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(11/07/11 5:00am)
This week, we decided to review Hall of Fame Pizzeria & Wings on Main Street, which we found through FourSquare Explore with the help of our friend, David Lasher '13. At first glance, Hall of Fame appears to be a typical New York pizzeria kind of place. Pizza boxes with the words "Proud to be American" tower above the counter and portraits of Times Square and the New York City skyline adorn the walls. Upon closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that while the restaurant is in the New York style, it evokes a distinctly Boston charm. As you walk in, you immediately notice two classic stone ovens behind the counter. To the left is a large refrigerator filled with all the drinks you'd expect; to the right, a few simple tables. All of this is enveloped by glorifications of Boston sports teams, which hang from all the available walls and empty spaces. The whole place also has a charmingly gritty feel to it. Pipes are exposed, wires dangle from the TV (which is constantly on ESPN) and the cable box perches comfortably on top of the fridge. One lonely plant sits quietly by the corner, a testament to the rurality of the locale. Founded in 2009 by a young Armenian-American entrepreneur, John Piranosian, Hall of Fame Pizzeria & Wings boasts a menu of "Gourmet Pizza," "Famous Wings," calzones, burgers and chicken and steak rolls. They also offer vegetarian roll-ups and dinners that include steak, chicken, falafel and lahmajoun, which is a type of Armenian pizza. Perhaps the most interesting part of the menu, however, is the crossover calzones, which are essentially classic calzones filled with different flavors of boneless hot wings. We decided to start off with two slices of cheese pizza, which we hereby declare to be the best pizza in Waltham. We find it to be crispier than Prospect Café's and not as chewy as Upper Crust's. The pizza is very New York; the crust is thin (though not charred), the sauce is old-school (not too sweet or savory), and the cheese is mozzarella (shredded). It is important to note that Hall of Fame is not trying to make New York pizza; they make a distinctly Boston slice. Next, we tried the wings, which we thought complemented the pizza quite well. The barbecue and buffalo sauces we sampled were filled with flavor, and it was evident that the chicken was freshly fried. At this point, one of the cooks let us know that our crossover calzone would only be another two or three minutes. The service was fast as well as amiable in a friendly neighborhood type of way. They even let us pay at the end of our meal, which is not typical of pizza-by-the-slice style places. We ended our meal with a honey barbecue crossover calzone, which we found to be pure genius; a true collegiate delight. All in all, Hall of Fame Pizzeria & Wings is a quality eatery that anyone can make into their standby delivery pizza place. They conveniently deliver anywhere in the Waltham/Weston area. We would love to see more of their pizza boxes around campus. Though they may not have Domino's online-order extravaganza or Upper Crust's brand image, we are confident that they offer the best pizza in Waltham. Their stone oven and fresh ingredients render their pies healthier and tastier than most other pizza places, and their well-priced menu is certainly within students' budgets. Hall of Fame is located at 912 Main St. in Waltham. Call (781) 899-0500.
(11/07/11 5:00am)
If the "Big One" is a sign of things to come, this could be a great season for the Brandeis fencing squads. Competing at the 2011 Northeast Intercollegiate Fencing Conference Fall Invitational, a non-conference tournament also known as the Big One, the men's and women's fencing teams earned two silver medals and a bronze to start the season off with a bang.
(11/07/11 5:00am)
Whether for a laid-back game of coed B League soccer or for the full-court basketball championships, intramural sports figure prominently into the daily lives of many Brandeis students. Last Friday, justSports had the opportunity to sit down with the man behind it all, Associate Director of Athletics Tom Rand, to discuss intramural sports and Brandeis athletics overall. JS: How would you characterize your experience running Brandeis intramural sports? TR: It's been great. I really love my job, and I'm glad to give students the chance to participate in athletics as much as possible. In my eight years here, the intramural program has expanded from nine sports and 700 participants to 13 sports with close to 1300 members. Thanks to use of the turf and lights, we've really been able to expand our program. JS: How has your prior experience prepared you for your current role in Brandeis athletics? TR: I started out as an undergrad at the University of Vermont as a facilities supervisor while refereeing intramural games. Then I had an internship to run intramural sports at the University of Southern Maine, and from there, my path was set. After obtaining my Master's of Education at University of Southern Florida, and working briefly at Keene State, I'm now here at Brandeis as Associate Athletics Director. That experience has been extremely helpful throughout my years helping run the athletics program. JS: How do you think the renovation of the pool and Linsey facility will impact Brandeis athletics? TR: I have a feeling the pool is going to be very popular. We plan to have open swim times, fitness classes, and re-start new clubs such as kayaking and water polo that were once extremely active. This also means we can revive our swimming and diving program. The Linsey Building is also a great addition, given besides the pool, it can be of use for martial arts, squash, and other sports. Overall, it gives us new and exciting opportunities for our athletic program. JS: Do you see any additional room for growth in intramural sports? TR: Well, we're definitely excited to add intertube water polo, now that we have the pool back. This is also our first year offering badminton and table tennis, which is exciting. However, I think our main goal is to move beyond using the turf field. It is difficult to mainly only have use of one field for such a large array of sports, but if we could find other facilities in which to use, new sports such as lacrosse and floor hockey definitely become a possibility.
(11/07/11 5:00am)
An article in Arts contained an incorrect statement about the author's family members. Michal Govrin's half-brother died, not her mother's half-brother. (Nov. 1, p. 23) A photo in Sports incorrectly stated the name of the photographer. The photo was taken by Jon Edelstein, not Josh Edelstein. (Nov. 1, p. 13) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@thejustice.org.
(11/07/11 5:00am)
Medical Emergency Nov. 3—A staff member at Stoneman reported a back and groin injury as a result of falling down a spiral set of stairs in the Slosberg Recital Hall. BEMCo was called to the scene, and the party was transported via ambulance to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Nov. 4—The counseling center requested an ambulance for a student at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center in need of a psychological evaluation. Nov. 4—A student in the Foster Mods reported not feeling well. The party was treated by BEMCo and refused further medical aid. Nov. 4—University Police received a report of a student bleeding from the leg. The student was treated by BEMCo with a signed refusal for further care. Vandalism Oct. 31—University Police received a report that the shuttle van booth at the base of Charles River Apartment 110 was broken. Police on the scene determined that the windows had been broken by a thrown object. Authorities were notified to repair the window. Larceny Nov. 2—A graduate student in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center reported that someone stole another person's cell phone. The student requested University Police's presence on the scene. The suspects were gone upon the officer's arrival. Nov. 3—A student reported to University Police that his university-issued phone had been stolen from his apartment. Miscellaneous Nov. 1—Two male parties were caught smoking marijuana behind Deroy Hall. Paraphernalia was confiscated from two students; judicial charges will follow. Nov. 4—University Police received a report from a student that several people appeared to be breaking into a storage area in the South Residence Lot. Officers interviewed the men, who turned out to be contract employees retrieving work materials. Nov. 5—A party came to the University Police station and reported that she had received a threatening email. A follow-up showed that the email was not a threat, just a bad joke. —compiled by Marielle Temkin
(10/31/11 4:00am)
Really?
(10/25/11 4:00am)
As a basketball fan, this was a rough summer for me. Coming off the heels of one of the best seasons in recent memory, the NBA entered its long-predicted lockout. Seemingly unbridgeable disputes between the players association and the owners concerning revenue splits have led to the cancellation of the first two weeks of the season and it looks as though the entire season may ultimately be in jeopardy. Fortunately, basketball fans can still get a little taste of the NBA this year in the form of 2K Sports' new game, NBA 2K12. Last year's iteration of the series, NBA 2K11, was lauded as the best basketball game of all time, and quite possibly the best sports game as well. NBA 2K12 picks up right where the series left off, keeping all of the elements that made the 2K11 so successful while also improving it in several important ways. Part of 2K11's success was its intuitive gameplay. The animations were incredibly realistic and synced up well with the controls; players had weight, and it factored into how they played and moved about the court. NBA 2K12 has continued to refine and hone this element by including more player-specific animations and improving the general physics of the game. The player-specific animations are in particular a nice treat for fans of the game; if you're playing as Dirk Nowitzki, for example, you can employ his signature off-balance, one-footed hook shot and just as in real life, it will miraculously find the basket. Developer Visual Concepts has also put a lot of work into improving post play, and it shows. The post game is far more robust and includes a wide array of new moves that are mapped to the controller in such a way that they feel natural and give the player complete control. Along with the superior gameplay, 2K12 also boasts improvements in presentation. Character models look even better than in the previous game, and fans of the NBA should instantly recognize their favorite players. The game is clever with camera angles, player introductions and commercial spots that all add to the feeling that the player is watching a nationally televised game. Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg, who both broadcast in real life, return as the game's broadcasters along with newcomer Steve Kerr, a five-time NBA champion who has done voice work on other basketball videogames. Some dialogue is taken from previous games, but there is plenty of new banter and trivia, which adds a lot to the game. The commentators respond not just to what's going on in the game, but also refer to the general progression of the season, which adds a lot to the game's realism. The game's several play modes feature significant advancements as well, from the ability to take Association mode online and compete in a league with your friends to the vast improvements in My Player mode, which include the elimination of the tedious Development League games of 2K11 and the new salary your player earns. These can be spent on training camps and signature moves. 2K12 also boasts an all-new NBA's Greatest mode, which lets gamers take control of 15 of the greatest NBA teams of all time including Michael Jordan's championship Chicago Bulls, the '88 to '89 "Bad Boy" Pistons and Magic Johnson's "Showtime" Lakers. Each of these 15 teams is paired up against rival teams from that era and as players win each game, they gain access to both teams and their players in the Quick Game mode. This allows players to match up teams across all eras of the game's great history; if you've ever wanted to pit MJ against King James or Shaq against Dwight Howard, now you can. This feature is absolutely brilliant and gives gamers a reason to pick up 2K12 despite the lack of an NBA season. If I had one critique for 2K12, it would be regarding the ratings the game assigns to certain players. Ranking players is never easy and almost always sure to cause some disagreement, so I'm willing to give 2K12 a little leeway here. I'm not sure that Rudy Gay is better than Blake Griffin, but it's close, so I'll give 2K12 the benefit of the doubt. However, some of these rankings just seem obviously wrong. There's simply no way Amar'e Stoudemire should be ranked higher than Nowitzki. Nowitzki just single-handedly led his Mavericks to a championship against the Miami Heat. Meanwhile, Stoudemire couldn't get the Knicks past the first round of the playoffs, and that was with the help of superstar Carmelo Anthony, who also for some reason ranks higher than Nowitzki. Fortunately, the game does allow players to change the ratings of players in the game, but it would have been nice to have more accurate ratings as the default. Despite this minor complaint, NBA 2K12 replaces its predecessor as the best basketball game of all time. It's a shame that 2K12 won't get the game of the year consideration it deserves simply because it's a sports game, but it is definitely at the top of my list. I give NBA 2K12 a 9.75/10.
(10/25/11 4:00am)
Big Rubber Balls. Butterballs. No Big Teal. These were just some of the 14 teams that competed in last Sunday's first annual kickball tournament to benefit Prevent Child Abuse America, an organization that builds awareness and education about "the abuse and neglect of our nation's children," according to its website.
(10/25/11 4:00am)
On Nov. 5, the Brandeis women's soccer team will take the pitch for the final time this season, and for the seniors, it will be their last game wearing a Brandeis jersey. Nov. 5 will also be the last game forward Mimi Theodore '12 and defender Ali Theodore '12 will share as teammates, a bond they have shared since the age of seven.
(10/25/11 4:00am)
A photo in Sports was credited to the wrong photographer. The photo was taken by Joshua Linton, not Alex Margolis. (Oct. 18, pg. 13) A photo in Arts was credited to the wrong photographer. The photo was taken by David Yun, not Alex Margolis. (Oct. 18, pg. 18) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@thejustice.org.
(10/18/11 4:00am)
Every now and then I find myself asking how and why I ended up somewhere. Blind dates, sweat-storm frat parties, swimming pools of hotels that I'm not staying in, bad concerts of bands that haven't been famous in 30 years, any sporting event not played by professionals (e.g. Little League) and all sorts of other non-ideal situations crowd my life. Usually I get through these situations with the idea that it will one day make a funny story or that I was attempting something noble. But when I find myself staring up at a screen filled with bloodied humans crawling around a warehouse on hands and knees while stapled and duct-taped to each other from mouth to rectum and it's 10 a.m. on a Monday morning, it's a little tough to see the silver lining.
(10/18/11 4:00am)
Rivalries: New England sports fans are all too familiar with grudge matches. The Celtics despise the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bruins have their own hatred for the Montreal Canadiens. The Patriots can't stand Rex Ryan and his New York Jets, and of course, there is the rivalry between the Red Sox and the New York Yankees? Sir Isaac Newton once said, "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." For every team, there is a most-despised opponent.
(10/18/11 4:00am)
In 2002, Brandeis Television, better known as BTV, won a successful bid to gain status as a secured club from the Student Union. As a result, the club, which was described in a November 2002 Justice article as a "24-hour cable television network available only to the Brandeis campus," acquired an annual budget of $14,500, using the money to purchase camera equipment, expand broadcasting of the channel's two original series and further ensure that the channel provides an "optimal rate of production and entertainment and service to the community," said former BTV president Nate Westheimer '05 in a 2002 interview with the Justice.
(10/17/11 4:00am)
Medical Emergency
(10/11/11 4:00am)
The intramural soccer season ended in epic fashion late last Thursday, with the men's soccer championship going down to the wire on penalty kicks. Joga Bonito prevailed over American Express, winning by a score of 5-3 on penalties after an impressive comeback in regulation. In the coed championship, which was held earlier in the night, Stan Ree blanked Nova 4-0 for the championship. In the men's match, American Express dominated the first half. With the defense able to shut down Joga Bonito's potent offense, American Express was able to fire off two goals. At 15 minutes, 55 seconds left in the half, Billy Geibel MA '12 slammed it into the top left shelf of the net for the first goal of the match. About 10 minutes later, American Express was able to edge in another goal on a laser from Cameron Welter '12 that trickled through the keeper's five-hole to increase the lead to 2-0. However, Joga Bonito broke through with its first score at the 15:55 mark of the second half on a huge rip from IBS exchange student Giulio Tramontana that sailed right through the net. American Express' defense stayed tough, clinging to the one-goal lead until Joga Bonito notched the tying goal with less than five minutes remaining on a strike from the right side by IBS exchange student Angelo Lacroix. The two sides failed to find the net for the rest of the second half and all of overtime, which sent the game to penalties. After each team put home its first three kicks, Joga Bonito broke through with a fourth goal while American Express' fourth attempt sailed wide of the net. Joga Bonito's fifth player nailed the final score of the season, winning the men's tournament. One hour earlier, Stan Ree defeated Nova by a score of 4-0 in the coed final. After 10 minutes of lockdown defense, Stan Ree notched the first goal of the match at 9:10. A counterattack landed Dylan Britton '13 an open look at the net, which was slotted home in the top left of the net. Now a tight 1-0 affair, Stan Ree would start the next half off with a bang, as Stephen Kostel '11 MS '12 earned his team's second goal and his first of two on the match on a fast break just 15 seconds into the half. The team proceeded to notch two insurance goals at the 10:15 and 7:39 marks in the second half on goals by Kostel and Matt Houser '13 to increase the lead to 4-0. Along with an efficient offense, its defense completely neutralized Nova's attack, helping to secure the championship.
(10/11/11 4:00am)
Nick Rodis, Brandeis' director of Athletics from 1967 to 1984, died last Friday at the Newton-Wellesley Hospital at the age of 87.
(10/10/11 4:00am)
Correction appended
(10/04/11 4:00am)
University President Frederick Lawrence released the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on Alcohol and Drug Policy last week, almost a year after then-University President Jehuda Reinharz formed the committee. The report makes a series of recommendations designed to enhance university policies in a variety of areas and protect students from the negative effects of drug and alcohol use and misuse. The committee, however, "did not assess the extent of the alcohol and drug use at Brandeis, nor even the effectiveness of the multiple programs that exist to deal with substance misuse," according to the report. The committee was formed following the weekend of Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010, during which two students were arrested, several were hospitalized due to intoxication and another was found selling fraudulent wristband tickets to the Pachanga dance hosted by the International Club. Then-President Reinharz—only two months away from handing the reins of the University to current President Lawrence—subsequently sent an email that chastised the behavior of Brandeis students. He then formed an ad-hoc committee on alcohol and drug policy. Reinharz named Prof. Len Saxe (Heller) chair of the committee. According to his faculty profile, Saxe "focuses on human behavior and social policy" and his "research includes studies of community substance abuse programs and development of Jewish identity." Saxe said in an interview with the Justice that although he no longer studies issues of substance abuse, he spent two decades studying the topic and it has been a "long-standing interest" of his. The committee took the last six weeks of the fall 2010 semester to complete its report, said Saxe. The findings of the report focused on prevention. "As part of this prevention focus, our goal is ‘harm reduction'; that is, what can be done to reduce the number and severity of problems associated with alcohol and drug use," according to the report. The report is broken into four dimensions "that follow from a model developed by the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention and NIAAA," according to the report. These four elements are health and safety, treatment, prevention and awareness and environment/culture. Saxe explained that this organization is based on the "best practices" model recommended by the U.S. government. The six recommendations in the health and safety section focus on ensuring that students are not "afraid" to call BEMCo or University Police "during emergency situations for fear of judicial repercussions." In the treatment section, "the committee is satisfied that Brandeis offers excellent treatment services for students who are identified as being at-risk for alcohol and drug problems," according to the report. One of the five recommendations calls for Health Center medical personnel to "consider adding a standard assessment tool for screening individuals for drug and alcohol use during routine annual physical exams and other appropriate encounters," according to the report. For prevention and awareness, the committee recommended that the "emphasis be on proactive alcohol and drug use prevention, rather than a reactive one." This section of the report also calls for additional resources for prevention, awareness and education and an annual survey to collect data about social norms from students. The final section of the report, environment and community, contains 13 recommendations that suggest that "more attention be paid to the environment that promotes positive Brandeis values and reduces harmful alcohol and drug use." Among the recommendations are suggestions to expand weekend social opportunities, enhance student presence at athletics games and increase weekend availability of both the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center and the library to "provide additional options for social gathering." The report also recommends that the University "consider the relationship of currently unrecognized fraternities and sororities to the student body" and "explore the possibility of serving alcohol at large campus events in a way that models expectations for responsible use." Graduate students and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management are also mentioned several times in the report. Saxe said that graduate students are an increasingly large population at Brandeis and their needs and interests should be considered as well. In his role as committee chair, Saxe said it was important to him that the committee "heard as many voices as possible." "My hope is that the committee, both by pointing to some specific things that can be done and also by putting together this framework, helps everybody enhance what they are doing [and] how they are thinking about it," said Saxe in an interview with the Justice. Lawrence, in an interview with the Justice, said, "I think the most important thing to me that comes out of the report is that the focus is not punitive but rather the focus is in terms of helping and ... making information available to people. … I think that's the framework." Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel will be responsible for assessing the report's recommendations and finding ways to implement them. "The [nature of the] recommendation will [help determine] whether it is an implementation or further exploration of what the next steps might be," said Flagel in a phone interview with the Justice. Flagel will "examine the committee's recommendations and determine how best to integrate them into the life of the University. In the near future, he will assemble working groups to help him conduct that assessment," wrote Lawrence in a Sept. 27 campuswide email. Saxe added that the committee was not intended as an investigation of Pachanga. Rather, Pachanga was a stimulus that "simply made faculty, staff and administrators more aware of some of the issues," said Saxe. "Looking at policies across the board is important to do all the time," added Saxe.
(10/04/11 4:00am)
This past week, University President Frederick Lawrence released the ad hoc Committee on Alcohol and Drug Policy's report and recommendations. The committee, which was formed after the events that occurred on the night of the Pachanga dance in October 2010 by then-University President Jehuda Reinharz, was asked to "review current Brandeis University policy with respect to student use of alcohol and drugs."
(09/27/11 4:00am)
Over 1,200 people crowded into Shapiro Gymnasium in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center Saturday night. The stage was set for opener Jukebox the Ghost and headlining band Guster. A mix of Brandeis students and concertgoers from off campus slowly filled the gym leading up to the start of the show. Many longtime Guster fans were in the audience, which gave Jukebox the Ghost a good opportunity to impress the crowd.
