(03/12/13 4:00am)
Last Tuesday, Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, pediatric oncologist Jessica Sachs and Prof. Sylvia Barack Fishman (NEJS) spoke about their professional journeys on a panel called "Desserts & Dialogue: Women in Leadership." The event was a part of the Brandeis Leadership Week sponsored by the Department of Community Living and the Department of Student Events. The three women spoke to a packed audience in Levine-Ross in the Hassenfeld Conference Center, and began by presenting narrations of their career paths. McCarthy was born and raised in Waltham. After receiving an undergraduate degree in biology from Boston College, she worked in a factory for four years, attended night school to receive a law degree from Suffolk University and attended graduate school at Northeastern University. Later, she volunteered for the Waltham community and ran for the school committee, a position that she held from 1986 to 1991, according to her website. Ultimately, McCarthy decided to get involved with politics in order to "give back." She worked first in the City of Waltham law department for seven years, and in 2004, became the mayor. She was the first woman to hold the position in the town's history, beating opponents that included an incumbent and a former mayor's son, she said. "I've been fortunate to be the mayor of my hometown," McCarthy said during the panel, citing Waltham's diverse population and "two beautiful universities" among the town's assets. McCarthy added that her legal and science training have helped her in her career path. Of additional aspects to her approach as mayor she said, "I try to be honest and tell the people, 'I can do this, I can't do that.'" Sachs, who works at Massachusetts General Hospital and Millennium Pharmaceutical Company, called herself a "transplant to the area," having moved to Newton, Mass. from Maryland in high school. In her career path, Sachs said that she was initially sure of four things in which she was later proven wrong. As an undergraduate biology student at Duke University, Sachs said she was first sure that she wanted to be a scientist and had no interest in medicine. After then choosing a Doctor of Medicine program for financial reasons, she said that she thought she was sure that she wanted to do research rather than working with patients. However, after working in a clinic and enjoying working with patients more than she anticipated, the third thing she said she thought she knew was that she did not want to work in pediatrics "because I found children very frustrating," she said. Sachs said that she was ultimately drawn to pediatrics, in part because children are generally healthy. "It was very empowering, to be able to fix someone, ... knowing that they could go on to lead perfectly normal lives," she said. Then, while at what is now Tufts Medical Center, Sachs said that the fourth thing she initially thought was that she wasn't interested in oncology. However, during her residency, she said that she discovered that pediatric oncology was indeed the right route for her and went on to an oncology fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, which was both the worst year of her life and "definitely also one of the best things I've ever done." "Every one of those children I've cared for is part of who I am, part of my identity," Sachs said. Fishman, the department chair of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, was born in Wisconsin. "I always loved to read, and I loved to read things that weren't true," she said. She eventually went on to study English at Washington University in St. Louis. Despite beginning her career in what she called "the bad old days," in which she, as a married woman with children, was denied academic and professional opportunities, Fishman went on to teach English at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Fishman first began her time at Brandeis assisting with sociological research. Ultimately, she said, she was the first female in the NEJS department to be on the tenure track, and is also the first woman to act as chair of the department. Fishman observed the "shared motif of 'winding paths'" in the three women's journeys. She said that this quality has always been true of women's career paths, but that it is now true for both men and women. Another motif that she noted was that of "people that throw their whole heart and soul into whatever part of the path they're on." In response to an audience question about women being cautioned against dressing femininely in the workplace, Fishman said, "I didn't wear nail polish until I got tenure." At the time that she was beginning her career, she said that dressing professionally but not calling too much attention to oneself as a woman was important. McCarthy added that because those in the political sphere "judge you upside, downside, every side" until they get to know you, a positive first impression is important. Her frequent response, however, is that "you didn't pay me for dressing up; you pay be for my brain," she continued. In response to an audience question about sexism in the field, McCarthy said that she keeps her mother's advice in mind: "What you do reflects upon you, and what other people do reflects upon them, and just remember that." She advised the audience to "very respectfully stand your ground" in such situations. Fishman similarly advised the audience to "stick up for yourself without being defensive" and to be "appropriately forceful in the way you present yourself." As a final word of advice, McCarthy said, "you have got to have experience to know what you really want, [and] you have got to have courage to change what you want when you're not happy."
(03/11/13 4:00am)
Film students dream of the day when one of their creations will be recognized by the art community and displayed on the big screen for the public to enjoy. For one student-producer, reaching this milestone is more than a farfetched goal: it's a possibility that's right around the corner. Ethan Stein '15, a student in the Film, Television and Interactive media program and the producer of the short film "Wordsmith" is one of the 12 finalists of the second annual 2013 Boston Student Film Fest. The competition gives undergraduate and graduate films students the chance to win prizes and gain valuable critiques from industry professionals. In 2011 Mikey Gefland, Mark Rapaport and Rob Robbins, three college students who are Stein's good friends from high school, formed the production company Rob Robbins Reels. They post humorous videos to their website on a biweekly basis. "I always encouraged them to pursue their talents." Stein said. Stein spent a large portion of his summer in his native city of New York working on "WordSmith," a short film which the company plans to release as part of a feature-length film in April. The feature film is about two friends whose rejected short movie leads to an "unthinkable series of events that culminates in the two characters getting arrested for robbing a convenience store," Stein said. Stein is an American Studies major, with minors in Film and Computer Science. He never thought "WordSmith" would be successful as a short in its own right. "For our film we thought it would be a good idea to actually make the short film that doesn't make it into any festivals. As the feature film production got postponed, we started spending more and more time on the short." Although the short was a bust under the film premise, the BSFF, "appreciated our odd brand of humor and accepted it," Stein said. "WordSmith" stars a character named Quincent Smith (Rapaport), a down-on-his-luck guy who is determined to leave his legacy with any hair-brained scheme he can come up with, his latest attempt involving trying to get a word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Even as a young kid, Stein had a passion for film. With all of New York City at his fingertips, he would often prefer to indulge in the world of movies. "I was the kind of kid you could mention the name of a movie to and I would know everything about it. I spent years of my life in front of the big screen and the small screen," said Stein. Most of the filming was done in a city apartment, as well as a park on the upper-east side of Manhattan. Coordinating the various actors and locations sometimes proved to be a challenging balancing act. "It was just new for us." Stein said. "It was an actual film. We had to get spaces and permits. We hired professional actors and interviewed professional actors ... It's only a 13-minute film but the amount of time and sleep lost over this film was immense." A large portion of the funds were raised through their "extremely successful" Kickstarter campaign, a crowd-funding website that helps new start-up companies and projects raise money toward a certain monetary goal based on voluntary donations. After months of filming and planning, Stein explained how it felt to wrap up the project. "Seeing the first day of filming and the finished product was the light at the end of the tunnel," Stein said. Now that the film is a Boston Finalist, Stein and his team will have the opportunity to win two prizes that will push them toward further recognition and fame. Between March 18 and March 30, all the contestant's videos will be up on the festival website for viewers to visit and rate, and one video will receive the "Best of the Fest-Audience Pick." Additionally, a panel of celebrity judges including film producer Kevin Tostado, film critic Tom Meek, NewEnglandFilm.com's Michele Meek, Arlington International Film Festival Director Alberto Guzman, film critic and blogger Garen Daley and Rhode Island International film director George Marshall will also be providing feedback and will declare the "Best of the Fest-Jury Pick." The winners of these prizes will be screened at the Kendall Square Cinema in Cambridge on Thursday, April 11, with a celebratory reception to follow. They will also have the opportunity to enter their film in a film competition with shorts from across new England. Stein is currently making plans to screen both the short and the feature film at Brandeis, and is hoping to enter the film into more competitions. "People don't realize how much time and effort that goes into slaving over the script and coming up with ideas and making corrections and say it in a way that other people besides you will get and think is funny," Stein said. For Stein, film is a natural form of expression he is glad to have in his life. "I fell in love with the idea of inspiring and entertaining people with a 90 to 150 minute work of art and haven't looked back since," he said.
(03/05/13 5:00am)
The Student Union Senate met last Sunday to discuss individual and committee progress. There were no clubs present to request funding and no University or student communications to address. Student Union Vice President Gloria Park '13 discussed the upcoming Take Your Professor to Lunch Program, which will return in April. The vouchers distributed through the program can be used only for professors and not administrators or staff. Park proposed instituting a separate program that would provide vouchers that could be used for professors, administrators, staff or teaching assistants. The Senate offered suggestions for the program, including distributing the vouchers by raffle and providing vouchers for a smaller amount that can be used at Einstein Bros. Bagels. Park also said that she will be meeting today with Student Union Chief of Staff Jesse Manning '13, Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren and Provost Steve Goldstein '78 to discuss ways to improve and effectively use course evaluations and the possibility of implementing more study days during the finals period in future years. As part of a pilot program, students next year will have two study days instead of one, Park said. The Senate also discussed the possibility of having administrators help serve food at the Midnight Buffet, which is hosted by the Student Union before each finals period. Senators agreed that it would likely take pressure off of the students running the event but that students might feel less comfortable and less able to relax with administrators present. North Quad Senator Alexander Burger '16 said that he was successful in getting a new television installed in Polaris Lounge in North Quad. The Dining Committee is preparing for an event on March 20 to mark National Nutrition Month. They also discussed the possibility of changing the hours of the Village Provisions on Demand Market to reflect times that are most convenient to students. -Allyson Cartter
(03/05/13 5:00am)
The University has announced that this year's Alumni Achievement Award recipients are University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer '68, music manager and record producer Jon Landau '68 and applied mathematics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Bonnie Berger '83. The honor, whose recipients are decided by the Office of Alumni Relations after discussion with University President Frederick Lawrence and members of his senior team, "recognizes alumni who have made distinguished and outstanding contributions to their professions or chosen fields of endeavor. It is the highest form of University recognition bestowed exclusively on alumni," wrote Lawrence in an email to the Justice. According to Lawrence, the Alumni Achievement Award was first presented in 1988, with inaugural honorees publicist Terrie Williams '75; Kenyan politician, economist and businessman George Saitoti '67; and mathematician Karen Uhlenbeck, MA '67, PhD '68. "Every year, there are many more deserving candidates than we are able to honor. No more than three people receive the award in any given year," Lawrence wrote. Zimmer, who has been the president of the University of Chicago since 2006 and has been on the university's staff for about 25 years, was one of the three recipients for this year. Zimmer studied Mathematics at Brandeis, although according to Zimmer, his original intention was to pursue Physics. "I was totally captured by Mathematics at Brandeis," he said in an interview with the Justice. Zimmer recalled the most influential professors throughout his years at the University, former professors Michael Spivak (MATH) and Al Vasquez (MATH), who "were both extraordinary teachers and just conveyed a wonderful sense about mathematics that was very infectious," he said. "[Brandeis] was a wonderful place for mathematics ... and led, of course, to my career as a mathematician. ... It left me with a new perspective and an experience that has stayed with me," said Zimmer. The Mathematics program at Brandeis also influenced Berger, although she started off as a Russian studies major and eventually became a Psychology major prior to concentrating in mathematics. "I had no idea what I wanted to do," said Berger in an interview with the Justice. "Going to a liberal arts school helped me find my true passion." According to Berger, her Psychology major requirements included basic computer programming and a calculus course and solidified her confidence in her abilities and interest in mathematics and computer science. "Because the psych major made me take all of these science classes, it really showed me where I belong and what I do best," she said in an interview. Berger said that she was among the first in the Computer Science major, as it had only recently been established as a major and had previously been under Physics. According to Berger, former faculty members Mitchell Modell (PHYS), Ragnar Buchweitz (MATH) and Ellis Cohen (COSI) "really gave me the confidence in my ability to do math at a higher level. ... The teachers were so caring. ... I got a lot of individual attention and intellectual stimulation." After commencement, Berger took a gap year, during which she acted as a teaching assistant at Harvard University, and proceeded to obtain her Ph.D at MIT. "I never even would have thought about graduate school if it weren't for the professors at Brandeis. They really did change my life," she said in an interview. Berger moved on to become the first woman ever to earn tenure in the math department at MIT, according to Lawrence. She currently works in computational biology and applying algorithms to molecular biology and is a professor at MIT. She is also still involved at Brandeis as a member of the University's Science Advisory Council, for which she helps the University decide on scientific priorities and direction. Landau, who has worked for four decades with Bruce Springsteen and serves as executive vice president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, still contributes to the University community with the Jonathan Landau Scholarship, which fully funds a major in the arts every year, according to Landau in an email to the Justice. Although Brandeis did not help lead him to a music career, Landau wrote that the University "trained me to be a critical thinker, to use the past to understand the present, and to write well, among many other things." As a History major, Landau recalls superb educators, such as former faculty members Norman Cantor in Medieval studies, Ramsay MacMullen in Greek and Roman history, Kenneth Barkin and Heinz Lubasz in European history and current faculty member Prof. David Fischer (HIST), among others. "Leo Bronstein (who taught Early Islamic Art) had a legendary reputation as a classroom teacher, which he surely lived up to during the time I studied with him," wrote Landau. "Actually, when I think about it today, the level of teaching at Brandeis in the sixties was just spectacular. Every good teacher influences your journey and all of these and many others have influenced mine," wrote Landau. Lawrence will present the awards at a ceremony on June 8 during reunion festivities, according to a Feb. 19 BrandeisNOW article.
(03/03/13 5:00am)
You're Invited!
Did you work on the Justice at all during your time at Brandeis? Pull all-nighters in the basement of Usdan or the Shapiro Campus Center? Rush across campus to report on or photograph events? There are over a thousand people who've done it too. Whether you were editor-in-chief, a columnist or a once-in-a-while contributor, we cordially invite you to attend the first ever Justice alumni reunion and media conference on April 26-27, 2013. Media at Brandeis grew as the university did, and members of the Class of '52 quickly organized the Justice to report. The longest-running student publication on campus, the newspaper's multiple generations of student journalists have documented and analyzed the in's and out's of the University. We possess unique perspectives on the early days of President Emeritus Abe Sachar, controversies on campus including the housing "open-door" policy, the "closing" of the Rose Art Museum, and the student takeover of Ford Hall. We've captured student reactions to civil rights, the draft, wars, and elections, as well as spirit weeks, athletics, and the wide variety of other campus events. Today, the Justice continues to redefine itself in the face of the 21st century, bringing our coverage online. Yet it continues to invoke the camaraderie of it's origins and serve as a historical record of Brandeis to date. There is no doubt that the Justice has had a profound impact on this university, and as current students, we can attest to the fact that your hard work and dedication during your years at Brandeis have left a lasting legacy. Please join us to celebrate the Justice, and learn from the individuals who've defined it. Register Here: The cost for alumni to attend is $50, which includes a cocktail reception on Friday, and continental breakfast and lunch on Saturday. You can pay with your Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover. You can register here. * Reunion Schedule
Friday, April 26
Open Undergraduate Journalism Courses 9:30-10:50 a.m. "Ethics in Journalism" Professor Eileen McNamara (former Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the Boston Globe) Location: Brown Social Science Center 115 12:30-1:50 p.m. - "Media and Public Policy", Professor Eileen McNamara Location: Shiffman Humanities Center 125 3:00 p.m. Registration Opens Location: Justice Office, Shapiro Campus Center (SCC), 2nd Floor 3:30-5:00 p.m. Campus tours led by current Justice editors Meeting point: Shapiro Campus Center Atrium 5:00-6:30 p.m. - Cocktail reception, with welcoming remarks from one of the founding editors of the Justice, Sanford Lakoff '53 Location: the new Shapiro Science Center, atrium and patio Please note: At around 6 p.m. towards the end of the cocktail reception, there will be a panel discussion discussing professionalism in the media and how well the media covered the recent Boston marathon bombings. All students, faculty, staff and alumni are invited to attend. Location: the new Shapiro Science Center, atrium [The Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts will be holding several evening performances open to alumni to attend. For more information, please see below. The featured event "Late Night with Leonard Bernstein," featuring his daughter Jamie Bernstein, is free but requires ticket reservations in advance. To reserve, please call 781-736-3400 or visit: go.Brandeis.edu/BrandeisTickets] * Saturday, April 27
All events on this day will take place in Sherman Function Hall unless otherwise noted. 8:30 a.m. Continental breakfast 9:00 a.m. State of the News, Justice Senior Editor Andrew Wingens '14, with Q&A 9:10 -10:15 a.m. How the Justice Influenced Careers (Both In and Out of Journalism) Featured Panelists: David Zimmerman '55, author of Sankofa; Alex J. Goldstein '06, Executive Director of the Deval Patrick Committee (DPC) and the TogetherPAC (TPAC); Jeffrey Greenbaum '90, Managing Partner in the Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations group at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, PC; Steve Heyman '06, Features Editor at the New York Times T Magazine. Student Moderators: Joshua Asen '13, Senior Sports Writer and former Sports Editor, and Janey Zitomer '13, Senior Photographer and Journalism Undergraduate Department Representative. 10:30 -11:45 a.m. Covering Campus Politics: The Justice as the Arbiter (and Sometimes Instigator) of Conflict Featured Panelists: Lindsay Gardner '82, Senior Advisor at Oaktree Capital Management and former television journalist; Arnie Reisman '64, award-winning writer, producer and performer as well as Vice President of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts; Benjamin Freed '06, Editor-in-Chief at DCist.com. Student Moderators: Samuel Mintz '14, News Editor, and Sara Dejene '15, Online Editor and former News Editor 12:00 -1:00 p.m. Keynote Address by Ted Gup '72, and lunch 1:15 p.m. University Update from Senior Vice President of Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, followed by a Q&A 1:45 p.m. -2:45 p.m. Ethical Decision-Making in the Justice Newsroom Featured Panelists: Dana Coffield '86, co-metro editor at the Denver Post and chief investigator in the publication's Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Aurora theater shooting; Jon Fischer '07, Managing Editor at the Washington City Paper; Dan Hirschhorn '06, national politics reporter at the New York Daily News. Student Moderators: Glen Chesir '15 Forum Editor and Jessie Miller '15 Arts Editor 2:50 p.m. -3:00 p.m. Concluding Remarks, How to Stay Involved Andrew Wingens '14 and Robyn Spector '13 3 p.m. Campus tours will be offered by current editors [Please note: from 3:00 -5:00 p.m. there will be a folk festival on the Great Lawn outside of the Shapiro Campus Center as part of the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts] ____________________________________ Further Information
Panel discussions: In addition to Friday's panel discussion on Journalism Education, Saturday's panels will touch on a variety of subjects: Educating Student Journalists, Covering Campus Politics, Ethical Decision-making in the Justice Newsroom, and How the Justice Influenced My Career (inside and outside of journalism). If you are interested in serving on a panel or suggesting a panelist, please email us (alumni@thejustice.org). Keynote Speaker, Ted Gup '72: Ted Gup is a former investigative reporter at the Washington Post who revealed the location of the underground bunker for the U.S. Congress in case of nuclear attack. He has also written for Time Magazine and more recently, The New York Times. In addition, he is the professor and chair of the Journalism Department at Emerson College, and formerly taught journalism at Case Western Reserve. He has received several awards including the George Polk Award for foreign reporting, the Worth Bingham Prize for investigative journalism, and the Gerald Loeb Award. In addition, he is a former Fulbright Scholar and Grantee of the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation. Accommodations: The Marriott Hotel in Newton (five minutes from campus) has been designated as the official hotel for the Justice Reunion. A block of rooms has been reserved with a special Justice Reunion rate of $149 a night (the usual rates are around $205 a night). You may call the hotel (617 969-1000 or 800-228-9290) to make a reservation. When reserving a room, please indicate that you are attending the Justice Reunion. Reservations must be made by March 29th for the preferred rate. For more information and to make your reservation with the discount online, please click here. Festival of the Arts 2013: The annual Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts will be held on April 25-28 at various locations around campus. Highlights of this year's festival include the Brandeis Theater Company production of "Visions of an Ancient Dreamer"; a concert by the Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra; and "Late Night with Leonard Bernstein," hosted by Bernstein's daughter Jamie, with performances by acclaimed soprano Amy Burton and pianists John Musto and Michael Boriskin. Tickets to the "Late Night with Leonard Bernstein" performance are free but must be reserved in advance. Please email alumni@thejustice.org for ticket reservations. * Reunion Organizing Committee Mr. Paul Levenson '52 Dr. Sanford Lakoff '53 Mrs. Barbara Krasin Kravitz '57 Mr. Sy Raboy '57 Dr. Judith Walzer '58 Dr. Jeffery Golland '61 Dr. Allan Jay Lichtman '67 Mr. Paul D. Broude '79 Ms. Anne R. Exter '80 Mr. Daniel H. Adler '85 Ms. Mari J. Cartagenova '88 Ms. Michelle Leder '88 Mr. Martin R. Lieberman '96 Mr. Dan Friedell '97 Mr. Adam M. Greenwald '98 Mrs. Pam Garretson (Isaacson) '98 Dr. Jodi R. Eichler-Levine '00 Mr. Lex Friedman '02 Mrs. Jennifer (Klein) Seadia '02 Mr. David Dagan '03 Ms. Caroline Litwack '03 Mr. Dan Hirschhorn '07 Ms. Andrea Fineman '10 Ms. Miranda Neubauer '10 ____________________________________ For more information please contact Robyn Spector '13, Deputy Editor at: alumni@thejustice.org
(02/12/13 5:00am)
* Recently, the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences began an online assessment of the undergraduate departmental representative program for this academic year. The evaluation includes a survey that solicits input on how UDRs can be more effective. * Currently, a UDR is "a student or students who serve as student representative(s), organize department program events and meetings, provide feedback to the department," according to the program's website. * This board feels that the UDR program as it currently stands does not live up to its potential. UDRs are best known for hosting one event a semester where students can learn more about the major or minor and meet professors. This alone does not adequately fill the role of a student-department liaison. Hosting a single event does not foster the feedback about the program that the position is supposed to garner. * This board would like to see active efforts made to revamp of the current UDR program in order to achieve the position's true potential. * One new initiative should be a survey conducted by the UDRs about each department and program, which, similar to course evaluations, would serve as a valuable asset to the department heads to determine where each major and minor succeeds and fails. Currently there is no proper avenue for students to give such feedback about their program and department. Moreover, the information from the survey could be synthesized and made available to students so that they can have all the necessary information to choose a major or minor. * All UDRs should also be required to attend the faculty meetings of their respective department. Currently, the UDRS are only told to "possibly attend a portion of one department or program meeting to discuss undergraduate issues," according to the program website. How can a UDR be a proper liaison between the students and faculty if they don't interact with the faculty on a formal level? Department meetings are the premier opportunity to discuss any and all issues students may have with the major or minor and it is imperative for the UDR to be present on a consistent basis. * The undergraduate departmental representative is a valuable and necessary position for each department and program. However, in the current state of the program, there is no formal avenue for the UDRs to provide student feedback about the department to their professors. * We hope that new measures are implemented so that UDRs can fulfill their role as student-department liaisons.
(02/12/13 5:00am)
* Last week, both The Brandeis Hoot and the Justice ran front-page articles discussing an alleged sexual assault case between two university students. The incident, according to The Hoot is alleged to have occurred at a fraternity's rush party on Dartmouth Street. Since news of this incident broke on campus, rumors about it have been flying around as quickly as people's gossip will carry them. * According to both articles, the Greek Awareness Council-a recognized campus group dedicated to bringing Greek life to Brandeis-sent out an off-the-record email to the members of Greek life, asking them not to publicly discuss the incident. This email was intended to stifle rumors that could harm the reputations of the fraternities and sororities at Brandeis. * This was a responsible move on the GAC's part. While its motivation seemed primarily political, its action could serve to prevent people from adding to the rumor mill, which would complicate matters for the police and the parties involved in the alleged crime. The GAC has made it eminently clear that its organizations will stand aside and allow the investigation to commence without interference. * While both papers published quotes from the email, it baffles me that The Hoot felt the need to publicize this off-the-record email in the manner that they did. The article seemed to insinuate that the Greek organizations were attempting to cover up the issue, and keep it out of the public eye. Even if this were the case, there is certainly no evidence for it. The Hoot's quotations from the GAC merely showed their intent to quash rumors, not hide evidence. There was no need to shine any light on this private, off-the-record email. It is a case of dubious journalistic ethics, and the editor of a school newspaper ought to know better than to publicize private information with no good cause. There was nothing wrong or untoward being done in the GAC's email, and this seems to have only been an immature attempt to paint the Greek organizations in a bad light. * Despite their good handling of the situation surrounding the sexual assault allegations, the Greek organizations can do more to prevent future incidents. In the case of any crime, no one ought to be blamed for it but the criminal, but all who partake in creating a scenario conducive to crime must rethink their approach to recruitment. Rush parties, for example, are a veritable powder keg for sexual assault and harassment. * These events carry an implicit invitation for first-years to come in and drink underage. Alcohol-fueled, jam-packed parties of any type are hotbeds for unwelcome advances, and new students are particularly vulnerable in unfamiliar situations like rush events. While fraternity members may take some responsible steps to keep their parties safe, they are ultimately treading on thin ice by hosting these sorts of events. They are, as lawyers say, liability nightmares. * A desire for your party to look cool in order to entice new recruits should never outweigh responsibility. While fraternities as a whole should not be held liable for crimes committed by individuals during their house parties, all party hosts should certainly take the initiative to reduce and hopefully remove the possibility of sexual assault at their events. * The fraternity involved commendably took immediate steps in the right direction when the sexual assault allegations surfaced by halting rush parties and suspending the accused member. This semester, the fraternity will not host any more rush parties. They ought to consider continuing in this direction in the future, and weigh the merits of different recruitment events for the future. If it is truly brotherhood that they seek, they will find none at these rush parties; these events do not bring out camaraderie, but rather, predation. Much of the campus community understands this trend about rush parties, which made it seem likely to many that sexual assault could occur at a rush event. Greek organizations-for their own sake-should strive to make sexual assault at their events as inconceivable a possibility as it is for events hosted by Waltham Group, or a science club. * Just because an event is conceivable, however, does not mean that it should become a topic for the water cooler. Alleged sexual assaults should not encourage Greek-bashing, and more importantly, they should not inspire gossip. * Sexual assault cases must be treated with discretion, by everyone who is affected by them. Sexual assault is a very serious accusation, with life-altering consequences for all parties to the alleged crime. Consider the case if the allegation is true: Somewhere on campus, a girl was sexually assaulted. She is likely traumatized and upset-yet compulsive gossips make her into conversation fodder. The emotional scars would be bad enough; social scarring need not be added. * The accused, too, has rights and must be considered innocent until proven guilty. Consider the case if the allegation is false: Surely, if you can conceive of a person malicious enough to commit sexual assault, you can conceive of a person malicious enough to lie about it. This sort of accusation can change people's perceptions towards a person, and ruin his or her reputation. We've all played "telephone," and it's quite obvious how easily stories can be distorted through rumors. * Could you imagine the pain of an innocent person who would forever wrongly be known as "the rapist?" The Court of Public Opinion is merciless. It is not objective, as every member of the jury is shown different evidence, and its verdicts can never be appealed. * It is best to allow such matters to be handled by the police and the real courts, as they are the only ones with the tools necessary to make clear judgments. While it is tempting to want to see justice, it is crucial to remember that when we discuss how justice must be obtained, we do so in the abstract. We need to set the legal guidelines by which the police and courts operate, but allow them to function unimpeded after doing so. * If you want justice, let the system do its job. If you don't like the way the system works, work to change it on a legislative level-but do not stick yourself into the gears of the judicial system. If we turn every crime into an issue of public outrage by treating sensitive crimes as front-page tabloid news, we risk impairing the justice system's ability to do its job properly. Such an immature approach prevents justice and is almost guaranteed to harm the innocents involved in the crime.
(02/11/13 5:00am)
Corrections appended. A Brandeis undergraduate student worked with researchers at New York University to create a model for the biological phenomenon known as "self-organization," according to a Jan. 31 New York University press release. The model, detailed in an article in Science published the same day, uses light to activate small particles, causing them to move and assemble themselves. Asher Preska Steinberg '13, along with NYU Professors in the Department of Physics David Pine and Paul Chaikin and Post-Doctoral Fellows in NYU's Center for Soft Matter Research Jeremie Palacci and Stefano Sacanna, was named as an author of the article. Steinberg was enrolled in a summer research program at NYU. Common examples of self-organization are seen in flocks of birds or schools of fish that travel together in formation, as well as colony formations of bacteria. The authors of the paper studied this phenomenon by developing a "system of self-propelled particles" that were controlled by turning a blue light on or off. When the light was off, the particles were spread out with no order but when the light was turned on, the researchers saw that the particles formed crystallite structures. These structures were dynamic and would "actively translate and rotate, collide, join, and split," leading the scientists to call them "living crystals." After the blue light was turned off, the crystals dissolved back into colloidal particles. After performing follow up experiments, the researchers concluded that the self-organization of colloid particles was a result of both self-propulsion and an "attractive interaction" that could be activated by light, magnets and chemicals. These controls allow the same organization seen in biological phenomena to be used in materials and could "enhance the design of a range of industrial products," according to the press release. The press release also stated that understanding self-organization can help physicists create "new and enhanced materials." Preska Steinberg did not respond to requests for interviews by press time. The article has been edited to correct the following mistakes: Asher Preska Steinberg's full last name is Preska Steinberg, not Steinberg and he belongs to the Class of 2013, not 2014. *
(02/05/13 5:00am)
Time travel-impossible. If it were possible, there would be people from the future visiting us in 2013 today, right? It's a pretty cool concept; we would be able to meet people from the past and get insight into what really happened throughout history, as well as know where we're headed in the future. But, it has been fairly evident that time is a dimension that we won't be able to navigate outside of books and movies. But, in an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Harvard School of Medicine genetics professor George Church suggested that it is potentially scientifically possible to do what may be the closest thing to traveling through time-cloning a Neanderthal. And, yes, that would involve finding a surrogate human mother to carry the Neanderthal baby-if this ever gets the approval. Of course, this garnered attention from the scientific community as well as the general population around the world. But, the main point Church was trying to get across was misconstrued, according to Reuters. What Church actually wanted to say was that studying Neanderthals would be an excellent way to learn more about how humans work and function, and help to solve the mystery behind some contemporary diseases. Nevertheless, his original article spurred many ethical debates, and it is a great example of where science has the ability to take us, but also where morality needs to come to play. Neanderthals became extinct around 30,000 years ago, and, while they were similar to the human species, they are actually a different species. They were intelligent, used tools and had a language which they used to communicate. Size-wise, they were slightly larger then modern-day humans, and had a different cranial structure. As Church said, learning about Neanderthals would give insight into how we function as people, and yes, in this, life-saving treatments and cures could be discovered. Not only that, but it would be incredibly interesting to see how a Neanderthal would fair today. But, ethically speaking, cloning a Neanderthal is not going to happen any time soon. Even if it were possible, bringing a Neanderthal into the world today would not be fair to it. For one obvious reason, it would be the only living creature of its whole species, and one that hasn't lived in thousands of years. While Church did suggest cloning two Neanderthals so they would have an idea of self, there is still a lack of a group of the species, which could be especially confusing to the Neanderthal as it grows up. This also hinders the ability to actually study it as it would have behaved over 30,000 years ago when Neanderthals did exist-they were brought up by their own species and not by humans. The conditions of how the Neanderthals used to live cannot be duplicated since we do not know enough about them, and they would have no parents to follow in the footsteps of-everything they do would be either innately learned or copied from what humans do. Another issue is that 30,000 years ago, the diseases that existed were different from those of today. The cloned Neanderthal would be exposed to so many new strains of viruses and bacterial infections that it would have no way to fight. Not only do we not know what diseases the Neanderthal would be infected with, we also don't necessarily know how to treat it, and if we should treat it. The Neanderthal might react differently to modern medicine than we do, and it would be cruel to bring a new species into the world and not know how to care for its physical well-being. Additionally, although cloning seems to mean that the DNA of the cloned Neanderthal would be exactly the same as the DNA of the original Neanderthal it was cloned from, that's not completely how it works. When an organism is cloned, it retains the original nuclear DNA, which accounts for the vast majority of DNA passed on from parent to child, but the mitochondrial DNA is not retained during cloning; rather the mitochondrial DNA would be passed down from the surrogate mother. And, although there are a handful of diseases that can be passed from mother to child through mitochondrial DNA, they are rare and we can expect proper screening would be implemented before the mother of the future Neanderthal clone is impregnated. While mitochondrial DNA only represents a small fraction of DNA, it brings up the question of whether it would really be cloning if a minute fraction of the DNA is passed down from the surrogate human mother to the Neanderthal. Cloning a Neanderthal is not going to happen in the foreseeable future. Though the technology may exist, no scientific or governmental organization would ever fund it for the aforementioned reasons. While I would never support the cloning of a Neanderthal, I can't say I wouldn't follow the story if it did ever happen. Despite the many complications and ethical dilemmas, it is a pretty interesting concept, and one that goes to show the power of what science has to offer in the near future. *
(02/05/13 5:00am)
Prof. Mary Ruth Ray (MUS) passed away on Jan. 29, ending an on-going battle with cancer and leaving an imprint on the community, made over 30 years of teaching and performing at Brandeis. Ray, a dedicated violist, was one of the original members of the Lydian String Quartet. Over the years, she has mentored student violists and worked with various composers and student ensembles on campus. In 2005, she took on the role of Music department chair. "As dean of the faculty of arts and sciences, I gratefully appointed her chair of the Music department. I came to rely heavily on her good sense, calm in the face of a storm, and good will towards everyone around her," wrote Prof. Adam Jaffe (ECON), the former Dean of Arts and Sciences, in an email to the Justice. Ray worked to advance and maintain the Music department as the chair, and was a well-regarded and respected faculty member among her colleagues. "[Ray's] supportive, calm and positive demeanor in this position was proved an important element in the department's stability during the recent economic downturn. She will be missed greatly," wrote Prof. Daniel Stepner (MUS), a violinist in the Lydian String Quartet, and Ray's colleague of 26 years, in an email to the Justice. Not only did Ray leave an impression on the Music department, but she also played a role in the community around her at the University. "She was a great Brandeis citizen who contributed enormously to the well-being of the whole university, not only the arts community," wrote Director of the Office of the Arts, and Ray's colleague of 10 years, Scott Edmiston in an email to the Justice. "I used to think, when I heard the Lydians play together: 'If justice was music, it would sound something like this. And if life was just, it would always be as glorious as the sound of Mary Ruth playing on her viola, and she would be with us still. She lives on in her music.'" Students influenced by Ray reflected on her expertise and dedication as both an educator and a mentor. "[Ray's] devotion to encouraging students to explore our dreams and work tirelessly to achieve our ambitions is a credit to her belief that all students are individuals and deserved her attention," wrote Nicholas Brown '10, who acted as assistant conductor and manager of the University Chorus and led the tour to Germany and Austria in 2008, to the Justice. "She touched generations of students by providing us with the opportunities to find ourselves as musicians, Brandeisians and human beings in a way that few educators can." In addition to her impact at the University, Ray was also an internationally acclaimed musician. She performed as a guest artist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Bard Music Festival and the Apple Hill Chamber Players, among others, and was a member and soloist with Emmanuel Music in Boston. "I remember from the beginning that her playing was ... very good. That's what she wanted to do: she wanted to play music," said Professor Emeritus Martin Boykan (MUS) in an interview with the Justice. Boykan, who composed a few pieces that Ray performed, commented on her devotion to music and her objectives to improve the Music department. "The thing that always hit me really hard...was that all she cared about was her music and was totally indifferent toward any kind of agenda," he said. "She was really and totally fair. Her goal was to help the department and to make sure professors could teach what they wanted and how they wanted to." "Although Mary Ruth's life ended too soon, it was one filled with accomplishment. She made an important difference in many lives, and was beloved by her students and colleagues," wrote Provost Steve Goldstein '78 in a Jan. 29 email to the community announcing Ray's death. "She will be greatly missed by all those who knew her, worked with her, and learned from her." A memorial tribute to Ray is to be planned at a later date.
(02/05/13 5:00am)
Prof. Michael Rosbash (BIOL), the Peter Gruber Endowed Chair in Neuroscience, and Prof. Emeritus Jeffrey Hall (BIOL), along with Dr. Michael Young of Rockefeller University, have won the 12th annual Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences for their research on the circadian rhythms of the fruit fly Drosophila. The award is a culmination of 30 years of research at Rosbash and Hall's laboratory at Brandeis and Young's lab at Rockefeller. In an email to the Justice, Rosbash said that he and Hall were "working in parallel" with Young. "At the outset, we were doing the same experiments at the same time, competitors one might say. And we came up with largely the same results. Then our work diverged and I would call it complementary. We both worked on rhythms but on different aspects, and made contributions on different sides of the problems," wrote Rosbash. His research on circadian rhythms, Rosbash said, deals with "the nature of the molecular machine that keeps time." The term "circadian" comes from the Latin circa dia, or "about a day," Rosbash explained. "This is a gene expression feedback loop, where a few proteins are synthesized and then act negatively to turn off their own synthesis. When synthesis rates are very low and these proteins then degrade and disappear, the whole cycle can begin again. The cycle takes about 24 hours to begin, stop and then start again." Rosbash said that he was "very surprised [and] very flattered" to receive the prize. Rosbash and Hall were also awarded the Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize for Biology or Biochemistry in 2011 and the Canada Gairdner International Award in 2012. The three researchers will be receiving their award on April 5 at Rockefeller University. Rosbash stated that the research on circadian rhythms is important because it applies to all animals, and not just fruit flies. "This clock governs almost every aspect of biochemistry and physiology in humans, from metabolism to our sleep-wake cycle and of course jet lag," he said. The research can potentially lead to medicinal discoveries to treat conditions relating to these issues, including jet lag and sleep disorders. Rosbash said that he plans to conduct research on fly sleep next. "No one knows how or why we sleep, and flies seem to undergo a similar process. Maybe they can lead the way once again."
(02/05/13 5:00am)
An adjustment in the admission requirements to Phi Beta Kappa, the national collegiate academic honor society, will require students to complete a minimum of one mathematics course and demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language, first taking effect with the Class of 2015. Brandeis' own foreign language requirement satisfies the latter guideline, but there is a much more narrow scope of math courses that will qualify a student for Phi Beta Kappa consideration. The new selection criteria was adopted this summer, according to the president of Brandeis' chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Prof. Kathryn Graddy (ECON). It specifies that, in order to be eligible, students must take "at least one course in college-level mathematics, logic, or statistics, with content appropriate to a liberal arts and sciences curriculum" and complete an "intermediate college level in a second, or non-native, language, or its equivalent." "It was sort of interesting that Phi Beta Kappa did this," said Graddy in an interview with the Justice. "They felt foreign language was really important, and they wanted to support university departments of foreign languages, that is one of the reasons." According to the Phi Beta Kappa page on Brandeis' website, a limited selection of courses from the Biology, Economics, Computer Science, Linguistics, Math, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics and Psychology departments may be taken to fulfill the Phi Beta Kappa math requirement. All courses from the Math department count toward eligibility, including credit for Calculus AB or BC but excluding MATH 1a, MATH 3a and MATH 5a. Many popular introductory courses such as ECON 2a do not count. "The wording is really quite strict" in the stipulation for the math courses, said Graddy. She added that she had reached out to the faculty to make sure to include all courses that may satisfy the newly implemented requirement. "That is going to affect students, because ... it's not the same as the quantitative reasoning requirement," she said. Of 77 new members elected into the honor society last year, Graddy proposed that between five and 20 students would not meet the new math requirement.
(02/05/13 5:00am)
University President Frederick Lawrence's administration is beginning to move out of its transitional phase, as Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren reached an agreement last week with the University to stay on as dean for a five-year term. Provost Steve Goldstein '78 announced the extension at Thursday's faculty meeting. Birren's tenure as dean began on July 1, 2011, so barring any unforeseen circumstances or another change in her agreement with the University, she will be in the position until 2016. Birren said in an interview with the Justice that the decision to extend her term relates to the necessity for long-term planning. "What it means is that I'm feeling comfortable in the job; I think that it's an exciting job. It's exciting to be able to work with the faculty, and the implementation of the strategic plan. I think that both [Provost Goldstein] and I agree that it's best to be thinking in terms of a somewhat longer five-year period," she said. "I'm feeling as though I understand the job better, I have relationships with members of the faculty, I've been developing programs that I'm interested in and I'm excited to be here for a period of time that's going to let us accomplish some of those things and put them into place," Birren continued. The previous Dean of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Adam Jaffe (ECON), served for eight years. Birren, who had a shorter contract before her recent extension, explained that the first year of her tenure was a learning experience. "It's a cycle, you start in the fall, and different things happen all year," she said. "So you go through it once, and it's not until you've been here a full year that you've even seen everything." Birren did not specify the terms of her initial contract. She also said that she has big plans for the rest of her tenure. "I want to accomplish a lot, all of which has to do with providing support and strengthening the academic mission for students and faculty," she said. "I want to really be focused on the essential idea of Brandeis, which is that we're a liberal arts university that's small enough so students get the sense of a liberal arts education, but we're also a major research education ... that provides opportunities for students to become engaged in a type of research which isn't possible in small colleges our size." Birren concluded by saying that she is still a member of the University faculty, and that she plans to resume teaching after her tenure as dean, following the precedent set by Profs. Irv Epstein (CHEM) and Robin Feuer Miller (GRALL), both of whom have served as Dean of Arts and Sciences. "There's definitely a tradition for that here at Brandeis," she said.
(01/29/13 5:00am)
Medical Emergency Jan. 26-A caller in Rosenthal South reported an intoxicated male party had fallen down the stairs and said he might have a concussion. University Police and BEMCo were dispatched and an ambulance was notified. The party was transported to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Jan. 26-A student went to Stoneman complaining that he injured his thumb while playing basketball. BEMCo was requested, but the student was transported to an urgent care center via University Police cruiser. Jan. 26-An ambulance transported a Brandeis student to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital for psychological assistance. Jan. 26-On-scene BEMCo at the Levin Ballroom requested an ambulance for a 21-year-old female student who was possibly intoxicated. An ambulance transported the party to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. Drugs Jan. 21-The community development coordinator requested University Police assistance with the collection of drug paraphernalia from Rosenthal South. University Police confiscated the same, and a report was compiled. Jan. 27-A community adviser reported finding marijuana in the ceramic studio in the Usen Castle. University Police confiscated the drugs and compiled a report. Traffic Jan. 26-Escort staff called from the front gate reporting that a BranVan struck a passenger car, resulting in minor damage. A report was compiled and photographs were taken. Disturbance Jan. 27-A community adviser reported that Cholmondeley's was still open, but it was supposed to be closed by the time the party called. The crowd was dispersed by University Police, and the staff was left to clean up and shut down for the night. Vandalism Jan. 24-A science staff supervisor reported that an unknown party vandalized the awning in the Shapiro Science Complex. University Police compiled a report and took photographs of the damage. Miscellaneous Jan. 23-A student in Massell Quad reported there was a male wearing a black jacket with a hood near the bushes near the Massell Pond. University Police on-scene reported there was a student in the area in a black jacket who was on the ice attempting to retrieve an empty box lying on the frozen pond, stating environmental reasons. No further police action was taken. Jan. 24-The University Police detective sergeant waited in his office for the Waltham Police Department to arrive and serve a party with a temporary restraining order. It was served without incident. Jan. 25-An unknown white male kept asking the reporting party if it was cold outside. He then grabbed packets of sugar from Einstein Bros. Bagels and ran out of the building toward the Louis Brandeis statue. University Police checked the surrounding area near the statue and the Shapiro Campus Center in addition to inside the bookstore and Einstein's, with no one reporting anything. The areas around Ziv, Ridgewood and the Village were also checked; nothing was found. -compiled by Marielle Temkin
(01/28/13 5:00am)
Receiving a degree in higher education is not the easiest financial feat, but through innovative fundraising, the Tucson Ariz. chapter of the Brandeis National Committee is making learning a little cheaper for everyone. The Tucson BNC hosted its annual book sale in the Foothills Mall from Jan. 18 to 27, the proceeds of which go to an endowed student from the Tucson area who has been accepted into Brandeis and qualifies for financial aid. For the BNC, reading has always taken center stage. The organization was founded as the Brandeis University National Women's Committee around the same time as the University in 1948 as a way to provide financial support to Brandeis and its libraries. Since then, the organization has gone coed and consists of over 25,000 members nationwide in over 50 chapters engaging in philanthropic and community projects that "reflect the values on which the university was founded: academic excellence, social justice, nonsectarianism and service to the community," as stated in its online mission statement. The BNC's commitment to Brandeis scholarship has enabled it to donate $126 million in support of the University and its libraries, lining the Goldfarb shelves with books, as well as scholarly journals and resources in online formats. The book sale complements this commitment to scholarship because, as Meg Sivitz, the head of the sale said, "We're all about books." The BNC started holding book sales in 1958 as an innovative method of raising money. Explaining one reason Tucson continues this tradition, Sivitz said, "[Books] are a green way of being-we're able to recycle used books." Additionally, the benefits of buying from the sale instead of a large book chain are tremendous. "People that would find a book for $26 at Barnes and Nobles can get it from us for $5," said Sivitz. The sale held a number of promotional discount days that always send book-lovers sprinting toward their stacks; all books were half-off on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the last day of the sale was "Bag Sunday," which allowed shoppers to fill a canvas bag of books for only $10. As a companion to the annual mall sale, Sivitz established a year-round online Amazon bookstore that also raises money that goes toward the Brandeis scholarship fund. The online store is "extremely successful," according to Libby Fischer, the book sale consultant who ran the physical sale before Sivitz. So far, it has sold about 6,000 books, raising over $400,000 from both sales. The proceeds from the thousands of books sold at the Foothills sale will go to a scholarship fund that supports students including Coco Tirambulo '16, a first-year Brandeis student and Tucson native. Sivitz explained that the sale gives back to the community by giving local students the chance to go to Brandeis, a school some might otherwise not be able to afford or even know exists. "We wanted to give back to Tucson," said Sivitz. "Many people in [Tucson] don't know about Brandeis. They go 'Brandeis? What's that?'" Tirambulo's wide interests have caused her to plan on double majoring in Biology and Anthropology, and possibly adding a minor in Classical Studies. Although she is thrilled by the academic opportunities Brandeis has made available to her, the people are what made her finally decide to fill out the enrollment forms. "It was the community that made me choose Brandeis. I remember when I first came to Brandeis during Admitted Students Day, everyone was so friendly. It made me feel like I was in the right place," said Tirambulo. Linda Cramer, the president of the Tucson BNC chapter, expressed how glad she was to support Tirambulo. "We loved meeting Coco and enjoyed our lunch with her. We met her parents at the book sale." Academic support is something the larger BNC community is making staunch efforts toward. Janice Fineman, the executive director of the BNC, identified key areas of scholarship fundraising where the organization makes an impact. In addition to "general scholarship," the BNC has "a library works scholar fund which helps pay the salaries of students working in the library as part of their financial aid," said Fineman. The BNC is also running a campaign called "Sustaining the Mind" to establish a fund to foster research in neuroscience and neurodegenerative diseases, and to establish an endowed scholarship fund for students studying science. Although many chapters have pledged to help fund these projects, the Internet presence in combination with classic "brick-and-mortar," as Fineman put it, fundraising strategies of the Tucson branch are practically an anomaly within the organization. "In terms of the online book-sale and the regular physical sale, Tucson is very unique in that regard," said Fineman. Most of the members of the BNC are not Brandeis alumni, but graduates of other schools that support social justice and the education and research ideals to which Brandeis is committed. "For me, the best part is knowing that our members, who are not alums, are making an impact in the lives of our students," said Fineman. Tirambulo is an example of benefits decades of BNC philanthropy has had on the University. "I am so thankful for having so many opportunities at Brandeis." she said.
(01/22/13 5:00am)
On Wednesday night, a panel of experts discussed the upcoming Israeli elections and their possible ramifications. As Prof. Ilan Troen (NEJS) said, the purpose of the debate was "to understand where we have come from, where it is that we might be going and what might happen after the elections." The event was sponsored by the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies. The panel consisted of Prof. Shai Feldman, Judy and Sidney Swartz Director's Chair of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies; Dr. Hussein Ibish, senior fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine and executive director of the Hala Salaam Maksoud Foundation for Arab American Leadership; and Prof. Yehuda Mirsky (NEJS).
(01/21/13 5:00am)
When living with a body of students as artistically inclined as Brandeisians, who seem to always be turning out new works of art, one becomes used to the rapid change and development of the artistic community. When we're always expecting new art, it is easy to overlook the art that we pass by while walking on campus every day. Although Brandeis' campus isn't the most architecturally or aesthetically unified, the distinctive sculptures nestled between buildings and higher-traffic walking areas all help tell the institution's story. One of the most recognizable and iconic artistic landmarks on campus is the Louis D. Brandeis statue, which honors the University's namesake and was dedicated in 1956 by the honorable Earl Warren, chief justice of the United States. Sculptor Robert Berks created the gallant figure of Brandeis mid-step, his cloak cascading in a wind, arms and legs ready to keep treading. Mounted on a small hill in between the Shapiro Campus Center and Sherman Function Hall, it is probably the most frequently admired statue on campus as it looks over a main walking path, almost as if it is watching over the school. The statue of Brandeis is used to anchor the University's branding, appearing on its website and in mailing materials-therefore, it has been used on the websites of many school clubs to identify them as belonging to the institution. Students dress up the majestic statue on a regular basis for various holidays and campus events, adorning it with everything from colored tape to flyers to bandanas. In a way, it is our artistic mascot. As one walks toward upper campus, the variety of permanent artwork moves from a broad representation of the University to works that represent historical benchmarks in the University's growth. Another popular sculpture that is, like the Louis D. Brandeis rendering, an almost interactive work, lies in front of the Goldfarb Library. This sculpture portrays an adolescent reclining on a rock, and is situated so that the young person is looking over toward the library. As its nameplate reads, this playful piece serves to recognize the generous contributions and abiding commitment to the University of Leonard L. Farber, whose generosity helped establish the University's Farber library, which is named for him. As one walks from the library toward Schwartz Hall, the Psychology building, one passes a tall, elegant, pillar-like sculpture. The medium-gray, softly curved figure has an ambiguity to it, and could resemble the general form of a woman's silhouette, or even of a flower stretching into bloom. This sculpture speaks to the way that art at Brandeis is flexible and, to each viewer, represents a different ideal in culture and time. The sculpture stands in honor of Lucille and Samuel Lemberg, for whom the Lemberg Children's Center is named. It was donated by the sculptor Maurice B. Hexter in 1970. Heading back in the direction of lower campus, on a walking path to the Shapiro Campus Center, one will pass a sculpture in between the Shapiro Science Complex and the Bernstein Marcus Administration Building that is quite unique from the other art fixtures at Brandeis. Secluded among a cluster of trees, looking out to South Street and the entrance of the University, sits a sculpture of two women cheerfully spinning around with two children within the form of a ring. Called "Family at Play," this sculpture echoes the voice of femininity and strength that is central to the progressive culture of Brandeisians. It was created out of bronze by Chaim Gross in 1963, and was a gift of Antje and Leonard L. Farber to the University. While there is much dynamic art moving around the University throughout each school year, it is important to acknowledge the works that are constant throughout each student and faculty member's time at Brandeis. Sometimes, a walk around campus can be just as refreshing as a visit to an exhibit.
(01/14/13 5:00am)
The path to becoming a doctor is seemingly never ending. It starts in high school, where one must work hard to get into a reputable undergraduate institution. Then college, where a series of weed-out science classes with labs, pre-med requirement classes, research experience hours, clinical experience hours, and classes for whatever one is actually majoring in. Then you have to take the MCAT, which is essentially a cumulative final over general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology and physics. Once one manages to get into medical school, there are four more grueling years of intense studying, exams and tuition. And, if one gets through that, they make it onto their residency, which can last up to eight years depending on the specialty. One may not hold their desired career until after age 30. The New York Times recently published an article about how schools, such as New York University's School of Medicine, are creating and implementing three-year medical school programs as opposed to the traditional four years. Not only does this cut back the time of being in school, but it also cuts one year of tuition. But, according to the article, there would be a need to cram more information into less time. Moreover, the med school students may not have enough time to explore the many different fields of medicine. In the 1960s and 1970s, similar trials for a three-year approach to medical school were implemented to help the shortage of doctors, and those students even scored higher on tests than their four-year program counterparts, according to The New York Times. The problem that arose was these students found it more difficult to get into residency programs, which then reflected poorly on the medical schools, and most of the programs were revoked. The whole situation is quite backwards-if test performance is better and patient care is not compromised then there is no reason that three-year programs should not be implemented. One way to help the three-year approach become successful would be to create a program where students are accepted out of high school and are put on track to complete an undergraduate degree as well as an M.D. in seven years. Special classes could be created to aid the transition between the two, or eliminate any information in classes that is repetitive. There would also be the opportunity to switch out of the program at any point during the first year or so, and the student would pursue any other degree at the undergraduate institution. Another way that the three-year program can be successful is to prepare specifically family care doctors, which is what Texas Tech Health Science Center School of Medicine and Mercer University School of Medicine in Savannah, Ga are trying out, according The New York Times. It is noted that this is implemented not because being a family physician is any less difficult or prestigious than other fields of medicine, but rather because there is a growing demand for family doctors that cannot be ignored. Regardless of whether or not that is true, if family doctors can go through medical school in three years and be adequately educated and prepared then there is no reason to tack on an extra year. The last year of medical school is dedicated to more specific rotations that are elected by the student, and, because a family care physician doesn't usually deal with such specificities, the final year of medical school is less relevant compared to a student who wants to specialize in a certain field of medicine. But a three-year approach to medical school is just one step in fixing the greater problem of the growing shortage of physicians. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, fewer than 50 percent of medical school applicants are being accepted, meaning thousands of potential doctors are lost. That is not to say that anyone should be able to get into medical school, but there are probably a few thousand applicants who would make perfectly fine doctors. Expanding the size of the medical schools, even slightly, would greatly increase the number of physicians in the United States. Hopefully implementing three-year approaches to medical school will be a step in the right direction that universities continue to take. As the physician shortage looms as one of the most pressing issues in the near future, solutions should be explored and applied before we start feeling the effects. *
(01/14/13 5:00am)
This December, University President Frederick Lawrence officially announced Ellen de Graffenreid's appointment as senior vice president for communications, effective Feb. 1. De Graffenreid will be replacing Andrew Gully as SVP of communications, a position that has been vacant since June. Gully left his position to become senior vice president and worldwide director of communications for Sotheby's. De Graffenreid will also have the opportunity to build her own staff following Bill Burger's departure as the former vice president for communications last December to work at Middlebury College. The selection was officially announced to the University community in an email from Lawrence on Dec. 20. "Ellen is an integrated communications and marketing leader with deep experience in higher education and the high technology sector," the email read. De Graffenreid will oversee such endeavors as media relations, government relations and public affairs, advertising, Web services and publications. De Graffenreid will report directly to Lawrence. "I am thrilled to welcome Ellen to campus and to the executive team," said Lawrence in a Dec. 20 BrandeisNOW article. "She is an experienced and skilled communicator with an impressive background in academia, health care and the corporate sector. I know she will have a tremendous impact in raising Brandeis' profile across the country and around the world." De Graffenreid hopes to showcase all of the causes and activities Brandeis students pursue. "I'm really looking forward to working more closely with students and learning about what the students are doing," said de Graffenreid in an interview with the Justice. "What I think is great about Brandeis is the students take initiative ... and that is where the super great stories come from." According to de Graffenreid, communications and marketing involve storytelling. "You have to have fantastic stories and things going on, and Brandeis has a lot of things going on ... that will be very engaging to people," said de Graffenreid. De Graffenreid also noted the University's focus in specific areas of excellence. "I have been working at big public universities that all have programs of excellence, but they have broad missions ... But [at] Brandeis, you have this fabulous liberal arts education ... with a research enterprise in specific locations," said de Graffenreid. According to de Graffenreid, the University's distinctive nature is one of the reasons she chose Brandeis. "Working at these types of institutions in marketing is very attractive because you can show what is unique about that school," she said. De Graffenreid is leaving her position as director of communications and marketing at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center to come to Brandeis. Prior to her position at UNC, de Graffenreid acted as director of communications and marketing at the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center and director of communications and donor relations at the Washington State University Foundation. Preceding her employment at the university level, she worked for Hewlett-Packard Corporation, and has provided free marketing consulting for Planned Parenthood of Louisville, the Louisville e-Health Initiative, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program and Fearrington Cares.
(01/14/13 5:00am)
The largest unseen collection of Beatles photography collected dust in a basement for over 40 years. It was only recently that photographer Henry Grossman '58 retrieved them from his archives for publication. How had so many pictures of such an international sensation been left untouched for decades? "I was always busy working," Grossman said. Grossman is a photographer from New York City whose work has featured a large assortment of some of the most celebrated individuals alive, including members of the world-renowned band The Beatles of which he shot hundreds of photographs during the 1960s. After attending a performing arts school for a year, Grossman transferred to the Metropolitan Vocational High School where he studied photography. Despite his early academic pursuits, he wasn't focused on developing photography into a career. "I expected to be an actor" he explained, "but I knew I needed a living between acting jobs." Grossman came to Brandeis on a four-year Theater Arts scholarship. "My father died when I was 11-I could not have afforded to come to Brandeis had it not been for the scholarship," he said. The skills and connections of the now-seasoned photographer were cultivated through a job he held working for Ralph Norman, the Brandeis campus photographer. The gig allowed him to take pictures of famous visitors the University hosted, including Russian artist Marc Chagall and and former Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. "I was doing printing and developing, and eventually I ended up taking pictures of some of these famous people with students for Ralph," Grossman said. He also got to photograph Eleanor Roosevelt because she had a monthly broadcast from Brandeis. The day John F. Kennedy announced his candidacy for president he came to be on her show, giving Grossman an opportunity to take a headshot of the future president, which was then used by JFK's team in the campaign. When asked whether Grossman ever felt starstruck during his engagements with iconic figures like Roosevelt and Kennedy, he plainly stated, "No, I appreciated who they were and what they had done." His comfort level with famous faces came in part because his father, Elias Grossman, was an etcher who did portraits of people such as Albert Einstein and Mahatma Ghandi. "His etchings hang in my living room," said Grossman. In 1958 he went on a Brandeis archaeological expedition for six months to Iran and Israel. He returned to the states in December and acted in New York for a semester before returning to Brandeis for a fellowship in the Graduate School of Anthropology. Throughout his graduate studies he continued to take photographs on campus. Grossman left Brandeis with an impressive list of names. "I made up a three-page three-column single-spaced list of a lot of the famous people I photographed at Brandeis which, after four years, was long," he said. He was armed for the workforce with a list that would be noteworthy for an established photographer, let alone a student who did photography in his spare hours between classes and theater productions. The young photographer approached various publications with his famous names in the hopes of landing work. They would tell him, "so-and-so isn't on your list but could you photograph them on an assignment for us." By accepting these, his assignments quickly grew in number with multiple publications including Life Magazine and TIME magazine. In 1964, TIME magazine asked Grossman to cover the American Television debut of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, a performance that began a four-year long photography relationship between Grossman and the "Fab Four." Grossman was not a fan of The Beatles initially; his musical tastes rested solidly in opera and classical music. "I didn't know their music," Grossman explained. "I was there as a friend, I wasn't demanding anything of them ... I saw them as regular people having a lot of fun," Grossman said. After his run with the band was finished, more assignments piled on and the photos were pushed to the back of his mind. But in 2006, Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan of Curvebender Publishing requested two photographs from Grossman for their first book, Recording the Beatles, a request that led them to discover Grossman's obscured collection of Beatles photographs numbering in the thousands. Since then, Curvebender has published two books pertaining solely to Grossman's Beatles shots. The first, titled Kaleidoscope Eyes and released in 2008, was a collection of 250 photographs taken in the Abbey Road studios while the band was recording music for the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This year, a second book of photographs titled Places I Remember: My Time With The Beatles was made available for purchase. "The current book weighs around 15 pounds," said Grossman. The book contains over 1,000 images that offer a perspective into the musicians' private lives that could only be captured by someone who knew them on a personal level. Grossman's unique relationship with The Beatles may be unlike the ones with many of his photography subjects at Brandeis, but it does resemble the close connections he formed with his professors. "I made so many great friends at Brandeis," Grossman recalled. He was especially affected by his relationship with physics Prof. Herman Epstein (BIPH) who taught an introductory course on physical science. "[Epstein] would say 'I want you to get one thing out of this class and that's the scientific method-how to ask questions,'" said Grossman. Grossman also discussed how a theater instructor encouraged him to be more outgoing. He said, "I wrote in a theater essay about a play I acted in that I didn't think a particular person had been forthcoming in a scene, so I had nothing to react to. The professor wrote in the margins of my paper, 'By what right did you feel she had to be the one to open up and extend herself.'" In between his photography jobs, he pursued a number of acting opportunities. He played Ernst Schmidt in the Broadway production of Grand Hotel from 1989 to 1992, to the surprise of many of his colleagues who knew him in the context of shooting Broadway plays as opposed to being cast in them. While his acting opportunities have slowed down, Grossman is still a busy photographer. The key to a long and successful career like Grossman's comes from relating on a "personal, rather than on a technical level," as he described it. His advice to aspiring photographers: "Watch and keep your ears open. Don't try to interject yourself into the scene."
