The last word
I’ve had this article’s title in mind since my freshman year, when I first started working for the paper. Back then, I’d include a reference to my favorite video game, Destiny, in each and every single one of my articles. I kept a spreadsheet of these references, and knew that I wanted to name my […]
One page a day (Or, Mandy’s farewell)
My freshman year at Brandeis, I fell into a bit of a “reading slump.” With so much required reading to do for class, it was hard to motivate myself to also read for pleasure. However, I had always loved reading (I was an English major for a reason), and I was sad that something I […]
Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through
I will graduate from Brandeis University in less than a month. Even typing that out feels weird. For four years, I was living my life at Brandeis, and a month from now, I will be living a completely new life. Even though people say that time flies when you are having a good time, my […]
Goodbye and thank you Hoot Arts!
In case you haven’t gathered from some of my friends’ articles, this edition of the Brandeis Hoot will be my last one as Arts Editor. I still have one more year at Brandeis and I will certainly keep writing—there’s a whole season of Bake Off airing this fall! But as I step back to pursue […]
Space tourism is dumb. Believe me, I’m a ‘Star Trek’ fan.
My dad and I are driving home from the grocery store, Bluetooth-assisted iTunes providing a nice backing track to the journey. The song changes, and my dad points at the car radio display. The tune playing is “Magic Carpet Ride” by Steppenwolf. “You know what this song is?” He asks. “What?” I reply, […]
Bund criticizes President Levine’s response to the protest and broader freedom of speech at Brandeis.
Earlier this month, Interim President Arthur Levine issued a response via email, to the demonstration held on April 4 by the Brandeis Jewish Bund, “While we encourage debate over difficult topics at Brandeis, we can never permit threatening, harassing, hateful or antisemitic speech on our campus.” President Levine accused the Bund of bringing “… masked […]
Baseball toughs out an eight-game loss streak
Recently, the Brandeis Baseball team has played in two University Athletic Association (UAA) Conference series. The first was an at-home four-game series against the Emory University Eagles, and the second was against the Washington University at St. Louis (WashU) in Missouri. Unfortunately, the Judges lost all eight games, but there were some close calls that […]
Tradition in motion: The living culture of Boston folk dance
On Sunday nights in Porter Square, a quiet community center transforms. Fiddles fill the air, feet pound the floor and dancers move in spinning, stomping patterns. This is Boston’s folk dancing scene, and for Brandeis junior Elena Giacoletti ‘26, it’s much more than a fun weekend activity. It’s a core part of her life. […]
Two of the best movies of the year are horrors: ‘Drop’ and ‘Presence’
2025 has had a rough start to movies. While most contemporary audiences are likely still discussing the financial and critical failure of Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” or laughing over the “chicken jockey” memes from “A Minecraft Movie,” it’s safe to say that original flicks are not rising to the top of the conversation. […]
Another year is over
The 2024-25 school year is almost over. It’s been quite an eventful year. Both our school and our country got a new president. One of them has been significantly better than the other. The federal government has cut funding for research. Brandeis finally has a plan to deal with its housing issues. And through it […]
Who wrote Shakespeare’s plays?
When you’re as much of a fan of Shakespeare as I am, you will often encounter one particular question: “who do you think wrote Shakespeare’s plays?” Said question tends to come from well-meaning but not particularly knowledgeable people who want to continue the conversation, or vaguely arrogant idiots who want to sound smarter. However, […]
Kannan ’26 makes history on the mound for Judges’ softball
Since the last publication of The Hoot, the Brandeis softball team has played seven games. The first three were a part of a home-series against the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Tartans. The next three were away against the Washington University at St. Louis (WashU) Bears. To wrap up their most recent games, they faced the […]
‘AI: The Somnium Files’: the value of voice acting
As the Pesach break was approaching, I had the urge that everyone has during the spring: to spend money. I opened up the Nintendo Switch eShop and began browsing the best selling tab before checking my wishlist for anything that caught my attention. I noticed a game has been sitting in my library for a […]
If they come for our neighbors, who’s next?
Immigrants without status in Massachusetts are living in constant fear. With a hostile federal administration, something as simple as walking on the sidewalk or being pulled over for a traffic stop has led to detention and potentially deportation. Such is the story of Lucas Dos Santos Amaral, who was pulled over and very nearly deported […]
Anime spring 2025: ones to watch (IMO)
This anime season has been jam-packed. Never since last spring has a spring season ever been so springy. But there’s just too much to watch! What are you gonna do? Finals are coming up, class sign ups are on their way and summer is just around the corner. Well do I have an array of […]
‘Mid-Century Modern’ is pretty cheesy, but who doesn’t like a little cheese?
Multi-cam sitcoms, the type of sitcoms with laughter in the background, used to be all the rage when it came to comedic television shows. However, nowadays, people tend to find them to be too silly, unfunny and they do not want laughter to tell them how to laugh. The single camera shows have taken over […]
Women’s tennis celebrates senior day in midst of nine-match win-streak
Since our last publication, both the women’s and men’s tennis teams have played four matches. The women faced Endicott College, the #12-ranked Wellesley College, Trinity College (Conn.) and Springfield College. On the men’s side, they faced the US Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), the #11-ranked Babson College, Trinity College (Conn.) and rounded out their matches against […]
Track team competes at invitationals before UAA Championships
As the University Athletic Association (UAA) Outdoor Track and Field Championships approach quickly, the Brandeis Judges’ men’s and women’s track and field teams have been competing at invitational meets across the country. On April 11 and 12 at Smith College, the Judges competed in the Carla Coffey Invitational. Lucas Dia ’25 ran a 9:39.88 […]
Art is dead and we’re all doomed
It’s official, my dear Hoot readers. Art is dead. I mean c’mon, have you seen the Minecraft movie? UTTER SLOP. It’s deeply unfortunate such an affront to art was allowed to be released. We’ve reached a new stage of depravity in which filmmakers are able to jam-pack the same cliches into their big-budget films, now […]
Arthur Levine signs letter criticizing government overreach
In a letter released on April 22, more than 260 university presidents and other higher education leaders, including Brandeis Interim President Arthur Levine, promised to oppose the “undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses” by the administration of President Donald Trump. The letter was published by […]