Transition from artist to activist
It was hard not to be entertained watching James Lecesne perform in Spingold Wednesday night, as he seamlessly transitioned between an array of characters during an excerpt from his one-person show, “Word of Mouth.” Lecesne portrayed a Brooklynite who still lives with his mother and mentally handicapped uncle; a saucy elderly British ex-patriot living in […]
Despite strike, SAG Awards go on
The 14th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards held at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center, aired this past Sunday. The Writers Guild of America allowed its members to write for the SAG Awards due to the union’s strong support of the writers during their long strike. After the lack of Golden Globe glitz and […]
Tree needs to be axed
At a young age I had nightmares about a song that my family friend used to perform around a campfire late at night. The song, as I would later find out, was called “The Cat Came Back.” Not coincidentally, the lyrics follow the story of a man who no matter how hard he tried could […]
Michael Clayton cleans up
With the announcement of the nominees for the Oscar, it can be expected that many people will head to the movie theater to watch the movies which received the coveted nominations. In the past, many have said that the best movies of the year are released in December (which may not hold true in more […]
Wearing your identity on your sleeve
It is remarkable how a simple image printed on a logo, or an advertisement, can capture the attention of thousands of individuals daily. A successful company, organization, university, et cetera, develops marketing and advertising tactics through the use of quick and memorable slogans and graphics. This form of marketing, also referred to as merchandising, is […]
Messiah
Editor’s Note: The previous two installments of this story appeared in the Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 issues of Diverse City and detailed Khava’s discovery that she possesses special powers that allow her to move objects without touching them, as well as being sent to the principal’s office for her failed attempt to use her […]
Diabolically awful: five ridiculous portrayals of Satan
Satan is a scary dude. The Prince of Darkness; he’s out to get us and make us into little bad dudes. While Satan may or may not be your favorite buddy (I’ll let the readers decide), he certainly is a pretty ridiculous concept. As the fallen angel, classic portrayals of his features have been really […]
Student photography exhibit on HIV/AIDS epidemic
Many members of the Brandeis community may not have heard of the Women’s Studies Research Center (WSRC). However, recent exhibitions have solidified the WSRC’s prominence on campus, matching that of the Rose Art Museum. Last semester, the WSRC played host to the highly publicized and even more highly praised “Tiger by the Tail!” exhibition that […]
Letters to the Editor: (Response to Letter to the Editor, Jan. 25, and “Study abroad under investigation by NY Attorney General,” Jan. 25)
Dear Editor, I take great offense at the opinions expressed in the letter by the Board of Students Organized Against Racism regarding the workshop they led on racism for members of our Student Union (Letter to the Editor, Jan. 25). Though I was not present at the workshop, I have heard accounts contradicting SOAR’s version […]
Editorial: There is such a thing as bad publicity
In recent weeks, Brandeis has been all over the news, for all the wrong reasons. This university has had two former Presidents speak in two semesters, hosted a U.S. Senator last week, and has an ever expanding number of students advocating for myriad causes, yet every mention of Brandeis in the national and regional press […]
The perils of practical thinking
On numerous occasions people have told me that a major in English and American literature has little or no practical value. “There is no future in the study of literature,” they say. The response is similar when I explain that I am considering adding a major or minor in philosophy. Why do people respond this […]
Fighting with Pinpricks: The real American flag
When I was in fourth grade, my school held a patriotic essays and poem contest. The winner was to read his or her work at the grand opening ceremony for the school’s newly constructed wing. Entry into this contest was compulsory for all students. I don’t remember feeling any great patriotic fervor at the age […]
Is Barack Obama the next Kennedy?
In last Sunday’s New York Times, Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of the 35th President, officially endorsed Senator Barack Obama. Her column is mostly filled with the sort of tributary language that one should expect from political endorsements, but there also exists an undeniable symbolic “passing of the torch” from one generation to the next. The […]
Book of Matthew: Solving our energy crisis
We have an energy problem in this country, quite possibly the most difficult one in history. This problem is two-fold; we must find sources of energy that are cost-effective, but at the same time do not contribute to global warming. President Bush was one of the last people that I expected to call for alternative […]
Sexiled: Oops, I did it again
Do you want to hear a joke? There were two girls and a guy. Keep your pants on. It’s not what you think. The two girls were best friends. Don’t unbuckle yet. They flirted with each other more often than the guy. Move your hands. He didn’t know which one he liked. He picked them […]
The Point: Don't call me Ishmael: Why we should read
I’m concerned, both as an English major and as a person, about the declining reading rates in our country. It seems I can’t open a newspaper or magazine without finding an article about how the reading of literature has been replaced with other pursuits. People, apparently, spend all their time in front of the TV […]
One Tall Voice: The decay of civilization
I once heard an interesting quote that attempted to give evidence of when our civilization was deteriorating. The quote went something like “the deterioration of civilization can be seen when people lose their manners and public restrooms are dirty.” When you first hear this statement, you may think it ridiculous, and only analyze the superficial […]
Futile Ramblings: Summer bummer
It’s starting to get to be that time where you need to start thinking about your working plans for this upcoming summer. But often times being a summer intern can be, well, extremely boring. Since most interns don’t possess the necessary qualifications to receive pertinent and interesting assignments, they are typically stuck with mindless chores […]
Pyle File: Jews playing basketball and other stories
This past weekend I attended my second ever Brandeis varsity sporting event in my six semesters here when I saw the men’s basketball team fall to Washington University. The first was pretty typical of a student’s first encounter with University athletics. I missed Usdan brunch one weekend, my freshmen year roommate told me that there […]
Shopping for Truth: Problems with the media
Is it just me, or is there something terribly wrong going on with the media in America? Now, I know I’ve previously expressed my complaints regarding the media (Sinking in a sea of stupidity- September 21, 2007), but at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ve come back with some fresh examples of […]
