TYP), Kaamila Mohammed '11 and Ariela Silverstein-Tapp '09 spoke about why they believed the RMS position is important to the minority community and their personal feelings on why it should be kept.Executive Senator Andrew Brooks '09 spoke on behalf of the petitioners, saying that he believed that the case should be decided not on the emotions involved but on the letter of the law and that he believed, under the law, the RMS position was exclusionary. Taisha Sturdivant '11, a minority student, spoke on behalf of the defense and said that she had had many experiences that convinced her of the need for a RMS and that the position was very important to the racial minority community on campus. She added "I will say that I do not think the RMS position has to be ingrained in the Student Union forever. That is very dependent on the ways in which Brandeis progresses. As for now, the position is necessary."McElhaney and Klionsky could not be reached for comment by press time.In an e-mail to the Justice, Ansorge said, "It is my hope that the issues raised at this trial will be explored further during next year's constitutional review process. If the constitutional review process were to propose a change to the RMS positions, a schoolwide vote on the amendment can be held. I believe that is the only democratically just and constitutionally acceptable means of changing these positions." Ansorge added, "I believe that the RMS positions have played an important role within the Union. However, it is arguable whether or not it makes sense to specifically have RMS positions and not a [representative] from the LGBT community or for left-handed students like me." Brooks said in a later interview that he hoped that Brandeis might one day reach a point where there would be no need for a RMS because all senators would be responsive to all different groups within their constituencies.
(03/24/09 4:00am)
This year's SunDeis Film Festival hosted a vast variety of student films that ranged from comedies to documentaries. On Saturday, filmgoers had a chance to meet with a group of directors, editors and actors to get an inside look into the filmmaking process, from conception to screen. Films were inspired by a variety of sources including personal experiences and humanitarian causes. Brian Fromm '11 ("Matt and Brian's Excellent Adventure") talked about getting involved with a film festival at his high school and making a movie with his high school classmate Matt Kriegsman '11 after being galvanized by seeing a stop-motion YouTube clip. The festival was canceled, but they showed their film anyway at an impromptu replacement event held at Senior Dinner, an event held the night before graduation, and decided to continue experimenting with stop-motion, as evidenced by the film the duo created for SunDeis. Vlad Sillam '09, who worked on "Reveries and Chimeras," said he was inspired by the Brandeis campus and worked the story around his film locations. One of the most obvious challenges facing the filmmakers was where to obtain money. Investors are hard to come by, even in the professional film industry-for students, it's even harder. Ilan Amouya '11, who helped edit "La Sombra de Una Historia," was able to get an investment from a contact at MGM and shot the film in Colombia, where he was able to negotiate just about everything. His best deal? "Free actors," he said. "We got them all from one agency and didn't have to pay them anything."Some of the other filmmakers weren't so lucky. "Matt and Brian's Excellent Adventure" had no budget and no equipment and was shot almost completely on either Fromm's digital camera or his friend's camcorder. "We actually bought a door from Home Depot and then returned it when we were done filming," he admitted sheepishly.Fromm wasn't the only one "stealing" space. Anthony Scibelli '09, who directed several films, including "Snacktastrophe" and "Triple Word Score," recounted shooting a scene for "Untitled Anthony Scibelli Project": "We shot one scene in the Levin Ballroom for about two hours. We didn't check to see if it was being used; we basically just went in and hoped for the best. There was some kind of event there the night before. In a few frames, you can still see the decorations."Other challenges? "Cops," said Illona Yuhaev '11 of "Naptime" and "AIA Untitled." "Apparently you're not allowed to film in the middle of the street during rush hour." The crew of "La Sombra de Una Historia" had to deal with a near-rebellion on set (solved with sandwiches), and weather seemed to be a problem for everyone. The biggest problem for "Snacktastrophe", according to Scibelli, was the repeated spreading of peanut butter on bread. Amy Thompson '11, who acted in the movie, cheerfully replied, "It wasn't a challenge to eat it."One curious audience member asked the filmmakers if they believed the old saying that "you have to make 10 bad movies before you make a good one" was true. There was a moment of silence before Sillam-whose "Reveries and Chimeras" was nominated for five SunDeis awards, including Best Film-said, "This is my first movie." The filmmakers seemed to agree that what matters is the quality of movies, not quantity, and what you learn from the movies you make.Despite the challenges and the hard work, though, all of the filmmakers said they enjoyed the process. When asked what advice they had for future filmmakers, there seemed to be one consensus: "Just make movies!" said Yuhaev. "Keep going, keep practicing, keep learning," Fromm said. "What ends up on screen isn't what actually happened on set. Don't be afraid to improvise."Coming from the director who wasn't afraid to ask a traffic cop to leave the road so that they could shoot a scene, "Don't be afraid to improvise" seemed like sound advice. And considering "Matt and Brian's Excellent Adventure" was nominated for the Best Animation award, it seems to have served him well.Editor's Note: Brian Fromm is the Copy editor for the Justice.
(03/24/09 4:00am)
After a long day trying to secure housing for next year, Brandeis rookie swimmer Marc Eder '12 came back to his room at 1 a.m. last Tuesday hoping to get some rest before leaving for the NCAA Division III Men's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Minnesota in a few hours. When he came back to his room, he was happily surprised to find a goodie bag full of Diet Dr. Pepper and chocolate, courtesy of his teammates Ellen Abramowitz '11 and Dana Simms '11, waiting for him on his pillow. This and other similar gestures helped him feel the support of his team as he made the solo trip to NCAAs, the first Brandeis men's swimmer to do so since Matt Christian '05 in 2005."[Abramowitz and Simms] went to the effort to go find my room and leave [the goodie bag] on my pillow, and it was really sweet of them," Eder said. "The constant stream of communication from the team while I was [at NCAAs] was great. It made me feel like they were following, they were watching. It made me feel good."The support helped Eder set career-best times in two of his three events, the 200-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke. Eder finished the 200-yard individual medley in 1 minute, 58.46 seconds, the third-best time in school history and 47th best at the meet out of 49 competitors. In the 100-yard breaststroke, Eder beat Christian's school record with a time of 57.41 seconds, which tied him for 26th out of 42 competitors. He also improved upon his previous career-best time, 58.79 seconds. In the 200-yard breaststroke, in which he was ranked 20th in the nation coming in, he placed 27th out of 36 with a time of 2:05.74. Coach Jim Zotz thought Eder's nerves may have played a factor."I think he just got nervous. I think he had really high expectations for himself, and I think he just put a lot of pressure on himself to do well," Zotz said.Eder believed that he was hurt by not being aggressive enough in the first 100 yards of the race."I took it out too slow," Eder said. "I just wasn't aggressive enough in the first [100 yards]. I didn't try hard enough in the first [100 yards]. If you take it out too slow, it's hard to come back faster."Eder's performance was a positive end to a tumultuous season for the swimming team. The Linsey pool was closed in October after the two heaters failed, and since then the team has been practicing at nearby schools, including Regis College. The program will be suspended after next season. Zotz said he thought the team came together over the difficulties it faced throughout the season."I just think that any time a team has adversity and you have to overcome it, it forces people to be less self-centered and more team- focused, and that's clearly what happened," he said. "We turned what was a negative into a positive."The men's and women's swimming and diving teams will only graduate a combined four swimmers next season. Besides Eder, the men's team will see the return of James Liu '10, a member of the record-setting 400- and 800-yard freestyle relay teams, and Aaron Bennett '11, who holds the school record for the 200-yard butterfly. The women's team next year will bring back rookie Angela Chui '12, who barely missed qualifying for NCAAs this year. During the regular season, she helped set school records in 11 events, including five relays and all three individual backstroke events. Hollis Viray '10, a member of those five record-setting relay teams who also set the school record for the 200-yard breaststroke in March, will also come back."I think we can all expect [more] records to fall next season, some of them by larger margins than others," Eder said. "The fact is that all the upperclassmen next year will be much closer because of practicing off campus this season, and that is going to allow us to start the season in a more heated fashion than we were in the beginning of this year.
(03/17/09 4:00am)
Brandeis is taking part in RecycleMania, a recycling competition among 202 universities that aims to encourage college students to recycle more in order to reduce waste, according to the Brandeis Web site. Participating schools are ranked according to which collects the largest amount of recyclables per capita, has the least amount of trash per capita or has the highest recycling rate. Over a 10-week period, such data is collected and compared with results from other universities. The winner will be announced at the end of March. RecycleMania is a project of the College and University Recycling Council and is governed by a committee composed of professionals involved with sustainability issues on college campuses. Since January Brandeis' recycling percentage was 8 percent, according to Sustainability Coordinator Janna Cohen-Rosenthal '03. She explained that the recycling rate is calculated as the percentage of waste against the percentage of recycling. Cohen-Rosenthal said that the latest data as of mid- February states that Brandeis is ranked 183 out of 202 colleges and universities in the RecycleMania. Eco-Reps, student helpers to the sustainability coordinator in each quad or housing area, have been assisting in RecycleMania efforts by giving recycling grades and comments to each individual floor, according to Cohen-Rosenthal. Cohen-Rosenthal believes that in light of Brandeis' low recycling rate, it is unlikely that the University will win. However, she said that it is still crucial to continue efforts to increase the University's recycling rate and decrease overall waste.If the recycling rate doubles to 16 percent, there will be free ice cream available for the entire University campus on Earth Day, April 22, said Cohen-Rosenthal. She coordinated the prize with Aramark in order to create excitement over RecycleMania. Students for Environmental Action is working to promote and aid the Eco-Reps in their efforts to teach students about RecycleMania, according to President of SEA Matt Schmidt '11. Schmidt said, "We are not taking a huge role this year because we have the Eco-Reps. . We are launching a new recycling awareness programs with posters and flyers to help rid some of the confusion that recycling can cause." He said that the initiatives will begin before the end of this month. Cohen-Rosenthal said, "In general, just reducing your use of something as simple as plastic coffee cups can really help the environment [and] help the school increase the RecycleMania rates because it is not a percentage of how you [the school] recycles; it's a percentage of how much [the school] recycle versus how much waste [the school] produces."Brandeis plans to continue to participate in RecycleMania in future years, said Cohen-Rosenthal and Schmidt. Cohen-Rosenthal, as well as the Eco-Reps and SEA, hopes the school can double their rate because "it would be a huge success and step toward making Brandeis a more environmentally conscious university.
(03/10/09 4:00am)
Throughout the women's indoor track season, the team had high finishes in jumping events, and at its biggest meet of the season at the University Athletic Association Championships last Saturday, jumpers Ali Sax '09, Anat Ben Nun '09, and Suzanne Bernier '10 continued that trend. The trio combined to tally 31 out of the team's 68 points, finishing in the top three in the long jump, triple jump, high jump and 55-meter hurdles in leading the women's team to a fourth place finish out of seven conference teams. Washington University in St. Louis won the meet on the women's side with 138 points. The men's team also competed and finished seventh out of seven teams with 17 points. Emory University won the meet with 106 points.Ben Nun and Sax both qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships in the triple jump with their performances. Bernier's previous UAA Championships ended with her coming short of victory in the high jump, but she bucked that trend this year, finishing first with a jump of 1.62 meters. "[Bernier] was great," coach Mark Reytblat said. "She had been finishing second and third and this was the first time she won the high jump [at the UAAs]."Ben Nun and Sax also had top finishes, taking first and third place, respectively. Ben Nun jumped 11.72 meters, beating second-place finisher, rookie Lauren Attiah of Emory, by .14 meters. It was Ben Nun's third UAA triple jump championship in four years."[Being a UAA champion] feels wonderful," Ben Nun said. "Finishing my four years with a win was the best thing I could hope for."Sax displayed her versatility, as she took seventh in the long jump, third in the triple jump and fourth in the 55-meter hurdles, earning 10 points alone for the Judges. "I've been working hard with things like endurance because it is difficult to go from one event to another," she said. "It's just being able to withhold the [same] level of performance over two days of competing."In addition to the jumpers, Brandeis had top-four finishes in the long distance events. The women's distance medley quartet of Marie Lemay '11, Michelle Gellman '11, Beth Pisarik '10 and Erin Bisceglia '12 finished eight seconds ahead of second-place New York University to win the race in 12 minutes, 21.40 seconds. Individually, Pisarik took second in the one-mile run with a time of 5:16.00, earning the Judges' eight points, while Lemay was fourth in the same event. Katie Warwick '12 finished her rookie indoor season with a sixth place finish in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs.Gellman and Julia Alpaio '10 rounded out the Judges scorers. Gellman finished second in the 400-meter sprint, running it in 59.65 seconds to earn eight points. Alpaio placed fourth in the 800-meter run, less than 3 seconds behind the first-place finish of Emory senior Rebecca Willett."I'm really proud of all of us," Sax said of the women's team. "I think this is the strongest team we have ever had [in my four years,]."The men's team, as they have all season long, faced a disadvantage in sprint and field events because of the lack of runners it had to compete in such events. The squad's distance runners scored all of the Judges points. Paul Norton '11 took second-place in the 5,000-meter run, concluding a season that saw him get several high finishes after a minor Achilles injury sidelined him earlier this season. Norton finished in 14:50.75, earning the Judges eight points.The men's distance medley also took second place, finishing only behind Carnegie Mellon University with a time of 10:10.19. The foursome of Matt Jennings '09, Mingkai Lin '12, Marc Boutin '12 and Devon Holgate '11 also earned eight points for the team.Holgate rounded out the scoring for the men's team, earning one point for his sixth-place finish in the one-mile run in 4:17.90."[Our performance] was alright," Holgate said. "We did the best we could have hoped for, [considering] we don't really have jumpers or anything to help us out." Reytblat also commented on the team's lack of field athletes."The guys, it's very hard competition right now," he said. "Hopefully I'm having a good recruiting year and we will have a much better year on the men's side." The UAA Championships conclude the team-season for both the men's and women's indoor track squads. On the women's side, the year was highlighted by the performance of the team's jumpers and distance runners, who most noticeably carried the team Jan. 24 at the Reggie Poyau Memorial Invitational. The women's team took second of 10 teams at the meet, lead by a sweep of the top three spots in the one-mile run and an NCAA qualifying leap by Ben Nun in the triple jump.The men's team did not record many high team finishes but did feature rookies Myles Tryer-Vassell '12 and Marc Boutin '12 emerging in sprints and distance, respectively. Though team play is over, Ben Nun and Sax will travel to Terre Haute, Ind. on Friday for the NCAA Championships."I think both [Sax] and I are in shape by now, and Nationals are only a few days away, so we'll just work on a few little things. Mostly just stretch, stretch and prepare psychologically," Ben Nun said. "It's going to be really rough, the competition is way harder than it has been over the past four years, right now I believe I'm like eighth or ninth so that doesn't give me a very good chance, but it's going to be about character and I think I have the character; when I need to I do my best. It's going to be rough, but I hope I do very well.
(03/10/09 4:00am)
Men's swimmer Marc Eder '12 was selected to compete at the NCAA Division III Men's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Minnesota starting March 18 after recording B-cut qualifying times in three events throughout the season. Eder will compete in the 200-yard breaststroke, the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley at the meet. Eder will be the first Brandeis men's swimmer to compete in the NCAA Championships since Matt Christian '05 in 2005. "Over the summer, I thought I could do this, and then actually getting in the pool and swimming at the start of this season, I was a little wary," Eder said yesterday. "I didn't think I could do it early this season, but I'm happy I did."Women's swimmer Angela Chui '12 was selected as the first alternate to the NCAA Championships after recording NCAA B-cut qualifying times in multiple events while also breaking 11 school records this season.Eder's best performance this season came at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships March 1, where he beat Christian's school record in the 200-yard breaststroke by three seconds with a time of 2 minutes, 4.79 seconds, finishing 12th in the event. Eder is ranked as the No. 20 swimmer in the 200-yard breaststroke in Division III on the men's side and Chui is No. 21 in the 400-yard individual medley on the women's side. This season, the NCAA selected the top 22 men's swimmers in the 200-yard breaststroke and the top 20 women's swimmers in the 400-yard individual medley to compete at this year's NCAA Championships, putting Chui one spot shy of qualifying outright."[Chui] made her first cut back in October [and has done so again in] many other events," head coach Jim Zotz said. "If she does [compete], she will do well. She'll train with us, and we'll keep our fingers crossed."According to Zotz, Chui is the first alternate to the NCAA?Championships and will only compete if another competitor is forced to drop out of the meet due to injury or roster limitation guidelines set forth by the NCAA. Zotz said each school is only allowed to send 18 participants to the NCAA Championships. If a school had more than 18 particpants qualify, the NCAA would only allow up to 18 to participate. However, Zotz said that any open spots woul likely be filled by a competitor already at the NCAA Championships competing in a different event instead of an alternate such as Chui. "There's nothing we can predict, but we're hoping," Zotz said.Eder said he thought he had the best chance to succeed in the 200-yard backstroke."The 200-yard breaststroke is my best event," Eder said. "I'm seeded 20th, and the top 16 [swimmers] make the finals. I'd like to swim [in the finals], so I'm hoping to drop a little time."Zotz said that both swimmers have had successful rookie seasons. "They're ranked 20th and 21st in the country. That's huge," Zotz said. "They've both represented themselves and the school well.
(02/10/09 5:00am)
JuicyCampus, the online gossip forum created in August 2007 for college campuses, was shut down last Thursday, according to a press release distributed on that day from Matt Ivester, the founder and CEO of JuicyCampus."In these historically difficult economic times, online ad revenue has plummeted and venture capital funding has dissolved," Ivester wrote in the press release."I'd like to thank everyone who has engaged in meaningful discussion about online privacy and Internet censorship," Ivester wrote in the press release. "JuicyCampus has raised issues that have passionate advocates on both sides, and I hope that dialogue will continue. While there are parts of JuicyCampus that none of us will miss-the mean-spirited posts and personal attacks-it has also been a place for the fun, lighthearted gossip of college life. I hope that is how it is remembered," he wrote.The media contacts from JuicyCampus did not respond to repeated requests for comment.The site was controversial at Brandeis as it started gaining popularity last semester when students, under the protection of anonymity, began posting libelous information. "The site enabled some students who are ethically and morally challenged to anonymously hurt, through the words the world could read about other Brandeis students," Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. While the Web site had over a million visitors each month from over 500 campuses, "Those in the administration that knew of [JuicyCampus] were appalled that it existed and that our students would post messages on it," Sawyer wrote. "I despised every aspect of [JuicyCampus]," said Damien Lehfeldt '09, who created a Facebook group called "Shut Down Juicy Campus at Brandeis" over Thanksgiving break. "It was a complete contradiction to everything this University stands for. Students were singled out and encouraged to kill themselves. Some posters wrote about their desires for cancer to take the lives of their professors," he said.Other students took a more ambivalent take towards the Web site. "I knew that those posting the horrible things about our peers had serious problems that they have yet to face. But similarly, I felt that those who took the accusations too seriously really needed to take a cold hard look at who they were and why they were letting a Web site upset them so much," Alissa Cherry '10 wrote.Efforts had been put in place by the administration to help students who were worried about the posts cope with the Web site. The administration discussed the possibility of blocking the site from the school server, Sawyer explained. "We assisted individual students who were seeking advice regarding the site. We worked with student government regarding the proper Brandeis response and to educate the student community," Sawyer wrote. He added that the adminstration also assisted groups such as anti JuicyCampus Facebook groups that were creating strategies for attacking the site through legal means. The Student Union had been aware of the Brandeis JuicyCampus page and was in communication with the Department of Student Life regarding how best to address the situation. The Union encouraged students to write to advertisers on the Web site and post friendly lyrics on the site, which ultimately dropped the number of posts targeting Brandeis students. "We always felt that any restriction of free speech by the University should be avoided ," Student Union Director of Communications Jamie Ansorge '09 wrote in an e-mail to the?Justice.Some students thought that by spreading the word to decrease the number of people who actually visited the site, they could ultimately shut it down. Rachel Horn '09 wrote in an e-mail to the?Justice, "Ultimately, I hoped that through student efforts to publicize the harm that many JuicyCampus posters did to others through their unnecessary attacks, other people would stop visiting the site as a show of support, and it would be shut down when advertisers realized they weren't going to reach a good audience."The shutting down of the Web site came as a surprise to some who didn't think it would be terminated for financial reasons. "I thought it would probably be brought down by someone suing the Web site for slander or by a large public outcry against the site," Sarah Gelman '09 said.However, Lehfeldt explained that the site began to lose major advertising sponsors like Google, Victoria's Secret and Toys"R"US after students from different universities e-mailed sponsors to make them aware of "the kind of malice JuicyCampus promoted." "Slowly, these sponsors withdrew from the Web site, and toward the end, [JuicyCampus's] advertising was from companies like "Pimp Out Your Cellphone," Lehfeldt said. "I didn't even bother contacting them. I knew we had won at that point," he said.Horn said she felt let down by the Brandeis community after learning about the site. "I always appreciated our community here because I felt that, at heart, most people here were really kind and represented a more mature cross-section of students than your average college," she wrote. "After reading what some people put on the site ... some of my positive feelings about the general Brandeis community were erased.""I think that the shutdown of JuicyCampus is a huge victory for our community," Gelman said. "It served no real purpose except to disseminate nasty gossip," she said.
(01/13/09 5:00am)
To the Editor:I disagree with Matt Lawrence's column on our recent film events ("Film major should be promoting film, not fluff," Dec. 9 issue). From Brandeis' founding, its philosophy has been that our University is committed to the study of making art, not just its history. This is reflected in the School of Creative Arts where, for example, we teach painting and sculpting alongside art history. The Brandeis value system is that one informs the other.Brandeis offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in acting. For our acting students, the opportunity to hear accomplished stage and screen actors discuss their creative process is an extraordinary educational opportunity. Offering insight into the craft of acting and the challenges of film making is not just celebrity gossip. I hope we will have more events like this.-Scott EdmistonThe writer is the director of the Office of the Arts.
(01/13/09 5:00am)
To the Editor:I read Matt Lawrence's column ("Film major should be promoting film, not fluff," Dec. 9 issue) with some puzzlement this morning. He has not one positive thing to say about the new Film and Visual Studies major, which he sees as recycled fluff. (For the record, this year we introduced new production classes and two new electives, and next year we will have five new electives.) He conflates the academics with Edie and Lew Wasserman programming, which in part aims to entertain. And he claims that the documentary filmmakers I bring don't count "because of their close personal connection" to me.The film industry has its home in Hollywood, and I am proud to collaborate with an illustrious alumnus who covers that industry for a distinguished newspaper. I think it important to mix art house cinema and independent film with guests and screenings from studios. Linda Jackson premiered The Greatest Silence, a film about rape in the Congo. Last semester Barbet Schroeder came too, and Brandeis hosted the only public forum in the United States in which he spoke about his documentary Terror's Advocate. Students were hardly unaware that the world's greatest documentarians had visited Brandeis. Errol Morris has premiered his last four films in the Wasserman Cinematheque (and, dare I say, won an Oscar for one of them). When Morris and Herzog came to campus last year, they played to packed audiences. Their "conversation" was published in Believer magazine. The two films they screened first at Brandeis have made the short list for the Oscar in the Best Documentary category. I hope this does not now disqualify them as serious filmmakers.-Prof. Alice Kelikian (HIST)The writer is chair of the Film Studies department and the presenter of the original Film major proposal.
(12/09/08 5:00am)
Since Duke University alumnus Matt Ivester created it in 2007, the now-notorious Web site JuicyCampus.com has sparked controversy and outrage. At Brandeis, a Facebook group titled "Shut Down Juicy Campus at Brandeis" and an event last Tuesday in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium have begun a student movement to have the administration ban the site from campus servers. While students should speak out against and avoid JuicyCampus.com, the administration should not block the site, and students should not urge the University to do so.Much like last year's Gravity controversy, when students led the movement to hold the magazine accountable for its insensitive "Blackjerry" advertisement, students' calling for a ban on JuicyCampus risks condoning censorship on campus. Students encouraging administrative control of which pages students can and cannot view on Brandeis' network are encouraging a restriction of their First Amendment rights. Although it is unfortunate that some choose to exercise this right by spreading gossip, it is vital that students at Brandeis retain their right to do so. We are students at one of the most respected universities in the United States, and, like all other citizens of this country, we deserve the right to make our own decisions about how to use our voices, no matter how distasteful those decisions may be.Brandeis University has championed itself as a place of dialogue and open discussion; students supporting a ban on JuicyCampus should reconsider how their support might restrict this philosophy. Instead of advocating blocking the site, students could simply speak to friends and peers about not posting and support students offended by their own mention on JuicyCampus. Keeping in mind that Library and Technology Services cannot ban access to the site off-campus, students should self-police at all locations in order to limit JuicyCampus' impact. Brandeis students can and should discourage use of the Web site without endorsing administrative paternalism or curbs on free speech.Furthermore, according to LTS, the most visits the site ever received was about 200 per day, and site traffic from Brandeis has been declining since November. Though members of the Brandeis community have been negatively affected by posts on JuicyCampus, students should consider that the site is not a popular Brandeis attraction before endorsing as radical a position as the University's first ban on a Web site and curb on student speech. This page advocates that Brandeis students continue to avoid reading or posting on JuicyCampus.com. We hope that the site will be shut down or converted to what Ivester says was its original purpose: spreading information about professors and campus goings-on. Students should guard their First Amendment rights by opposing a network ban of JuicyCampus and should use those rights by not using the site for gossip.
(10/28/08 4:00am)
After Springfield College junior goalkeeper Kevin Leahy dropped the ball on the edge of the 18-foot goal box, men's soccer team forward Ben Premo '09 took the ball and pivoted among the defenders to situate himself into shooting position. He then fired the ball into the side of the net, breaking a scoreless tie in the 28th minute of last Wednesday night's home game. Premo's goal gave Brandeis a 1-0 lead, one they would not relinquish en route to a 2-0 victory. The win snapped a seven-game winless streak for the Judges, a stretch in which they only scored four goals total. The Judges are now 7-6-2 with four games remaining."It looked like it was really easy, but in that situation, to be surrounded by the goalkeeper and defenders, [Premo] had the composure to keep possession and turn perfectly to place the ball into the side of the net," coach Mike Coven said. "A lot of other players would have shot that ball wide and high, so [Premo] did a nice job."Premo's ninth goal of the season put him in sole possession of fifth place on the Judges' all-time scoring list with 37 goals and 95 points. "Most of those numbers came in my first two seasons, and right now I feel I'll appreciate this all more when I'm older," Premo said. "I guess it's nice to see your name listed there, but I haven't been to an NCAA tournament in my career, and that's something that would have been more important."Brandeis added its second goal of the game in the 52nd minute when midfielder Jaime Batista '10 won a ball in the midfield and gave midfielder Patrick Metelus '10 a lead pass up the sideline. Metelus fed the ball back across the goal area to a cutting Batista, who finished the play for his second goal in as many games. Goalie Matt Lynch '11, starting his fourth game of the season, made all five saves that came his way. Coven said that the team will continue to alternate goalkeepers between Lynch and Sean O'Hare '12, who originally won the job earlier in the season. Last year's starter, Taylor Bracken '10, is no longer on the roster."We're fortunate to have two very good goalkeepers," Coven said. "Sometimes both of them can look better than the other, but they're both playing very well. I have confidence in both of them, so we'll just keep alternating them until one of them proves to step up over the other." The team hopes to qualify for the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament and regain the championship the squad won in 2006. The ECAC selection committee only considers teams with records of .500 or better, making the final stretch of the Judges' season critical for their postseason hopes."This game and our next one against Lasell are must-wins for us," defender Kevin Murphy '09 said. "We have three tough [University Athletic Association] games after Lasell, so we need to pick up wins where we can in order to get a spot in the ECACs." The Judges travel to Lasell College today for a 3 p.m. game and then play two of the remaining three University Athletic Association games at home next weekend. The first game is against Emory University Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m., and the second is against Carnegie Mellon University Nov. 2 at 1:30 p.m. The Judges end the season at New York University Nov. 8.Murphy said he believes the team will, in fact, reach the ECAC tournament for the second time in three years."This is the most confident I've been in the UAA since I've been here," he said. "I don't think there's been a game in the UAA, with the exception of the one against Rochester, where we weren't in the game. This is one of the most competitive teams in the UAA we've had since I've been here. We've played everybody tough, so I'd say we're real confident going into the final games.
(09/16/08 4:00am)
With the score tied at one in the 87th minute, the men's soccer team appeared to be headed for overtime against Babson College last Wednesday. But that was before forward Ben Premo '09 received a long pass from midfielder Alex Zenerovitz '10 and took care of the rest. Premo boxed out his defender to gain possession, dribbled to the goal line just right of the net and put the slightest touch on the ball, lobbing it over the extended arms of Babson rookie keeper Peter Crowley into the opposite corner of the net to give the Judges a 2-1 lead in an eventual 3-1 victory."To be honest, I was hoping it'd just hit off the keeper and go in, but it worked out perfectly," Premo said. "I knew I had the option of putting a little topspin on it and putting it in, but I didn't know if my angle was good enough, so I just swung and tried to put it in the side corner, and it did."Forward Alex Farr '12 added an insurance goal just over two minutes later for the final margin, as Brandeis improved its season record to 3-1. The Judges also hosted Colby-Sawyer College last night, but the match ended too late for this edition. After a scoreless first half, Babson broke through in the 47th minute when its all-time leading scorer, senior forward Tim Winn, scored his fifth goal of the season by maneuvering past multiple defenders into the goal box for a point-blank shot that got past goalie Sean O'Hare's '12 dive. The Judges answered in the 56th minute when midfielder Corey Bradley '10 drew a foul in the box that resulted in a penalty kick. Midfielder Patrick Metelus '10 took the shot, converting his fourth goal of the season. Premo's and Farr's goals put the Judges ahead for good, turning around what coach Michael Coven felt was a disappointing loss against Clark University Sept. 6. "After the Clark game, [Coven] challenged us and reminded us that Brandeis soccer is about pride, passion and heart," Premo said. "At halftime I told the team that we needed to show Coach that we can play with pride and passion and show him what we're made of. In the second half we got down a goal, but no one panicked like last game."Coven also commended the Judges' effort, saying it was one of the best games he has seen his team play in years."We finally got it today. This is what [assistant coach Gabe Margolis] and I have been trying to do since preseason, and they really did it today," Coven said. "It was the best soccer that we've played in the last four or five years."O'Hare, who played the entire game in goal for the Judges, collected three saves in his first full collegiate game. In the first three games of the season, O'Hare split time with last year's first-string goalkeeper, Taylor Bracken '10, but was given the starting job last Wednesday in light of his performance in practice during the week."Right now, Sean O'Hare is our starting goalkeeper, but anything could change," Coven said. "We have three good goalkeepers. I spoke to [Bracken], who was supportive and great about it, and Matt Lynch '11 is breathing down both their necks, so we'll take it one game at a time like we always have."Midway through the second half, O'Hare saved a hard shot from junior midfielder Dan Fogarty to preserve a 1-1 tie. Fogarty had a clear path to the net after getting past the Judges' defense, but O'Hare positioned himself in front of the shot to deflect it off of his chest and away from the net."This was the first time I've been put under pressure in a college atmosphere," O'Hare said. "It's different and more intense, but it feels good. I was a little jittery at times and don't feel I played to my potential today, but I'm glad to get the win."Brandeis next competes at Worcester Polytechnic Institute tomorrow at 7 p.m. and then at Newbury College Monday at 3:30 p.m.
