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T h e I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9 Volume LXXVII, Number 12

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Waltham, Mass.

MEMORIES

FIREARMS TO FARMING

Brandeis remembers Professor Arthur Holmberg ■ Students and colleagues remember

Professor Arthur Holmberg, known for his pedagogy and intellectualism. By ZOE ZACHARY JUSTICE EDITOR

On Jan. 22, the Brandeis community received an email from Provost Carol Fierke containing the news that Prof. Arthur Holmberg (THA) had passed away at the age of 80. Holmberg was a part of the Brandeis community for 30 years, having joined the Theater Department in 1994 and teaching up until fall 2024. Holmberg’s career in academia and the theater arts spanned nearly six decades. He received his Ph.D. in comparative literature from Harvard University, where he would go on to teach classes in English, French, comparative literature and drama. Holmberg wrote three books: The Theater of Robert Wilson, David Mamet and American Macho and David Mamet and Male Friendship. He was the U.S. editor of The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theater and wrote several articles and essays, many of which have been published by the New York Times, the Washington Post and several other publications. He also served as the Literary Director and Dramaturg at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard. As an associate professor at Brandeis, Holmberg was the Laurie Professor of Theater Arts. He headed Brandeis’ graduate program in playwriting for several years and taught classes based on his extensive background in scholarship, theater criticism and professional dramaturgy. Among students, he was known as a captivating and knowledgeable professor whose courses were a must-take before graduating. In a Jan. 29 interview with The Justice, Professor Dmitry Troyanovsky (THA) spoke on his thirty-year-long relationship with Holmberg. The two met in 1995 when Troyanovsky was pursuing his undergraduate at Brandeis. As a graduate student, he took classes with Holmberg in the American Repertory The-

ater program. The two eventually became colleagues at Brandeis as associate professors of theater. “[Holmberg] was a tremendous influence,” Troyanovsky described. “The first class I ever took with him changed my direction in life … it expanded my idea of what theater is capable of.” It was Holmberg who encouraged Troyanovsky to pursue his first directing project. “Arthur suggested that I work on short plays by Italian Futurist playwrights and visual artists,” he remembered. “It went well, and after that, Arthur kept encouraging me to direct more and more.” Throughout the interview, Troyanovsky highlighted Holmberg’s pedagogy. Holmberg took his students’ intellectual pursuits seriously and would often spend time outside of class considering their thoughts and opinions. “His pedagogy made us, his students, believe that we are capable of great ideas and brilliant theatrical choices. He made us believe in our own creative strengths,” Troyanvosky stated. “He made us feel heard and important.” Holmberg would engage in authentic, rigorous discussion with his students — without “kid gloves,” as Troyanovsky put it. Troyanovasky’s sentiments were echoed by LaRue Vigil ’26, who took Holmberg’s classes nearly 30 years after Troyanovasky. In a Jan. 28 email to The Justice, she described Holmberg as “always open and excited to learn from his students,” “always valued a good discussion” and as someone who “made every student feel seen.” Vigil had taken nearly every course Holmberg had to offer at Brandeis, and her comments speak to Holmberg’s continued excellence in teaching. James Montaño, another mentee and close colleague of Holmberg's, also spoke on his relationship with Holmberg in a Jan. 30 interview with The Justice. Like Troyanovsky, Montaño first met Holmberg as a graduate student at Harvard University’s American Repertory Theater. At ART, he was hired by Holmberg, and they have since had a close professional relationship. In fall 2024, Montaño stepped in to teach Holmberg’s Masculinity in the Media

See HOLMBERG, 5☛

BRIEF Brandeis Celebrates Black History Month On Feb. 3, the Brandeis University community received an email from the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Lauren Haynie and Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lee Bitsóí, expressing that they are “delighted to honor the heritage, resilience, contributions and scholarship of Black people during Black History Month in February.” Included in the email was a brief history of Black History Month, which began in 1926 when “Historian Carter G. Woodson created ‘Negro History Week’ to acknowledge the myriad of Black peoples’ contributions to our country’s history and culture.” More than four decades later, Kent State University established the first ever month-long celebration of Black History. According to KSU’s website, “Black Negro History Week was celebrated during the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of both President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.” Six years later, in 1976, the holiday was nationally recognized by President Gerald Ford. Haynie and Bitsóí add that February is

“designated to inspire us to pause and reflect on how communities of color are constantly striving to build an inclusive community based on mutual understanding and respect.” In celebrating this month, the email invites the Brandeis community to explore digital and physical collections related to African and African American Studies in the University Archives and Special Collections. Additionally, the email invites the Brandeis community to campus programs that “elevate our Black voices celebrating their communities.” The events include “Talk About It” on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center hosted by the Brandeis Black Student Organization; “Barbershop Talk: Cutting the Stigma” hosted by the Intercultural Center on Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. and CommUnity Gathering at Heller on Feb. 26, at 12:30 p.m. in the Heller Zinner Forum.

— Lin Lin Hutchinson

TOOLS: Volunteer blacksmiths transform weapons into tools.

Guns2Gardens MA prepares for spring season ■ Operating out of Prospect Hill

Forge in Waltham and the greater Boston area, John Hayden shares his plans to expand his local coalition of volunteer blacksmiths who transform donated guns into gardening and kitchen tools. By SOPHIA DE LISI

JUSTICE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

At a typical gun buyback, the firearm is turned into the authorities in exchange for a monetary gift. The gun is then taken apart under police supervision and its disembodied metal parts are scrapped, discarding a large amount of serviceable scrap metal with no hope of re-use. Such was the case for Goods for Guns, a gun buyback initiative in Worcester, Massachusetts, until blacksmith John Hayden proposed an alternate solution in 2019. His new initiative, Guns2Gardens MA, aims to transform the scraps of gun metal and repurpose them into gardening tools, which would then be donated to local gardens in the Boston area. He named this organization in recognition of the national organization New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence’s buyback program, named Guns to Gardens. Before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Hayden’s initiative, he donated 20 tools that spring, giving them to Youth Growth in Worcester and University of Massachusetts Memorial Garden, amongst others. Now, in the weeks leading up to the spring, Hayden intends to create more tools and expand his team. “We’re a hopeful small organization of me and a few friends,” Hayden explained in a Jan. 31 interview with The Justice. He hopes to recruit experienced and novice blacksmiths in order to begin preparing tools for the upcoming planting season. The blacksmith recently started learning the craft himself, recognizing that he is from

Grammy Awards

Fashion design

 The much anticipated 67th Grammy Awards ceremony took place on Feb. 2.

 Massachusetts College of Art and Design students show off sustainable looks on the runway at a Don Magazine event.

By IYLA LICHTENFELD

By GRACE DOH GRACE DOH/The Justice

FEATURES 6

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

Photo Courtesy of JOHN HAYDEN

ARTS AND CULTURE 14

Make your voice heard! Submit letters to the editor to forum@thejustice.org

a family of metalworkers going back to his grandfather’s oyster knife business. At the age of 13, his grandfather and a friend found the money to borrow a boat and purchase used blacksmithing equipment. They created oyster knives for fishermen, a prominent industry in their hometown of Crisfield, Maryland. This practice went on to be the town’s largest employer in the middle century, according to Hayden, and stories from his uncles inspired him to start blacksmithing at the age of 40. Hayden took significant inspiration from a 2018 New York Times article about Michael Martin’s nonprofit organization, RAWtools. RAWtools — “raw” backwards spells “war,” Hayden pointed out — creates garden tools from gun scraps attained from buybacks, and these tools are available for purchase online. Guns to Gardens, the program New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence, took inspiration from Martin’s expertise as well. Hayden emphasized that there are branches under RAWtool across the country, including Philadelphia, Colorado Springs and Asheville. To Guns2Gardens in the Boston area, Hayden contacted Michael Martin, Dr. Michael Hirsh; the Worcester Department of Public Health and Safety’s Medical Director, Dr. Michael Hirsh and the Deputy Chief of Police, Edward McGinn. Through Dr. Hirsh and Deputy Chief McGinn, Hayden connected with Worcester’s Good for Guns buyback program to take in gun scraps necessary for creating gardening tools. The program has existed for about 20 years at this point and after professionals at City Welding finished dismantling the weapon, the metal would be scrapped. Hayden then distributed the scrap metal between blacksmiths in New England, specifically referencing Reverend Jim Curry at Swords to Plowshares and Stonybrook Metal Arts and Sculpture School. He also connected with Aspen Valley Regional High School — students in a metal shop class created sculptures, and around this time, Hayden started forging gardening tools. Hayden uses designs from Mike Martin

Title IX policy changes By REBEKAH MARVEL

See TOOLS, 5 ☛

NEWS 5

Message of support for international students FORUM 8 By THE JUSTICE EDITORIAL BOARD Athlete Ally at Brandeis University By REMI YOUNG SPORTS 12