(08/26/08 4:00am)
CORRECTION: A new version of this story has been posted due to a factual error. The Justice regrets the error.Having finished in fifth and sixth places, respectively, at last year's University Athletic Association Championships, the men's and women's cross country teams will be looking to improve in conference competition this year behind strong sophomore cores."In cross country it's huge [to have a year under your belt]," coach John Evans said. "We expect to see a pretty big jump in pretty much all our sophomores from what they did last year. It's very difficult to step right in as a freshman in cross country."On the men's side, Mekonen Gendebo '11, last year's UAA rookie of the year and an all-New England performer, returns along with classmates Dan Anastos '11, Paul Norton '11, Zack Schwartz '11 and Sam Donovan '11. Gendebo missed qualifying for the NCAA championships last year by just seven seconds, running his fastest time of the season in the New England championships, finishing in 25 minutes, 20 seconds. An experienced senior class that has emphasized strong training and solid teamwork returns along with the standout sophomores. "I think this year . we definitely have the numbers to be a very solid team," co-captain Mike Stone '09 said. "I think clearly [Gendebo's] ability would augment that, but I think our approach has definitely been moreso to look at the team as the sum of the parts and try to communicate well and get everyone on the same page, so that everyone is performing strongly, and we can have different people pick up the team at different meets." Evans said such leadership could give the squad a chance to be nationally ranked this year. "Stone and Matt Jennings '09 have really led the team throughout the summer," he said. "Everyone's trained significantly harder than they have in the past. We have a shot at a national [ranking] this year."Five rookies join the fold, led by Chris Brown '12, who was second in Massachusetts in the indoor mile during the winter indoor track season at Chelmsford High School with a time of 4:19. The women's team also returns a core of sophomore runners that experienced promising rookie seasons, including Marie Lemay '11 and Hannah Lindholm '11. Grayce Selig '11, who ran exclusively during the track and field seasons last year, enters her first season on the cross country team."I wouldn't be surprised if [Lemay and Selig] were at the front of the UAA field," Evans said.Last year's captain Katy Agule '09, also returns. She believes her teammates' commitment to keeping fit can help them achieve success as a squad. "Everyone's really come back in great shape, and I feel like they really worked hard, because they really want to do extremely well this season," she said. "I feel like, with the UAA the way it's going, the top four teams are all nationally ranked, and that's where we want to be," she added. Evans believes the 2008 recruits may be the strongest of any he has brought to Brandeis. The list includes Kate Warwick '12, Molly Shanley '12, Erin Bisceglia '12, whose sister, Megan Bisceglia '07, also ran cross country, and Alyssa Pisarik '12, sister of teammate Beth Pisarik's '10. Both teams face Bentley College Friday at 1 p.m. in Weston, Mass.-Julie Ganz and Jeffrey Pickette contributed reporting.Correction: In the original story, the men's cross country team's first meet was at Endicott College Saturday at 1 p.m. They are actually playing Bentley College Friday at 1 p.m. with the women's team.
(08/26/08 4:00am)
Having finished in fifth and sixth places, respectively, at last year's University Athletic Association Championships, the men's and women's cross country teams will be looking to improve in conference competition this year behind strong sophomore cores."In cross country it's huge [to have a year under your belt]," coach John Evans said. "We expect to see a pretty big jump in pretty much all our sophomores from what they did last year. It's very difficult to step right in as a freshman in cross country."On the men's side, Mekonen Gendebo '11, last year's UAA rookie of the year and an all-New England performer, returns along with classmates Dan Anastos '11, Paul Norton '11, Zack Schwartz '11 and Sam Donovan '11. Gendebo missed qualifying for the NCAA championships last year by just seven seconds, running his fastest time of the season in the New England championships, finishing in 25 minutes, 20 seconds. An experienced senior class that has emphasized strong training and solid teamwork returns along with the standout sophomores. "I think this year . we definitely have the numbers to be a very solid team," co-captain Mike Stone '09 said. "I think clearly [Gendebo's] ability would augment that, but I think our approach has definitely been moreso to look at the team as the sum of the parts and try to communicate well and get everyone on the same page, so that everyone is performing strongly, and we can have different people pick up the team at different meets." Evans said such leadership could give the squad a chance to be nationally ranked this year. "Stone and Matt Jennings '09 have really led the team throughout the summer," he said. "Everyone's trained significantly harder than they have in the past. We have a shot at a national [ranking] this year."Five rookies join the fold, led by Chris Brown '12, who was second in Massachusetts in the indoor mile during the winter indoor track season at Chelmsford High School with a time of 4:19. The women's team also returns a core of sophomore runners that experienced promising rookie seasons, including Marie Lemay '11 and Hannah Lindholm '11. Grayce Selig '11, who ran exclusively during the track and field seasons last year, enters her first season on the cross country team."I wouldn't be surprised if [Lemay and Selig] were at the front of the UAA field," Evans said.Last year's captain Katy Agule '09, also returns. She believes her teammates' commitment to keeping fit can help them achieve success as a squad. "Everyone's really come back in great shape, and I feel like they really worked hard, because they really want to do extremely well this season," she said. "I feel like, with the UAA the way it's going, the top four teams are all nationally ranked, and that's where we want to be," she added. Evans believes the 2008 recruits may be the strongest of any he has brought to Brandeis. The list includes Kate Warwick '12, Molly Shanley '12, Erin Bisceglia '12, whose sister, Megan Bisceglia '07, also ran cross country, and Alyssa Pisarik '12, sister of teammate Beth Pisarik's '10. The men's squad hosts Endicott College Saturday at 1 p.m., while the women's team faces Bentley College Friday at 1 p.m. in Weston, Mass.-Julie Ganz and Jeffrey Pickette contributed reporting.
(11/07/07 5:00am)
To the avid trick-or-treater, a shopping bag overflowing with canned minestrone soup and Hannaford cranberry sauce would be the last image that comes to mind as mouth-watering products of a triumphant Halloween.But to the more than 150 volunteers for Halloween for the Hungry-an annual program coordinated by the Hunger and Homelessness branch of the Waltham Group-the sea of brown bags filled with donated packaged goods in the Shapiro Atrium last Wednesday night marked the most successful Halloween for the Hungry event in several years.Brandeis' participation in the event marked approximately its 20th year, as student volunteers paraded the streets of Waltham dressed as princesses, zombies and cartoon characters in a door-to-door quest for donations of packaged goods. Volunteers collected over 4,000 cans, significantly more than last year's 3,000, according to Diane Hannan, director of Brandeis' Department of Community Service. Waltham Group donated the cans to Bristol Lodge, a soup kitchen in Waltham."Without our help, some of the people would go hungry," Myka Held '09, co-coordinator of Halloween for the Hungry, said.Halloween for the Hungry became an official Waltham Group event in 1991, when a group of Brandeis students' charitable Halloween tradition became an annual campus-wide event, Hannan said. The students had collected packaged goods on Halloween for a number of years before Halloween for the Hungry became an official program.The Waltham Group has been donating the food it collects to Bristol Lodge for the past 10 years; before that, donations went to the Red Cross Food Pantry, according to Hannan."We couldn't do the work that we're doing without all the volunteers and donations that we receive," said Dick Rogers, program director for Bristol Lodge. The Waltham Group, one of several organizations in Waltham that sends volunteers to Bristol Lodge, has become increasingly involved in the program as the number of people in Waltham who are in need has increased dramatically, Rogers said.Elana Klinger-Rogers '09 emphasized that volunteer efforts from Halloween night alone will significantly impact the Waltham community. "[The donations] will make a huge difference at Bristol Lodge," she said.Hannan said this year the Waltham Group was able to reach out to a larger portion of the Waltham community to let them know about Halloween for the Hungry. Many Waltham residents greeted volunteers with already prepared bags of packaged goods."As soon as we knocked on the door, they pretty much knew what we were there for," Seth Coburn '10 said.Klinger-Rogers described the positive reactions nearly all Halloween for the Hungry volunteers received while trick-or-treating. "A lot of students coming back were actually surprised with how supportive Waltham residents were," she said.Coburn said he and his friends collected even more packaged goods than they could carry."We had a huge garbage bag [filled with food], and we hid it in a bush and had to come back for it later with the BranVan" Coburn said enthusiastically.For many volunteers, Halloween for the Hungry marked their first significant communication with people living in Waltham."It was interesting to go out into the Waltham community" Klinger-Rogers said. "I'd never before interacted with Waltham residents."Amanda Hecker '10 said she met "all different kinds of people" while collecting food on Barbara Street last Wednesday. Hannan said Brandeis students' volunteer work makes for a very constructive relationship with the Waltham community, for it allows students like Hecker and Rogers to see their Waltham locality in a different light, and also for locals to see a community-oriented side of the University. Hannah Siegel '10 said it was "amazingly refreshing" not only for her friends to meet the residents of Bruce Street, where they collected, but also for Waltham residents to see college students collecting food for the hungry."We were kind of brought together by the bond that we were both trick-or-treating for the hungry," Siegel said.Last Wednesday, coordinators saw many familiar faces of students who look forward each year to a fun, social way of benefiting their local community."It's sort of our way of being able to trick or treat," Jenna Gondelman '09, a co-coordinator of Halloween for the Hungry, said.Gondelman collected donations on a part of Westin Street with a few friends this Halloween. "I dressed up as a substitute teacher," she said, and insists that she will definitely participate in Halloween for the Hungry next year.In recent years, Lasell College in Newton, Mass., as well as several other colleges, have instituted volunteer events similar to Halloween for the Hungry, Hannan said.Halloween for the Hungry volunteers said last Wednesday's success only motivated them to become involved in more community service."It's inspiring," Siegel said, "but you're always able to do more.
(11/06/07 5:00am)
To the avid trick-or-treater, a shopping bag overflowing with canned minestrone soup and Hannaford cranberry sauce would be the last image that comes to mind as mouth-watering products of a triumphant Halloween.But to the more than 150 volunteers for Halloween for the Hungry-an annual program coordinated by the Hunger and Homelessness branch of the Waltham Group-the sea of brown bags filled with donated packaged goods in the Shapiro Atrium last Wednesday night marked the most successful Halloween for the Hungry event in several years.Brandeis' participation in the event marked approximately its 20th year, as student volunteers paraded the streets of Waltham dressed as princesses, zombies and cartoon characters in a door-to-door quest for donations of packaged goods. Volunteers collected over 4,000 cans, significantly more than last year's 3,000, according to Diane Hannan, director of Brandeis' Department of Community Service. Waltham Group donated the cans to Bristol Lodge, a soup kitchen in Waltham."Without our help, some of the people would go hungry," Myka Held '09, co-coordinator of Halloween for the Hungry, said.Halloween for the Hungry became an official Waltham Group event in 1991, when a group of Brandeis students' charitable Halloween tradition became an annual campus-wide event, Hannan said. The students had collected packaged goods on Halloween for a number of years before Halloween for the Hungry became an official program.The Waltham Group has been donating the food it collects to Bristol Lodge for the past 10 years; before that, donations went to the Red Cross Food Pantry, according to Hannan."We couldn't do the work that we're doing without all the volunteers and donations that we receive," said Dick Rogers, program director for Bristol Lodge. The Waltham Group, one of several organizations in Waltham that sends volunteers to Bristol Lodge, has become increasingly involved in the program as the number of people in Waltham who are in need has increased dramatically, Rogers said.Elana Klinger-Rogers '09 emphasized that volunteer efforts from Halloween night alone will significantly impact the Waltham community. "[The donations] will make a huge difference at Bristol Lodge," she said.Hannan said this year the Waltham Group was able to reach out to a larger portion of the Waltham community to let them know about Halloween for the Hungry. Many Waltham residents greeted volunteers with already prepared bags of packaged goods."As soon as we knocked on the door, they pretty much knew what we were there for," Seth Coburn '10 said.Klinger-Rogers described the positive reactions nearly all Halloween for the Hungry volunteers received while trick-or-treating. "A lot of students coming back were actually surprised with how supportive Waltham residents were," she said.Coburn said he and his friends collected even more packaged goods than they could carry."We had a huge garbage bag [filled with food], and we hid it in a bush and had to come back for it later with the BranVan" Coburn said enthusiastically.For many volunteers, Halloween for the Hungry marked their first significant communication with people living in Waltham."It was interesting to go out into the Waltham community" Klinger-Rogers said. "I'd never before interacted with Waltham residents."Amanda Hecker '10 said she met "all different kinds of people" while collecting food on Barbara Street last Wednesday. Hannan said Brandeis students' volunteer work makes for a very constructive relationship with the Waltham community, for it allows students like Hecker and Rogers to see their Waltham locality in a different light, and also for locals to see a community-oriented side of the University. Hannah Siegel '10 said it was "amazingly refreshing" not only for her friends to meet the residents of Bruce Street, where they collected, but also for Waltham residents to see college students collecting food for the hungry."We were kind of brought together by the bond that we were both trick-or-treating for the hungry," Siegel said.Last Wednesday, coordinators saw many familiar faces of students who look forward each year to a fun, social way of benefiting their local community."It's sort of our way of being able to trick or treat," Jenna Gondelman '09, a co-coordinator of Halloween for the Hungry, said.Gondelman collected donations on a part of Westin Street with a few friends this Halloween. "I dressed up as a substitute teacher," she said, and insists that she will definitely participate in Halloween for the Hungry next year.In recent years, Lasell College in Newton, Mass., as well as several other colleges, have instituted volunteer events similar to Halloween for the Hungry, Hannan said.Halloween for the Hungry volunteers said last Wednesday's success only motivated them to become involved in more community service."It's inspiring," Siegel said, "but you're always able to do more.
(12/05/06 5:00am)
After dominating mostly club-level squads at the Northeast Conference Meet Nov. 21, the men's and women's fencing teams were dealt a harsh taste of reality at Sunday's Brandeis Invitational, where the Judges faced Division I powerhouse St. John's University. The Red Storm beat the men's team 19-8 and the women's team 20-7, sweeping all five of its matches in both fields to finish first at the invitational. But the loss was the men's team's only blemish at the meet, as they finished second place out of seven schools, going 3-1 on the day. The women's team struggled to a 1-4 record, finishing in a tie for sixth place."St. John's recruits a lot of really good fencers, and they are one of the nation's top teams" saber Isaac Liberman '07 said. "They're one of those teams that are out of our reach at the moment."Still, the Red Storm's 11-point victory over the men's fencing team was its narrowest margin of the competition. Foil Will Friedman '09 was the only Brandeis fencer without a loss on the day, winning his only two bouts, including an emotional victory over his longtime rival, Red Storm senior Henry Kennard. "I was pleased with beating Kennard," Friedman said. "I have been fencing him since I was 14 and he usually beats me."This time around, Friedman was able to turn the tables and easily dispose of his familiar foe, 5-1. Foil Hannah Rosen '08 gave a strong performance, going 2-1 in the women's team's loss to St. John's. She was the only fencer on her team with a winning record against the Red Storm.The men's team was also fenced to wins against Brown University 17-10, Yale University 16-11 and Vassar College 18-9. Epee Kai Keller '07 paced the men with an 8-1 record, including 3-0 showings against both Yale and Brown.While the foil team has usually been the backbone of the men's team, Brandeis found itself in an unfamiliar position Sunday, relying on its saber and epee squads to deliver victories. Against Brown, the foil team went just 2-7, while the saber and epee teams combined to go 15-3."The foil team had a weak day," Friedman said. "It was nice to see [saber and epee] come out and beat some strong fencers at the invitational.""The saber team is fencing much better in general, while the epee is deeper and has new blood," Captain Brendan Doris-Pierce '07 said."Last year we put a lot of pressure on the foil team to win every bout. They're not the only squad that can win now," added Doris-Pierce, who wields a saber for the Judges.St. John's wasn't the only Division I opposition that gave the women's team fits Sunday. The Judges also dropped matches against Cornell 18-9, Brown 14-13 and Yale 21-6. Brandeis salvaged its lone victory against last-place Vassar, a Division III program, 17-10."I don't think our heads were in the game," saber Jenny Press '09 said. "We expected to beat more teams than we did, and underestimated our opponents." The narrow loss to Brown was especially tough for the women to stomach. "[Losing to Brown] was mentally tough," Press said. "We knew we could beat them." Captain and foil Chantal Dewey '07 and epee Caitlin Kozel '09 both went undefeated in the losing effort against Brown, contributing six of the squad's 13 winning bouts. The Judges will host one of the strongest fencing teams in the nation, Harvard University, Thursday at 7 p.m. Doris-Pierce is hopeful that Brandeis can pull off an upset. "If we have a solid week of practice, our team is deep enough and focused enough to beat Harvard," he said.
(02/07/06 5:00am)
With the championship title of the University Athletic Association conference hanging in the balance, rookie foilist J.D. Carroll '09 found himself one touch away from bringing his men's fencing team to a most improbable victory over visiting New York University. After already going 3-1 at the Brandeis Invitational Sunday and storming back from a 13-9 deficit against NYU with four straight individual wins, the only thing standing between the Judges and the championship was Violets senior captain and first team All-American Gabe Sinkin, the reigning NCAA silver medalist in the foil competition."Everyone looked at me and they were like, 'Just have fun with it, it's all or nothing," Carroll said. "I guess it turned out OK." Moments after the women's team clinched the Invitational championship with a 14-13 win over NYU, Carroll pulled off the day's most remarkable upset, a parry followed by a strike on the left chest to seal the sudden-death victory over Sinkin and the Judges' championship-clinching win over NYU. Overall, each team finished 4-1 on the day, with the only losses coming from Division I powerhouse Pennsylvania State University.The upset of NYU marked the men's fencing team's second victory against their rivals after having gone for 15 years without beating them."It's very important to set the tone that NYU is very beatable," captain Brendan Doris-Pierce '07 said. "They're not so ahead of us. In fact, we're just on par with them."With only seconds left on the clock and Sinkin winning 3-2 in the decisive match, Carroll pulled off a touch just three seconds before the clock would have expired to give NYU the championship. With the score tied, a minute of sudden death was allotted, and, with the entire gym watching nervously, Carroll made his winning move midway through the overtime period. "It was the best comeback ever, and it was the best way, beating [Sinkin] to do it," fellow foilist Eugene Vortsman '08 said. Vortsman had defeated Sinkin in an earlier round, and Carroll said that win gave him more confidence. "We knew that he was beatable and that it could be done," Carroll said.Captain Brendan Doris-Pierce '07 said he was amazed at how much poise the rookie Carroll had. "Watching [Carroll], it was amazing how much heart he showed on the strip," Doris-Pierce said. "He fenced a fencer with 10 times more competition experience and, in a pressure situation where Sinkin should have the advantage, J.D. pulled it off."The comeback began with the saber team and continued to the foil squad. Trailing 13-9 in the match, captain Jeremy Simpson '06 came from behind to win his bout 5-4, and Jim Kahler '07 followed with an easy victory in the final saber bout. With the score at 13-11, the pressure now shifted to the foil team, which had to win every bout in the final round to win the UAA. After Will Friedman '09 won his bout handily, Vortsman fell behind 3-1, but fought back for the win, setting the stage for Carroll's victory and the UAA title. "In the time that I've been here, that's one of the best comebacks I've ever seen," assistant coach Dan Korschun '92 said. In addition to NYU, the men's team defeated Yeshiva College 26-1, Haverford College 17-10, and Sacred Heart University 21-6 while losing to the Nittany Lions 22-5. Meanwhile, the women's team took its own UAA crown without the necessity of a dramatic comeback against NYU. Saberist Kirsten Heinz '09 and foilist Jessica Newhall '09 led the way with undefeated records against the Violets. Foilist Hannah Rosen '08 easily won the clinching bout 5-2, redeeming herself from a crushing loss in the decisive bout of last week's match against the Brown University Bears. "[Last week] was so upsetting, and now to beat NYU, it's so awesome," Rosen said.With the victory, the men and women both defeated NYU in the same season for the first time in school history. "For both the men and women to have won, it feels really good," captain Deb Model '06 said. "[NYU is] going home with sad faces."Following the NYU victory, both Judges teams lost decisively to Penn State, one of the top programs in the country. Although the score was one-sided, Sachs said the match was more competitive than the score indicated."They're one of the best programs in the country, and our kids fenced super-well against them, but they're just better than us right now," Sachs said. "Even though the score seemed really lopsided, the margins to get those scores were small. There weren't easy touches for them."The Judges' next match is at Duke University for the Duke Invitational on Friday, followed by the New England Championships at Wellesley on Feb. 19.
(01/31/06 5:00am)
In the final conference meet of the season, the Northeast Conference Meet, the men's and women's fencing teams each won three of four matches, each earning a second-place finish in the conference. The men defeated Boston College 22-5, Dartmouth University 20-7 and Brown University 18-9, but lost to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 15-12. The women fell one bout short of an undefeated day, losing to Brown 14-13 after victories over Boston College 18-9, MIT 17-10 and Dartmouth 20-7. The men's overall record now stands at 9-4 with a 7-1 conference record, while the women moved to 11-5 and 9-1 in the conference after an 18-9 victory at Wellesley College Friday. The women had a chance to become No. 1 in the conference in the last match of the day but lost a close match to Brown. The Judges trailed 13-12 when foilist Hannah Rosen '08 lost a close bout by one touch to clinch the conference championship for the Bears. "I thought we fenced well, and with a little luck or a call here or there, I think we would have won this conference," coach Bill Shipman said.Prior to the final match, the women faced little trouble disposing of Boston College, Dartmouth and MIT."Throughout the whole day, everyone gave it their all," captain Deb Model '06 said. "Everyone is improving, stepping up and fighting for each touch in each bout."The foil team led the way for the Judges, winning 30 of 36 overall bouts, including eight of nine against the Bears. The team was without the services of Stephanie Aucoin '08, who was unable to compete due to mononucleosis. However, the team of Rosen, Jess-Davis Heim '09, Tess Woehrlen '09, Jessie Newhall '09, and Chantal Dewey '07 all picked up the slack."The foil team is definitely one of our more talented groups and I'm proud of [their fencing], but at this point, I don't expect anything less from them," Liesse Marie-Slemon '07 said. The men's team also had a chance to win the conference championship, but gave up the title when it fell to MIT in the third match of the day. The foil team of Will Friedman '09, J.D. Carroll '09 and Eugene Vortsman '08 won the majority of its bouts against the Beavers, but the Beavers won on the strength of their épée and saber teams.Last year's NCAA Championship participant and épéeist Kai Keller '07 returned from a semester abroad in Hong Kong to compete in his first meet of the season."It really feels good to be back," Keller said. "It was a really good feeling to be on the strip again and to practice every day." However, Keller said he was not happy with the results of the meet."I would say it was very disappointing," Keller said. "We clearly had the goal of winning, and we can win against [MIT], but it didn't happen."Keller also said that he was surprised by the fencing style of the MIT épéeists."Epee is normally a defensive weapon, but [MIT epeeists] fence in a very fast style," Keller said. "They attack a lot, and that surprised us a little bit." The men rebounded from their loss to MIT by defeating Brown easily, avenging an earlier loss in the Brandeis Invitational on December 4. On the day, the foil team of Friedman, Carroll and Vortsman led the Judges with a 28-8 overall record. "We wanted a little retribution on Brown for beating us last time," Shipman said. "We wanted to prove ourselves and we did."On Friday, the women's team easily defeated the Wellesley Blue 18-9. The foil team posted an undefeated record to lead the way for the Judges. Slemon and Kirsten Heinz '09 also had undefeated records in saber. "We annihilated Wellesley," Slemon said. "Despite how good they've gotten, we've got it more. Nothing that Wellesley could have handed us last night was something we couldn't have defeated."The Judges now enter a difficult portion of their schedule. The team will play host to Penn State University, Tufts University, Yeshiva University, Haverford College, New York University and Sacred Heart College at the Brandeis Invitational next Saturday. Following that meet, the team travels to Durham, North Carolina to fence in the Duke Invitational on Feb. 10.
(01/25/05 5:00am)
The Brandeis men's fencing team achieved a historic victory on the road at Yale University last Wednesday, defeating Yale for the first time ever in a 15-12 decision. The women's team, however, did not fare as well in their match against Yale, falling by a score of 21-6, dropping their second straight match to an Ivy League opponent. The women lost by the same score of 21-6 in their previous match on Dec. 8 against Harvard. The men's effort was spearheaded by a 7-2 victory in foil matches, as Benji Rostoker '05 and Eugene Vortsman '08 both went 3-0. Vortsman defeated Yale's Cory Werk, the No. 2 ranked collegiate fencer in the country. The Judges went on to win the saber competition by a score of 5-4, and dropped the epee competition 6-3. The men improved their record to 8-3 with the victory.The women managed to salvage a 5-4 victory in foil competition despite their overall lopsided defeat, led by a pair of wins from Hannah Rosen '08. However, the women were dominated by Yale's saber and epee squads, losing those events 8-1 and 9-0, respectively. The loss dropped the women's team record to 9-4. "Yale is a team that had consistently pounded us through the last 20 years," coach Bill Shipman said. "They have always been one of the top 3 or 4 teams in the country; I think our victory shows that now our programs are pretty much equal. Of course, it is always good to beat a Division I team, especially an Ivy League team."Shipman also emphasized the importance of the men's victory coming on the road. "Yale is a very tough place to fence, with a very small room and a ton of crowd noise," Shipman said. "Keeping the momentum is of utmost importance in a match and an environment like that."The men's team gained such momentum early winning the first two saber bouts and taking an early lead which they never relinquished. Vortsman's foil victory over all-American Werk, was of particular importance in helping the men gain momentum and an emotional boost for the rest of the match."This victory is a huge achievement for us because of Yale's status as a strong fencing school, and a reflection on this year's team's strength," Rostoker said. Rostoker's perfect 3-0 performance against Yale improved his match play record this season to 14-3. Shipman could not be nearly as jubilant about the women, but he tried to take whatever positive aspects he could out of the lopsided loss."We did win foil 5-4, and that is significant because we do have a very young foil team that is improving every bout with more experience," Shipman said.The women's team has lost five starters from last year's squad, and this year's relative inexperience showed against Yale. The saber team was also severely hurt by the transfer of Christina Morra at the end of last semester, as well Liesse-Marie Slemon's '07 knee injury. Slemon is currently recovering from surgery."I hope they see this as not a huge defeat," Deborah Model '06 said. "Yale is a Division I team and we are a very small and inexperienced team this year."The Judges next head to Wellesley College tomorrow to take on the Blue at 7 p.m. and the team travels to Brown University for the New England Conference on Saturday. Shipman is looking forward to the men's continued success."I feel that we have a chance to beat every team remaining on our schedule," Shipman said. "No one left is out of our reach.
(10/14/03 4:00am)
"Kill Bill: Volume I," the proudly proclaimed "Fourth Film By Quentin Tarantino" (following "Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction," and "Jackie Brown"), is a deliciously over-the-top picture that both celebrates all kinds of B-movie genres and expands upon them. It's the story of an ex-assassin who seeks revenge on her former partners in a multitude of creative and violent ways after they destroy her wedding party, murder her unborn child, and almost manage to kill her. Well, sort of. It's also the story of a movie geek who grew up determined to pay homage to the blaxploitation, horror, kung fu, and samurai flicks that he spent his 1970's childhood viewing in local grindhouses. Since it appears as if Tarantino had thought up every single cool idea he could and tossed it on the screen, it's difficult not to get caught up in the movie's excited spirit and eager, honest desire to entertain its audience."Kill Bill" is not exceptionally layered in terms of plot or even character. A character simply named "The Bride" (Uma Thurman of "Pulp Fiction") is determined to kill the five people who have deeply wronged her (Lucy Liu from "Charlie's Angels," Darryl Hannah from "Splash," Vivica A. Fox from "Independence Day," Michael Madsen from "Reservoir Dogs," and David Carradine from the television series "Kung Fu" as the titular Bill). She spends the entire movie fighting and killing their henchmen, and then fighting and killing the bad guys themselves. Ostensibly, a good portion of the second volume will feature her killing the ones she didn't manage to knock off the first time around. Then again, plot isn't really the point of the movie -- the plot seems more like a loose framework upon which to drape some incredibly choreographed, jaw-dropping fight scenes, augmented by hysterically funny moments, and odd gimmicks such as one entire part done completely in anime to "introduce a villain." It also is used to showcase as many of Tarantino's favorite character actors as possible, such as Michael Parks ("From Dusk Till Dawn") and Sonny Chiba ("Invasion of the Neptune Men"), who are billed in the credits in much larger type than is awarded to even the A-list female stars.A lot of times, certain filmgoers walk out of action and horror movies muttering that they aren't not "extreme" enough to properly satisfy their tastes. For that particular type of movie fan, fear not. The level of violence in this film is absolutely beyond belief. Special effects house KNB provides everything needed for a proper gorefest extravaganza, from "the little painful things" like bitten-off tongues and yanked-out eyeballs, to "the big hilarious things" such as the improbably gushing geysers of blood that spray everything in sight whenever somebody loses a limb or a head. At certain times, it becomes near-agonizing to watch for all but the most callous of viewers, but generally, so long as you're not completely squeamish, the gore is so overdone that it immediately lets you follow up your winces with giggles.Even the mid-afternoon theater audience I saw the film with seemed to be transformed by the awe-inspiring craziness of the movie. Cat-calls, gasps, and obscenities jubilantly screamed as if they were hallelujahs rang through the theater, and at the end of every well-done fight sequence or dryly-delivered punchline, there was thunderous applause. It was as if everyone watching "Kill Bill" had been transported back in time to the period when movie-going crowds knew the art of interacting with a movie without being obnoxious, how to get involved in ways far beyond loudly complaining about its quality by means of cell phone."Kill Bill" carefully sidesteps the most annoying recent trend in action movies, which is attempting to add "deeper layers" and "moments of great meaning" in places where there should be none. That doesn't mean "Kill Bill" is dumbed down, either. In fact, in a gutsy move, which could have easily alienated a good portion of the average viewing population, Tarantino has shot a great many significant scenes completely or almost-completely in Japanese, with English subtitles. Another director might have taken the cheap way out and performed an all-too-common tiresome riff on bad dubbing, with goofy sight gags involving characters appearing to talk for much longer than the dubs. Tarantino, however, has far too much respect for his original source material to do such a thing; he seems to know it would, in a sense, go against the same values of honor that his characters prize so deeply in the film. One probably wouldn't consider "Kill Bill" a work of great cinema, and the sequel will also most likely not live up to the standards of great works of art. Despite its lack of the scintillating conservations and sheer innovation which made "Pulp Fiction" so beloved in multiplexes and art houses alike, "Kill Bill" is enjoyable in its own way, and serves as proof, at least, that Quentin Tarantino still possesses whatever gift made him such a popular success in the mid-1990's. Compared to other films of its kind that have come out recently, "Kill Bill" stands head and shoulders above all of its competitors. It gracefully and easily maintains the delicate balance between two of the greatest movie delights: the pleasures a big-budget action movie can give and the lovable charm an underground cult classic has to offer. It is a balance that only Tarantino seems to be able to strike perfectly.
(04/29/03 4:00am)
Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and considered by many as the most prestigious undergraduate honors organization in the United States. Founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776, its high and rigorous standards of excellence have made election to it one of the highest academic honors an undergraduate at a college in the United States can receive. Brandeis has announced this year's inductees.Phi Beta Kappa Inductees Class of 2004Hannah F. Agran Samuel Arbesman Salinee Jencharat Rachel E. LebeauxKatherine R. Pruzan Rita B. TrivediMichael D. WeinsteinPhi Beta Kappa InducteesClass of 2003Taher M.S. Baderkhan Lucas K. Ballard Leah R. BerkowitzJessica W. BerlerJordan S. BermanDorothy A. Biberman Kathryn E. BirkbyDavid M. BlockDaniel Braunfeld Noah L. BrowneLillian B. Christian Christopher T. Clark Whitney S. Cohen Aarti D. Daswani Lillian R.Davidson Sarah E. Davis Joshua C. DeflorioChristopher M. DeRienzo Katherine C. DomjanJulio Dreszer Lonn N. Drucker Polina Eidelman Ari J. Elliot Benjamin P. Falit**Greg R. FarrellJordan A. FeirmanRochelle A. FleischmanAdam I. Fogel Jennifer A. GueguenYelizaveta Y. Gutina Georgia Hadjipavlou Laurence J. HassonMariko T. Holbrook**Mark P. Hopkins Elida B. KamineBeth I. Kander, David H. Kaufman Kathryn S. KieranMiriam L. KingsbergElana J. KleinJaime R. KoffSarah C. Kornfeld Stefanie E. KuchinskyGregory D. Lawrence Leah V. Lerman Anne P. LeungAixin Liang Jacqueline F. Marcus**Tracy P. Marien Anurag S. MaskeySasha D. Massachi Themistoklis E. MastoridesRina T. MazorAnna M. MedakLeslie A. MeltzerMara I. MichaelsKatherine R. MillerMelissa Morales Trang V. Nguyen**Sarah E. Novacich Rebecca OraMargaret E. PawlowskiAdam A. PerlinMiriam C. PhilipsElena M. PoberPhillip G. Reisman Lilia R. Rissman Morton D. RosenbaumGregory W. Schwartz**Joseph F. Schnurr** Yael R. ShinarShira A. SiltonPeter F. SirokmanYevgeniy Sirotin Manisha R. SnoyerPamela L. SpivackRachel L. SteinAbigail S. TenenbaumGeorgios Triantafyllou Kathryn R. VogelJoshua Wiczer Michael J. Zoosman ** Elected in 2002
(10/29/02 5:00am)
Last week, undergraduate students, under the direction of Candice Brown, presented the groundbreaking play, "The Laramie Project," by Moiss Kaufman and the Tectonic Theater Company. The play is specifically tied to Brandeis, as one of the associate writers, Stephen Wangh '64, is a Brandeis alumnus.The show, also an HBO movie, is set in the town of Laramie, Wyo. four years ago and documents events after the brutal, deadly beating of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay student at the University of Wyoming. The members of the Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie several times and conducted interviews with over 200 people in the town, from a lesbian professor at the University, to people who had been living in Laramie for dozens of years, to the young man who found Matthew after he had been tied to a fence for 18 hours. Due to the interesting format of the play, the piece works on many levels, examining the reactions and feelings of the interviewers themselves, as well members of the community and people directly involved with the incident.The play is essentially a drama of dialogue, recreating many of the interviews, however there are also reenactments of certain occurrences, like Shepard's funeral and the subsequent trial. The set was bare, save a background of a giant map of Wyoming highlighted by some neon blue lines and a few television screens showing scenes of Wyoming and some major events tied to the murder. Black, wooden chairs were the only props.Each actor played various roles, sometimes as many as eight or nine. Because of the possible confusion, the current role each person was playing at any given moment had to be announced. These interruptions, however, were not too disruptive, because of the interview format of the play. The actors also wore different costumes for each one of their roles, which were as simple as a different hat or jacket. The actors went in and out of their various roles very smoothly.Most of the 11 undergraduate actors played one or two roles each, in which they completely shined. Ron Wilson '04, however, was excellent in each of his eight diverse roles, being careful not to let his different parts mesh together. Each character he played was convincing and moving in its own right. Cynthia Shur '04 especially shined when she played Catherine Connolly, a lesbian professor at the University of Wyoming. Catherine's intense fear for her own safety after the incident was portrayed well. Similarly, Elizabeth Helitzer's '05 performance as Reggie Flutey, the cop who responded to the call when Matthew was found, was executed proficiently and beautifully. Especially moving was the scene when Reggie, who handled Matthew's bloody body, discusses when she discovered Matthew was HIV positive.Other actors performed standout roles, including James Yeaton '04 as the bartender, Matt Galloway, who was tending the night Matthew left the bar with Aaron McKinney and Russel Henderson, his two murderers and Zack Friedman '05 as Aaron Kreifels, the young student who found Matthew's body. Yeaton as Matt also provided comic relief to the intense play and Friedman seemed to truly epitomize Aaron Kreifels and his trauma in discovering the body.Many of the actors adopted Midwestern accents, which worked well. Ben Rathbun '04, who played, among other roles, limousine driver Doc O'Connor and Hannah Heilman '04, whose best character was Marge Murray, a Laramie resident, had the most effective and authentic sounding accents. Doc, played by Rathbun, was one of the best characters for comic relief, which was much needed in a play dealing with such a serious and depressing subject matter.Some interesting directorial decisions were made. The entire cast, attempting to dramatize certain points in the play, often banged their chairs down simultaneously. The problem was this was done so many times it lost its meaning. The subject matter was dramatic enough and did not need these extra effects. One scene in particular, in which Caitlin Steitzer '05 led the cast in a rendition of John Lennon's "Imagine," while Katharine Braun-Levine '04 did an interpretative dance, stuck out from the rest of the dialogue. While the singing was beautiful, and the dancing lovely, the song is simply too clichd to have much meaning anymore. The only other negative aspect of the play was its length - it was three hours long. While it was very interesting, there is a limit to how long one can watch a single performance. There were a few points at which the show could have ended and not much would have been lost. That being said, the show was an excellent portrayal of the issues facing a small town struck by a tragedy that turned into international news. The reactions of the townspeople, which ranged from blaming Matthew for his own death for possibly making a pass at Aaron McKinney, to wishing for the death penalty for the murderers, can teach humankind an important lesson about the treatment of homosexuals in America and the world. "The Laramie Project" is an important tool for relaying the heartrending story to the world to help prevent future hate crimes. Brandeis' production was beautifully and respectfully done, and its treatment of such a serious matter will hopefully help educate the campus of such important events in American history.For more information about "The Laramie Project" and Matthew Shepard, visit www.hbo.com/films/laramie and www.matthewshepard.org.
