Why the Department of Education should not be eliminated
Recently, Donald Trump has been talking about eliminating the Department of Education (DOE). He has already taken the first step towards doing that, having announced that half of the department’s staff would be laid off as part of Elon Musk’s spending cuts. Like many of the cuts made by Elon’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), […]
Livin’ La Vida Loca (en Brandeis)
It should be no surprise that students are once again stressed about housing selection. Hundreds of students get their numbers chosen by fate, and that fate will decide if you get a comfy life in your next semester, if you will be panicking on selection day or if you have to accept your new home […]
The great pilgrimage
My dear Hoot readers, I’m writing to you as a changed man. Last month I ventured to a holy city, visited spiritually significant sites and fostered a deep connection to my culture. This city was of course Manchester, England. Home to The Smiths, The 1975, Joy Division/New Order, the Madchester scene, Oasis and many other […]
An amateur author’s personal rulebook (part 2)
Rule 8: Do not insert flashbacks, POV changes, or interludes in the first ~20,000 words of your story. So after all those high and mighty words about greater concepts and the nature of the narrative itself–let’s have a somewhat more technical rule. While this varies somewhat from book to book, generally speaking, the first 10 […]
Judges track and field attends UAA Championships and Last Chance Meet
On March 1 and 2, the men’s and women’s track and field teams attended the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships at the University of Chicago. On day one of the event, one Judge set a school record, while another earned All-UAA honors. Peterly Leroy ’28 broke the school record for the 400-meter dash in […]
I watched ‘Conclave’ in case there’s a real conclave
A couple weeks ago, I was musing about what would happen if the Pope dies and a new Pope needs to be selected. A friend looked at me, shocked. “You haven’t watched “Conclave”?!” she demanded. I took this conversation as a cue to go and watch “Conclave” immediately, if only to educate myself about what […]
The Nintendo Switch: Eight years of playing with portable power
Eight years. Eight years ago. March 3rd, 2017. 2025. Eight years ago it was around my Bar Mitzvah, and we moved earlier that year from my home of ten years. My new home still had the familiar faces of my immediate and extended family, and many familiar faces from my old home made the trip […]
Mandom
‘Intractable Woman’ tells a crucial story in a complex manner
From March 7 to March 9, the Brandeis Department of Theater Arts staged “Intractable Woman,” written by Italian playwright Stefano Massini and translated into English by Paula Wing. It tells the story of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who documented Russia’s war in Chechnya in the early 2000s. The play is unique in its structure, as it […]
Men’s basketball ties for fifth place in UAA
Since our last edition of The Hoot, the men’s basketball team concluded their 2024-25 season with a game against the New York University (NYU) Violets at home at Red Auerbach Arena. Similar to the women’s game, the men’s game began with a celebration of their seniors and all that they accomplished while playing for […]
97th Academy Awards fashion highlights
On March 2, the 97th Academy Awards took place. This awards show is entertainment’s biggest night, which means that some of the most notable celebrities are in attendance, and they are always dressed to the nines. There is always a wide variety of looks at these awards shows, from elegant simplicity to the most wild […]
Brandeis Got Talent: Spotlight on student performers
Brandeis Got Talent wrapped up another year, bringing together student musicians for a night of performances. While the turnout was smaller than expected, the energy in Chums remained high. Campus Activities Board (CAB) Concerts Chair Simone Hotter ’26 reflected on the event’s highlights, challenges and what it means for the winners, who will go on […]
Book review: ‘Witchcraft for Wayward Girls’
If you know me, you know I’m not a horror movie girl. In fact, one of my first articles for The Hoot was a list of “spooky” books for horror-movie haters like myself. However, I have made a point of pushing myself out of my comfort zone and attempting to read a variety of horror […]
97th Academy Awards recap
On March 2, the biggest night of the year for Hollywood took place: the 97th Annual Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars. 2024 was an exciting year for film, and the Oscars are the night where the best of these films receive worthy, or possibly not so worthy, recognition. This event was a […]
Fencing qualifies one for NCAA National Tournament
Since our last publication, the fencers have been busy representing the Judges among the best fencing teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). They have since competed in the National Intercollegiate Women’s Fencing Association (NIWFA) Championships at Dew University as well as the NCAA Regional Championships at Tufts University. First, at the National […]
Baseball ties school record for most runs ever scored in a doubleheader with 42
Since our last publication, the Judges’ baseball season has gotten into full swing (pun intended). They have already played six games after returning home from their trip down south over the February vacation. Over the six games we will cover in this article, they won three and lost three, splitting the games. Most recently, the […]
The crazy trades of today
When it comes to major-league sports, there have always been crazy trades. Hockey GOAT Wayne Gretzky to the Kings was a big one, theorized only done to bring a larger crowd of hockey viewers to the United States, but there are trades going on now that are just as big and perhaps even more controversial. […]
What do I do if penetrative/vaginal sex is really painful for me?
Thank you for writing to SSIS! Pain during sex is common and can happen for a variety of reasons. You could be experiencing pain due to a medical condition such as vaginismus, which causes involuntary muscle spasms of the vaginal walls. SSIS stocks vaginal dilator sets, which can help improve flexibility of the vagina and […]
Born Wrong
You were born facing the wrong direction. Later you joked it was because you didn’t want to see the world as you came into it. You said that would have been too much. You cried when they flipped you over. Your mom tried to quell your wails, but the doctor told her to let you […]
Hoot Recommends: Best rainy day activities
Hello valued Hoot readers. Welcome back to Hoot Recommends, the series where our editors recommend things to you. This week, as spring approaches and rain becomes more common, we are recommending our favorite rainy day activities. James: This is kind of a difficult to answer, as I spend most of my time indoors anyway. […]