Literacy efforts hindered by volunteers
(11/13/12 5:00am)
Correction appended
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Petsko set to leave University for New York City in 2014
(11/13/12 5:00am)
Prof. Gregory Petsko (BCHM), will be moving his research lab to New York City to join his wife, the dean of Weill Cornell Medical College, in early 2014. His wife, Laurie H. Glimcher, was appointed dean of the medical school in January and has been living in New York since then. "I don't have a choice," said Petsko in an interview with the Justice, explaining that Glimcher's appointment was expected to be relatively long-term, "I've made 70 trips to New York City since January, and that's not an exaggerated number." He went on to jokingly compare his predicament to the famous "offer you can't refuse," made by mafia don Vito Corleone in the movie The Godfather. "It's always a good sign when other schools want to hire our faculty, and a disappointment when it actually happens," wrote Provost Steve Goldstein '78 in an email to the Justice. "We are sorry to be losing Greg Petsko, even as we wish him well at Cornell Medical School." While the decision has been made, Petsko, the Gyula and Katica Tauber Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacodynamics, said he will continue to research and teach at Brandeis until 2014, when construction on the new research building he will work in in New York will be complete. The Petsko & Ringe Laboratories are located in 5,000 square feet on the sixth floor of the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, according to the lab's website. Petsko works there with the lab's other namesake, Prof. Dagmar Ringe (BCHM), the Harold and Bernice Davis Professor in Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease. Ringe did not respond to requests for comment. The majority of the research in the lab is dedicated to developing cures for Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and Lou Gherig's Disease, according to Petsko. This research will continue in New York. The lab currently has a staff of about 20 students. Petsko estimated that six or seven are graduate students, about 12 are undergraduates and the rest are post-doctoral. He will aim to maintain the size of the lab's staff until his departure, hiring to make up for the usual turnover as students graduate or move on to other jobs. He anticipates that his new lab will be roughly the same size. However, one difference will be the loss of undergraduate students to work with and teach. Petsko will teach at the medical school, where only graduate students are enrolled. "We love having undergrads in the lab. ... They do really good work and they're a delight to have around," said Petsko, adding that it's also good training for his graduate and post-doctoral students to supervise the undergraduates. "I think [Brandeis is] the best place in the world to work in if you're a scientist who likes teaching. You couldn't ask for a better environment," he said, praising the faculty, students and University President Frederick Lawrence. "There's a million reasons why it would be wonderful to stay, but there's one big reason why I can't." Petsko said he hopes that, since he is vacating such a prominent position with a high salary, Brandeis will hire two associate professors of Biochemistry or Chemistry in his stead. "Bringing in vital, young people to the faculty is something that's very good to do," he said. Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren confirmed this in an email to the Justice, saying that the search is already underway for "a new [Biochemistry] faculty member who will carry out research defined by his or her own interest and expertise, and who will carry on Brandeis' tradition of excellence in Biochemical research and teaching." Goldstein agreed. "[T]he departure of a faculty member-even one as outstanding as Greg-does bring one compensation: the opportunity to hire someone new."
Developing artificial intelligence
(11/12/12 5:00am)
"Siri, who created you?"
BRANDEIS ON THE ISSUES: President Obama's Reelection
(11/07/12 5:00am)
The Justice asked members of the Brandeis community to predict the impact President Barack Obama's victory would have on the following key issues.
VIEW ON THE NEWS: Medicinal Marijuana
(11/06/12 5:00am)
Today students voting in Massachusetts will be deciding on the legality of medicinal marijuana. Currently, 17 states have legalized the sale of marijuana including New Jersey, Maine, Michigan and Connecticut, but some people still have reservations about the extent the government should regulate its use. How do you think Massachusetts residents should vote on the medical marijuana initiative this election year? * Prof. Cindy Parks Thomas (HELLER) The irony is that Massachusetts, a national leader in innovative solutions to health care and health policy, is far behind other states in recognizing this important medical issue. The scientific evidence is conclusive that marijuana can play an important therapeutic role in many diseases, by alleviating pain and major symptoms of cancer, Parkinson's, MS, HIV and glaucoma. We should be bold enough to shed the stigma of marijuana's history as a recreational drug, and see this as a simple access-to-care issue. As a health policy expert and former clinician, I say yes to medical marijuana, but it is not without reservation. Like any public policy, the devil is in the details of how it is implemented. Balanced regulations of licensing providers, and putting bounds around the diseases for which it may be prescribed, is imperative. This will avoid the dispensary mills on every block in certain parts of cities like my former home of Denver, and the ease with which pretty much anyone in the state could get a license to purchase at age 18. Professor Cindy Thomas, is an Associate Research Professor at the Brandeis University Schneider Institute for Health Policy. Jonathan Steinberg '13 I think people need to separate objectivity from subjectivity when they vote in this issue. Too often people will vote simply based on their opinion about smoking marijuana. There are legitimate therapeutical benefits of medicinal marijuana. The real challenge is making sure that legalizing medicinal marijuana doesn't lead to drug abuse. As long as it is effectively controlled, I think people should vote in favor of the bill. Jonathan Steinberg '13 is the Health: Science, Society, and Policy undergraduate departmental representative. * Julie Johnson State-level medical marijuana policies vary considerably on the legalization of non-FDA approved use, possession, cultivation and purchase of medical marijuana. Massachusetts policy as written has multiple loopholes and risks for exploitation, including: zoning regulations, no age limits, tax breaks and subsidies as a 'non-profit' industry, no prescription and thus, no tracking through prescription drug monitoring programs. In addition to the many unforeseen impacts this policy will have in Massachusetts given these loopholes, my and many others' concern is for youth. Legalizing marijuana may decrease perceived risk of harm, and increase social approval and access to marijuana. Marijuana use and abuse affects youth in many ways including both short-term effects e.g. cognitive dysfunction, increased risk of injuries, and long-term effects, e.g. cognitive impairment, brain and respiratory system effects, mental illness and negative impacts on educational outcomes. If Ballot 3 is passed on Nov. 6, it will be implemented on Jan. 1 making it paramount that we are ready for the consequences that will unfold, including increased protection for our youth. Julie Johnson is a Ph.D. student at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Hannah Goldberg '13 * Currently, many physicians understand that the cannabinoids contained in marijuana have a clinically beneficial role in neurotransmission, alleviating symptoms that accompany a number of medical conditions. I think that it is important for doctors to have access to any methods of treatment that they believe would most effectively treat his or her patient's ailment. My general laissez-faire attitude toward social policy influences my personal decision that residents of these states should vote to legalize medical marijuana. However, as a medical school applicant who studies neuroscience, I believe that it is important that medical marijuana is legalized to give doctors option to prescribe the drug to the patients whom it can benefit. Hannah Goldberg '13 is the undergraduate departmental representative for Neuroscience and a columnist for the Justice *
Professor Profile
(11/05/12 5:00am)
The Justice's professor profile series aims to show Brandeis professors as people outside of the classroom. In the latest installment, justNews interviewed Prof. Peter Conrad (HSSP). Peter Conrad, Harry Coplan Professor of Social Sciences and Chair of the Health: Science, Society and Policy program, is more than just a medical sociologist. The New York native wasn't always interested in sociology, but in his sophomore year at SUNY Buffalo, he realized that his business major just wasn't his calling. At the time, Conrad had been taking "Intro to Sociology," and as he puts it, he "was saved." "I finally found a discipline that asked the kinds of question I was interested in. I went to the university bookstore and went to the sociology section and there were a bunch of books I wanted to read anyway." After getting his Bachelor of Arts at Buffalo, Conrad continued his sociology education at Northeastern University where he received his Masters degree, and he went on to obtain a Ph.D. at Boston University. When asked what he likes to do outside of work, Conrad responded, "I like to go to the movies. I work in my garden; I have a big garden at home, and I love my garden. I also ride my bike, and I like to travel." Conrad has taken two sabbatical years in his 33 years at Brandeis. His first sabbatical was from 1989 to 1990 in Indonesia. Conrad discussed that in his career as a medical sociologist, he studies aspects of health and illness. He went on to explain that to be broadly based in his own field, he has to do field research in a different culture and in a different country. Conrad's other sabbatical was in London, where twice a week he flew to Northern Ireland to consult and teach. He now returns to Ireland for one week each year. Libby, Conrad's wife, is an emergency room doctor and plays an important part in his life as a medical sociologist, he said. "We are interested in some of the same issues; she from a medical point of view, and me from a sociological point of view. We help to hone each other's views because of our two different perspectives." Conrad's "SOC 191A: Health, Community, and Society" class has been important at Brandeis and is one of the keystone courses for HSSP. Conrad finished the interview by talking about what he finds most valuable about being a professor. "I can do all of the things I like to do. I like being around young people, I like to write and research. I love teaching. There is also a certain amount of flexibility. I can be here three days a week, and go home the other two and do my research. If I get tired of a course, or get into a new area of interest, I can shape a course around it. It's really a great career." -Danielle Gross
Considering moral dilemmas
(11/05/12 5:00am)
"You all have to bear the burden of carrying the discussion. Are you ready to do that?" Michael Sandel '75 challenged University students last Wednesday at the inaugural lecture of the JustBooks First-Year Seminar Program. Held in the Mandel Center for the Humanities, the Division of Humanities event, "Justice, Money, and Markets," focused on "the connections between the theories of justice on the one hand and the ... positions [people] take ... [on] pressing contemporary political and legal questions that matter" on the other. In the one-hour conversation with students, Sandel, a political philosopher, bestselling author and the University's first Rhodes Scholar, stimulated his audience as they reflected on tough questions concerning justice, defended their perspectives and ultimately determined what is fair and what is just in our society. Valarie Timms '16 was fascinated by Sandel's control of the dialogue: "Just how he could take command of the room and ... get so many people involved at once and get so many people to care about ... the topic of justice ... is something definitely a lot of professors try to do here but not in such a ... self-involved way." Sandel, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University and creator of the famous "Justice" course, opened the floor to debate after asking a divisive question: Is it fair for someone drafted during the Civil War to hire a substitute to fight in his place? Mandel G03 transformed into Sandel's classroom of actively engaged students, eager to answer why the 1862 system was objectionable or reasonable. Sandel compelled students to consider the moral dilemma of a man such as industrialist Andrew Carnegie paying a replacement $1,500: Do both parties fare better in this situation? Or is it unfair that only the wealthy can pay for substitutes? Does it then become a rich man's war and a poor man's fight? Those are some of the questions Sandel addressed in the ongoing exchange, advancing a larger discussion of what is right and wrong and how philosophy relates to the world-"between long traditions of thinking about justice ... and the hard, concrete choices that ... [people] wrestle with as citizens and ... human beings as [they] go about [their] lives." Sandel "successfully challenged a lot of notions that we have, pointed out an inconsistency in our thinking in that we think that it is bad for the Civil War era to sell out a place in the army of the draft whereas in this day and age, it's okay ... to hire essentially mercenaries from the American population," said Michael Sklaroff '13. But Sandel did not only challenge students' moral reasoning about the army; he encouraged them to think critically about organ sales-whether there should there be a free market for them; sweatshop labor-whether it is fair to be paid to work under sweatshop conditions; and jury duty-whether one should be able to hire a replacement. "In Michael Sandel, you have someone whose scholarship is thought-provoking in a way that has challenged people in how many different languages and how many different countries and has a depth and profundity that yet remains fresh," said University President Frederick Lawrence before Sandel spoke. In a style that mirrored his discourse at Harvard, Sandel inspired students to expand their thought processes-a feat that University faculty and staff hope to achieve with JustBooks, the result of a collaboration between the Office of the Provost, Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren and English Academic Administrator Lisa Pannella. "We wanted to do something Brandeisian in the spirit of what Michael has pioneered, and we ended up with small first-year seminars-each with its own topic-and all of them really bringing a deep, intellectual framework around questions of social justice," said Prof. Susan Lanser (ENG). According to Lanser, Sandel's "Justice" course, one of the most popular classes at Harvard, inspired Brandeis to develop equivalent seminars. The JustBooks program, which began this fall, merges texts from different disciplines with discussions, enabling students to "grapple over big ideas and hone their skills" in the classroom. "With the launch of the JustBooks program, we can be confident that the graduates of Brandeis University will continue to make a name for themselves as teachers and as seekers of justice," said Provost Steve Goldstein '78 after Lanser's introduction. As they encourage conversation on campus, Lanser said that she hopes there will be more of these seminars. While they are currently only open to first-years, if there is enough demand, they could be extended to other years. Sandel agreed with the merits of the program: "I feel that I got not only a terrific education but also ... a sense of engagement with the world, bringing academic questions into contact with the world," which is what JustBooks hopes to enhance.
Preserve cursive writing
(10/29/12 4:00am)
There's something indispensable about the romance of a handwritten cursive letter. Experts have made careers out of pouring over the significance of these curves and lines trying to quantify and qualify the arcs into a science. Given the sustained scientific and cultural significance of penmanship, we must still try to preserve the dying art of cursive handwriting.
Historian speaks about Holocaust trauma
(10/29/12 4:00am)
The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute welcomed renowned historian Dagmar Herzog this past Wednesday evening in Rapaporte Treasure Hall. In her lecture, "Post Holocaust Anti-Semitism and the Psychiatry of Trauma", Herzog discussed various arguments given by postwar West German psychiatrists to deny reparations to the traumatized survivors of Nazi persecution.
Veterinary visions
(10/29/12 4:00am)
Ari Boltax's '14 interest in veterinary medicine stems from her own experience with a childhood pet. After convincing her parents, she became the owner of a Maltese puppy when she was eight-wyears old. "We ended up only having it for about six days because she had a hypoglycemic attack, which is low blood sugar and it's treatable, but it just scared my parents, so we decided that it was best that we not have a dog," said Boltax. She admits that, while she was probably sad at the time, she vividly remembers "being more interested in 'Why did this happen to my dog, and why isn't it going away? Why can't I save it? What's the title of someone who saves animals because nobody else should have this happen to their dog?'" she said. Boltax, double-majoring in Chemistry and Biology, is also pre-vet. Because of the lack of a defined academic route for someone who wants to pursue veterinary studies at Brandeis, Boltax has found other ways to enrich her education on the subject. During the summer, she interned at New England Wildlife Center in South Weymouth, Mass., and she continues to work there this semester whenever she has free time. Her internship consisted of eight-hour shifts five days a week, and her work ranged from "anything from admitting patients to feedings, to cleanings to doing x-rays and analyzing radiographs to administering medications and injecting medications and wrapping broken wings on birds," said Boltax. She also prepared packages for rabies testing, did blood analyses and assisted with euthanizing animals that could not be saved. A main responsibility Boltax had at the center was making decisions about whether an animal should be released or euthanized. For one of these situations, the veterinarian was unusually quiet during his examination of a cardinal, and at the end of his exam, he simply asked if she thought the animal should be euthanized. After learning that the bird had a neurological problem, incurable by any veterinarian, she made the decision to euthanize it. "If it has three things wrong with it, then we usually euthanize because in the process of fixing one thing, we'll probably just hurt them more trying to fix the second," Boltax said. The technician suggested that the interns assist with the euthanasia administration on that particular day and told Boltax to choose an animal; she chose the cardinal she had seen earlier that day. "To see an animal go from start to finish completely in my hands and in my care was something ... exciting and it was interesting, and it's something that I knew that I could handle, dealing with a death and deciding on a death that was really important to me. And I think that kind of defines my internship, how important it was and what a crazy experience I had," Boltax said. The types of animals admitted by the center depends on the time of year. Toward the end of August and beginning of September, the center sees a lot of squirrels and baby birds after a rainstorm. Other animals Boltax cared for include possums, hawks, geese, turtles, snakes, porcupines, tree frogs and hedgehogs. She admits that Brandeis was not an ideal choice to study veterinary medicine because "there's actually a really important class that's required for most veterinary schools that Brandeis doesn't even offer." While she has had to supplement her love of animals and veterinary studies with her internship and volunteering at Northshore Animal League America, an animal shelter in New York, when she goes home, she's more than satisfied with her decision to be at Brandeis. "I had no idea that I would fit in so well, that the community here was so like-minded to me and that the connections that I would make would be so valuable," she said. Being at Brandeis has also given Boltax the opportunity to pursue her focus of veterinary medicine with her love of teaching. Boltax is a teaching assistant for "Organic Chemistry" and will be a TA next year for "Organic Chemistry," "Biology lab," as well as a practicum she is currently designing. Boltax is currently doing independent research for the Biology and Organic Chemistry Introduction Labs. "I'm basically trying to integrate the two curricula more and make it more cohesive for students who double up during their sophomore year. So, I designed an experiential learning practicum that's actually coming out next semester," she said. "I want to incorporate [teaching] into my career somehow, so I'd like to pursue a combined DVM, which is Doctorate Veterinary Medicine Ph.D. program. And I'm probably going to be applying to veterinary school straight out of college, but I really want to be able to use that Ph.D. to teach in the future," Boltax said. She is excited for this project because "students can enroll in the practicum and they get to have real tangible contributions to sciences. They design and develop and carry out their own unique experiment," according to Boltax. Eager to combine her love of teaching and animals, Boltax said that although she has always known what she wanted her focus to be, she has finally learned how to combine her passions.
VIEWS ON THE NEWS: Online Courses
(10/23/12 4:00am)
The integration of technology into the classroom has allowed students to learn, think and analyze in many different ways. More and more, universities such as Harvard University, Columbia University and Tufts University are allowing students to enroll in online courses instead of attending a traditional classroom. Do you think Brandeis should incorporate online courses into its current curriculum? Do you think there's merit in taking university courses online? Prof. Angela Gutchess (PSYC) Online learning offers a number of opportunities, particularly for distance learning. However, I think that online courses would not be a good substitute for live courses at Brandeis. The classroom setting supports discussion, lively demos, and interaction in a way that online forums do not. Particularly the small classes and seminars allow students to develop skills in oral communication and processing and in responding to ideas in "real time," which are not the same as skills emphasized in a written medium. Large live courses may have more of a challenge in engaging students and creating an active learning environment, but it can be done with the right tools and methods. Angela Gutchess is an assistant professor in the Psychology department. * Prof. Marya Levenson (ED) Technology can provide a great opportunity for students to learn in a different way, provided that we resist the glitz and keep asking ourselves how the particular form of technology enables us to ask critical questions, learn new skills and solve challenges. If Brandeis could be part of a university consortium that provided excellent opportunities to learn online, faculty and students would be able to think about how/ whether to make that part of a Brandeis experience. For example, being able to take one semester of online courses might enable more science students to have a semester abroad. Marya Levenson is the Harry S. Levitan Director of Teacher Education and Professor of the Practice of Education. * John Unsworth I came to Brandeis in February of 2012, from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois, and I spent the rest of the spring semester teaching my Illinois graduate course in digital humanities online. I was teaching online because GSLIS has been delivering its professional masters degree online since 1996, and currently teaches half its students in this way. In my experience, online courses can be high-quality, high-touch and high impact experiences for both faculty and students, if done right. Online instruction can also be done badly, but in my experience most courses benefit from the rethinking of the syllabus that is required for faculty to teach them online. Finally, both undergraduate and graduate students can benefit from access to guest speakers, new forms of interaction, new modes of expression and new methods for investigation that online courses can make available. I don't think online teaching will become a replacement of on-campus teaching of undergraduates at Brandeis, but I do think it could be a very useful supplement. John Unsworth is the vice provost for Library and Technology Services and chief information officer. * Rachel Downs '13 There is always possibility for significant gains, and significant losses, with an online approach to education and teaching. In some ways, I feel that Brandeis is limiting its students by not incorporating online classes in the curriculum, because it limits the variety of courses students can take for credit here and necessitates in-person instruction for all classes. On the other hand, as a teacher, I strongly believe that so much is gained by being a member of a class and learning in a mutual, engaged environment with a knowledgeable facilitator. That being said, I would be in favor of Brandeis incorporating some online courses into the curriculum as long as our undergraduate culture here maintained a majority in-class instruction and online classes did not have a significant impact on in-person class size and/or faculty and staff teaching positions. Rachel Downs '13 is an Undergraduate Departmental Representative for the Education Studies program. *
Prof Epstein named Massachusetts Academy of Sciences Fellow for scientific research
(10/23/12 4:00am)
Prof. Irving Epstein (CHEM) has been recognized as a Massachusetts Academy of Sciences Fellow for his professional achievements and his contributions to the science community. Each year the MAS awardees "constitute a select and prestigious community of scientists, engineers, research physicians, and others deeply concerned about science and science education," according to the Academy's website. According to the MAS website, the organization's mission is "to promote public understanding and appreciation of the sciences, to support scientific research and education in areas relevant to the needs of the state, and to provide consultative or advisory services on matters of science to the Governor, and to local, state, and federal agencies." Fellows are elected by the Board of Governors' and are nominated by a leading scientist or science educator in their field, the website states. Epstein was nominated by Prof. Eve Marder (BIOL), who is also a MAS fellow. "Irv Epstein has been ... an international leader in the field of oscillating chemical reactions for many, many years, and so his work has sort of led the whole field of oscillating chemical reactions, and it was exactly for that reason that I thought it was meritorious," Marder said in an interview with the Justice. According to his profile on the Life Sciences at Brandeis website, Epstein's research focuses on "oscillatory chemical reactions, spatial pattern formation, dynamical systems and neurobiology." In an interview with the Justice, Epstein said that he is joining an "interesting group of fellows," which includes five Nobel laureates; astronaut Catherine Coleman; and Dr. Bill Nye, host of television series Bill Nye the Science Guy. When looking ahead to working with the Academy, he expressed excitement about their "[initiative] ... to make science more accessible to the general public." Epstein joins three MAS fellows from Brandeis; in addition toMarder, previous awardees include Prof. Carolyn Cohen (BIOL) and Prof. Jeffrey Hall (BIOL). -Allyson Cartter
Kaplan's case ends in mediation with Union
(10/23/12 4:00am)
As of about 10 p.m. last night, Dean Kaplan's '15 quest for the restitution of his Student Union Senate seat is over. He will not, as was the original goal of his claim against the Student Union, resume his position as off-campus senator, but instead will spearhead the creation of a University Committee that will focus on issues concerning Brandeis students living off-campus. Sunny Aidasani '14 will continue to serve as off-campus senator.
Foreign policy comes to fore
(10/23/12 4:00am)
Last night at 9 p.m., 15 days before election day, presidential candidates Gov. Mitt Romney, and President Barack Obama met in Boca Raton, Fla. for their final debate. The debate, which was moderated by long-time CBS news anchor Bob Schieffer, covered foreign policy, but also made temporary detours into domestic policy. The candidates' comments paid particular attention to Iran and Israel, and included a fiery repartee over China as well. The discussion began with a question concerning Libya and the Middle East. Romney acknowledged the accomplishment of the assassination of Osama bin Laden, but stressed that the foremost goal for his administration would be to stop extremism all over the Middle East by showing a stronger presence and providing for democratically leaning opposition parties in countries such as Egypt and Syria. Obama criticized Romney's foreign policy for being similar to that of the 1980s, stating that previously Romney said in a speech that Russia is the greatest geopolitical foe of the United States. Many of the plans Obama detailed for the future focused on advancing the country's place in the world in terms of math and science education, as well as advancing technology, while Romney suggested that the last four years have made the United States weaker and that he would protect military spending. Obama, however, countered: "We spend more on our military than the next 10 countries combined: China, Russia, France, the U.K., you name it, the next 10. What I did was work with our joint chiefs of staff to think about what are we going to need in the future to make sure that we are safe." When the subject of how to handle Iran's nuclear program arose, Romney ardently called for a series of "crippling sanctions." Obama said that his main objective is to prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon, but that he could not act without evidence. With Obama referring to Israel as the United States's "true friend and greatest ally in the region," both candidates were in agreement regarding Israel. Romney continued his firm criticism of Obama's supposed neglect of China's manipulation of currency. Obama responded by saying that the United States will need to continue to ensure that China is following the rules, but that they have been bringing cases against China's violations of trade rules. While both agreed that China is an important trade partner, Romney criticized China's blatant creation of trade imbalance. "I will get America working again and see rising take-home pay again, and I'll do it with five simple steps," said Romney on one of many economic tangents. He then went on to outline his plans to create 12 million jobs. One student felt uncomfortable with the degree to which the candidates strayed from the central theme. "They didn't talk about foreign policy issues today," said Navrun Jacob '15 in an interview with the Justice. "They were supposed to but they didn't. Most voters are interested in hearing about domestic politics." In his closing statement, Obama brought up a few subjects the candidates did not cover, proposing the return of manufacturing jobs to the United States and asking the wealthy "to do a little bit more." Romney said that with the way Obama has led the United States in the last four years, the nation will face a 20-trillion-dollar debt and an economy on its way to something resembling Greece's meltdown. "The debate tonight was really foreign policy heavy and that's one of the places where I'm most in contention with American government in general," said Malika Imhotep '15. "And while I do support President Obama, tonight was really interesting for me. While there were definitely some 'Hurrah, Obama' moments, there were some things that didn't sit well with me on either side. But I was glad that we got a little bit of feisty Obama tonight." -Sara Dejene contributed reporting.
New movie is a historical adrenaline rush
(10/22/12 4:00am)
When was the last time you clapped at the end of a movie? For me, it was at the end of Ben Affleck's newest directorial feature, and one of the most exciting movies released this year, Argo. Argo is based on the declassified true story of six United States diplomats who escaped the American embassy in Iran before it was captured by Iranian civilians, an event which began the Iran Hostage Crisis that would last 444 days in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The six diplomats find their way from the embassy to the Canadian ambassador's house, where they can hide until they can leave the country safely. Here is where the movie picks up. CIA specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is charged by his boss (Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston) with the task of finding a way to get the hostages out of the extremely volatile (and anti-American) country. Mendez comes up with idea to have the six Americans pose as a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a science fiction movie called 'Argo.' From there, Mendez contacts make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) in Hollywood to help make this fake film seem real. Hopefully, if this appears legitimate enough, the ruse will get the Americans back home. The movie, which runs at almost exactly two hours, starts off with a bang, showing the invasion of the American embassy in Iran in 1979, and it never slows down. The situation is tense right from the start, and the last 30 minutes of the movie are absolutely riveting. I won't spoil any plot details (though, as a true story, they are readily available online), but the movie easily keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what will happen next. The action isn't violent or shoot-em-up; rather, it is an uneasy feeling of not knowing what will happen to the six Americans, or those trying to save them, at any point. Affleck shows true prowess as a director with this film. He is so confident in his material that, during the credits, he compares his shots in the movie to actual pictures of the Iranian situation at that time. It certainly shows. The film is well-crafted in its pacing as well as in the shots that were used. The opening scene shows the rush of the Iranians into the embassy from an aerial view, and the effect is chilling as we see the Americans inside frantically try to burn or shred any document in sight. For extra effect, Affleck chooses to put in real news footage throughout the film to intensify the situation. This technique also effectively provides background and adds a sense of realism to the film. The acting in the film is also top notch. Affleck is rather impressive in his role as Mendez. He pulls it off and plays the determined and smart CIA agent convincingly. However, it is the supporting actors who truly steal the show. Alan Arkin is excellent as the sarcastic, bombastic movie producer who begins the fake movie process. He and John Goodman, who plays the make-up artist and Tony's main Hollywood contact, add depth and quite a bit of humor to the film. They are given all the best lines, such as when Arkin's character humorously quips "If I'm gonna make a fake movie, it's gonna be a fake hit." The movie takes some pride in poking fun at Hollywood and those who do business there. Bryan Cranston also shines as Mendez's boss at the CIA, and colorfully plays a character that could have easily been lost in the shuffle and tension of the movie. Without these three supporting actors, the movie would not have been nearly as good, as they add layers to the film. The screenplay, written by Chris Terrio, is intriguing and fast-paced. Though none of the characters are particularly appealing emotionally, the storyline and the situations are incredibly tension-filled. There were moments when I audibly gasped at events occurring on the screen, both a combination of impressive camera work (done by Academy Award nominee Rodrigo Prieto) and the effective screenplay. The last 30 minutes, which go back and forth between the hiding Americans and those back in the United States, are absolutely incredible, and some of the most exciting moments I've seen in film. The editing and directing there are superb. Overall, Argo is a smart, dramatic and thrilling movie. What makes it so effective is that it has a little bit of everything. The drama is intense because it is real. This story is too incredible to make up, and because of that, everything about the film is realistic and fascinating. The movie also has a significant amount of comedy to it, especially in the Hollywood scenes; this keeps the film on the lighter side when the events surrounding the situation are literally life and death. The action is exciting and fast-paced without a single gunshot fired. Again, because the situation concerns the lives of the six hiding Americans, the suspense builds and builds until the climax as they try to escape. At the end of Argo, the audience and I clapped. At a film, as there is no curtain call or live performers to hear the praise, it is quite the compliment to hear applause, and this film certainly deserved it. *
Harvard prof rewarded
(10/22/12 4:00am)
Harvard Medical School Prof. Stephen J. Elledge has been awarded the Lewis S. Rosensteil Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Science, according to an Oct. 17 BrandeisNOW press release. Elledge's work involves studying eukaryotic cells and damage to DNA. He is also known for developing research tools to investigate DNA damage, and "his pioneering work laid the foundation for our current understanding of how failures in DNA damage sensing relate to the ... field of genome instability," according to BrandeisNOW. Elledge said that he was honored to be given the prestigious award. "Receiving the Rosenstiel Award was a very pleasant surprise as the past winners are a tremendously talented group of scientists and I am proud to be considered to be among them," Elledge wrote in an email to the Justice. "And, of course, it is a terrific tribute to my grad students and post-docs whose incredible talent and hard work was responsible for the discoveries we made over the years." The Rosensteil Award, which consists of a $30,000 cash prize and a medal, was founded in 1972 and "has had a distinguished record of identifying and honoring pioneering scientists who subsequently have been honored with the Lasker and Nobel prizes," according to BrandeisNOW. Elledge is the Gregor Mendel Professor of Genetics and Medicine and a member of the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. He also .has positions at the Brigham and Women's hospital and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Elledge attended the University of Illinois, where he studied biology, and he later earned his Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Elledge will receive his awardaduring a dinner at Brandeis on March 14, 2013. -Sam Mintz
EDITORIAL: Incorporate feedback into draft
(10/16/12 4:00am)
Last week Provost Steve Goldstein '78 released the Strategic Planning Steering Committee's preliminary five-year framework of the strategic plan in an email to the Brandeis community. According to Mr. Goldstein, the framework is going to set the University's 10-to-20 year trajectory to help the administration make more informed decisions about how to best utilize new investments and resources. Given that this framework is the only opportunity for the community to give feedback before the draft of the plan is released, we hope the committee will use the responses to address several problematic areas not clearly communicated in the framework, such as managing our image as an evolving research university and relationship with our Jewish identity. The 14-page framework is divided into five categories, including continuing the University's commitment to social justice, supporting new academic initiatives and sustaining existing ones and creating an interconnected global community, among other objectives. As students we would have liked to have seen a section outlining the proposed goals for student life on campus. While the framework does mention that the committee seeks to "[match] campus capacity to enrollment and [raise] the quality and accessibility of residential" facilities, students' enjoyment of campus life should have been given greater attention in the framework. In order to maintain an involved and engaged network of alumni, the administration must dedicate its attention to sustaining student satisfaction. Moreover, the framework also omits any significant mention of the University's complex relationship with our Jewish roots. While one of the initial goals on the first page of the framework says, "Brandeis will honor its Jewish roots," this idea is absent from the five core categories the University will be focusing on. While discussing the goals for empowering academic programs, the framework could have mentioned its commitment to maintaining and supporting Jewish programs like the Near Eastern Jewish Studies department. Likewise, in these initial goals the framework refers to Brandeis as a "research university with a liberal arts focus." While the framework puts an emphasis on research, we feel our University serves an equal and dual purpose as both a liberal arts college and a research university. Although our image as a research university has attracted a new brand of students and donors, the eventual strategic plan must find a balance between these two identities. If the administration hopes to promote greater interconnectivity with alumni and cultivate a network of donors, it is vital to nurture the unique Brandeis model, which focuses equally on the humanities, social sciences, arts and the life sciences. Despite these omissions, we support the proposed creation of five new interdisciplinary programs. The engineering program as well as the biomedicine and global health program will help maintain Brandeis' position as a top-tier research university, while the integrated arts program supports our identity as a small liberal arts school with a focus on social justice. We appreciate that these programs will help realize the University's need to constantly differentiate itself from other similar colleges by actively helping students emerge as leaders in these competitive fields. They will allow students to evolve past our current academic structures while still maintaining the community's core values. As the steering committee moves forward to create the draft of this plan, we hope they do not lose sight of the qualities and values that distinguish the University. The Brandeis model the framework wants to maintain inherently relies on integrating our new research-orientated image into our liberal arts history. This model depends on the preservation of our Jewish roots and an administration that values student satisfaction.
Ruth Shapiro, beloved benefactor, dies at 95
(10/16/12 4:00am)
Ruth Shapiro, one of the most influential donors in Brandeis' history, died on Sunday at the age of 95, according to a BrandeisNOW press release.
Acceptance rate falls with fewer applicants
(10/16/12 4:00am)
The University saw a slight drop in applications this year, from 8,917 last year to 8,380 for the Class of 2016, according to Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel during last Thursday's faculty meeting. The numbers are as of Oct. 1 and came from a preliminary report on admissions statistics Flagel presented to the faculty. According to the data from the report, acceptances decreased with applications, falling to 3,277, resulting in an acceptance rate of 39.11 percent. This is slightly lower than last year's 39.99 percent, although the University's acceptance rate has hovered around 40 percent for the past three years. In addition, the yield, or rate of students accepted who matriculate, increased to 25.1 percent. "Both of these rates are moving very much in the right direction," said Flagel. Flagel pointed out that although there were fewer applicants, both last and this year's classes were the "two largest application pools for freshmen in our history." According to Flagel, the reason for the decline was the elimination of an internal application that drew about 600 applications that "didn't tend to enroll or be qualified." In addition, these applications were costly to the University. For these reasons, the applications were discontinued so that students applied exclusively with the Common Application. This year's class size, which does not yet include transfers and mid-year students, is also smaller than last year, as 821 students matriculated compared to last year's 858 students. Last year, the large size of the Class of 2015 raised concerns about housing with more first-year students in lofted triples. According to Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer in a September interview with the Justice, the University aimed to maintain an enrollment of 855 students for the Class of 2016. In terms of demographics, the University saw another geographically concentrated class enter this fall, as 34 percent of the entering class are from the New England region and 48 percent of the international students, which make up 16 percent of the whole class, are from China. In an interview with the Justice, Flagel said that these numbers are concerning. "We are concentrated in very narrow areas," he commented, saying that the goal of the University is to broaden its profile across the United States and around the world. Flagel pointed to a decreasing gender disparity from last year with the percentage of female students falling to 53 percent and males rising to 47 percent. Students' average GPA "continued to hover above 3.8" while the average SAT score dropped slightly by 10 points. Flagel noted that overall, both GPA and SAT scores have improved. Flagel also presented statistics on students enrolled in graduate programs. These programs include the Graduate School of Arts and Sciencs, the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, the International Business School, the Rabb School of Continuing Studies and a joint program between the GSAS and Heller. Flagel did not provide breakdowns for the individual schools. Enrollment for graduate students dropped by four percent to 2,226 enrolled students. Flagel noted that graduate enrollment had "slipped nationally" after a few years of "significant" growth but that it was "hard to discern too much from a four-percent shift." Out of admitted graduate students, 41 percent are from New England while 31 percent are international. -Sam Mintz and Robyn Spector contributed reporting.
Misconceptions of religion hinder tolerance
(10/15/12 4:00am)
When the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which today includes most of New England, was founded in 1628, its Puritan governor John Winthrop said of the new colony: "we shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us." This famous quote was making a reference to Jerusalem, which is indeed a "city upon a hill," and John Winthrop's mandate was to found a religiously pure society that would set an example for the entire world to follow. Although not all of the 13 colonies got off to such a radically religious start, religion was a contentious issue that had a lot to do with the origins of our country. Today, the legacy of those origins still resonates deeply: much of the country still shuts down on Sundays; the religious activity of our politicians, and especially the president, are paraded before the public; and some of our most polarizing political issues stem from questions of religion. Given how deeply rooted our country is in religion, I found it rather surprising to see a statistic showing that significantly fewer Americans than I expected actually affiliate with one. A recent study from the Pew Research Center shows that one in five Americans do not identify with an established religion and reported instead that their religious beliefs are "nothing in particular," agnostic or atheist. How can it be that such a religiously oriented country is actually experiencing a decline in the religiosity of its citizens? But then I remember my friends' reactions to my own religious persuasions and I'm not so surprised anymore. After years of believing in G-d and identifying as Jewish but not practicing at all outside of a handful of Friday night dinners per semester, I found that something was really lacking in my life. I felt absorbed in materialistic pursuits that had no real purpose or benefit, and this depressed me. Since I had always been spiritually oriented, I turned to Judaism to try and bring a little more meaning into my daily existence. I began to keep kosher (following Jewish dietary laws), observe the Jewish Sabbath and go to synagogue more regularly. I quickly discovered that religious observance brought a whole slew of positive things to the table. I became a generally happier person and I felt like I had more of a purpose. Yet, despite the happiness I found in Judaism, the reactions I received from my secular friends to my newfound religious observance were overwhelmingly negative. One friend asked me how I got to be such a "super Jew" and then proceeded to lambast Orthodox Jews for being crazy and for unquestioningly doing everything scripture says. Other friends would often forget about my Shabbat observance and invite me out to parties on Friday nights. When I would politely decline, I would receive eye rolls and snickers because I was off doing the "Jew thing." The kind of intolerance I encountered toward my increased religious observance is unusual at Brandeis, and I thus found it particularly alarming. Many of my more religious friends wrote these reactions to my increased religious observance off as anti-Semitism, but I believe these reactions are representative of a different kind of problem. It's not that my friends have anything against Jews. It's rather that as someone who was once secular and is known to my friends as smart and rational, my increased religious observance may have disrupted their view of what it means to be smart and rational. The reason why is that our liberal, and thus often secular society, has taught us that anyone who believes in any kind of god, force, energy, spirit, ghost or any other supernatural being that can't be directly observed must be irrational, at least to some extent. This view is enforced by the constant barrage of religious extremists that we see in the media every day and modern science, the traditional dogma of which is that if you can't directly observe something or the results of it, then it doesn't exist. It was in fact these attitudes that kept me away from religious observance for so long in the first place. So then perhaps it does makes sense that one in five Americans don't identify with any established religion. If society tells you that having belief makes you irrational, why would you ever want to turn to religion? I am not, of course, arguing that religion is for everyone. There are plenty of people who legitimately can't find rhyme nor reason in religious observance, and that is completely fine. In fact, that's how it should be. We always need people who don't agree with us to question our beliefs and actions so that we stay rational. But we should also remember that religion cannot necessarily be equated with extremism and irrationality. For me, religion is sanctity and peace. For others, it is community. And for still others it is solace. This is not a call for Americans to "come back" to religion. Just as my secular friends have no right to dictate to me whether or not I practice Judaism, I have no right to dictate to them, or any one else, whether or not they choose to be secular. However, those of us who have chosen to turn from religion, they must remember to continue to respect those of us who have not