Reviewing every episode of ‘Smiling Friends’: season 2
Welcome back to part two of my review of every “Smiling Friends” episode! This time, we’ll be reviewing the second season of this iconic Adult Swim show. “Gwimbly: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition DX 4K (Anniversary Director’s Cut)”: It’s no stretch to say that this single episode has permanently changed the online conversation about […]
Chemical leak in Heller causes nausea, class rescheduling
On Friday, Jan. 30, a chemical leak occurred at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, forcing classes there to be rescheduled. According to an email sent out to Heller faculty on the 30th by Associate Registrar for Course and Classroom Scheduling Kristina Law, the leak occurred in Heller G50. Law stated, “The leak […]
Fire breaks out in Sherman-Hassenfeld
On Monday, Feb. 2, a significant fire broke out in the Sherman-Hassenfeld building. At 3:23 p.m, an email was sent out via the Brandeis Alert system stating, “There is ongoing fire activity at Sherman-Hassenfeld. Please remain away from the area. Follow Public Safety detours as directed. If you need to leave campus, use the Cedarwood […]
Reviewing every episode of ‘Smiling Friends’: Season One
At this point, “Smiling Friends” needs no introduction. Birthed from the unhinged minds of Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, its characters, visual style and humor have had a massive impact on internet culture since its pilot released in 2020, with its fusion of nonsensical and stupid bits with realistic, everyday situations making it instantly stand […]
Pluribus review: JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US
The concept of the hive mind is one of the most fascinating in sci-fi. The idea of once-ordinary human beings who have been stripped of everything that makes them unique—their thoughts, behaviors, personalities—and turned into nothing but puppets of a gigantic, incomprehensible consciousness, is terrifying. But there is still a strange allure to them; after […]
Arthur Levine Describes Working with Faculty in Podcast Interview
On Nov. 24, 2025, Brandeis President Arthur Levine continued to publicize his intentions for the future of liberal arts at Brandeis in the EdUp Experience podcast, a podcast focused on figures in higher education. The podcast episode was titled: “Why 88% of Faculty Voted to Blow Up the Liberal Arts Model (& How Your Institution […]
News Made Small 12/4
Some stories don’t need entire pages to get their message across. Still, we must find some way to get the information from our brains to yours. For this purpose, we bring you News Made Small. Brandeis reportedly accepting no midyears for Spring 2026 With the end of the fall 2025 semester approaching, The Brandeis Hoot […]
Michael’s travel guides: Barcelona, Spain
The capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Barcelona is a vibrant, artistic city featuring everything from the dark, winding streets of the Gothic Quarter, to the eye-popping, outrageous architecture of Gaudi. Barcelona is a world-famous capital of culture and sport; yet in recent times the city has made headlines for its struggles with overtourism. […]
Michael’s travel guides: London, England
By some twisted, freak accident of God, the weather in London was clear and sunny during the four days I was there. I’m well aware that because of this, I may have a more positive impression of the city than others. Indeed, London may seem like a hard city to romanticize; as a global city […]
The Hoot interviews President Arthur Levine
On Friday, Oct. 3, The Hoot had an interview with Brandeis University President Arthur Levine, who recently started in the role full-time after serving as interim president from November 2024 until September of this year. The Hoot was able to ask Levine about topics including his recent reorganization of the schools, federal pressure from the […]
Michael’s travel guides: Paris, France
Before going to Paris, I was given a lot of warnings. “Paris is overrated. You’re going to be disappointed. You’re going to develop Paris syndrome.” Having returned from Paris, however, I can confidently say that the city met, and even exceeded, my expectations. Is Paris the utopic city we all know from the media? No. […]
Brandeis ranking continues to drop for third consecutive year
In the 2026 edition of the U.S. News and World Report Best National Colleges Ranking, Brandeis University was ranked as number 69. This ranking puts Brandeis in a four-way tie along with Tulane University of Louisiana, the University of Connecticut and the University of Pittsburgh. The ranking of 69th reflects a drop from 63rd in […]
Reviewing all five ‘Indiana Jones’ movies—part two: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Welcome back everyone! Last year, I started writing reviews of all the Indiana Jones movies, beginning with the original trilogy of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and Last Crusade. These are thrilling, timeless masterpieces that represent the height of the franchise (except for the weirdly racist scenes in Temple of Doom, of […]
Brandeis Hospitality announces new dining options for upcoming semester
In a post on their website, Brandeis Hospitality has announced several new dining options on campus during the fall semester. The website states, “As students from across the globe begin their journey back to Brandeis University for the start of the fall semester, the Brandeis Hospitality team has been hard at work to welcome students […]
Reviewing all five ‘Indiana Jones’ movies—part one: The original trilogy
The first article I ever wrote for The Hoot was a review of the latest “Indiana Jones” movie, “Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny.” To summarize: it was not a good movie. But since then, I have always wanted to revisit the intrepid archaeologist. Now feels as good a time as ever to do […]
BenAvram places 10th and eighth at NCAA Fencing Nationals
On March 20 and March 21, Lev BenAvram ’25 went to Penn State University to participate at the NCAA Fencing Nationals. On the first day, he placed 10th, and on the second day, he placed eighth. On the first day of nationals, BenAvram started the day off strong by scoring five out of seven victories […]
Men’s and women’s tennis teams play two matches
Since the start of March, both the Brandeis men’s and women’s tennis teams have played two matches. The women faced the #23-ranked Bowdoin College Polar Bears and the #17-ranked Babson College Beavers. On the men’s side, they hosted Franklin Pierce College and Nichols College. The women unfortunately lost both of their matches, but the men […]
Father, I cannot click the vinyls
Oh my god, I get it now. By “it,” I mean vinyl records. Over the past few months, I may have developed a bit of an addiction to collecting vinyls. This isn’t the healthiest habit. Vinyls are incredibly expensive, and you could probably find some of these songs for free on YouTube or on a […]
Brandeis professor Arthur Holmberg dead at 80
Arthur Holmberg, the Blanche, Barbara and Irving Laurie Professor of Theater Arts at Brandeis University, has died at the age of 80. An email sent to the Brandeis community by Carol Fierke, the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, on Jan. 22 announced his tragic passing. According to Fierke, Holmberg died on Jan. […]
Retired Brandeis Catholic Chaplain Walter Cuenin accused of sexual assault
Disclaimer: This article discusses sexual abuse. Reader discretion in advised. A former Brandeis Catholic Chaplain, Rev. Walter H. Cuenin was recently accused of “forcing a 20-year-old male [in 2014] Brandeis University student to have oral sex with him in a Manhattan hotel room,” according to a lawsuit filed in New York City. Rev. […]