(11/16/04 5:00am)
The senate heard monetary requests this week from the Zionists for Historical Veracity (ZaHaV), Brandeis Chinese Cultural Connection (BCCC), the Middle East Forum at Brandeis (MEFAB) and the Women's Ultimate Frisbee club.ZaHaV requested money to purchase bracelets with names of victims of terror to sell to students. The profits would go towards an unspecified charity. Their request was tabled. BCCC's request was not heard because of lack of approval to be heard. They needed security for their event and Finance Board would not fund it. MEFAB requested $850 retroactively for the event they held last week. Because the organization is not chartered, they did not go to Finance Board. Their request was tabled.The Women's Ultimate Frisbee club requested funding for their trip back from a tournament. They requested $500 from the Senate. Their request was tabled.Class of 2007 Senator Albert Cahn was confirmed as senate parliamentarian, a position designed to follow up on constitution, by-law and rules of order updates.Class of 2007 Senator Jennifer Feinberg was confirmed as the senate's Club Resource Coordinator.-Compiled by Jacob Olidort
(11/16/04 5:00am)
Brandeis is very picky about the minorities it chooses to protect. Last year, when an article in the Justice alluded to a racial epithet there was uproar; forums were held and the incident even made it to local news. This is not in any way to excuse the near-use of the racial slur, but rather to demonstrate the great care that the Brandeis community took to act against a certain type of discrimination. However, over the past few weeks much discrimination has been shown to a different minority on the Brandeis campus; a minority that-although you cannot differentiate those who belong to it by the color of their skin or their ethnic background-is still very much present and very much worthy of the same respect and concern afforded to other minorities on campus. We are referring to Republicans.The campus newspaper, which is supposed to represent the views of the student body, is guilty of minimalizing the importance of some of those whom it purports to represent. Gracing the cover of the Justice the day following the election were two large photographs of students saddened by John Kerry's loss. But where were the equally important pictures of proud supporters of President Bush? After shifting your eyes downward, you might have found one at the bottom, in a picture a quarter of the size of the two photos of Kerry supporters. Why not grace the front page with two, equally prominent pictures-one of Democrats, and one of Republicans? Why aren't Republican smiles as important as Democratic tears? Why not emphasize that America's president has the respect of some Brandeis students? Why not show off Brandeis' diversity? Here's why. The Justice, representing the majority of the student body, is ashamed of having Republicans on campus, and therefore mocks and belittles them, as if to reassure the community that conservatives do not really matter. It wishes to show that the rest of the campus, while a minority in America, can be comfortable in its enclave of "free-thinking," thought-oppressing liberals. Think these grievances are exaggerated?Consider the following sampling of recent incidents of hate and discrimination against Republicans at this campus, that would have stirred great controversy if conducted against most other groups considered to be a minority :n The day after the election, while sitting in a crowded room in the Shapiro campus center and wearing a Students for Bush T-Shirt as a way to demonstrate pride in her President and happiness at the results of the election, Rebecca was told loudly by another student, whom she did not know, that because she has conservative views she should have chosen a different school-people like her do not belong on a liberal campus. A while after Rebecca's pointed and biting response to the comments, the student returned to apologize for having behaved in such a way, which is much appreciated. However, the point is that because that student is surrounded by a security blanket of like-minded students, it was not even a consideration that demeaning and ostracizing a conservative might not be appropriate. n Caring friends warned Rebecca that she was taking a risk by wearing that T-shirt. But why? Were Democratic students afraid of the consequences of wearing their Kerry T-shirts? The concern was appreciated, but submitting to fear of liberals is aiding and abetting them, and the fact that there was need for concern is indicative of the reign of liberal tyranny at Brandeis.n That same day, while wearing the Students for Bush shirt, Rebecca also found gum in her hair. Coincidence? We think not.n When carrying a Bush-Cheney sign, Aviva was given the finger by a student she does not know. When she asked why, the other student replied, "Look who you're voting for," and drove away. n The most horrifying of all are the stickers that were found throughout campus of a Ku Klux Klan member with a caption that read: "This is what a Republican Looks Like...Act to End Hate." That is incitement to riot against Republican students-it is hate literature and it was found in at least Usdan and the Shapiro Student Center.And yet, there is no uproar, there were no forums, no groups came together to condemn the discriminatory acts against fellow Brandeis community members. Rather, this is how the paper with the ironic title of "the Justice", which supposedly represents the Brandeis student body, reacted to Republicans: the "Unnatural Triple" cartoon was cut and replaced by a protest of Bush's re-election. Here is part of the message contained within the protest: "[conservatives'] political actions are dictated by religion. People are not voting on...foreign policy, but on taking away other people's rights." Our actions are not dictated by religion-one of our foremost concerns in this election was foreign policy-and we are horribly offended by the suggestion that our aim is to deny rights to others. The protest goes on to say "ignorance is swallowing up our freedom." Well yes, yes it is-the ignorance of what could potentially be some of the best and brightest students in this country keeps these students so consumed by their "liberal" ideals that they swallow up the freedom of those who have alternate views.The above is only a sampling of incidents from the past few weeks-imagine having had to deal with such intolerance and hypocrisy from professors and students alike for three years and still have more Brandeis open-mindedness to endure. We are outraged that this campus has not shown the same respect and care for a group that, although is not a minority outside the Brandeis bubble, certainly constitutes one within it. Perhaps it is time for Brandeis to reevaluate what it actually means to be liberal and progressive and take steps toward realizing true tolerance and acceptance.Editor's Note: Rebecca Langer '05 and Aviva Fink '07 are members of the Brandeis Republicans.
(11/16/04 5:00am)
Due to the volume of recent submissions and our ongoing effort to ensure fairness in the presentation of outside opinions in the Forum section, the editors have decided to change the submission policy. Letters to the EditorThe Justice continues to encourage letters to editor but will now only accept letters that address articles or other items that appear in the pages of this newspaper. Letter submissions are limited to 400 words and will be edited for space, in addition to style, grammar, spelling, libel and clarity.Op-Ed SubmissionsSubmissions of general interest to the University community-that do not refer explicitly to material printed in the Justice-should be between 600 and 800 words. Like any other opinion piece in the paper, they will be selected on the merit and relevancy of their argument and content, with no bias otherwise. If a submission is refused for publication one week, it will have to be re-submitted to be considered for the next issue. The deadline for all letters and op-ed submissions is Friday at 5 p.m. Submissions may be e-mailed to justforum@courier.brandeis.edu or mailed to MS 214 Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass. 02454, attention: Forum Editor.
(11/09/04 5:00am)
When John Kerry conceded the 2004 presidential election to George W. Bush on Wednesday morning, the mood on the overwhelmingly liberal Brandeis campus was one of anger, despair and disillusionment. Even many Red Sox fans had stopped smiling.The majority of Brandeis students had not simply favored electing John Kerry as the next president, but had assumed the coming of the apocalypse should Bush win another term. Kerry followers had been supremely confident that their fellow students would show up in record numbers to vote for Kerry and that domestic economic troubles and foreign unrest would be enough to boot Bush from office.None of these assumptions held true, however, and suddenly their deepest fears were realized."At first, I was just angry at the country," said Kat Gamer '06, a member of the Brandeis Democrats and Brandeis Students for Kerry."Bush hadn't proven himself in four years, so why should he get anotherchance?"After several days students said the anger had subsided, but it was followedby a sense of despair."I had always felt that no matter what happens, there's always something youcan do to fix it, but for the first time in my life I was hopeless," Gamersaid.For the campus minority-the Republicans-the mood was not so much one ofelation as it was relief."It was a relief that a competent, principled leader will remain in the WhiteHouse for four years," Jacob Baime '08, the vice president of the BrandeisRepublicans, said.On Tuesday night, while campus Democrats sat in shock as the map becamegradually redder, Brandeis Republicans saw their faith in President Bushvalidated."I expected President Bush to win because the American people trust him toprosecute the war on terrorism and keep America safe and that was thetranscendent issue of this election," Baime said.Despite their satisfaction with the outcome of the election, some Republicansfelt the national media's perceived liberal bias was obvious on Tuesday nightand that it put a damper on their celebration."I have to criticize the mainstream media for denying us a victory party onNov. 3," Baime said. "I was disappointed with CNN's reluctance to call statesfor Bush when he had clearly won."For many of the disappointed Democrats, much soul-searching has taken placeover the past week. Some students looking for answers attended a forum in theShapiro Atrium last night titled, "What Just Happened? Examining the 2004election."At the forum, Professors Jacob Cohen (AMST) and Richard Francis (POL) gavetheir opinions on the outcome of the election and its impact. Francis saidthat he had predicted that Kerry would win the election and even called itfor him last Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. But he believes that he was wrong forseveral reasons."Kerry failed the likeability test," Francis told the assembled students. "Hewas seen as patrician and aloof while trying to claim to represent the commonman."Cohen also predicted that Kerry would win the election, but cited numerousstatistics to explain why the senator failed to be elected. According toCohen, 51 percent of women, 53 percent of Latinos and 54 percent of votersaged 18 to 25 voted for Kerry. Cohen said he believes the major problem goesbeyond John Kerry's image, but extends to the image of liberals on the whole.Cohen told a story about Democrats who have threatened to throw themselvesunder Bush's car when it makes its way to his inauguration in January."These are not political people," Cohen said. "They are exhibitionistnarcissists who win votes for Bush. These people are religiousfundamentalists about the Democratic Party. Come on Democrats, be Democrats,not depressives," Cohen implored.Both Cohen and Francis spoke of the future of the Democratic Party as one ofrebuilding."There's nothing like a lover scorned," Cohen said. "What do the Democratsneed to do? I think they need to define themselves in a way John Kerrydidn't."While Democrats nationwide have a long road ahead, this election has taughtthe Democrats on campus that the oft-mentioned Brandeis bubble is truly notan accurate depiction of America."Because I have lived in Massachusetts my whole life and raised by veryliberal parents, coming out of the election, I feel I am very out of touchwith how America feels," Gamer said.
(11/02/04 5:00am)
It is a common mistake to believe that a young, active college student, such as yourself, is completely immune to health consequences and illness. I've heard students react to issues ranging from sleep deprivation to testicular cancer with a "that will never happen to me" attitude. However, these issues are likely to affect your friends, classmates, family and, believe it or not, you. It's important to be aware of the health concerns that affect our age group, and that's where we can H.E.L.P. you. H.E.L.P., or the Health Education Leadership Program, is a student organization that serves the Brandeis community by addressing college health issues, including alcohol and drug use, fitness, nutrition and stress and time management. We focus on the topics that are most relevant and beneficial to Brandeis students, for instance how to eat a balanced diet in the dining halls or how to cope with the pressure of finals. But H.E.L.P. isn't your average health education club (so put those thoughts of high school gym classes out of your mind). We put our own fun and original twist on the issues. Through our unique and interactive programs, we hope to make students think about the many facets of their wellness and take active steps toward a healthier, balanced lifestyle. A prime example is the Alternative Health Fair, which will be held on Nov. 4 in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the area will be filled with unusual sights and sounds: an acupuncturist meticulously inserting needles tipped with incense, the pounding rhythm of hand drums and students demonstrating the art of Tai Chi. This will be the third annual Alternative Health Fair, an event that introduces students to non-Western and unconventional approaches to wellness. As I attend this event each year, I am amazed by the wide array of diverse approaches to health and balance. I am always surprised to learn that diseases that I associated with strictly conventional medicine, such as asthma and diabetes, can be alleviated with acupuncture and herbal medicine.This event is not only a forum for education about alternative health, but also a rare opportunity to experience it firsthand. If you're feeling stressed or anxious (feelings all too familiar as midterms drag on), you can experiment with yoga, meditation, aromatherapy and other relaxation techniques. These approaches may have been completely unknown to you previously, and can now become healthy alternatives that you can implement in your daily life. Even if you don't have a specific health-related problem, the Alternative Health Fair can teach you techniques to optimize and maintain your physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. Featured guests will include Lillian Sober-Ain, Ph.D., a specialist in drumming for health and transformation, Gary Morrison, massage therapist, Dawn Skop, yoga and meditation instructor, and many more. Now that you know all about H.E.L.P. and its important mission, we'd love to have your H.E.L.P. (sorry the pun is too easy)! Our organization is striving to get our messages heard and increase our presence on campus. By joining H.E.L.P., you'll have the opportunity to voice your concerns about wellness on campus and use your creativity to design programs that will greatly benefit our community. Please join us at our meetings on Thursdays, from 8 to 9 p.m. in room 314 of the Shapiro Campus Center.
(10/19/04 4:00am)
The three religious chapels at Brandeis were built in a triangle so that no building's shadow would intrude on another's. In spite of this architectural gesture, many students here are saying Judaism that eclipses other faiths.Most attribute this to the sheer size of the Jewish community, which, according to a first-year survey, hovers at around 55 percent, but may be even larger.For non-Jewish students, this atmosphere takes some getting used to, but according to many, it ultimately provides a chance to re-evaluate personal connections to their own religions and beliefs. It's not easy, and at times, non-Jewish students do feel excluded. "People are really receptive about your being Catholic, but they're not as receptive to your being pro-life or pro-death penalty," said Jonathan Sham '06, an executive board member of the Catholic Students Organization (CSO). Growing up in Bible-Belt Texas, Sham was a Catholic in a highly Protestant area. Brandeis is just about at the opposite end of the spectrum, but Sham said he's found a way to use that to his advantage. "Part of being at college is defining yourself," he said. "Part of my definition is the CSO."The Rev. David Michael, Brandeis' Catholic chaplain, also spoke of this readjustment, and said it can be positive but certainly challenging. He noted a "sense of dislocation" for students accustomed to a Christian majority: the general issues that engage the campus are those that engage the Jewish community and the rhythm of life revolves around the Jewish holidays and Sabbath."The place feels very Jewish," he said. "Someone once said that there is a Jewish 'overlay' on campus. I call it a 'Jewish feel.' "Sham said the CSO has about 20 active members, and that 50 students attend Catholic Mass each week. He noted that about 11 percent of first-year students-400 individuals-say they are Catholic on the annual survey, but that fewer participate in religious events on campus.Michael said he does not think Catholic students leave Brandeis with a deep sense of connection to the University. Perhaps they feel connected to the CSO or to athletics, he said, but not to the school as a whole. He said this is reflected in the fact that the only building or room on campus named for a Catholic donor is the Charlie Napoli trophy room in Gosman. "I definitely don't take my faith for granted anymore," said Rebecca Collins '06, co-president of the Brandeis Christian Fellowship (BCF), the umbrella organization for Protestant students on campus. When a community is small, she said, "religion becomes such an important part of who you are."Brandeis was overwhelming in the beginning, she said, especially with the Jewish holidays that come right at the start of the school year. She recalled that her first year here, her dorm hall suddenly emptied for Rosh Hashanah, and the few girls who remained were dressed up and going to services. Kelley Collachi '06 also said that Brandeis was initially a shock. "At Brandeis, religion is an everyday part of people's lives," she said, noting that this was a major shift from her hometown of Londonderry, N.H. Collachi was confirmed as a Catholic and went to church every Sunday for 15 years, but said that during her senior year of high school, she started to move away from the religion. "I do not associate myself anymore with Catholicism or Christianity in general," she said.She still notices the Jewish atmosphere at Brandeis, but it is becoming more normal as she learns more about the holidays and their origins. She has attended services, went to her friends' break-fast celebration on Yom Kippur, and said she has even picked up "remedial conversational Hebrew" from hearing her friends speak to each other. "Judaism is definitely a bigger part of my life than any other religion," Collachi said. "I become so used to being ingrained in this kind of culture that when I go back [home], I almost feel out of place." She said that her discussions of Judaism have always been an open forum. "The [Jewish] presence is not so imposing that you get it no matter what," Ben Woodring '06 said, echoing Collachi's point. Woodring said he identifies as Roman Catholic, but that he is more religiously active at home in Pennsylvania, where family ties play a part, than he is at school. "What I've experienced at Brandeis is that no one else's choices and decisions will really influence yours unless you want them to," he said.He mentioned a trend that puzzles him. "Ninety-nine percent of people who I've heard complain about Brandeis being too Jewish are Jews themselves," he said. "I'm really confused about that kind of comment; I don't know how to react."Segregated religious groups?Students interviewed said that Jewish students do seem to group together, but mostly because there are more of them. As far as the reverse, non-Jewish students said their numbers are too small to stick to themselves. "For college students, religion almost isn't a factor when choosing who to hang out with," said Mehreen Rahthore '07, the interfaith, inter-club and intercollegiate representative of the Muslim Students Association (MSA). "On weekends, I don't hang out with just MSA students."The MSA provides a social and religious environment for Muslims on campus, including prayer, speakers and more relaxed events like movie nights. The other religious groups are similar, providing a range of religious, cultural and recreational events.Sham noted that two of the leaders of the CSO live together, but added, "If we were just friends with each other, we wouldn't have a ton of friends. The demography isn't set up so that we can just have a Catholic clique."The 'token' non-JewDespite general acceptance, non-Jews said they are sometimes singled out. "We could technically be considered diversity at Brandeis," Collins said.She said she's been asked to speak on behalf of all Christians, which is a big responsibility. "It's not fair that you end up being the token diversity in the group, the one in class that has to defend the history of the Crusades when you obviously weren't around during the Crusades and obviously can't explain it."Sham said his friends tease that he's the token Asian, Catholic, Texan and conservative. "It's only in joking, but it certainly sits at the back of your mind," he said.During the priesthood abuse scandal two years ago, people looked to him for answers, which made him uncomfortable.The same duty falls on Muslim students as well. "Being a Muslim at Brandeis has a lot of demands and assumptions and stereotypes," said Prof. Qumar-Ul Huda (NEJS), the MSA adviser. "Some Muslims feel the burden of defeating the stereotypes; they feel that's on their shoulders. But some Muslims don't feel that way-they have another cause."Either way, Huda said, the Muslim students he knows are very aware that they're a "minority in a predominantly Jewish university."Academic intimidationBrandeis is a leader in Near Eastern and Judaic studies, but those classes can be daunting to someone Jewish or non-Jewish without enough background in the subject. "I ended up having to drop a class," Collachi said. She attended the first two weeks of Ending Deadly Conflict, taught last fall by Ambassador Dennis Ross, and said that students asked Ross to skip ahead in the material. "It was just kind of assumed that everyone knew what Zionism was and where it came from. I honestly wanted to learn about those things, but I found myself not able to participate." She said she had the same experience in another class as well.Sharing the campusOverall, Brandeis students of different religions live peacefully together, but recognize that they could interact and mesh more smoothly."I haven't met anyone who is against me being a Muslim," said Taimur Dad '07, co-president of the MSA. He said that people hold stereotypes anywhere, but no more at Brandeis than elsewhere. He added that Brandeis students are quite informed about Islam compared to his high school peers."A lot of Jewish people feel that they're connected to Israel, and the Middle East, and so they're more open to learning about Islam," Rathore said. "[The Jewish majority] almost makes it better for us."As far as intra-group tensions go, students in the MSA, CSO and BCF all said that there are too few of them to be divisive. A group exists on campus specifically aimed to educate students about each other's religions: the Religious Pluralism and Spirituality (RPS) group. RPS treasurer Dara Klein '06 described the Sharing Our Faith series last year, where each religious group invited the campus community to one of their prayer services. She also mentioned the Winter Lights Festival, the multifaith Seder, and the "Tuesdays" series, where Brandeis professors speak about life lessons.The individual religious groups also hold open events. Islam Awareness Month begins this Thursday with the start of Ramadan, and will include speakers, as well as campus-wide and multifaith iftars, which are break-fast gatherings at the end of each day's Ramadan fasting.True religious pluralism, according to Klein, is a community "where a lot of different religions are not only present, but accepted ... where people not only know there are different religions, but are friends between the religions and understand their differences."This is a long process, she said, and it has yet to be "really achieved at Brandeis." She said non-Jews are often asked why they're at Brandeis, and "have to justify their position on campus." Indeed, Collachi said this is the first question she receives when people find out she isn't Jewish and attends Brandeis. "You don't have to actively be Jewish [at Brandeis]. But for other religions, you have to be more active," Klein said."We describe ourselves sort of jokingly as a small but vibrant community," Sham said. "Especially when you have spirituality-based groups like the CSO, God always plays a part in the planning. That really sort of gives us a sense of purpose, meaning and direction that is not given to other groups.
(10/19/04 4:00am)
You've heard our name, maybe chuckled and wondered what the Future Alumni of Brandeis, or FAB, actually do. At least once, you made the joke that FAB must be FAB-ulous. You probably came to the obvious conclusion that we're all future alumni of Brandeis and you probably wondered why, if we're only undergrads, we should care about being alumni. Well, I'm here to answer your questions.FAB is the student branch of the Alumni Association, a network of about 35,000 people who-since 1948-have has similar experiences as you at Brandeis. The creators of Friends, David Crane '79 and Marta Kauffman '78, loved the Cholmondeley's coffeehouse atmosphere enough to recreate it with Central Perk, and Emmy Award-winning actress Debra Messing '90 performed on stage at Spingold. Even not-so-famous alumni have left their mark. I remember talking to an alumnus who used to steal sandwiches from Sherman and sell them in the residence halls. But whether the alumni are famous or not, young or old, they were all our age at one time and did the same sorts of goofy things we do today. The Brandeis community extends beyond the peripheral road to all regions of the world, and they work in all types of professions. Even though alumni have established careers and families, they still hold a vested interest in Brandeis. They contribute time, money and energy into the development of the University. Although they no longer attend Brandeis, they still feel a certain bond to the school and with each other. They share their pride in Brandeis and use it as a way to connect to their past, leaving their day-to-day lives to remember the fun four years of young adulthood.Last weekend was Homecoming/Alumni Leadership Weekend, when alumni from around the country returned to their alma mater to attend meetings, listen to presentations, discuss the future of the University, laugh, smile and reminisce about how Massell Quad looks the same as it did 30 years ago. Even though this weekend is one of two scheduled times alumni visit campus, the connections and relationships never cease. The Office of Alumni Relations invited all of the alumni, while FAB was in charge of inviting all of the students, so they wouldn't miss out on this once-a-semester opportunity to bond with alumni. FAB ensures that alumni are constantly connected to Brandeis students. The only way for alumni to know what's really happening at Brandeis is to listen to the current students. Through various receptions, activities and parties, the dialogues can prosper. With alumni from around the world organized into chapters from various cities, students are able to serve as liaisons to these chapters. These liaisons are proud of their hometown, from north to south and coast to coast. They celebrate the unique characteristics of home by organizing events with and without alumni, providing a forum for students to be introduced to the alumni world. Having a good time is essential, too. Last year, for example, liaisons from Southern California, South Florida and Hawaii organized a Brandeis beach party, hoping to bring the sunshine and palm trees from back home to Waltham. And, just last week, students from New York gathered in the apple orchards, searching for the Big Apple.The legacy reception and Beyond Peripheral Road are other events FAB organizes to celebrate alumni and students. The legacy reception honors current students whose parents, grandparents or family members attended Brandeis, while the Beyond Peripheral Road prepares students for life after graduation. You may be surprised, but Brandeis' very own Ollie the Owl is managed by FAB, as well. A dedicated core of students sweat it out wearing the costume to provide all the spirit Brandeis fans need at sporting and special events.FAB has made great strides since it began just a few years ago. We have expanded our membership, organized committees with exceptional leaders and publicized our services to the best of our ability. There is still a long way to go. Our next step is to schedule events on campus with alumni speakers. We also want to expand our services to student clubs who want alumni participation, providing information and resources for contacting alumni. Even though we are not alumni just yet, it is a joy to mingle and work with these adults. The Office of Alumni Relations gives us incredibly strong support and the students involved give nothing but 100 percent. Join us in our growth because, soon enough, we're going to be looking back, wanting to be young again. Editor's Note: Matthew Closter '05 is the co-coordinator of FAB
(10/12/04 4:00am)
The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and the Middle East Forum at Brandeis sponsored a discussion with Ahood Al-Fadhal, Iraq's first elected female government official, last Wednesday at the Rose Art Museum. About 80 students and visitors came to hear Al-Fadhal talk about her experiences during and after Saddam Hussein's regime."I tell the Arabs here that we appreciate the freedom," Al-Fadhal said. "We are very thankful and grateful for [the Americans] and we also appreciate the liberation and freedom. I want to say to the mothers and fathers, who lost their sons and daughters, we are very sorry. I am here to say [to] the U.S. army [we are] very thankful [to them] for putting their life on the line for us."This was Al-Fadhal's first visit to the United States. She returned to Basra on Friday, after a month of speaking to students, teachers, the local media, the army and parents of soldiers around the country. Marc Narotsky '06, an organizer of the event and a member of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, explained the purpose of the lecture. "It humanizes the conflict," Narotsky said. "It lets the world know that there are millions of people that are free, thanks to the liberation of Iraq."Al-Fadhal also spoke about the improved situation for women and the biases of the media in America. "What you read in the newspaper is not correct," Al-Fadhal said. Students had mixed responses to her comments."Because of this, I am starting to understand the importance of supporting Iraq at this crucial stage in this historical matter," Jimmy Kamel '07 said. "Lack of support from the neighboring countries is detrimental to the development, especially at a point in its history as crucial as this."Hannah Ramer '08 said she was skeptical about the validity of Al-Fadhal's talk."She gave a one-sided view but she was very positive [and] optimistic," Ramer said. "I was admittedly very surprised by that.""It's really interesting to hear someone's perspective from inside the country as opposed to our media and our presidential candidates talking of it," Lindsey Saunders '07 said.Al-Fadhal said that the American media prefers to print stories about violence. She said when American troops came into Basra-Iraq's third largest city-everybody left their homes to celebrate in the street.Al-Fadhal has a degree in communications from the University of Baghdad. She is a trained journalist, but said she could not work under Hussein's regime because of her status in society. She said that she spent her days at home, worrying if there was enough money to feed her children and if they would be imprisoned. Hussein killed Al-Fadhal's three brothers, and her family has spent time in prison because her husband's mother is Iranian. Al-Fadhal said that Hussein was an uneducated man and that under his rule, Iraq suffered from neglect. She said there were no scholarships, the university had no new books and no connection existed with the outside world.Under Hussein's regime, she said there were only two newspapers in Iraq- one owned by him and the other by his son. But now, she said Iraq has over 200 publications in circulation. Al-Fadhal is currently the editor of the Iraqi Women's Echo. She said that the newsletter reports on the struggles and problems that Iraqi women face.
(10/05/04 4:00am)
Few albums this year have polarized critics and listeners as much as The Fiery Furnaces' Blueberry Boat. Clocking in at just under eighty minutes, the sprawling work has been labeled by many as an "indie rock opera." Marked by an imaginative, child-like narrative and infectiously minimalist keyboard-driven accompaniment, Blueberry Boat secured The Fiery Furnaces a place in music history outside of the recent garage-rock revival where they had haphazardly been lumped after last year's debut album Gallowsbird's Bark-it is hard to deny the ambition of their latest effort. While it defies conventional pop and rock standards regarding song structure, length and narrative style, Blueberry Boat is ultimately a much more traditional album than it is given credit for. The seemingly non-linear sequencing and spontaneous dynamic, tempo and mood-changes of each song mirror the story being told lyrically with astonishing precision. Siblings Matt and Eleanor Friedberger have created a sound that embraces the music of the 60's while ignoring the aesthetic and conventions that typically define it, removing the boundaries so many rock musicians almost unconsciously place on themselves. After getting their foot in the door of the corporate music machine, the Furnaces have shown utter disregard for the expectations externally placed on them, creating an album with no discernable single and no definitive audience. While touring with the likes of Wilco and the Shins may seem glamorous, the future of the band will undoubtedly be an uphill struggle. Before and after their show at Brandeis Saturday night, I was able to sit down with Matt (and later Eleanor) to discuss the band, the music and the industry. justArts: I'm not necessarily going to be asking you questions about the tour, or about the brother/sister dynamic or anything.Matt Friedberger: Oh, that's too bad. JA: I just wanted to actually talk to you about music. You just mentioned these "better bands." What better bands are out there? What music do you like?MF: I like Bob Dylan a lot. I listen to that. And then, I listen to the Rolling Stones a lot. And I listen to Brazilian beat music, this sort of Brazilian rock music. JA: I hear you guys being compared to other bands and it really seems to be more based off an aesthetic than off the way you sound. When I listen to your music I hear traces of The Who, I think Bob Dylan in terms of the narrative structure, some Beatles and Velvet Underground, Rolling Stones. MF: Well, that's because... people are trying to compare you to bands that play now as opposed to what you listen to. Other bands, they listen to the same records- well, I don't know. Maybe they don't. But... they drop some famous names. They say, 'Oh, we try to sound like The Who and the Beatles and the Beach Boys.'JA: Well, obviously, that's somewhat all encompassing.MF: That's true. But also, you can say that because it makes you sound good. But you're probably not as good as The Beatles.JA: Yeah. But, then again, it's not like you sound like the White Stripes.MF: No, we don't go down that road. I don't know what to say. But that's an interesting, that's a good thing. Because they're always cases-it's a genre thing, it's a rock 'n' roll genre thing to take one band and compare them to another band. JA: Do you feel pigeonholed?MF: No, because... we get stored with a lot of different pigeons... So it doesn't really matter. But it's important that people have arbitrary reactions, I guess, because its pop music and you're supposed to take [it] in and then use it however you will. If you write a song that's supposed to sound like the Who and it's about a cell phone salesman in Western Asia, and I have a guy come up to me and say 'Hey, I really like that song,'- I'm talking about [the song] "Straight Street." He said, 'I couldn't walk down Straight Street, help me, because, I came out last year and now I couldn't walk down." And [the song's] not anything about that. But, for him, he used it in that way. I mean, that's an exaggeration. People will think of the lyrics meaning anything they want it to. And they're going to imagine the song sounds like whatever they like or don't like. That's a legitimate part of rock music. It's very arbitrary.JA: I wanna ask you about something you've said, obviously somewhat tongue-in-cheek, about-MF: What, about us being bad?JA: I mean, it's obviously relative. You're opening for Wilco.MF: We had this show that we played in Boston where a band called White Magic opened up for us. And White Magic is a lot better than most rock bands. But we didn't pick them to open up for us, though we made friends with them. They were just put on the tour... But the letters people wrote us and the fan mail and internet forums and blogs, writing about White Magic-they hated them. People who were our fans! But opening bands are there to be disliked. You're supposed to be irritated by them. I remember when I was a kid you thought of opening bands in kind of two ways: If you go to see some dischord band who they bring on tour. You wanted to like them, because they were the band that this band who you admire brought on tour. Then some people thought of opening bands as, 'Fuck you, opening band. Get off the fucking stage...' The band was there for you to hate in order for you to like the other band that much more. And that's why it's interesting to play in the opening spot for such like a big, big band. JA: Or even the trend now of people just not showing up for the opening band.MF: Yeah, you don't show up. But if you do show up, you show up back in the bar or whatever.JA: That's kind of a shame, though, because there are a lot of great opening bands. That's how you get your exposure, that's a necessary part.MF: That's right. And that's how it works for casual fans who go to live shows. They know they're going to put them out there and people are going to remember the name and go 'Oh, I know that band!' They'll remember the name and then six months later, nine months later, when they're told the band is good they go, 'Yeah, I saw that band! I'm gonna go see them again!' But it happens, though. It happens all the time. Even if they're awful, they say 'I saw them, I saw them.'JA: 'Everyone else says they're good, so they must have been good...'MF: But that's fine because there's no standard now, or I don't know if there was before, but people always talk about what they like and what they don't like, and in rock or in pop music... it's a very social phenomenon, for people to like a band. So it has to be considered good before you like it. It's very much a gesture for you to like a band when there're other people who, you think, don't really like it. I mean, to think, my friend doesn't like this band. The girl who I want to be my girlfriend probably doesn't like this band. But I'm gonna like them anyway because of this or that. Or the opposite.JA: Well why are you guys even making music? It isn't like it's easy. Why bother?MF: It's really important... well, there's no rationale... There's really only one good reason to do this and that's because you're compelled by emotion and the material. If you're a painter it's probably because you're fascinated by the disposition of paint on the medium. If you make you make rock music, the only thing that you're fascinated with is rock records. And you want to compose the elements of rock records you like in a different way or in a complimentary way. And that's the only excuse to do it. Or, that's what I think. It's immersion in whatever you think or whatever you envision, or imagine it the particular tradition or whatever it is you're playing, and then regurgitate it in a different way and playing with those traditions. Be respectful, but either developing those traditions or maybe debasing them. I don't mean doing a bad job with the tradition because sometimes it can be a great thing to produce something which reminds yourself and other people how great the model of it was... I think there are a lot of people who think that the mainstream should be rock, and I think that means that accepted rock can be more strange. People take that really seriously. People listen to rock music on, like, classic rock stations and you read-I mean, rock history is already written. JA: So many people want to hold onto this idea that there is a definitive history of "how things happened," and while that is necessary to some degree, it can be very misleading.MF: Exactly. You can go into the library and read it. The history of rock 'n' roll is written, intelligently. So you take standard theory, especially when you're 13 years old, 12 years old at the time. You read about the Sex Pistols playing, written in kind of probably stupid religious tones. JA: You're one of the only bands I've heard recently talking about their songs as stories.And storytelling, especially in the third person, is really absent in a lot of rock music today. It's really refreshing to hear an album that isn't so straightforward, that isn't like a confession, that isn't about 'how I felt that one day.' You're probably channeling those feelings into the music, but in a much more abstract way. But was there something you were going for when writing this record? Was there something you had in mind?MF: Depends on the song. I want to say it's very important, I think that rock music... can compete with movies and with TV as a narrative form. Because there's so much left- and I'm talking about bigger bands... But even popular bands, the amount of money the record industry has to invest in making a record and promoting it and everything is small compared to a movie or a TV show. But rock, it lends itself to telling stories. Rock bands can tell stories, and even popular bands, they're free to be much weirder than people who make films, movies or TV shows. I think it's an important opportunity to take, because people like stories. JA: There seems to be a split between bands being very earnest and sincere, versus becoming more cynical, which is kind of an obvious reaction to what's going on in the world today. You guys seem to be, for lack of a better word, playful... like a band that wants to have fun in a non-gimmicky way. Eleanor Friedberger: [The Flaming Lips] seem like a very playful band, and they have a balance that's kind of similar to ours.JA: I don't hear enough music like that played; people don't really seem to take that approach. They either take themselves too seriously, or they're intentionally not taking themselves too seriously. EF: That's true.F: That's what they like. They either like Ween or they like Morrissey and there's no in between. EF: It's a combination of, y'know, very crazy and like- the thing about Pavement, is like, obviously those guys were old friends... talking about music for a long time before they began writing, with similar tastes and they had a similar sense of humor and stuff, and that's the only things Matt and I have in common. JA: They were a bunch of guys who went to college together, didn't even live in the same part of the country, kept in touch, and made a record and toured every few years. MF: Really, the only reason it was good was because that guy [Steve Malkmus] was a really talented guy. And the only reason we're good is because Eleanor is a really talented girl.EF: Mmhmm! [Eleanor leaves]MF: Oh man, that was a good exit line.
(09/28/04 4:00am)
Looking for a group of intelligent, open-minded people who enjoy discussing and actively supporting conservative politics? Look no further than the Brandeis Republicans, a conservative sanctuary on the Brandeis campus. In weekly meetings, the Republicans provide a stimulating, tolerant and conservative atmosphere open to all Brandeis students, from the first-years to the post doctoral graduate students. It is in this tolerant atmosphere that one may safely proclaim his or her love for George W. Bush and his policies, share and discuss articles and books authored by witty and intelligent conservative pundits such as Ann Coulter and William F. Buckley Jr. or discuss the truth (or lies) behind certain political movies. While in the past membership and meeting attendance has been sub-par, this year has already kicked off to a fantastic start. Every club witnesses the usual high attendance at the first meeting of the year followed by a sharp decline the week after, but thus far, the Republicans have had many more members than they had in previous years. And these members don't just add bulk to the e-mail list rather the number of active members has also appeared to increase from previous years. Many of these new members have expressed their gratitude for the existence of the Republicans, mentioning how glad they are to have a place where they can express their political views and ideologies free from ridicule and intolerance, while at the same time socialize with their fellow Republicans. Besides strong membership, the Republicans are also facilitated by a dedicated, hard-working leadership. With a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, fundraising head and news and information director at the reins, the Republicans are looking forward to a successful, active year. It must be noted, however, that we are an extremely egalitarian club. While many clubs may have an executive board that does the brunt of the work to the extent that it appears the board is the club, the Republicans' leaders are simply there to facilitate and organize. What makes this club so great is that anyone can be as active and contribute as much as she or he is able, regardless of position.Thus far, the Republicans have some exciting, tentative plans for this school year with a two-fold purpose. All of them aim to provide members with the opportunity to socialize with their sometimes hard-to-come-by fellow Brandeis Republicans, while simultaneously educating the wider student body on Republican issues. The closest upcoming event is an outing to watch Celsius 41.11, a film released this month. This movie exposes the lies behind Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 (Interesting fact: Celsius 41.11 is the temperature at which the brain begins to die.) Also, this being an election year, the Republicans are hoping to have a series of debates held around the time of the presidential debates, as well as gatherings to watch the debates with discussions held directly afterwards. These debates and discussions will serve as excellent opportunities for students to learn more about Republicans and their views, as well as to dispel any misinterpretations of them. If things go well in November, the Republicans would like to have a giant victory bash to celebrate the spectacular news. The fun doesn't stop there. We are also planning to attend and sponsor more social events with Republican clubs from other universities and colleges, including Harvard, Boston University, Boston College, Babson, Amherst and Tufts. In this way, the Republican college youth of the Boston area will be better connected to each another. Further, the Republicans are hoping to have more dissemination of Republican articles, books and information to those interested. And of course, the ever-popular, fun-filled Conservative Coming Out week will be held during the spring semester. As a special event, we are currently trying to obtain a popular conservative pundit such as Ann Coulter to speak to the Brandeis Republicans and the entire community during that week. With dedicated, vibrant, and active members, and a promising series of educational and social events, it is clear that the Republicans will play a very active role on the Brandeis campus during this election year. Further, our role in during the academic year will not only be active, and multifaceted. The Republicans will attempt to correct any misinterpretations of conservative views, as well as to actively educate the campus on conservative issues. Perhaps more importantly, as expressed by many in the club, the Republicans not only exist to educate on conservative views, but also exist as a forum and gathering place for its members. Indeed, many members may consider the Republicans an arena where they are able to freely express their conservative views in a tolerant environment with like-minded individuals. The events this year will, thus, not only serve to provide much-needed information students should have in order to make a more balanced assessment of the candidates during the election, but they will also serve to provide an intellectual, open-minded outlet for Brandeis Republicans.
(09/14/04 4:00am)
The Middle East Forum at Brandeis and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies co-sponsored a discussion with Carlo Boccia, the director of homeland security for the City of Boston last Thursday in Usdan. The discussion focused on how the Sept. 11 attacks affected the way in which terrorist threats are dealt with in the Boston region and throughout the world. Boccia said he gathers and studies information provided by citizens to makes it easier for them to report any actions or people that may seem suspicious.Boccia is a distinguished expert in the field of homeland security. He is a graduate of The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., and has worked for the federal government for 33 years in a number of capacities. "We are training the public," Boccia said. "They need to know what to remember, and a friendly place to deposit that information. . .we want to convert information into action." Boccia said that everybody conducting business must pay attention to who their customers are and to take note of anything unusual. He said he was happy about the progress being made in Boston toward this front, but he also acknowledged the long battle ahead. "We are pleading with everyone to participate to make this a safer environment," Boccia said, stressing that the fight against terror is an ever-changing work in progress.According to Boccia, after the Sept. 11 attacks, Americans united and produced a robust response. But six months later, he said he heard complaints about long lines at airport terminals due to tightened security measures. He said it is these small inconveniences that make people reluctant to take appropriate measures to prevent terrorist attacks. Boccia said four main areas of security need to be addressed-inter-agency cooperation, specialized equipment, more hands-on training and communication. "The collaborative environment constantly needs reinforcement," said Boccia. In the event of a catastrophic attack like 9/11, communication between the police, hospitals and private organizations needs to be as open as possible."Boccia also addressed the political effects of terror. He said neither United States presidential candidate addresses the appropriate issues regarding terror because they are more concerned with a "quick fix." The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to educating people on the threat of terrorism. Two Brandeis students, Marc Narotsky '06 and Jessica Goldings '06 were undergraduate fellows for the foundation this summer. Goldings is a news editor of the Justice
(09/14/04 4:00am)
Just want to let you know about a forum that occurred in New York City last Sat., Sept. 11th, concerning how 9/11 did not happen as reported in the media, and the massacre was not attributed to Bin Laden.Also, engineers testified as to how the buildings did not collapse, but were, in fact, detonated.Please consult the following websites for more inf:www.911truth.orgwww.septembereleventh.orgwww.cooperativeresearch.orgwww.nesara.us (See Dove Reports)www.infowars.comwww.prisonplanet.tv (articles on 9/11)Thanks,Taylor Jo Sea
(09/07/04 4:00am)
The administration has introduced more diversity-related courses to the curriculum in large response to racial incidents last year, according to Provost Marty Krauss.Krauss said that the Dusty Baker incident and the controversial visit by Daniel Pipes hurt the community and piqued interest in spreading tolerance and acceptance."On the academic side, I wanted to make proactive and constructive activities to bring us to the place we want to be in," Krauss said.The plan-outlined by the administration last January and developed by the Provost's Steering Committee on Campus Diversity Issues-also involves adding more diversity-related materials into existing courses in the future.Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe, who is chair of the curriculum subcommittee under Krauss' initiative, said he could not reveal as of now what existing courses will add new material in the future. But he said this effort is underway.Jaffe said a list of courses dealing more heavily with issues of diversity are posted on the provost and dean's office Web site. He said these courses are organized into three different categories -"Gender and Sexuality," "Religion, Race," and "Culture and Global Perspectives." According to Jaffe, at least nine new courses have never been offered before. He also said many courses offered in years prior would not have been included this year, if not for the provost's committee.A few of the listed courses include "Queer Readings: Before Stonewall," "Asian American literature" and "Introduction to African History."Jaffe said he is working toward creating additional new courses for the spring semester, including something about Latino experiences to be offered in Sociology, Islamic Arts and Race in American Cinema. He also said he wants to include other materials relating to conflict resolution and social justice."The goal is to have a Web site up by the fall and to have some sort of seminar or colloquium to teach people how to use it," Jaffe said. Community members expressed different feelings about the initiative to add more diversity into the curriculum.Shoshana Speiser '06 said she is happy the curriculum is being updated to include more diversity related material. But she said human interaction is the best teacher of diversity."Brandeis is a small school with limited course offerings, " Speiser said. "So any additional options I feel are welcome. However, what is learned in class does not substitute for practical experience and personal interaction."Ruodan Lan '07 agreed, saying that simply being a student at Brandeis-a place with people from numerous backgrounds-makes students more aware of diversity."I think it's necessary to have new courses dealing with diversity because there are so many nations and races in the world," Lan said.But some students felt that the administration plan was not the right way to deal with diversity issues on campus."It's a good idea but the problem is that the people who will take [courses with diversity] will be those who are already concerned with diversity," Yuval Simchi-Levi '05 said. "The University won't necessarily attract students who should learn more about diversity."Ben Wolinsky '06 agreed with Simchi-Levi, adding that it is not the role of the administration to control how the faculty teaches their courses."I have a major issue with the administration interfering with the instruction of professors who are experts in the material being taught," Wolinsky said.Prof. Susan Lanser (ENG), who is on the committee, said Brandeis was founded upon acceptance and that it would be hypocritical to turn away from such values. "We cannot pursue these goals without a broadly inclusive education in and out of the classroom and without a climate that fully supports the intellectual development and the personal well-being of every student," Lanser said.Professor Harry Mairson (COSI) agreed with Lanser, saying that discussing diversity issues is always necessary. But he was skeptical about using the classroom as a forum for this."Studying the big world out there is absolutely a good thing," Mairson wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. "Only, what *isn't* a 'diversity course'---maybe computer science? And is diversity to be studied, or had?"Krauss expressed anticipation for new and and updated courses and said she hopes that this initiative would help foster an exciting academic environment."I'm looking forward to an engaged and exciting academic year and continuing to provide our students with the richest and most challenging curriculum that we can mount," Krauss said.
(08/31/04 4:00am)
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder addressed approximately 800 first-years last night at Spingold Theater Center about his novel, Mountains Beyond Mountains. Orientation leaders, Roosevelt Fellows and Brandeis faculty and staff also attended."I'm sure you've learned by now that there's no free lunch, but there is a free book," said University President Jehuda Reinharz in describing this year's Helen and Philip Brecher New Student Forum novel selection, the committee that funds the event each year.Kidder spent time documenting Paul Farmer's life in Haiti - a doctor, Harvard professor, renowned infectious-disease specialist, anthropologist and recipient of the McArthur grant - who since 1982 has been working in Haiti on a program, Partners for Health, to provide effective treatment of diseases like tuberculosis and AIDS.Kidder said Farmer's achievements and viewpoints made him interested in writing the book.Reinharz added the book was chosen partly because of Farmer's strong will and commitment to social justice."[The novel] talks about the kind of radical change in incidents that seem almost insurmountable," Reinharz said."The story of Farmer's life to me is like an adventure," Kidder said. "He spends more time on planes in coach going to Haiti than in Boston."Kidder described how he would struggle to keep up with Farmer on 11-hour hikes when he was making house calls."If I said that not enough people would follow his example and that there's not enough to make a difference, he'd say he wouldn't care," Kidder said. "He'd say you're saying these lives mean less than others..."When a first-year asked if Farmer's medical expertise could have been better utilized if he had focused less on individual attention to patients than more on saving as many lives as possible, Kidder defended Farmer's attentive approach."I think the whole genius of the thing is to pay attention to that individual," Kidder said. "If you go the other way you run the risk of looking at patients as pins on a needle, and you make errors...by caring for the individual patient you get to do something for the whole world."First-years had the opportunity to stay behind after the speech and get their books signed by Kidder.
(08/31/04 4:00am)
The University completed a feasibility study this summer for building a parking garage to increase available spots and accommodate first-years who wish to have cars on campus, according to Brandeis administrators."If we had a parking garage on campus, then I, nor anyone else, would have an issue with freshmen having cars on campus," said Jean Eddy, the senior vice president for Students and Enrollment.According to Associate Vice President Dan Feldman, the study evaluated X-lot and G-lot as two possible locations for three different garage models. "The goal is creating a much more pedestrian environment in the heart of the Brandeis campus... and getting rid of a lot of the little [parking] lots that are scattered across campus," Feldman said.University President Jehuda Reinharz said that while he is trying to raise money for the garage, he does not know when enough funds will be collected to begin construction.Reinharz restricted parking to first-years in the fall of 2002 in an attempt to keep the campus more open to pedestrians. He said the construction of the Shapiro Campus Center and the Great Lawn also eliminated 150 previous parking spaces."We simply have insufficient space at present to accommodate every car on campus," Reinharz said.According to Eddy, the decision to restrict parking to first-years also originated from a significant parking crunch. But she said the administration does not plan to impose parking restrictions on other classes in the future."We certainly didn't feel that we had any recourse but to restrict some people from parking," Eddy said. "It's not uncommon on many college campuses for freshmen to not be allowed to have cars on campus."Eddy said students favored a more attractive campus over increasing parking spaces when the plan for beautifying the campus was presented a few years ago in an open forum.When asked if she had surveyed students recently whether they would prefer more green space or more parking, Eddy said, "I have not had the forum to ask them directly, but you are going to have a different conversation when you talk about parking versus green space." Eddy said that places like the Great Lawn used to be parking lots, and in the past, "It was pretty clear that students were looking for that [places to hang out], and looking for the campus to be prettier."Eddy said first-years can appeal the parking policy via a special committee composed of herself, Director of Admissions Deena Whitfield and Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan. She said there must be a compelling reason for an appeal to be granted - like a medical disability.Whitfield said about a dozen parking waiver requests were made last year about and half of them were granted. Despite the parking restriction, Eddy admitted that there were still significant problems with parking on campus. "The parking crunch is getting worse," Eddy said. "More students are bringing cars."Both Reinharz and Eddy say that there are no further plans restrict parking on campus. "I've not been part of any more conversation about restricting cars on campus for sophomores," Eddy said. "That has not been under consideration.
(05/25/04 4:00am)
To the Editor:Investigations like "Some CAs turn a blind eye to violators" in the April 27 issue should be saved for forums where a reader expects a slanted view, not held up for everyone who expects to see actual news. Furthermore, this article has no news qualities for two reasons. First, it is not news that students who attend your university and happen to become CAs break rules. They are college students like everyone else at Brandeis, and along with underage drinking, smoking and partying comes a certain disdain for the rules. Second, the article does not convey all sides of the issue. The writers should have provided us with the information that no CA was willing to speak on the record.The article has holes and weaknesses that should have been detected during the editorial process. I find it hard to believe that at a major university's newspaper there are no editors who would be looking for all of these things from an article. I must commend the writers of this article for their investigation job, but I must reiterate that their job went unfinished. By printing this unfinished article you have provided your audience with inadequate information, forcing them to lean toward one view. In doing this you have also failed as proper journalists. In closing, I suggest that you strongly consider the many messages that you send by providing one-sided articles in the form of news.-Aviron ShemtovSharon, Mass.
(04/27/04 4:00am)
Leonard Bernstein founded the Festival of the Arts as a forum to debut his new piece of music. Now, 52 years after the original founding, Kristen Sergeant (GRAD), accompanied by Jennifer Honen (GRAD), paid tribute to him in a small and intimate recital last Friday.Sergeant opened her performance with I Hate Music, a song cycle about a child's desire to sing and not worry about all of that music stuff. Sergeant eloquently sang of the little girl's desire to stop practicing and her body language and crisp delivery had the audience laughing in all of the right spots. She followed with "Take Care of This House" from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a show Bernstein wrote in 1972 with Alan Jay Lerner in an attempt to criticize the Nixon administration. The song itself is about the sacred ground that is the White House, but as Sergeant described, "it can really be applied to any place that has a lot of meaning to someone." Sergeant gave an excellent performance of the piece. Quite often very high treble sopranos can come off sounding breathy and light, but Sergeant gave a full, supported performance that created a strong sound. For her third piece, Sergeant performed two love songs: "Extinguish My Eyes" and "When My Soul Touches Yours," both of which are poems by Rainer Maria Rilke. Sergeant's flowing legato performance enhanced the messages of love delivered by the poems. Furthermore, her smooth phrasing allowed the audience to understand each word that she was saying, adding to the mood Rilke meant to create in her writing. "La Bonne Cuisine" is a series of French recipes from Emily Dumont's La Bonne Cuisine set to music. Sergeant's performance of the series was fast, fun and staccato, a very big style shift from the previous piece. While some of the humor of singing recipes was lost in the French, it was still very entertaining to listen to. Next, Sergeant performed selections from Mass by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin) and Bernstein. Schwartz's influence was very prevalent in the second selection "I Go On," where the accompaniment bore a distinct resemblance to "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin. Both pieces added to Sergeant's already excellent performance. Sergeant closed with "Piccolo Serenata," another legato piece she performed beautifully with her powerful soprano voice. Overall, the recital was an excellent display of the wide varieties of music that Bernstein wrote in his life and each was performed incredibly well with meticulous attention paid to each song and performance. Although it might have been one of the smallest audiences, it was one of the best performances of the Festival.
(04/27/04 4:00am)
The Justice Editorial Board would like to say goodbye to our four graduating seniors. We wish congratulations to them and thank them for their time on the board during their Brandeis careers. They will each be deeply missed.Jeremy Hamburgh has been on board over two and a half years following a lengthy term as an assistant in the sports section. He served as sports editor and as associate editor during his time, and has truly been a center of gravity for this board. A voice from editorial boards of the past, Jeremy never loses sight of tradition nor vision for the future. He is a trusted and admired individual. Jeremy's gift for articulation as a writer and speaker is remarkable and will be missed in our pages and in our meetings. We have no doubt that he will flourish next year at Brooklyn School of Law and in the future. When it comes to the Justice, Jeremy always wants to be on top and never fails to rise to the occasion. Evan Lerner has spent the shortest time on our board, but has certainly made his mark. As a columnist, his words challenged us and made us examine how we view our school and ourselves. Evan came to our board as forum editor during a time of crisis and has been a stabilizing force for our paper ever since. He is a gifted writer and innovative thinker who is not afraid to offer controversial opinions, but is also is equally accepting of the opinions of others. His eagerness to step up in whatever capacity he can whenever he is needed has made a lasting impression. GeneWatch Magazine is lucky to have his talents as their editor next year. Live long and prosper, Evan.Andrew Meyerson has served as photo editor for over a year, and has been a major contributor in making the Justice a finer product for the Brandeis community during his time as editor and in the entirety of his four years as a photographer. Andrew has consistently gone above and beyond his duties, and he is always willing to be a sympathetic ear and a shoulder to lean on. His enthusiasm, creativity, sense of humor and resolution has made him an irreplaceable asset to this board. With an almost dizzying style, Andrew's work has become a trademark. He is a pillar of strength to this board and to his community, as his abilities as a communicator and mediator are exemplary. As a fifth year graduate student he won't be rid of us just yet, and we are thrilled to get one more year of his time, his energy and his low-carb convictions. Elana Margulies has served on the editorial board for a whopping three-and-a-half years as features editor and then as associate editor. Elana made great strides in continuing to strength The Justice Alumni Association over the past year as well as to offer guidance and insight to the board as the "grandmother" figure. After spending the second semester of her junior year in Madrid, Elana returned to the board with worldly insights and continued dedication. We marvel at her responsible attitude towards the Justice and at the diligence she shows in all aspects of her life. Elana seems pensive at times and consistently keeps an even and open mind, though we're sure that deep down there's a devil waiting to break out. We wish her the best of luck in pursuing a successful career in journalism, though we're sure she won't need it. We also would like to offer our congratulations to past senior editors Jackie Hendries, Devorah Klein, Shaw Lupton and Rob Siegel. Best of luck to them and to the entire Class of 2004.
(04/27/04 4:00am)
To the Editor:I would like to highlight a significant inaccuracy in Stephen Heyman's April 20 column "Horowitz' ad reject solely on policy issue" concerning the Editorial Board's refusal to print David Horowitz's advertisement. In the column, Heyman claims that in its decision not to print the ad, the Justice was wrongly accused of "harboring a liberal bias" and that the Editorial Board "would have rejected an ad from an opposing viewpoint with the same justification." So then, Mr. Heyman, why did your paper print an ad paid for by Jewish Voices Against the Occupation on page 16 of the Oct. 1, 2002 issue entitled "Jewish Voices Against Israel's Occupation of Palestinian Territories"?When I read the ad, I was thoroughly disgusted at both the content and the fact that the Justice Editorial Board would print such an opinionated, slanderous piece against Israel and Israelis. When I questioned some Justice staff, they responded that it was their Editorial Board's decision as to which politically motivated ads are fit to print. As the editor, would you have printed this ad considering its content? Again, this was not published as an op-ed piece or within a column, but instead was an advertisement. Besides the fact that I can contest every point in it, the ad is political in nature and sponsored by a liberal organization, thereby disproving your contention that accusations of the pro-Horowitz ad students were "baseless."And you may ask, "how do you know about this ad?" In response, I actually saved a copy of the ad and have used it before in several presentations on college campus media bias, along with several other Letters to the Editor that I have written in response to what I deem as anti-Israel articles in the Justice over the years. Therefore, I urge the editors of the Justice to remember the actions of their predecessors and to be truthful to their readers. Please continue to do your best to include both sides in the news and forum sections, but ban political advertisements entirely. Unfortunately, despite your assurances, you were one-sided this time.-Jonathan Waldstreicher '04former vice president, ZaHaV
(04/27/04 4:00am)
The Asian journal, Monsoon, hosted a forum entitled "Globalization and its costs in Asia" in conjunction with the International and Global Studies Program (IGS), The Consilience Program and the Schiff Fellowship Group of Professors N. Menon and B. Ngan on Wednesday.The event featured a panel of five professors, including Gary Jefferson (ECON), Serkan Bahceci (ECON), Seyom Brown (POL), Sarah Lamb (ANTH) and Richard Lyman (East Asian studies). Each speaker was given 15 minutes to present the issue of globalization in Asia according to his or her specialization, after which each addressed questions from the audience. According to Editor in Chief of Monsoon and coordinator for the event Benjamin Ngan '05, the goal of the event was to spread awareness to not only students, but to all members of the Brandeis community about globalization, because many do not know about how it has affected those abroad."The goal of our event is to gather members of the Brandeis community," Ngan said. "We also wanted a diversity of speakers, so that is why we had five professors from different departments."Elliot Veloso '04, Monsoon's senior editor of Global Issues and the moderator of the event, agreed with Ngan, adding that he was particularly surprised by the scope of opinions on the issue."We wanted to promote a forum where professors and students can discuss the various cultural, economic and social issues involved in this subject," Veloso said. "What struck me was how divergent the opinions were regarding the issue of globalization. Many people either supported or opposed it, and these views promoted spirited discussion especially during the question and answer period."According to Veloso, the diversity in faculty represented a wide range of perspectives on the issue.The talk began with Prof. Jefferson, who stressed that inequality, both in terms of costs and benefits and labor standards, is one feature of globalization in which people must focus upon when discussing the issue."Some issues that regard costs for China may constitute benefits for other countries," Jefferson said. "Something that is a cost for Japan is something else for another country. In addition to this inequality, there is also the challenge China faces in relation to U.S. supremacy."Bahceci agreed with Jefferson that things that people in Asia may see as negative may, in fact, be positive for the global economy.Taking a somewhat opposing approach was Lamb, who raised the issue of families in India who suffer directly because of the effects of globalization.More specifically, according to Lamb, the concept of a nursing home is unnatural to Asian families, who are used to living very intimately. According to her, children would live with their parents and grandparents until their deaths, but with the infiltration of globalization, children run off to work and school, and grandparents are sent away.Lamb also spoke of Western children as compared to Asian children in their contrasting upbringings. In the West, Asian parents and grandparents are disconcerted by the unavailability and independence of the youth. In the East, however, children would always be around their families.According to Ngan, the event was successful because of the dialogue it sparked, and because of the good advertising they did for Monsoon."I think I am satisfied with how the event went in terms of fulfilling our expected goals," Ngan said. "The audience was surrounding our speakers and engaging them into positive and provocative dialogue. I also know that quite a number of our audience have not heard of Monsoon prior to the event, but they do now."Veloso agreed with Ngan, adding that not only was the general response positive, but the very diverse dialogue was indicative of success."The hope was that students and faculty could promote spirited discussion regarding globalization, and I feel that it was successful," Veloso said. "The general response from the participants has been positive.
