The Justice, March 17 2026

MIDDLE EAST POLITICS

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Crown Center teach-in discusses the United States, Israel, Iran and the Middle East at war

By ALLIE LADJEVA

On March 11, the Crown Center for Middle East Studies hosted a teach-in event that provided context and analysis of the current conflict in the Middle East. Six scholars from the Crown Center participated in a discussion about military developments, Iranian domestic politics, Israel’s strategic objectives and the economic consequences of the war. The event aimed to help the Brandeis community better understand the geopolitical implications of the conflict.

Prof. Gary Samore (POL), Crown Family director and professor of the practice of politics, gave the opening remarks of the event. Samore served as former President Barack Obama's White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction and President Bill Clinton's Senior Director for Nonproliferation and Export Controls. Prof. Samore said that the discussion would focus on “the Israeli-American war against Iran, which is entering the 12th day at the cost of about 1,800 lives and considerable property damage, especially in Iran and Lebanon.” He then introduced the event’s speakers: Prof. Shai Feldman (POL), Prof. Naghmeh Sohrabi (HIST), Prof. Nader Habibi (ECON), Prof. Elizabeth Derderian (ANTH) and Dr. Kerem Ussakl. He proceeded to explain the successes of the military campaign and the uncertainty of U.S. war objectives.

Prof. Samore explained that the U.S. and Israeli attacks seemed effective “in terms of killing much of the Iranian leadership, including the Supreme Leader, eliminating Iran’s air defense system, limiting Iran’s missile and drone force and production capabilities, sinking much of the Iranian Navy and attacking socalled regime targets, which is the euphemism for IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] facilities and bases.” He said that there are fewer attacks on nuclear targets and energy infrastructure in Iran, with the exception of Israel’s attack on fuel depots in Iran. Prof. Samore stated that the attack caused a serious environmental problem, and the United States government asked Israeli authorities to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.

 The teach-in provided various insights and perspectives on the unfolding situation in the Middle East. Common rooms

However, Prof. Samore said that despite the U.S. and Israel’s military success, Iran can still launch drones and missiles, mainly targeting U.S. bases in the region. He added that Iran has some strategic advantages: “The one big card Iran still has is the ability to limit transit through the Straits of Hormuz, and that has led to a significant increase in oil and gas prices.”

Concerning the U.S.' final objectives, Prof. Samore divided them into three categories: regime change, the Venezuelan model and President Donald Trump unilaterally declaring the end of the war. He elaborated that at the beginning of the war, Trump hoped that the attacks would motivate the Iranian public to overthrow the Islamic Republic. When that didn’t happen, the Venezuelan model was pursued, meaning that “the Islamic Republic would replace the Supreme Leader with a more compliant ruler. The system would remain in place, but the new Supreme Leader would be willing to acquiesce to the U.S. demands on Iran’s nuclear missile program, support for proxies and so forth.” In light of recent events, Samore explained that the third objective is for Trump to eventually declare the war to end, as the U.S. has significantly reduced Iran’s nuclear missile drone capability. However, Samore concluded that the U.S. objectives may change depending on Iran’s domestic scene, which Prof. Sohrabi elaborated on.

Prof. Sohrabi is the director for research at the Crown Center and the Charles (Corky) Goodman Professor of Middle East History. She has written the book “Taken for Wonder: Nineteenth Century Travel Accounts from Iran to Europe,” and is currently working on a book about the history of the 1979 revolutionary generation in Iran. Prof. Sohrabi clarified the assumptions and misconceptions about Iran. “If there has been one constant in the past 47 years about Iran, it is that it is a system. And I use the word ‘system’ here very carefully. It is a system that first and foremost protects itself in its survival and it’s resilient. That is the number one constant for the past 47 years,” she said.

Prof. Sohrabi also stated that there is a difference between the terms government, state and system; these differentiations can explain the domestic scene in Iran. She provided an example from 1989, when Ruhollah Khomeini died, but the Islamic Republic persisted. “But it was not the end because the system keeps adapting to the moment. The system keeps transforming both itself, but in the relationship be-

A look at how first year common rooms function as third spaces on campus.

By LUCA D. JORDAN

FACULTY

 This month’s faculty meeting introduced the University's new marketing strategy and honored Provost Carol Fierke as she announced the end of her term.

By ZOE ZACHARY JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR

On Friday, March 13, the monthly faculty meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall. Prof. Jeffrey Lenowitz (POL) began the meeting by addressing the results of the voting that had happened during the February faculty meeting. The faculty had voted to pass several changes to Brandeis’ core requirements and to establish a new finance major, but had struck down a motion that would have reduced the world language requirement to two semesters, with a notable 72.2% of faculty having voted against it. The first item on the agenda included remarks from President Arthur Levine ’70. Levine announced that on June 30, Provost Carol Fierke will be stepping down after a five-year term as provost. He praised Fierke’s leadership, particularly

during the transition back onto campus after the COVID-19 pandemic and during the recent transition between University presidents. Levine also mentioned Fierke’s involvement in the creation of an undergraduate engineering program and called her a “tireless advocate” for faculty. He then announced that Prof. Linda Bui (ECON) would be taking her place as interim provost and thanked her for her willingness to take the position. Following Levine’s remarks, Fierke briefly addressed the attendees of the meeting. She articulated the honor of being provost over the past five years, a time she called “turbulent” for Brandeis and general higher education. Fierke also spoke about her work on campus, including contributing to the Brandeis Plan for restructuring the University. Moving forward, Fierke plans to continue contributing to the Brandeis community as a faculty member. She said that she looks forward to continued leadership from Levine and Interim Provost Bui, and she received a standing ovation as she closed her remarks. Bui then introduced herself and described her enthusiasm as she steps into the role of interim provost. In her words, “we are going to figure this out, and we are going to get to a better place.” Lenowitz also gave a brief statement, high-

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Former Washington Post editor discusses current state of journalism

 Janice Page spoke to The Justice about how news organizations have adapted to the changing journalism landscape in recent years.

By NAWAL IRFANI JUSTICE COPY EDITOR

On Feb. 4, 2026, The Washington Post laid off over 300 of its roughly 800-person newsroom. The layoffs resulted in both the sports and books departments being removed, a significantly smaller metro section and cuts to international correspondents and editors, many of whom were based in the Middle East. These layoffs came after several years of failing profits, decreasing numbers of sub-

Clue chaos

 An insightful review of the Brandeis Undergraduate Theater Collective's production of "Clue: On Stage."

By LUCA D. JORDAN

scribers and changes to leadership that further sank the paper.

“It’s not the same place [anymore],” said Janice Page in a March 15 interview with The Justice. Page, the former arts editor for The Post and a subject of its recent layoffs, continued, “it [The Post] still has quite talented people, wonderful people that I have worked with and [I] feel really badly that they are now left trying to do the same job or more with about half the force they had before.”

Cuts to staff at The Post came alongside a new data-driven strategy led by the paper’s owner and founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. Bezos bought the paper in 2013 for $250 million and initially invested in it heavily, allowing the newsroom size to double in the early period of his tenure. His role in the paper's operations became more tumultuous in the buildup to the 2024 presidential election when he killed an editorial endorsing Kamala Harris.

See JOURNALISM, 5

Brandeis' response to antisemitism

By

ARIANA AGARWAL

2026 commencement speaker invites scandal

NORA HERNDON-LAZERWITH

POLICE LOG

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

Mar. 9—There was a medical emergency for a party with a cut finger. The patient refused medical treatment.

Mar. 9—A party reported having a migraine and feeling nauseous. The patient refused medical treatment.

Mar. 10—A party reported that their friend sprained their ankle. The patient refused medical treatment.

Mar. 10—A party reported experiencing an allergic reaction. The patient was transported to a local hospital.

Mar. 12—A party reported their friend was experiencing an allergic reaction. The patient refused medical treatment.

Mar. 12—A party reported that an individual was passed out. The patient was transported to a local hospital.

Sherman reopens following the February fire

On Monday, March 16, the Sherman Dining Hall reopened after being closed for over a month due to a fire. The Feb. 2 fire led to the complete closure of the Sherman-Hassenfeld building, including dining facilities and conference spaces. Upon reopening, Sherman is offering options from nine different stations, excluding kosher dining.

In a March 10 email to the Brandeis community, Associate Vice President of Campus Services Susan Scannell wrote that the fire “caused significant damage throughout the dining hall and conference center” which will require full repairs and inspections from the city of Waltham before the entire building can be officially reopened for use. However, she announced that the dining hall will fully re-open on

MOTOR VEHICLE

Mar. 7—A Brandeis bus was involved in a motor vehicle accident. No injuries were reported and the situation was cleared. Mar. 12—A party reported striking a parked vehicle. The situation was cleared.

NOISE COMPLAINT

Mar. 7—There was a report of a noise complaint. All appeared in order.

MISCELLANEOUS

Mar. 6—There was a report that an item was left on a door. There will be an investigation to follow.

March 16, minus the exception of the kosher dining station, which will continue to be offered in the Faculty Club.

While the dining hall is open and servicing students, damage from the fire remains evident, as all of the food stations on the non-kosher side remain completely blocked off. Food service has resumed on the kosher side of the dining hall, and full seating is available. Campus Services shared that the menus will alternate every other day to accommodate both meat and dairy options.

On March 13, the Hassenfeld Conference Center reopened, including Sherman Function Hall. However, the email shared that the building’s audiovisual equipment is currently not functional and will supply groups with portable

Pi(e) the Professor

On March 14, Brandeis Campus Activities Board hosted “Pi(e) the Professor,” in Ridgewood Commons, to celebrate Pi Day. The president of Campus Activities Board and several faculty members volunteered to be pied by students. This included Professors Melissa Johannes, Charlotte Powley. Josh Wolk and Phillipe Wells. Plates of whipped cream were provided and used for the pieing, while CAB also offered students an assortment of pies to enjoy.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

 An arts article incorrectly claimed that two incidents during a Sense and Sensibility performance were caused by “not nearly enough full-tech run throughs.” A source close to the matter has clarified that this report was factually inaccurate. The mentioned incidents had no correlation to the number of the production’s run-throughs. (March 10, Page 14).

 An arts article incorrectly stated Lance Rothchild and Phoenix Yuan’s class years as “’27.” Both instances were corrected to “’26.” (March 10, Page 14).

 An arts article incorrectly spelled Phoenix Yuan’s surname as “Yung.” Both instances have been corrected. (March 10, Page 14).

 An arts article included the sentence, “Nonetheless, the issues that were to noticeable to be ignored in a proper review.” It was corrected to “Nonetheless, the issues were too noticeable to be ignored in a proper review.” (March 10, Page 14).

  An arts article included the sentence, “As short as his cottage monologue was Sloan’s hilarity was prominent enough to make him one of the best features of the show.” It was corrected to, “As short as his cottage monologue was, Sloan’s hilarity was promiennt enough to make him one of the best features of the show.” (March 10, Page 14).

 An arts article included the sentence, “During this pivotal scene, all of a sudden, someone turn on the house lights — the ones that theaters turn off so we can focus on a play as it begins.” It was corrected to, “During this pivotal scene, all of a sudden, someone turned on the house lights — the ones that theaters turn off so we can focus on a play as it begins.” (March 10, Page 14)

 An arts article incorrectly capitalized “Department,” “Farce” and “Melodrama.” (March 10, Page 14).

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods.

Mar. 8—There was a report of an odor of marijuana throughout a building. The Department of Community Living was notified to respond.

Mar. 9—There was a report of a larceny. There will be an investigation to follow.

Mar. 11—There was a report of smoke coming from the ground behind a building. The smoke was confirmed to be steam from a power plant. The situation was cleared.

equipment if needed. Additionally, the Stein is expected to reopen shortly after April break to serve kosher dairy options, along with Feldberg Lounge for additional seating. Scannell acknowledged how the closure had disrupted students’ experience, as she wrote that “we sincerely appreciate your understanding.” She concluded that the University remains committed to providing “a variety of options” to accommodate student needs. Sherman will open for allday dining beginning Tuesday, March 17 as repairs to the building continue.

— Written by Chava Thiell

Campus safety and free speech: Brandeis University’s dilemma

 The ADL commended the University for its commitment to combatting anti-Jewish hatred at a time of rising antisemitism.

By ARIANA AGARWAL JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The Anti–Defamation League, a civil rights organization focused on combatting antiJewish hate, released its 2026 report card on March 26 and awarded the University an “A” for its efforts to combat campus antisemitism.

The ADL evaluates universities based on three factors: “Publicly Disclosed Administrative Actions,” “Jewish life on Campus” and “Campus Conduct and Climate Concerns.” It rated Brandeis Jewish life as “ex -

cellent,” considering the numerous campus initiatives including Brandeis Hillel, Chabad Club, Jewish Greek life organizations and the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies as per the official report. The ADL also reported campus conduct and climate concerns as “low to none” due to Brandeis’ prompt response in revoking its recognition for the Students for Justice in Palestine group after the club used the phrase “from the river to the sea” during a protest on Nov. 10, 2023.

As an institution with a 35% Jewish student population, the University is invested in protecting the Jewish community. In April 2023, Brandeis University launched the Presidential Initiative to Counter Antisemitism in Higher Education, which informed administrators and the broader Brandeis community about the harmful effects of antisemitism. In addition to this effort, the Cohen Center for Religious Studies published a report in December 2023 about the hotspots of antisemitism on college campuses which describes Jewish perceptions of antisemitism in 51 colleges since the beginning of the Israel-Palestine conflict in fall 2023. It delves into the different types of antisemitism that Jewish students experience and explains

how this hostility affects Jewish individuals’ sense of belonging at higher institutions. Additionally, plans to renovate Kutz Hall, a former administrative building, are in progress so that it may become the University’s Center for Jewish Life. Brandeis has also extended the deadline for transfer applications for Jewish students and the ADL reported that these efforts have been highly successful in addressing antisemitism alongside promoting Jewish life on campus.

While Brandeis has remained committed in its efforts to preserve a pro–Jewish environment on campus, the University has only increased its free speech score to 56.8 out of 100 by 2.8 points since 2024. Brandeis has received a ranking of 149 out of 257 U.S. colleges and universities and an “F” in its free speech efforts, according to a report from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. This score represents the tension between protecting the safety of minorities and preserving the student body’s right to free speech. The report states that once Brandeis adopts institutional neutrality and is more willing to discuss controversial political ideas without censorship, the University will improve its score. Students report that

administrative support is greatly needed so students do not have to self–censor controversial ideas.

The American Jewish community founded Brandeis as a safe space for Jewish students and other marginalized groups in 1948, and as such, the University has remained committed to protecting its Jewish students. Brandeis’ “yellow light” designation means that it does not always promote free speech on campus when sensitive issues are involved. Therefore, students should proceed with caution when speaking about controversial ideas. According to some observers, institutional focus on combating antisemitism and limited tolerance for opposing political beliefs has made it challenging to have an environment that truly protects free speech. Overall, Brandeis has remained committed to protecting Jewish culture and life on campus. While its initiatives have successfully created a safe space for Jewish students, the University continues to struggle with balancing free speech with protecting Jewish individuals from antisemitism at a time of high polarization and political tension.

The Jewish Feminist Association at Brandeis hosts their annual Women’s History Month celebration

 On March 15, the Jewish Feminist Association at Brandeis collaborated with other University organizations to host its annual Women’s History Month event. in the SCC Atrium.

By ALLIE LADJEVA JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

On March 15, the Jewish Feminist Association at Brandeis hosted its annual Women’s History Month celebration in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium, bringing together numerous student organizations for activities and performances. Over 10 different organizations, including religious, cultural and recreational clubs, participated in the event. Each organization tabled and hosted various activities, and the Brandeis Up the Octave club performed uplifting songs.

The Women’s History Month celebration is the biggest event of the year for JFAB. It usually takes place on International Women’s Day, but this year the event was pushed to the following weekend due to “Inside ’Deis.” During this annual celebration, JFAB undertakes action projects for various causes. This

year, an activity at JFAB’s table involved creating bags with necessities for women and families in domestic violence shelters. JFAB

President Lee-El Messinger ’28 and Yehudis Aldrich ’29, JFAB Treasurer, spoke to The Justice in a March 15 interview about the significance of the celebration. Aldrich said that JFAB invites around 40 clubs and organizations on campus to participate in the event, including gender, women and sexuality-centered clubs, as well as religious groups.

“As the Jewish Feminist Association of Brandeis, we are here to create a space for Jewish people, as well as feminists, women and anyone on campus who would like to be an ally or participate in this community,” Aldrich explained.

“We are a club dedicated to uplifting Jewish women’s lives, as well as other women, and also, generally, uplifting minority groups that need to be uplifted,” Messinger added.

When asked what Women’s History Month means to them personally, Messinger said that she has always fought for equality and peace for women, and that March “brings people to understand that even in the 21st century, women are still experiencing inequality and discrimination.” Aldrich shared that the month is of great importance to her as well and that people should remember that “women are amazing all year round.”

At around 2:30 p.m., Brandeis’ treble-voice a cappella group Up the Octave performed three empowering songs. Their repertoire

consisted of “Not Your Way” by MisterWives, “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus and “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + The Machine. Raquel Blatter ’27, an Up the Octave member, told The Justice in a March 15 interview that the club is extremely supportive and uplifting. “It’s like a really supportive group of girls. We all love each other. We love making magical music together,” she said.

Blatter also shared that Women’s History Month has great significance for her and her family. “My biological grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, and the fact that she survived, came to the States, and has made a life for my family is a really beautiful thing. To carry on the tradition of all the women who came before me is really beautiful, especially at Brandeis,” Blatter shared. Organizations participating in the event offered engaging activities that the Brandeis community could participate in. Food and refreshments were also offered for attendees. The Campus Activities Board had a variety of aromatic plants and oils on their table, which people could mix in small bags to create their own aroma bags. Women in Economics and Finance had colorful sticky notes and envelopes on their table for people to write letters to their future selves. Queer Jews at Brandeis created a game featuring trivia questions to help people learn more about the queer Jewish community.

The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute held a raffle where students could win books published with or by the HBI. Gabby Chiquiar-

Rabinovich ’27, who tabled at the HBI table, shared more information about a current exhibition related to Women’s History Month.

In a March 15 interview with The Justice Rabinovich stated “We currently have an exhibition called ‘Who Will Draw Our History?’ which shows the works of female artists who survived the Holocaust and created work in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, sort of depicting their experiences and emotions,” she explained. The celebration brought Brandeis community members together to honor Women’s History Month through activities, music and performances, thus offering students an opportunity to engage with different clubs on campus and learn more about the significance of this month.

— Editor’s Note: The Justice News Editorial Assistant Ashhwika Soni ’29 is a member of the Student Union Senate and did not edit or contribute to this article.

Editor’s Note: The Justice News Editorial Assistant Chava Thiell ’29 is a member of BaRuCh’s executive board and edited this article.

A group of scholars discuss escalating war in the Middle East during teach-in

tween state and society, which is a very important point,” Prof. Sohrabi explained.

After the panel elaborated on Iranian domestic politics, Prof. Feldman, the founding director of the Crown Center and a professor of politics, described Israel’s perspective. Prof. Feldman described Israel’s three principal objectives, which are to “downgrade, if not obliterate, the Iranian capacity down the line to produce nuclear weapons,” to “degrade as much as possible Iran’s capacity to launch missiles against Israel” and to “degrade the capacity of the other members of the so-called Axis of Resistance that were based on the support of Iran.” He also added a fourth Israeli objective, which is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s objective of regime change in Iran. Prof. Feldman said that for Prime Minister Netanyahu, the issue of who controls weapons of mass destruction is “critically important.”

Prof. Feldman added that historically, Israeli objectives have been crucial in determining the state’s course of action. In 1982, Israel, with the U.S. government, supported the regime in Iran. “It was called the Iran-Contra Affair, which had Israelis and Americans in the White House cooperating in a scheme that involved essentially delivering weapons to Iran and using the money that was obtained from Iran to support the Contras in Nicaragua that were fighting the Sandinistas and so on,” he said.

He also mentioned that in recent years, Israel’s national security strategy has been motivated by two drivers: the Holocaust and October 7. Prof. Feldman explained that the Holocaust is “something that Israelis grew up with in kindergarten, in elementary school, in high school and so forth. And a lot of it revolves around the never-again scene, and especially when you talk about unconventional weapons. We had the same thing with the first Gulf War when it was a danger of Iraq using chemical weapons against Israel.”

Prof. Nader Habibi, a Henry J. Leir Professor of the Economics of the Middle East, discussed the economic implications of the conflict and shared his perspective on how the oil and natural gas markets have changed globally amid the ongoing war. He said that the Persian Gulf region is a major supplier of both oil and natural gas, which has affect-

ed Europe and Asia. “India and China are both dependent on oil from the Persian Gulf, from the Hormuz trade for about 40% of their supply,” Prof. Habibi explained. He warned that there will be both short- and long-term implications globally. “So what is happening is affecting the global market in the short term. It’s resulting in inflation, and it can also become stagflation if it continues for more than a month because of the impact on the cost of production,” he said.

Prof. Habibi also discussed how economic pressure could influence U.S.' decision-making in the conflict: “So perhaps this growing pressure, in my opinion, might force the United States either to rapidly escalate the military operations in hope of destroying Iran’s capacity to continue the blockade of Hormuz, or President Trump declaring some kind of victory and substantially de-escalating the conflict.”

After Prof. Habibi’s remarks, Prof. Derderian, an assistant professor of the Renée and Lester Crown Chair for Modern Middle East Studies, spoke about how the war has affected the lives of everyday people in Arab countries of the Gulf, specifically in the United Arab Emirates. “As my interlocutors and colleagues reported to me, there are about 20 missiles a day that are intercepted over UAE airspace. Some folks were reporting that it actually felt kind of like COVID because everyone was told to stay home from work,” she said. Prof. Derderian mentioned there was a large number of Americans residing in the region, who had difficulties leaving the country.

“So it became very challenging for people who did want to leave, who the U.S. government advised to leave, who are American citizens. They could not actually find those commercial flights to get out. We have reports of people who are living in Doha who drove to Riyadh to catch a flight from Saudi Arabia to try and get back,” she reported.

Additionally, Prof. Derderian explained that Gulf governments place great emphasis on pacifying their populations, a focus that can play a significant role in U.S. relations with Gulf countries. “So the Gulf governments are currently our allies, but at some point, staying with us is going to cost them. They are going to have to give things to their population, to keep them happy and to keep them from speaking out. And this will ultimately, I think, also play out in U.S. diplomatic relations with

the Gulf countries,” she said.

The last speaker in the first part of the event was Dr. Ussakl, who shed light on the current situation in Iraq. Dr. Ussakl, a political anthropologist, is a junior research fellow at the Crown Center. He said that Iraq is “the only country that has been bombed by both sides,” which makes Iraqi territory central to the regional dimension of the conflict. He also explained that although Iraq is a major oil producer, many Iraqis do not benefit from its oil wealth domestically.

“Most of the oil and gas used in Iraq for domestic production actually comes from Iran. This is an effect of the U.S. invasion and the politics that have happened ever since,” he elaborated.

Dr. Ussakl also warned that energy shortages in Iraq could create instability ahead of the country’s coming summer elections. “And given the fact that the government has not been formed yet since the last election, there is highly worrying foresight that when the summer heatens and the electricity is not working, people are going on their feet,” he elaborated.

During the second half of the event, the audience asked the panelists relevant questions. A student asked why it is so difficult to stop Iran from closing the Strait of Hormuz, despite the U.S. and Israel's military superiority. Prof. Samore explained that Iran maintains short-range anti-ship missile bases along the straits and can still threaten ships even without an Air Force or a Navy. Other panelists added that Iran’s military strategy relies on attrition as a result of the lessons learned from the prolonged Iran-Iraq War.

Another student raised the question of the likelihood that a ground invasion will take place in Iran. Dr. Ussakl said that this is very unlikely, as the countries of the Gulf “have organized military but not in numbers that would actually buy any meaningful way to help in the war.”

He explained that the only country that has the capacity for ground invasion is Turkey, but the nation has been anti-war in this situation.

The event concluded with additional questions from students about the potential political, economic and humanitarian consequences of the conflict.

MEETING: University shares plans to intensify marketing and advertisement campaign

lighting Fierke’s dedication to faculty relationships and taking their concerns seriously. He added that some of his colleagues from other universities think he is joking when talking about the positive facultyadministration relationships at Brandeis.

At 2:15 p.m., the meeting transitioned into a presentation from Adam Beaver, the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. As Beaver articulated, the CTL is a resource for instructors who are looking to improve or who would like support addressing various aspects of their teaching or curriculum design. Beaver is trained as a Renaissance historian but discovered his passion for pedagogical support structures through his experiences as a member of dissertation committees and a mentor to early-career graduate students.

Additionally, Beaver reviewed the different types of support the CTL offers. The center offers individual consultations for instructors looking for support with a broad range of issues, such as course design and delivery, processing student feedback and restructuring assignments. Beaver noted that while they offer these consultations, they hope to foster a community where faculty support each other. The CTL also offers various institutional projects and partnerships, as well as a website with advice guides. These guides cover topics including ChatGPT and the overall use of artificial intelligence, incorporating active learning into the classroom.

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Affairs, Jeffrey Shoulson, then spoke briefly about the next steps in the process of revising the Brandeis Core. Currently, a committee consisting of one professor from each school is reviewing proposals for classes that will satisfy the new “Teamwork and Collaboration” core competency. There is also work underway to ensure that the updates to the Brandeis Core are represented on the Brandeis website and registrar. Shoulson stated that next fall the University is planning to incrementally recertify courses that are carrying older designations. Shoulson also mentioned that he plans on dedicating more attention to the Health and Wellness requirement, including the possible incorporation of a career module into the program.

Dean of Admissions Emily Roper-Doten gave an update on recent undergraduate admissions activity. The most recent Inside 'Deis program for admitted students had an 87% attendance rate, with around 250 students attending. Roper-Doten stressed that around 90% of these students were still in the decision-making process, which makes these events a crucial opportunity to encourage them to attend Brandeis. She and the admissions team are currently working to implement feedback from Inside 'Deis and plan on reorganizing the academic fair and providing food in future years.

Additionally, Roper-Doten pointed out the new aesthetic changes across campus. As she explained, the University hired a visiting consultant to evaluate their Inside 'Deis experience and was advised to implement more visual reminders of Brandeis’ brand and school spirit. This advice has translated into the addition of several new banners and large floor mats across campus.

Historically, The Post has frequently written presidential endorsements of Democratic candidates, and Bezos’ increasingly heavy-handed approach to the paper raised questions about his efforts to gain favor with President Donald Trump. Bezos’ controversial removal of the endorsement of Harris — which resulted in thousands of cancelled subscriptions to The Post — came just a few months before Amazon proceeded to buy the rights to “Melania” for $40 million. Amazon has since spent an additional $35 million on marketing for the documentary. The latest layoffs, said to be driven by consumer data related to departments making the most (or least) profit, have led to more than 60,000 additional cancelled subscriptions.

“Real, hard decisions have to be made every day in journalism right now. That is just the nature of that, right? … But the way to get through it, in my opinion, is real vision and leadership on the business side, with such a support for the journalism that is going on and an understanding of the ways journalism happens and how it's sustained and what makes a product great,” Page said. “I’m not talking out of turn to say that that was not done at its highest levels.”

The Post faced a series of leadership changes in the past few years, including the retirement of former executive editor Marty Baron in 2021, followed by the removal of Fred Ryan as publisher and Chief

Following Roper-Doten’s presentation, University Archivist Kate Neptune and Program Director for University Records Management, Marren Sanders, gave a joint presentation on the resources provided by University Records Management and the University Archives.

URM is responsible for all Brandeis records and provides support for digitizing them. The department offers guidance to faculty on records retention and maintenance. Sanders gave reasons to prioritize good records management, including general organization, the preservation of Brandeis’ history, the minimization of storage costs and requirements, as well as the reduction of risks in litigation and government investigations.

The purpose of the University Archives is to collect, preserve and provide access to university records with enduring historical, administrative and research value. Neptune gave a brief history of the archives, and gave faculty pertinent advice about being aware of the records their office produces, knowing the relevant retention rules, destroying inactive records promptly when indicated and contacting the archives about the discovery or usage of historical records.

Vice President of Marketing Communications Shelia Georger provided updates concerning Brandeis’ marketing campaign. The current goal, she explained, is to efficiently convey the new and compelling changes being made to the University to audiences such as prospective undergraduate students, parents and donors. The team is focusing on the intersection between what has always been true about Brandeis and the new values that are currently being implemented.

Given these goals, Georger unveiled the selling line of this campaign: “One foot in the classroom. One foot in the street.” The street, she explained, represents the world beyond the classroom, such as labs, nonprofit organizations, studios and business startups. She debuted numerous promotional materials based on this selling line, including a short video and mock-ups of outdoor pole banners. These materials included energetic new art for the website featuring bright colors and abstract shapes. They also heavily embraced the career-readiness aspect of Brandeis’ changes. Several of them use a “from vision to voice” template, for example, “From classroom depth to career agility” and “From lab bench to hospital floor.”

Georger shared that when these career-forward materials were tested with parent and student audiences, they were not entirely wellreceived. Many worried that the promises in the advertisements were too good to be true, that there had to be a catch and that they made Brandeis seem like another institution that promises much but delivers little. In Georger’s eyes, this response is a challenge to better advertise the Brandeis promise and the belief that higher education should “go further.”

In the near future, Georger stated, the marketing team is looking to invest in more video advertising on social media platforms, as well as targeted media networks such as Spotify and other podcast platforms. Georger ended her presentation by encouraging faculty to reach out to

Executive Officer in 2023. Under Ryan, The Post reportedly lost $77 million in profits and was looking for a fresh set of hands to revive the paper. Will Lewis, who was an editor of Britain’s The Telegraph for three years and publisher of The Wall Street Journal for six years, took on Ryan’s position in 2024. Although initially received well by Post staff, an article in New York Magazine reported that Lewis became increasingly estranged from both staff and Bezos himself. Lewis had initially proposed a 200-person cut to journalism staff in November 2025 as part of his plan to regain profits, but it was rejected by Bezos for not being “sufficiently grounded in data.” Lewis oversaw the most recent series of layoffs in February that cut 30% of The Post’s staff but resigned that same week.

“You can operate a newsroom sensibly and honestly at any size level, but you really need to think about what your mission is, who you're serving, why you’re doing things, and honestly, … [you need] a really smart approach to the economics side of things,” said Page. Her insight into the complex relationship between running news publications as a business and supporting great journalism comes at a time when news organizations are battling to retain profits and readership alongside a growing detachment from traditional forms of media. Page also cited The New York Times as an example of a successful business model that has managed to retain profit with

her with ideas.

Several faculty members had questions and comments following Georger’s presentation. Prof. Kene Piasta (BIOL) highlighted the “from lab bench to hospital floor” line. He pointed out that one of the biggest complaints in the undergraduate science community is the difficulty in finding labs to join and worried that the wording would reinforce the misconception that students need to do research to get into medical school.

Prof. Sabine von Mering (CGES, WGS) stated in response to the presentation that “elite,” a word which was used to describe the desired standing for the University, to her, does not possess a positive connotation. She also pointed out that the negative feedback from students did not sound like a “challenge,” but instead like a normal negative response.

Georger responded that the feedback from students was useful and that concerns were very low in terms of the general concepts presentation.

Prof. Isaac Krauss (CHEM) reiterated Piasta’s concerns about the “from lab bench to hospital floor” line. He specifically cautioned that over-promising the availability of lab positions for undergraduates could cause a big problem for the University.

Lastly, Prof. Catherine Theobald (ROMS) pointed out the lack of information about study-abroad in the promotional materials. She advised that study-abroad opportunities should be emphasized, as they are an important part of the Brandeis experience for many students. Lenowitz adjourned the meeting at 3:30 p.m.

: Prof. Lenowitz addresses faculty.

the creation of NYTCooking, Wirecutter and a series of online games in addition to regular subscriptions.

“I don’t object to finding a way to pay your way. I just don’t think you should do it on the back of something like, say, classical music criticism.”

Page first joined The Post in 2019 after she worked at The Boston Globe, where she was the deputy managing editor for arts and newsroom innovation.

After working for the Globe for over a decade, Page described that at the time of this transition, she was looking for the next step in her career. “In 2019, we were approaching another election, so I wanted to experience what that would be like, working at … a paper I had never even dreamed of working at one day. And here was my opportunity: They were looking for an arts editor. And I thought, what better place to be?”

Initially, working for The Post was her dream.

“When I went there, it absolutely lived up to everything I had expected it to,” she said, until it suffered from “a series of what [she calls] bad, misguided moves.” Another aspect of The Post that excited her was the ability to stay in the arts department. The arts — and arts journalism — have always been a passion of hers. “I think of [the] arts as a way to tell incredible stories. … To me, it is one of the many things that separates us from all other species, right?” She continued, “To be in the privileged position of shining a spotlight on people who do that and

why it’s important was always important to me.” In response to The Post’s push to drive their work based on consumer data, Page said “there’s no data in the world that is going to tell you how important [arts coverage is] to a very worthwhile segment of your audience.”

Today, news organizations must continually navigate complications — such as the increased presence of artificial intelligence, intensifying partisanship and attacks from the current administration — while catering to their consumer base and maintaining profitability. With these issues in mind, journalism “is way more important than it ever was. … We stand between complete chaos and responsible democracy,” said Page. “The thing is, journalism isn’t a profession — it’s a vocation. It truly is. It’s a spiritual, creative, intellectual vocation. And for a lot of people, you just can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Speaking about the lessons she’s learned as a journalist, Page said, “people in newsrooms anywhere tend to say things that are the way out and the … way forward.” She stressed the importance of listening to journalists and to each other, and advised aspiring journalists: “Don’t give up. We need people who are passionate about this stuff.” Janice Page will be joining a panel on March 24 in Rapaporte Treasure Hall at 5:30 p.m. for an event titled, “Who Owns the News?”

just features

VERBATIM | CICERO

We were born to unite with our fellow men, and to join in community with the human race.

ON THIS DAY…

St. Patrick’s Day: The feast day honoring St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is observed annually.

FUN FACT

All surviving artworks of St. Patrick depict him wearing blue robes, not green, the popular color associated with St. Patrick’s Day.

The options for first-year dorms can vary from location to location, but one common factor is the presence of some type of lounge or common room. North Quad’s Scheffres Hall and Gordon Hall have the Polaris Lounge. Massell Quad’s Shapiro Hall also has the Shapiro Lounge, affectionately dubbed the “Schlounge.”

These spaces play an important role in a students’ lifestyle as well as give first-years a starting point for their college experience. However, it’s possible that they’ve fallen under disrepair and misuse.

Some upperclassmen look back on their experiences in the first-year common rooms with mixed feelings. Trisha Roy ’26 said in an interview with The Justice on March 15, “I remember seeing so many crazy things in my freshman common room. Improvised pong tables, religious ceremonies and couples breaking up.” Roy continued, “It’s kind of like a space of endless possibilities because it’s a nonperformative space. I think it’s a rite of passage to be in there at your absolute worst.” Common rooms should be spaces where students feel comfortable to be themselves.

Offering another perspective, Samuel Roselin ’27 said in an interview with The Justice on March 15, “I remember just going there and setting up a projector with my friends and watching movies.” However, when asked about the long-term use of the common rooms, he replied, “we only used that room for the very beginning of freshman year, and then we just went to each other’s dorms.” When asked why he and his friends preferred dorm rooms over the common rooms, Roselin said, “The common room was kind of lifeless, y’know? It didn’t feel lived in. Like look around us — referring to the spot in the

Third Spaces

How common rooms affect first-year living.

By LUCA D. JORDAN JUSTICE SPORTS EDITOR

library where we were sitting — there’s lamps and paintings and the wall is painted red.

There’s a lot of personality and I don’t remember the common room where I lived having that.”

Current first-years also have mixed takeaways about their experience so far. Moira Koleno ’29 said in a March 15 interview with The Justice, “It’s nice to have a place to

Other first-years echo similar issues with their shared spaces. Abby Finkelstein ’29 said in an interview with The Justice on March 15, “I like the space, but there isn’t really a good place to study and that’s what I want to use it for. There aren’t any desks or tables and I need some sort of space other than my dorm to do work. I can go to the library, but it’s not that close to me so I don’t

ity, it’s ours, and no one cleans up their stuff.” When asked if decorations, such as more furniture or something on the walls would make her want to spend more time in the common room, she said, “Oh my god yes, the vibes would be so much better.”

Roy described the common room as a “third space,” a place other than home or work since those two places hold too

dining halls and other public venues on campus like the Shapiro Campus Center or Levin Ballroom.

The most frequent use of these first-year spaces or third spaces is for Community Advisor events. These events usually revolve around some sort of activity that serves to educate the student body about campus fundamentals and also come with free food.

step out for a second, from your dorm. It can be hard not knowing your roommate and sometimes you just need a second to walk out and take a phone call or do homework or something like that.” However, she continued saying, “I live in Renfield and I just wish our common room was separate from the kitchen because it is always smelly. Someone’s always leaving full pots of food out there and no one cleans up.”

always have the energy to walk there and especially not late at night.” Finkelstein also commented on the cleanliness of the common rooms, “People always leave their used pots and pans out there, it’s really gross.” She continued, “I see the facilities people in there all the time and they clean as much as they can but it’s usually still dirty, the kitchen anyway. And the kitchen isn’t really their responsibil-

much weight, or in a university setting, outside of the dorms and the classrooms. Roy said, “I believe that Americans are kind of obsessed with ‘third places’ and that’s kind of why they come to college, to just be away from home and make friends and meet new people.”

It’s true that American culture can revolve around these third spaces — libraries, gyms, restaurants and movie theaters. At Brandeis, this concept includes spaces such as the

These events are mandatory for CAs to hold and can have a good turn out depending on location. A CA in Massell Quad, Summer Abdelreim ’28 said in an interview with The Justice on March 16, “If I hold an event with a couple other CAs we can get upwards of 20 people.”

The common rooms can also be reserved for events by any student, although the events first need to be approved by the University Events team who will assign an Events Manager to supervise.

When Roselin was asked how his common room functioned as a place to meet friends, he answered, “I think the idea of meeting people and making friends with the people in your building is nice, but I don’t think I ever met a friend in the common room. I just stuck with people I already knew.” When asked how it could be used as a third space, he said, “From my understanding of what a third space is, you need some sort of activity. Like people come to the library to study or go to the gym to work out and there’s not really anything to do in most of the common rooms other than cook something.”

The Justice also asked Koleno about whether the common rooms function as a place to meet friends and as a third space. Koleno said, “I guess at the beginning they were kind of like that, before everyone joined clubs and things like that, but now I feel like they’re pretty empty. It kind of helped us adjust to living at college I guess.”

When asked the same question, Finkelstein said, “I mean in mine there’s not a lot there other than a few couches, so I’ve never really seen anyone hang out there. [In] the lounge under Scheffres I used to see people playing ping pong a lot but I think the table broke.”

Brandeis’ common rooms have the potential to function as an ideal third space for students, given the proximity to their dorms, but they aren’t given the same attention as the rest of the campus. Most are bare, with minimal activities and decorations, and most suffer from issues of cleanliness given poor kitchen etiquette. These spaces are still used well by CAs and other members of the student body, but it’s possible that they aren’t living up to their potential.

A SeA of green

Students join thousands at the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebrating the city’s Irish roots.

By ALYSSA WU AND LUCA D. JORDAN JUSTICE FEATURES EDITOR AND JUSTICE SPORTS EDITOR

Each March, the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade draws large crowds of local residents, tourists and college students to one of the city’s most well-known celebrations. The parade, held this year on March 16, is a cultural tradition, neighborhood event and citywide social gathering.

Boston’s connection to the holiday traces back to one of the earliest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in North America in 1737. The South Boston Parade is also tied to Evacuation Day, which commemorates the British withdrawal from Boston in 1776.

For many students, the parade felt like a shared Boston experience. “It was really great to see a lot of Brandeis students there,” said Arnav Srivastava ’28 in a March 16 interview with The Justice. “We were walking around, and . . . we ended up running into a bunch of people. That was really nice. It’s nice to see that so many of us went out.”

Srivastava said that what stood out most was how involved the crowd felt in the event itself. “It’s a really interactive thing. Everybody wanted to be a part of it, and you could tell it was really high energy and that’s really great,” he said. He added that the parade did not feel limited to one age group or one kind of attendee. “There were parents, there were old people, there was everybody. And so it was [a] for-everybody type of celebration.”

The massive amounts of support and participation for St. Patrick’s Day comes from

Boston’s historical connections to Irish culture. The city’s strong identification with Irish heritage comes from centuries of immigration and settlement, especially during the 19th century, when Irish immigrants became a major part of Boston’s community. Today, that history still influences the identity of neighborhoods like South Boston and contributes to the scale of the celebration each year.

Students who were new to the festivities said the size of the parade and the mood around it made it feel distinct from other city celebrations. “This is the first year that I went. I think it’s the first year my friends went as well, and I think we all agreed that this is definitely something we want to keep doing for the next year as well,” said Srivastava.

For Ellie Ji ’28, who also attended last year’s parade, this year felt more controlled and easier to navigate. “The cops were very diligent this year. They weren’t letting people cross certain areas. They were trying to break up fights very quickly,” Ji said in a March 16 interview with The Justice.

She said the difference was noticeable compared to last year: “Overall, the parade was much more well-managed this year in comparison to last year. Because people seemed to get the gist this year, maybe because it was cold . . . there weren’t always places to go, so there was less shoving, less stomping. There

were also just more cops in general, and they were clear about which streets were blocked.”

Even with the heavy crowds, Ji said the event still felt social rather than chaotic. “It’s just a few hours of insanity where you get to meet a lot of people who are proudly Irish and will tell you about it. But also just people from other schools, other local areas,” she said. Ji said the parade’s appeal was the atmosphere around it. “I think it’s a very communal environment and there are a lot of people supporting each other.”

Boston brands St. Patrick’s Day as part of its public identity, particularly in sports culture and local tradition. The holiday overlaps easily with symbols that already define Boston, from South Boston itself to the Boston Celtics’ green color scheme.

Tara Powell ’28, who grew up in the Boston area, described St. Patrick’s Day as something that had always been present in local life, even outside the parade. “Boston has always been super [into] St. Patrick’s Day. It’s patriotic,” Powell said in a March 16 interview with The Justice. She continued that celebrations for the holiday typically begin before the parade. “There would be little pop-up stores when you walked around Boston that sold merch of being Irish [or] of the Celtics.”

Powell said that growing up around the holiday made its local importance feel obvious. “I get patriotic about it, because . . . it’s been around me my whole life in the Boston area,” she said. “People sell it. This is a Boston thing.”

For students from outside Massachusetts, that local intensity stood out. Ji compared Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day culture to what she had observed in California. “I think that this is maybe more of a Boston thing in comparison to the Bay Area,” she explained. “I guess San Francisco has a bit of this culture. But they do not go nearly as hard as Boston

does.”

Students pointed to the actual procession, not just the crowds, as one of the most interesting parts of the day. “My favorite part [was] seeing some random floats, some random attractions,” Ji reflected. “They had a school for Irish dancing and these kids were dancing down the street. That was cute. They had red coats.”

Mark Sheehe ’28, a student at Purdue University with an Irish heritage came to Boston to celebrate the holiday. Sheehe pointed to similar details. “My favorite thing was, there were a bunch of tap dancers, or like Irish dancing. There [were] people our age doing it, which was really cool to see,” Sheehe said in a March 16 interview with The Justice. He also connected the parade’s popularity to the city’s history. “I think it’s cool to be in Boston, because Boston has a background of being Irish. So there’s some history there with that.”

For many, the combination of history, energy and local identity is what makes the parade feel specifically Bostonian. Srivastava said the event recognized Irish traditions and culture. “It’s beautiful to see. There’s a very thin line between appropriation [versus] appreciating a culture, and I feel like nobody dipped into [appropriation],” he said. “Everybody was appreciating the culture, and it didn’t feel like anybody was stepping over the boundaries.”

The event brought together people from different institutions, neighborhoods and backgrounds. Ji summed the event up in simple terms: “Have fun. Be Irish. Bring a coat. And definitely make sure you go next year. It’s definitely a good Boston experience for any college student or anyone here.”

—Editor’s note: The Justice Layout Editorial Assistant Ellie Ji ’28 is a source in this article but did not otherwise edit or contribute to this piece.

Sophia De Lisi, Editor in Chief

Julia Hardy, Managing Editor

Eliza Bier, Anna Martin, Senior Editors

Grace Doh, Nemma Kalra, Zoe Zachary, Deputy Editors

Lily Chafe, Xilei Ceci Chen, Brianna Earle, Anika Jain, Sara Samuel, Bryan Wolfe, Associate Editors

Lucia Thomas, News Editor

Alyssa Wu, Features Editor

Esther Balaban, Forum Editor

Luca D. Jordan, Ben Khayat, Sports Editors

Sophia Garcia, Arts & Culture Editor

Skye Entwood, Reuben Gartenbach, Photography Editors

Nawal Irfani, Rivka Resnick, Copy Editors

Joan Cogliano, Layout Editor

Keira Shear, Advertising Editor

Ellie Harris, Online Editor

EDITORIAL

Light in the winter: a thank you to the Department of Student Engagement

The University boasts over 250 clubs and student-run organizations, all of which play a central role in community-building and relieving students’ academic stress. The Department of Student Engagement’s integral work has made these events possible by offering logistical support for clubs’ programming and providing financial guidance. DSE is also responsible for conceptualizing and implementing campuswide programs. Given the significance of its work, The Justice’s Editorial Board would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the DSE’s recent initiatives and express our appreciation for the efforts it makes to align with the student body. In a campus environment where students juggle demanding academic and extracurricular schedules, these programs are vital in creating spaces for relaxation, connection and creativity outside of the classroom.

In addition to its usual programming, DSE is actively collaborating with student leaders and their respective communities by offering up to $500 in funding for organizations that may be interested in hosting an event in the Shapiro Campus Center’s atrium this spring. According to a March 16 email from DSE’s Assistant Director for Operations Matthew DeCarlo, the deadline for this grant application has been extended to March 22 at midnight. Opportunities such as these empower student leaders’ creativity while eliminating any budgetary concerns that may arise. This editorial board encourages student leaders to take advantage of this grant opportunity and explore some new programming ideas — initiatives such as these reinforce the role that students play in shaping campus life.

The DSE also promotes a myriad of events that take student ideas into consideration and bring their own projects to the table, serving as a much-needed reprieve from the winter weather we’ve been seeing lately. For instance, DSE brought a “Cookie Monstah” ice cream sandwich truck outside the SCC,

which doled out free treats on March 10 and recently brought a petting zoo to campus that had plenty of adorable animals to meet.

Earlier this month, DSE’s “Brandeis at Fenway” program opened, offering students the opportunity to sign up to receive free tickets to MLB games at Fenway Park in April. Additionally, through its “Broadway in Boston” program, DSE is encouraging students to sign up for free tickets for productions of “The Outsiders,” “Suffs” or “Beauty and the Beast.” Events such as these encourage Brandeis students who may have limited opportunities to visit Boston to spend some much-needed time away from campus and experience the city. Additionally, by reducing financial barriers to these experiences, more students can participate in and experience cultural opportunities beyond campus.

Another wonderful implementation by DSE was the whiteboard and markers that greeted community members as they enter the Shapiro Campus Center. The whiteboard encourages students to jot down any fun ideas that they have for campus programming. This initiative has reaped rewards for the student body in more ways than one. For example, many students highlighted the idea of a Rage Room coming to campus, and sure enough, the DSE listened and brought the much-desired Ragefest to Brandeis on March 5. Not to mention, this white board also inspired DSE’s movie selection, “Zootopia 2,” for its movie night on March 16.

In terms of what these collaborative initiatives mean for the future, DSE seems ready and prepared to join hands with student leadership and the greater student community. This editorial board would like to thank the leadership within the department for their commitment to actively listening and engaging with students, as well as their excitement to continually foster a joyful and energetic Brandeis community.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

I was disappointed to read the Justice’s review of Sense & Sensibility, a show I’ve spent the last two months working on with a talented team of actors, designers, and crew. I found the piece’s tone dismissive and even mean. Compliments to certain actors were paid at the direct expense of others, and technical issues which could have been addressed in a single sentence took up an entire paragraph. I should hope a so-called “proper review” would handle these issues with more tact. And I was personally annoyed by the characterization of my injury, which the reviewer says, “could have been prevented in a safer, more stable, more organized environment.” This is not true. Both injuries were unrelated to the show, and do not in any way reflect the department “fail[ing] to consider the importance that run-throughs have… [on] the practical health of their actors.” I also find it odd that a reviewer would bring up two actors for the sole purpose of discussing the injuries they sustained. Had I been asked to comment, I would

have described just how safe, stable, and organized the back- and on-stage environments were. As soon as I came offstage, castmates and crew worked swiftly to cover my transitions and re-block scenes as needed. I borrowed a cane from Sam and a knee-brace from Maddie, who also provided Lucy with one for her ankle. The folks in the wardrobe department moved my dressing room upstairs so I could safely complete costume changes. Meanwhile our director Brendon Fox fielded questions about the play from the audience, and Emma Hunt, our stage manager, frequently checked in on Lucy and me to ensure we were able to continue. It was this spirit of professionalism and moment-to-moment thoughtfulness which not only moved and impressed me but allowed me to continue performing. I want to thank the theatre department for inspiring such a spirit and all those who worked on the show for embodying it.

’26

-Lance Rothchild

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

America cannot forgive MAGA leaders

By Jon Hochschartner

Eventually, the current fascist tide will turn. President Donald Trump and his gang of would-be authoritarians will be out of power. When that day comes, there will undoubtedly be calls to turn the page on their lawlessness. We all require forgiveness. I certainly have in the past and will in the future. However, for the sake of democracy and the rule of law, we must withhold it from leaders of the Make America Great Again movement, at least for a time.

Our country must make clear to those who would follow in their footsteps that there are consequences for trying to overthrow democracy. At the very least, this means Trump and his enablers must be sent to prison. Many of these figures are outrageously rich. Their wealth should be confiscated and put toward some kind of socially-beneficial aim. Their names should go down in history as shameful traitors to the American experiment.

Trump and his fascist ilk have demonstrated they cannot be moved by appeals to reason or morality. The only thing they will respond to is raw power or its threatened use. This corresponds with the behavior of their ideological forebears. The far right was globally marginalized for the latter half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st because an entire generation of fascist leaders was killed or forced into hiding in World War II and its aftermath. I pray such measures aren’t required to beat back today’s far right — primarily for the sake of their potential victims, but also for the sake of the fascist leaders themselves. It’s my profound hope we can resolve our ongoing constitutional crisis without bloodshed and that imprisoning, confiscating the assets of, and shaming Trump and his allies will serve as a sufficient deterrent to those who might take inspiration from their authoritarian example. Ultimately, this will be decided by the far-right regime which controls our

government. Freedom-loving Americans will inevitably and justifiably resist tyrannical leaders, however long the latter cling to power, whether that’s one year or ten. As a result, the fascists in charge must choose how many lives will be thrown away, including their own, in vain pursuit of an illegally-enacted agenda that will be reversed the moment they are removed from office. The pro-democracy coalition has a wide variety of policy goals. For instance, as an animal activist, I’d like to see a massive infusion of state and federal funding into cultivated-meat research. The new protein is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. I view the technology as the most promising means of reducing nonhuman suffering and premature death. That said, none of our goals can be achieved under an authoritarian government. We must defeat the far-right threat. One of the most important things we can do to help achieve this, besides protesting in the streets, is making clear to leaders of the Make America Great Again movement that there will be consequences for their actions. Ideally, such warnings will serve as a check on their worst instincts. However, we also need to make sure feckless leaders of the Democratic Party are willing to follow through with these promises. Throughout my life, Republicans have grown increasingly radical and anti-democratic. Over and over again, Democrats have sought to turn the page following catastrophic instances of conservative extremism and illegality. Republicans have interpreted such moves not as acts of patriotism or mercy, but as evidence of weakness. It’s only emboldened conservatives to push the envelope further. With America on the edge, we can’t let this happen again.

Jon Hochschartner lives in Connecticut. He is the author of a number of books, including The Animals’ Freedom Fighter: A Biography of Ronnie Lee, Founder of the Animal Liberation Front.

Brandeis’ 2026 commencement choice is a cowardly, hypocritical cash grab

By NORA HERNDON-LAZERWITH JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Content warning: Article contains mentions of sexual harassment.

A commencement speaker is a statement by the University of what the graduating class should aspire to. According to that standard, Sheryl Sandberg is an inappropriate choice to provide advice and encouragement to the class of 2026, as she clearly lacks basic moral character. However, the bigger issue with her nomination is what it says about Brandeis: that the institution prioritizes wealth above all else.

Sandberg’s conduct at Meta alone should disqualify her as graduation speaker. Sandberg was accused of sexual harassment in a recent memoir by former Facebook employee Sarah Wynn-Williams. The book, “Careless People,” also details Sandberg’s mistreatment of her employees. She was also placed under investigation for using Facebook’s resources for personal projects. As Laura Limonic ’97 covered in her recent Letter to the Editor in The Justice, Sandberg presided over Facebook while its platform was used to escalate genocide in Myanmar, and while the company sold millions of users’ data for use in 2016 election.

In his response to an email I sent last month expressing my concerns about Sandberg, President Arthur Levine ’70 stated that her experiences “navigating leadership” as an executive in the technology industry “may offer perspective for students entering a complex world.” If these are the experiences he is referring to, I can’t imagine what valuable lessons the class of 2026 is supposed to take from them.

The obvious argument for Sandberg’s value as a commencement speaker is related to her advocacy, both for women in the workplace and for Israel. However, Sandberg’s “advocacy” is almost entirely focused on people very similar to herself, and excludes non-white women, Palestinian people and anyone else who might complicate her understanding of an issue. Limonic’s letter also explained in detail the ways scholars have critiqued Sandberg’s white feminism — essentially that Sandberg’s book, “Lean In,” fails to provide a coherent feminist theory and instead reinforces patriarchy and racism. The idea that women can get ahead by just working harder is false, ignores the additional barriers faced by women of color and encourages women to compete with each other instead of taking aim at the sexist systems that uphold male dominance in the workplace. Sandberg’s recent documentary, “Screams Before Silence,” while addressing important issues, falls short of advocacy that might qualify her to speak at graduation. The film centers on Sandberg herself: her experience visiting Israel, her questions about the gory details of what occurred and her reactions to the victims’ stories, not the individuals affected. She excludes any mention of the massive scale of violence inflicted upon Gaza, even as the documentary’s timeline extends well into Israel’s assault on the territory. At a minimum, in failing to provide any context about the extremely complicated issues it involves, the documentary is not an intellectual work that exemplifies Brandeis’ standards.

There are a wide variety of opinions about Israel on this campus. Nonetheless, I don’t know many Brandeis students who became prouder of Israel while it murdered 40,000 Palestinian people and caused nearly 350,000 more to face catastrophic levels of food insecurity. Sandberg, on the other hand, stated in 2024 that she became a more proud Zionist in the year after Israel began its assault on Gaza. It is unclear why President Levine and the Board would choose a graduation speaker who would reignite tensions over Israel-Palestine on this campus, especially after the debacle that was Brandeis’ handling of these issues in 2024.

From “Lean In” to the present, Sandberg has exhibited a tendency to ignore the oppression of and violence against non-white people. She is, at the very least, a highly irresponsible and misguided advocate, making her incapable of providing useful advice or perspectives to a diverse graduating class. Brandeis claims that “global engagement” is a tenet of our education here, but has invited a speaker to our graduation ceremony who has repeatedly proved her inability to “engage” with people unlike herself.

I have not brought up anything in this article that those making the commencement decisions didn’t know. They were aware of the harassment allegations leveraged against Sandberg and of the failures of her “advocacy” work to address the diverse reality we live in. They knew that her nomination would not be well received (and if they didn’t, her selection was severely underresearched). They picked her anyway, because she is wealthy.

Her wealth matters to them for two reasons. Firstly, they’re hoping she’ll make a significant donation to the University — we all know Brandeis needs the money. Worse, having a wealthy, business-aligned speaker at graduation is crucial to the image Brandeis is trying to project. Brandeis’ administration has ceased to contend that you should come here to learn, think, read or write. It is now only attempting to attract students by making the case that coming here is a sound financial investment. A Brandeis degree, they argue, will prepare you to do what Sandberg has done in her life: ignore people who aren’t like you, exploit people beneath you and, most importantly, hoard wealth.

I understand the decision has been made to turn Brandeis into an apolitical, white-collar vocational school in an attempt to save it from the decline of liberal arts institutions. But when my class applied to Brandeis, that decision was still a couple years in the making. Many of us applied looking for an education. We were hoping to come to an institution with a meaningful commitment to social justice — to be educated in a manner that made us better people, and the world around us better for it. It has been a challenging four years to be a student at Brandeis who is genuinely committed to truth, critical thinking and learning for learning’s sake. Choosing Sandberg for our graduation adds insult to injury and is not representative of the class of 2026.

Here’s my request of the administration: Rescind Sandberg’s invitation and pick a professor or other local leader to speak at commencement. It does not matter if the speaker is rich or famous — it matters that they are thoughtful and kind. It matters that they endeavor to understand people who are different from them. It matters that their work adds to, instead of detracting from, Brandeis’ history of improving the world.

Short of that, I have some questions for President Levine and the Board of Trustees that the senior class deserves legitimate answers to. What qualifies Sandberg to be a graduation speaker? Do you think mistreating and harassing employees shows leadership or excellence in business?

Why do you think it is appropriate to invite someone who has been credibly accused of sexual harassment to speak to the graduating class? Why would you choose a speaker whose advocacy for Israel was certain to be painfully controversial on campus? What values has Sandberg demonstrated that you would like shared with the class of 2026, or that you think would be positive for the class of 2026 to emulate?

Please provide your answers in a public, written format. If you are unable to answer these questions, I hope you will reconsider your commitment to a commencement speaker you cannot defend.

Everybody wants to be Carolyn BessetteKennedy, so who’s going to be themselves?

By ELLIE HARRIS JUSTICE ONLINE EDITOR

Since the release of the new television series “Love Story,” which follows the tragedy of John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn in the 1990s, the fashion resurgence of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy has begun. Before her marriage to JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette was a publicist for Calvin Klein, eventually working as the director of publicity and then the director of show production. Although she had a brief modeling career as an undergraduate student at Boston University in the 1980s, CBK was relatively unknown until her high-profile relationship with JFK Jr. thrust her into the spotlight in the ‘90s.

Almost 30 years after her death in 1999, CBK is remembered as the original fashion influencer. To those obsessed with the fashion industry or stories of the Kennedy family, her timeless style never left the forefront of their minds. For everyone else, her style resurges in popularity every few years. Now, the release of “Love Story” has put CBK’s life and fashion into a spotlight rivaling the paparazzi flashes that followed her around New York City in the ‘90s.

Often seen with her oval sunglasses, a tortoise shell headband she bought at a drugstore and an overstuffed Birkin, CBK had a distinct look. She preferred neutrals to bright colors, sticking to black, white and tan. On the rare occasion she wore patterns or statement pieces, they were complemented by exclusively black accessories. She switched between brands like Prada and Levi’s — refusing to wear labels for either.

Her approach to fashion was minimalist without exuding boredom. Contemporarily, she is the poster child for the ‘90s minimalist aesthetic. With the release of “Love Story,” numerous fashion magazines have released their guides on how to dress like CBK. Personally, I feel that this is in vain: a black turtleneck, a crisp white button up and a pair of Levi’s 517s isn’t enough to be Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and these staple pieces of her wardrobe are not why she’s remembered as the style icon that she was.

CBK was not truly the minimalist she was known for being. Nothing about her was careless. As a fashion industry insider and an object of desire to every style publication, she was always seen entirely put together. CBK knew what worked for her. She knew which silhouettes worked for her body type and she knew that her signature lipstick worked with her complexion. Anyone trying to replicate a CBK look can wear a camel-toned coat, but a true replication of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy isn’t found in simply emulating her style.

It was never her clothes that made her an icon. In fact, while CBK experimented with fabrics and textures, from just the perspective of old

photographs, her outfits could be considered boring. Instead, CBK exuded surety. She had a distinct style and she stuck to it. Her outfits existed outside of trends and when she was keeping up with fashion trends, it was because they had been built around her. She had what so many people crave: a distinct personal style that boosted her popularity.

I want to preface this by saying that following trends and the fashion industry is fun, and does not make someone uncool. Personally, I love a good trend and I love experimenting with the clothes I wear. But I, like every other woman reading the CBK style guides published by Vogue and InStyle magazines, can wear a CBKinspired outfit and still never achieve a true CBK impression. Successfully dressing like her cannot be achieved through hunting down the dupes of pieces she would wear. It can’t be achieved by saving thousands of dollars over years and years to buy a designer bag, just to never use it because you’re afraid of stretching out the leather. CBK’s style certainly cannot be achieved by sacrificing your favorite pink top for a black sweater that’s theorized to be her style, or by purchasing her exact tortoise shell headband from the exact drugstore even if you know you’ll never wear it because headbands make your head hurt. CBK had amazing style, which she will always be remembered and idolized for. She was elegant and chic — I would never argue that she doesn’t deserve her legacy in fashion. But for those who wish to recreate her style, if you are actually drawn to the pieces that she wears, by all means copy her exactly — but her “it factor” comes from the fact that the clothes she wears were beloved by her. She handpicked her pieces and wore them often. Her Birkin was stuffed with her work materials, not hidden in her closet for a special occasion. She had a uniform that she stuck to. Even those with features similar to CBK will never truly emulate her if their outfits aren’t true to themselves. CBK’s personal style built trends because of her proximity to far-reaching fashion influence during her time at Calvin Klein and her marriage to JFK Jr. Most people’s personal style will not have that same effect.

Instead of trying to recreate her looks exactly, think about what kinds of clothes make you feel your best. Which necklines and rise levels work best for your body, and do you look better in jewel tones or pastels? Finding styles of clothing you love that work for you, and wearing them as the trends of an ever-shifting fashion industry pass by, is a nobler pursuit within fashion than mindlessly copying someone knighted with the title of “style icon.”

Sports just

JUDGES IN ACTION

Justice Sports Editor Luca D. Jordan '28 compares the difficulty levels of squash and tennis.

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 Page 10

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

A preview of the March Madness Tournament

■ The tournament hasn’t even started yet and the madness has already begun.

By BEN KHAYAT JUSTICE SPORTS EDITOR

A new era has begun in college basketball. With teams and players being able to move more freely between teams thanks to the transfer portal and the potential for more eligible years, predicting who will be successful in the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s March Madness tournament has fundamentally changed. Since these changes came to college basketball, they changed what the future of March Madness could look like. The Florida Gators’ 2025 win taught the world the importance of having experienced players when senior guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard combined for 29 points to complete their comeback in the championship game. The Connecticut Huskies proved dynasties can happen in this new era, winning back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024. Considering recent history, what should fans pay attention to when filling out their brackets this year?

The biggest storyline across men’s college basketball this season is how incredible the first-year class has been, headlined by the dominance of Duke Blue Devil Cameron Boozer, Kansas Jayhawk Darryn Peterson and Brigham Young University Cougar AJ Dybantsa. All three will be going dancing, but Boozer’s Blue Devils are seen as the strongest team of the bunch. Duke’s one-seeded 2026 team is less experienced than a lot of other elite teams, but that hasn’t seemed to matter given that the Blue Devils ended the regular season as the number-one ranked men’s team in the country. Boozer also finished the season as a favorite to win the National Player of the Year award. Darryn Peterson is arguably even more skilled than Boozer, but his play on the court has been overshadowed by chronic cramping and concerns over his love for the game. Still, Peterson and the four-seed Kansas Jayhawks are expected to make some noise this tournament. AJ Dybantsa’s six-seed BYU Cougars squad has suffered several injuries to key players, most notably losing sharpshooter Richie Saunders to an ACL tear on Valentine’s Day. The Brockton, Massachusetts native Dybantsa is another candidate for NPOY having led the nation in scoring this season.

Still, having a well-rounded team has seemed to bring more success in March than playing a more star-centered style of play. There are several teams who have cases for the deepest

rosters, but the two that stand out the most are the Arizona Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines. Arizona currently sits as the second-ranked team in the nation with their big three of first-year: Brayden Burries, Big 12 Conference Player of the Year Jaden Bradley and 7-foot-2-inch shot-blocker Montiejus Krivas. Five players for Arizona have averaged 10 or more points per game this season, a great safety net in case of injuries or offnights. Michigan isn’t nearly as deep, but likely has the best starting lineup in the nation. From point guard Elliot Cadeau to center Aday Mara, the lack of counterplay available against the Wolverines helped lead them to a 30-2 record this season.

However, the main contenders still have to make it through a gauntlet of teams trying to be the year’s “Cinderella:” teams with low expectations who make it further into the tournament than anyone would ever expect them to. There are a few teams who could break some brackets this year because they have a skill they can lean into as a collective. A great example of this is the Saint Louis Billikens, one of the best shooting teams in the nation. They’ve made their threepoint shots at a better rate than all but one team this season, a great win condition to have when playing against teams with the size advantage over Saint Louis. They do have the 6-foot10-inch Robbie Avila, a contender to be a fan-favorite player this year with his goggles and elite offense. Another underdog to keep in mind while filling out your bracket are the Troy Trojans. Despite being a 13seed, they are much stronger than that skill-wise. Their conference, the Sun Belt, was incredibly competitive at the top of the standings and Troy was still clearly the best team of the bunch. Forward Thomas Dowd has looked unstoppable all year, but their not-so-secret weapon has been head coach Scott Cross and his ability to find creative ways to keep his team in the game while under pressure.

In my opinion, the Florida Gators are the team that is best positioned to win March Madness. They’re very well-rounded, having great guards Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee as well as elite centers Rueben Chinyelu and Thomas Haugh. Chinyelu in particular demands attention from opponents thanks to his size and speed such that game plans, especially in the earlier rounds, will almost certainly involve a double-team against him. More than that, this team has tons of tournament experience after winning the championship last year.

Head Coach Todd Golden knows what it takes to win it all, and I think the Gators can find the path that takes them all the way to the championship in Indianapolis. The NCAA Men’s March Madness tournament kicks off on March 17.

The day the world went BAM!

■ Overviewing an all time performance from the least likely player.

By LUCA D. JORDAN JUSTICE SPORTS EDITOR

Most NBA fans know about the two players with the highest points scored in a single game: Kobe Bryant’s 81 points and Wilt Chamberlain’s 100. Both records seemed pretty unbeatable. There have been players that have gotten close, such as Luka Doncic’s 73 points or Damian Lillard’s 71, but even these prolific scorers couldn’t reach Kobe’s record. It seemed like Kobe’s historic 81-point night was cemented as the all-time best scoring game from a modern player, until last week when Bam Adebayo scored 83 points.

That’s right — Bam Adebayo scored 83 points. You can say it as many times as you want and it will still sound strange. No one thought beating Kobe’s record was impossible, but the last person who you would expect it from is the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo. Although he is a three-time all-star, Adebayo is better known for his defense, not his scoring. He’s only reached more than 20 points in a single game twice in his NBA career, and currently, he is only hovering around 20 due to his average increasing by 0.3 after scoring 83.

So, how did this happen? Most fans and NBA analysts, who are often more jaded at unexpected player success than appreciative, have quickly taken to social media and talk shows to discredit the historic performance. Many have said that all he did was foul-bait to go to the line, and while it is true that he shot over 40 free throws, there’s a lot more to the story than his stat line.

First off, Adebayo scored 30 points in the first quarter without taking more than three free throws. That’s no easy feat, and it put him fifth on the all-time points-in-a-quarter-rankings. He also only had 12 free throws by halftime, meaning 75% of his free throws came in the second half of the game. The game was against the Washington

Wizards, who have a pretty abysmal defensive rating. If you rewatch the game yourself, it’s clear that the Wizards are overdefending Bam; at some points, they have three people on him from halfcourt. It’s no wonder he had so many free throws in the second half; the Wizards had resorted to fouling him since no other defensive tactic was working.

It seems hard to discount an 83 point game.

Forgive my use of the phrase, “if it’s so easy, why don’t you do it?” but it does relevantly apply to most of the NBA players who are criticizing Adebayo about his performance. Players like Kelly Oubre Jr. have spoken on the game as if it’s something they can do at will, but choose not to since it’s not “ethical basketball.” Luckily, many legends have come to Adebayo’s defense, including Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter and Dwayne Wade. Shaquille O’ Neal, usually a negative voice in the community, came forward saying that Adebayo’s 83 points is inspiring and gives the next generation of basketball fans something to aspire to.

Adebayo’s 83 points was indeed unconventional and unexpected, but the criticism he has received is excessive. Unfortunately, the modern NBA has taken a naysaying approach to new stars and historic performances. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is constantly under accusations of being a freethrow merchant despite being an all-time great scorer. Luka Doncic is slandered for weak defense even though he is number one in points scored vs. points let up. LeBron James is still criticized over every action he takes despite being 40 and already having the best career of all time. Even if Adebayo scored 103 points and did it without free throws and did it against the best team in the league, the NBA news circuit would still find a way to ridicule his performance. Hopefully, the historic performance will be remembered for Adebayo’s success, and not for his criticism.

— Editors Note: Due to technological restraints, Luka Doncic's name is missing the special characters on both Cs.

BRANDEIS GYMNASTICS REGIONALS

On March 14, Brandeis Gymnastics Club participated in the Northeast Regional tournament at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They competed in events including floor, beam, parallel bars and vault.

JUDGES BY THE NUMBERS

BASEBALL

TENNIS

TRACK AND FIELD

The ins and outs of the World Baseball Classic Championship

■ How the international baseball tournament differs from the MLB.

By ISAIAH LYON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For the better part of a century, the World Series has been the premier championship of professional baseball. However, with baseball's culture rapidly changing, another tournament has challenged the World Series status as pinnacle of the sport. The World Baseball Classic, baseball’s version of the football World Cup, which occurs every three years, commenced this past weekend. Since its inception in 2006, this tournament has begged the question: Is it more glorious to play for the biggest baseball league in the world or to perform on an international stage?

Over the span of two weeks, 20 teams compete for the throne of the baseball world. Although it started in 2006, the Classic is partially built on the ashes of former, ineffective international baseball festivities. Before the Classic, tournaments like the Baseball World Cup took place. Starting in 1938, 38 countries participated loosely following Olympic amateur rules. As a result, professional baseball players, such as Major League Baseball players, were barred from joining their respective national teams. Although the ban was lifted for minor league players, major league players never saw their entry permitted. Thus, The Players' Union of MLB and the league itself eventually proposed the WBC to the International Baseball Federation. The WBC tournament was conceived in 2006, and it was formatted in a pool-play design, followed by a single elimination bracket where 20 teams in four groups compete to be the last country standing. Of the five previous classics, Japan has won three times, while the Dominican Republic and the United States have each won once.

The proposal of the WBC was an instance of the MLB leaning into the international appeal of baseball. Despite being coined “America’s Pastime,” baseball is drastically more popular in several other countries. During the WBC final in 2023, Japanese television ratings reported that 42.4% of Japanese households watched the game —

an impressive feat considering the game aired in Japan at 8:00 am on a Wednesday. During the Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic matchup, 62% of the Dominican Republic tuned in. Given these numbers, it makes sense that there is a sense of strong cultural pride affiliated with the game of baseball in the participating countries. Kiké Hernandez of Puerto Rico stated in an interview, “I’ve played in five World Series [tournaments] and I don’t know if it’s because of what’s across my chest, but the Classic feels above that.” Echoing this sentiment, Taiwanese players displayed the significance of the Classic this year through their outpour of emotions after their miraculous victory over Korea in which they mounted a successful upset in extra innings by a score of 5-4. After the match, players broke down in tears of joy, overcome by the emotional win. The WBC puts national pride on the map in a way that the World Series is simply incapable of.

Despite the unique highs the Classic brings, the tournament still lacks the fluidity of the MLB. In the latest edition of the WBC, complications with insurance have lowered player participation, especially in Puerto Rico. Since the Classic’s inception, National Financial Partners insurance has covered MLB players’ regular season contracts for the WBC. This insurance safety net has allowed players to participate without fear of voiding their contract for the year. However, after the past WBC, NFP tightened its criteria for its coverage, as injuries from this edition hurt their pockets more than their liking. In 2023, NFP mostly covered closer Edwin Diaz’s contract after he tore his achilles while celebrating on the field after a victory in the WBC. They also covered, in part, Jose Altuve’s contract when he missed a chunk of the season with a thumb injury he suffered in the Classic as well. As a result, the company was more selective with who they were willing to cover. Several high profile players were rejected from their coverage this year such as Mike Trout, Jose Altuve, Francisco Lindor, Shohei Ohtani and others.

Nevertheless, the WBC is still thriving. In the early stages of this year's Classic there has been a 142% increase in viewership. Powerhouse countries like Japan, U.S., Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic have all hosted matches. Baseball itself is continuing to head in an international direction.

Thanks for sending in this week's hot take, Thu. Now, admittedly, while I’m well versed in tennis, squash is a sport I knew almost nothing about. My knowledge of the sport started and stopped with “the ball they hit looks like it would really hurt.” I also assume that most people are generally unfamiliar with squash outside of what the court looks like, seeing as it’s not a very popular sport. Given that tennis has roughly a billion fans worldwide, it’s likely that most would disagree with what Thu said, especially since tennis fans are often snobby and a little elitist about the difficulty of their sport — myself included. However, I couldn’t draw conclusions without first seeing what squash is all about, so I did a little field research with the Brandeis Squash Club. The first thing that threw me off was the ball. Watching squash you would probably assume that the ball is a small rubber bullet that you need to fear hitting your face at risk of death, but it actually barely bounces. Thu, also the president of the Brandeis Squash Club, explained that the ball actually heats up as you play and gets bouncier as the game goes on, adding an extra layer of difficulty when playing. The rules are simple: Serve by standing in a designated area on one half of the court and make sure the ball hits off the wall to the other half, and it’s basically a free-for-all from there. Any hit against the wall that’s not too high or too low means your opponent has to hit it back, no matter how unfair it seems — and there will be some balls that seem impossible to hit. It seems to me that a lot of the game is positioning, making sure you’re in the right place at the right time, something that I was mostly unable to get my muscle memory to do as Thu beat me 50-1 — but who’s counting? Despite my shortcomings, after about an hour and a half of playing I felt pretty capable, albeit not confident that I could win a real match. I think my time playing tennis has given me a big boost in my ability to play squash, as most racket sports usually have a pretty big learning curve, but it is possible I was able to overcome that at least a little bit. I have to say I disagree with Thu’s take because after playing for a while, while still losing, I felt that I understood why I was losing each point and how I could improve, which is something I still have trouble with while playing tennis. Now you could say I just suck at tennis, which isn’t totally untrue, or that I am a miraculous squash prodigy, which is definitely untrue, but this was just my experience from my short time with squash. I’ve got to say it’s super fun to play. There’s a maneuver called a boast which is when you hit the ball off the side wall and then hit the front wall; I did it one time and it was probably

of the coolest things I’ve ever done. So if you take anything away from this week’s Hot Take, it should be that

awesome and you

Ayala 2026

justArts&Culture

“Clue: On Stage”: a bOard game brOught tO life

By LUCA D. JORDAN JUSTICE SPORTS EDITOR

The Undergraduate Theater Collective is Brandeis University’s number-one destination for student theater. Giving opportunities for a more unfiltered and hands-on stage experience, UTC is a great outlet for all members of the undergraduate student body who may want to dabble in a theater environment. Their first show of this semester was “Clue: On Stage” — a reimagining of the classic board game as a full theatrical production. There’s a lot to unpack about the play, so I will start with the negatives, since for me, there weren’t many. One slight problem I had was with the script. This play is basically only comedy and they won’t let you forget it. The jokes fly at you at the quick pace of about eight to ten a minute, and most of them are hit or miss. However, this never manifested into a real annoyance to me and although some jokes left a bad taste in my mouth, they were soon followed by a new bit that got a big laugh out of me. After about 30 minutes, I fully settled into the style of the play. While plot may be secondary in this production, it’s important to remember that fun is the primary goal. Once I realized that, I thoroughly enjoyed the shenanigans.

At the center of the play are some high-energy performances. A majority of the cast is on stage for the entirety of the play, including the six guests, who we all know and love for their color-themed names, and the butler of the mystery-shrouded mansion they’ve all arrived at: Wadsworth. The house’s head servant and only Brit was presented by Luke Benanav ’29, who not only kept up an accent for the tenure of the play, but also ran probably a full two miles over the course of the production. His performance was definitely the catalyst of the play and while he didn’t get as many comedic bits as his castmates, he did have a fun monologue towards the end of the play that had me giggling the whole way through.

As for the guests-turned-suspects, each one of them was delightfully idiotic and full of personality. John Henry Holcomb ’27 played the pompous and not-so-professional Profes -

sor Plum with a lot of extra flair and emotion. With some excellent comedic pacing and vibrant facial expressions, Holcomb always held the stage with his one-liners. Casadie Parent ’27 played the wicked Mrs. White, who is the only character not dressed as their name, instead sporting a frightening black gown. They also held the stage with one-liners, but her comments presented a lot more violence than Plum’s sarcasm. Next, there was the unexpected dynamic duo, Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet, played by Xavián Plasencia ’28 and Sean Walker ’28. Plasencia and Walker played total opposites, Plasencia a moronic and bumbling Mustard and Walker a clever and suave Scarlet, but the characters seemed to develop a delightfully strange friendship by the end of the play. The ensemble also gave vibrant and varied performances, with their best kerfuffle happening at the very end of the play in a way that had me and others in the audience rolling. Alexandra Brichkov ’29, who played Mrs. Peacock, was a perfect mix of chatty, annoying and over the top. Brichkov made every new twist and turn in the story just a little more ridiculous and her constant drinking after insisting she doesn’t touch alcohol was probably the best continuing gag.

There’s one actor who I want to take special note of: Rowan Scasselatti ’26, who played Mr. Green. Scasselatti was neurotic and way too nervous to stick up for himself, and he gave a fantastic physical performance that was on the level of any clown or Commedia performance. The biggest laugh of the night for me came from Scasselatti as he delivered the last line of the show. I should also note that the show I was able to see was a dress rehearsal and I was warned by the director, Hannah “Phoenix” Feldman ’27, that some of the technical aspects could be unpolished at that point in their process. Despite that, there were quite a few effects that surprised me and I thought fit the show very well, such as the lights changing to match the color of whichever character was taking center stage. Overall the UTC’s production of “Clue” gave many laughs, with a good dose of intrigue.

Clue: the interveiw with direCtOr hannah “phOenix” feldman

The Brandeis Undergraduate Theater Collective is an integral part of the Brandeis community and offers a chance for undergraduates to get involved in all aspects of theater.

This student-run organization featured “Clue: On Stage” as its first show of the semester. I had the pleasure of conducting a virtual interview with the director, Hannah “Phoenix” Feldman ’27, who shared her thoughts on the following questions in a March 12 email exchange with The Justice.

The Justice: What is it like to direct an undergraduate show?

Feldman: “Directing an undergraduate show is both one of the most amazing things and also complete chaos. You get to direct people your age, bond with them, learn more about them and also navigate power dynamics, busy college schedules and ensure you’re still prioritizing academics.”

The Justice: What was it like producing a show that has been adapted over the course of different forms of media?

Feldman: “It’s such an interesting time! People walk into the show thinking that they know what’s going to happen, or have an idea of the characters, and I think that they walk

out with a new idea. It was so fun to help my actors develop their characters without too much influence from other examples.”

The Justice : What has inspired you to get into theater, and how has the process of directing “Clue: On Stage” differed from previous shows?

Feldman: “I’ve always loved acting, but I wanted to take a break, and a friend asked if I would want to direct with them, which ended up being “Noises Off!” in spring 2025. I’ve thrown myself into directing ever since. The process of directing “Clue: On Stage” has been a combination of “Noises Off!” and “Our Town” [in fall of 2025] in a sense. It has the chaos and comedic timing of “Noises Off!” and the timeline of “Our Town.” We’ve had so much fun and many laughs in rehearsal, and directing a comedy, especially right after “Our Town,” is very different in a lot of ways, but an important one is that the audience’s energy is incredibly important to the show. The show’s comedic timing and energy are much better with an audience reacting and laughing, which wasn’t something that we needed with “Our Town.” It made the process a little more difficult to see the final vision until opening night, but I am so incredibly proud of this team.”

By PALLAVI MENON JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The “Bridgerton” series, as a whole, has captivated audiences. It’s known for its exploration of the Regency era with references to modern aesthetics, such as using the orchestral covers of “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish or “Life in Technicolor” by Coldplay. Parts one and two of Season 4, featuring the love story between Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek, were just released. As a result, fans have been rewatching previous series and its only spinoff. The spinoff, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story,” is a prequel to the main series and has been met with mostly positive reviews.

The television series is centered around Queen Charlotte, who is both an influential character in “Bridgerton” and a real historical figure. Although fictional, the series shows her youth, engagement to King George III, navigating her new title as the queen of England, being a member of the royal family and the love story between her and George III. As a history nerd who loves watching period pieces and shows, I picked up “Bridgerton” after the media reception to Season 4. Then I decided to watch its only spinoff so far. I absolutely enjoyed watching “Queen Charlotte : A Bridgerton Story” and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys watching historical fiction or anyone who wants to get into historical films.

This story has mentions of mental health, abuse and other darker themes. Although these themes are important to discuss, please decide carefully before watching. However, anyone can watch this, even those who have not watched the original “Bridgerton” series. One of the first things the TV series does is clarify that it is historical fiction. This, to me, is a sign of accountability and transparency. Good historical fiction always balances creative liberties and respecting the actual historical figures well.

First and foremost, one of the most important things about the series was the acting. The actors did an excellent job portraying their characters and their struggles. There are several records of films portraying characters of minority ethnicities and orientations as an ongoing joke for the audience or with complete disrespect. Here, the actors did not romanticize the struggles of their characters or treat them like a punchline. Casting was intentional and meticulous; they chose the people who treated the series with the respect it deserves. Speaking of good portrayals in film, “Queen Charlotte” talks about mental health (specifically Borderline Personality Disorder) and violence caused by a spouse. The film did not sugarcoat the strug-

gles of the characters, and made the healing paths of some characters realistic. It showed how society’s negative stereotypes and views against mental health cause harm. When stereotypes are accepted as fact, especially by those who are authorized to work with patients, it puts the wellbeing of the patient at risk. The film also made the characters more than their struggles and what they went through.

Themes of agency and womanhood were present. In fact, the show’s presentation of it further proved why feminism was necessary. The women in the film were told constantly that they belonged to other people or groups of people before themselves. The women who were background characters internalized this, and it was shown in how they interacted with each other. Queen Charlotte is repeatedly told that she is queen first and even that she belongs to the nation before herself. She and her closest companion, Lady Agatha Danbury also have to balance the rigid ways of high society while adapting themselves. There are also themes of women supporting women, with scenes from the future that depict the friendship between the Queen, Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton.

Although the show succeeded in many ways, there were some fundamental issues that should be addressed. The film has a strong plot, but there is not enough elaboration on certain things. Critics believe that the show could have given some of its characters a more solid backstory, such as the two people who served the king and queen, and why they entered service for the royal family. Other critics believe that the plot, although structured, was somewhat rushed.

Personally, I believe that the TV series would have benefited from more episodes. Instead of six episodes, at least four extra episodes would have given more space for the producers to add missing information and have the plot flow more naturally. Moreover, there are sudden jumps to the present, which might be confusing for fans who haven’t watched the main “Bridgerton” series. The back-and-forth of time is important for this film, but the way it was presented was awkward. Overall, this was a great watch. I went in somewhat blind but really loved it. Although it is historical fiction, it portrays real-life events and themes with care. Shonda Rhimes, the producer of the show, also does a great job with aesthetics and music choices. I would give this series four out of five stars.

A REVEIW OF “WUTHERING HEIGHTS”

Emerald Fennel’s film adaptation of the 1848 novel “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë has left viewers both bewildered and impassioned as they leave the theaters. The film, which is also called “Wuthering Heights” has been deemed as being a cheap adaptation that is blatantly unfaithful to the source material.“Wuthering Heights,” follows the story of Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of a wealthy man but not a member of the British aristocracy, and Heathcliff, a boy her father brings to their home, Wuthering Heights, as his ward. As Cathy and Heathcliff grow closer together, Nellie, a servant in the Earnshaw household who was tasked with taking care of Cathy becomes more ostracized. As Cathy and Heathcliff age, their friendship grows beyond its platonic nature.

As an adult, Cathy accepts a proposal from the wealthy Edgar Linton and immediately regrets her decision. Nellie tricks her into admitting she could never marry Heathcliff due to their class differences — in the novel, his race comes into play as well — while he is in earshot. After hearing this, Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights and spends a few years building his fortune while Cathy gets married and leads a miserable yet lavish life with Edgar and his sister Isabella Linton. When Heathcliff returns, he and Cathy, who is expecting her first child with Edgar, begin an affair. Cathy eventually ends the affair and Heathcliff marries Isabella as revenge on Catherine. Although Heathcliff writes to Catherine after his marriage, Nellie destroys his letters. The film ends with Catherine’s death after miscarrying her child. The following reviews of the film were written first by Ellie Harris, who has not read the novel, and second by Allison Kettle, who has.

Ellie’s Review:

Initially: when I first saw “Wuthering Heights,” my thoughts began and ended with confusion and disgust. The opening scene shows a young Cathy watching a man die at the end of a noose. When he finally stops breathing, Cathy, who initially looked concerned, breaks out into celebration along with the rest of the crowd. A background character yells about “Hanging Day” to the crowd, which allows the audience to assume that this man was the first of many public executions that day, and the crowd’s evident joy sets the tone of the film. Violence in “Wuthering Heights”- the film itself and the house Cathy grew up in- is embraced and celebrated. The film itself is stunning, and the sets

OUTSTANDING OSCARS

By ELLIE HARRIS and ALLISON KETTLE JUSTICE ONLINE EDITOR AND JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

and costumes are absolutely beautiful. Margot Robbie as Cathy looks exquisite, especially in the second half of the film when she has married the wealthy Mr. Linton.

I enjoyed this film but was also repulsed by it. Fennel attempts to portray Cathy and Heathcliff as tragic figures being punished by their circumstances. Their happily-ever-after is denied to them over and over again by the antagonists thwarting their every move. The love story of Cathy and Heathcliff may be a tragedy, but the film tries to push a narrative of Edgar Linton’s wickedness, which simply is not true. His crimes throughout the film are asking Catherine not to see Heathcliff, as she is having an affair with him. Nellie, who is another an antagonist in the film, is also misunderstood and far more tragic than Cathy or Heathcliff. Throughout the film, Cathy abuses her. Although she tricked Cathy into admitting that she saw Heathcliff as inadequate, she is not responsible for Heathcliff’s rash decision to run away from Wuthering Heights or Cathy’s decision to marry Edgar.

The film relies heavily on shock value, vehement intimacy and dramatic scenery to convey a tragic fairytale aesthetic. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi were soaking wet in the rain practically every other scene. While I enjoyed seeing this film, I could not help noticing that the beautiful characters, scenery and clothing served as a distraction from the absolute terribleness of the characters portrayed as heroes and the gruesomeness they embraced and enjoyed throughout the film, while expecting graciousness and honor from the people unfortunate enough to be caught up in their “love story.” I had fun seeing this with my friends. I would recommend it, especially if you want to find something to complain about.

Allison’s Review:

I agree that Fennell’s priorities seem misplaced with her adaptation of “Wuthering Heights.” While the film is visually stunning and exciting, the elements of Brontë’s classic novel that make it a masterpiece were absent. Heathcliff’s ambiguous racial origins aren’t just a detail; they are the catalyst for his alienation and his bitter rivalry with the handsome and “civilized” Edgar Linton. I thought Jacob Elordi did a fine job playing Heathcliff, but casting a white lead erases the Byronic character’s essential state of otherness. By ignoring this plot point, Fennell settles for a standard tortured romance rather than a more profound story about social displacement. Similarly, the casting of Margot Robbie shifted the

dynamic of Catherine’s character. While Catherine is written as a bratty, impulsive teenager, Robbie’s maturity made those same traits feel abrasive rather than youthful. Without the context of Victorian adolescence to excuse these traits, this portrayal rendered Catherine highly unlikable.

The movie also took great liberties with the original plot, having left out the entire second half of the novel after Catherine’s death. In the movie, Catherine dies following a miscarriage. In the novel, Catherine dies during childbirth, but her daughter, also named Catherine, survives. The younger Catherine goes on to become a pawn in Heathcliff’s plot for revenge, which further reflects Heathcliff’s madness and brutality. While the movie ends with Catherine’s death, the novel has a somewhat more uplifting end: The younger generations of Wuthering Heights — Catherine and Hareton, an uneducated servant abused by Heathcliff — form a caring bond and eventually marry, contrasting with Catherine and Heathcliff’s destructive romance. I was disappointed to see these characters abandoned in the film along with many others including Catherine and Heathcliff’s older brother Hindley Earnshaw, who served as the abusive antagonist of Heathcliff, and Mr. Lockwood, who narrated the plot as he was informed by Nellie Dean.

The commendation that every critic seems to agree upon is the film’s beautiful visual composition. While I agree that Fennell has an excellent eye for creativity and production, I thought that Robbie’s flashy, brightly-colored gowns detracted from the novel’s eerie, gothic mood. Elements of the novel were even supernatural, such as Catherine’s ghost haunting Wuthering Heights, yet this characteristic, unique compared to other Victorian-era novels, was lost in the film. While I enjoyed Charli XCX’s contribution to the soundtrack, her electro-pop sound also distracted from other elements of the plot.

Overall, I tried to give the movie the benefit of the doubt since “Wuthering Heights” was one of my favorite novels assigned in high school. Yet, Fennell’s adaptation eliminated so many aspects of the plot to create a typical tragic romance that it was almost unrecognizable. The quotation marks present around the title of the movie on its poster suggest an ironic adaptation that maybe should not be taken as faithful. Still, fans of the novel are likely to be disappointed with the direction taken by Fennell.

The 2026 Oscars: NOT TOO MaNy surprises

By LUKE BENANAV JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

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As Conan O’Brien ran into the auditorium of the 98th Academy Awards this past Sunday, wearing a red wig and being chased by a group of children who were mimicking best supporting actress nominee Amy Madigan’s iconic scene from “Weapons,” it was clear that this year’s Oscars would be filled with bits that made fun of every nomination. This was O’Brien’s second year hosting the Oscars and he seemed to have established himself as a solidly funny and uncontroversial host who is not afraid of toeing the line with his jokes — see his line about how England “actually arrests [its] pedophiles” during his opening monologue. The monologue took the time to poke fun at the nominees and other audience members, bringing up Timothée Chalamet’s recent comments about ballet and opera, teasing “F1” for being a movie about a guy who realized he just needed to drive faster and not-so-subtly calling out the Chief Executive Officer of Netflix by saying it was Ted Sarandos’ first time in a theater. “This is what they’re talking about,” Conan chided the CEO, before mocking him further with an impression of Sarandos’ internal monologue, saying, “Why are they all together enjoying themselves? They should be home alone, where I can monetize it!”

Besides O’Brien and the presenters’ skits, there were not many shocking events at 2026’s biggest night for movies; no big celebrity meltdowns and few surprising award winners. Below is the complete winners list with some of my thoughts and a comparison to my predictions, which you can find in previous issues of The Justice, both in print and online, along with reviews of all 10 Best Picture nominees.

Firstly, here are the categories I did not write about or make predictions for, in most cases because I had not had the chance to see enough of the films to make an educated guess:

Casting — “One Battle After Another,” Cassandra Kulukundis

Although many had predicted that “Sinners” casting director was likely to snatch this award, “One Battle After Another’s” Kulukundis swooped in and claimed it instead. I am curious to see how this award develops over future Oscar ceremonies.

Documentary Feature Film — “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” Dir. Pavel Talankin, David Borenstein

Documentary Short Film — “All the Empty Rooms” Dir. Joshua Seftel

Live Action Short Film — “The Singers” Dir. Sam Davis and “Two People Exchanging Saliva” Dir. Natalie Musteata, Alexandre Singh

In one of the few unexpected moments of the ceremony, two live -action shorts tied for this category. Kumail Nanjiani, who presented the award, told the audience to stay in their seats and beat O’Brien to the joke that “although this is a category for shorts, it’s going to take twice as long.”

With those awards out of the way, here is my commentary on the awards I did make predictions for:

Best Actor in a Leading Role — Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners” There is absolutely no question that Jordan deserved this award for his phenomenal performance as both Smoke and Stack in “Sinners.” While I had predicted that DiCaprio would win this award, that was in part because I didn’t have faith that the Academy would notice the amazing work Jordan did to make Smoke and Stack distinct characters. Every part of his performance, from how he held his shoulders to how he smiled, was different between the two characters, making it easy for viewers to follow the twins and their individual journeys without losing track of who they were watching. His speech was very humble and showed how grateful he was for everyone that has believed in him and kept pushing him in every role. I am excited to see what he does

Best Actress in a Leading Role — Jessie Buckley, “Hamnet”

Shocking no one, Jessie Buckley completed her awards season sweep by becoming the first Irish woman to win Best Actress for her emotional performance as Agnes in “Hamnet.” Buckley was astonishing in this film and the emotional depth she brought to Agnes is, in my opinion, an important reason why “Hamnet” wasnominated for Best Picture. Her scenes in the movie were some of the most heartwrenching moments I have ever seen and I am thrilled that the Academy agreed. Buckley did an impressive job translating the most intense emotional pain a person can suffer — losing a child — to the screen in a way that made the audience not only sympathize,with her but feels her pain. Her acceptance speech was a beautiful celebration of mothers, and she dedicated her award to her journey of motherhood and her own daughter.

Best Actor and Best Actress in a Supporting Role — Sean Penn, “One Battle After Another,” Amy Madigan, “Weapons” Another set of predictions I got right! Madigan was the first award of the evening, and it was satisfying to see a win that was not from one of the more nominated films at the start of the evening. Unfortunately I can not comment on her performance in “Weapons,” as I have not had the chance to see it, but everything that I have heard was that she was superb and clearly the Academy agreed. Penn won for his role as Colonel Lockjaw in “One Battle,” a cartoonishly evil character that Penn played to perfection. Although Lockjaw is the least layered character in “One Battle,” Penn captured the audience’s attention every time he was on screen and I was not shocked at this win.

Animated Feature/Short Film — “K-Pop Demon Hunters” and “The Girl Who Cried Pearls”

After becoming a global sensation this past summer, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” was almost guaranteed to win the best animated feature category. It has a fun story, great music and beautiful visuals. Sony Pictures Animation continues to push animated movies to their limit and between the “Spiderverse” franchise and “Demon Hunters,” I cannot wait to see what they have next. “The Girl Who Cried Pearls” was an excellent choice for the award for best animated short, with some of the smoothest stop-motion I have ever seen on screen. Although I wish that “Papillon” had won, there is no denying that “The Girl Who Cried Pearls” was a sweet and very distinct short film.

Music (Original Score), Music (Original Song) — “Sinners,” “K-Pop Demon Hunters” (“Golden”)

As predicted, the score of “Sinners” reigned champion over all of the other nominees. Because of how influential the music of “Sinners” is to its story, it would have been shocking if the score didn’t win the Oscar. “Golden” also took the best song category, which was unsurprising after it seemed to take over the mind of every living person for at least a month straight this summer. Since it reached the top spot on global charts, no one was surprised that it won the Best Song award, although some were disappointed that some of the other nominees clearly had stood little chance.

Production Design, Costume Design and Hair and Makeup — “Frankenstein”

Although I found the film to be generally mediocre at best, the production design of Guillermo Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” was incredible and I am very pleased that it won all three of these awards (and nothing else).

Cinematography — “Sinners”

The only award handed out that I disagree with was cinematography, which I still firmly believe should have gone to “Train Dreams.” Although “Sinners” is a beautiful movie, the cinema-

tography of “Train Dreams” was stunning and “Sinners” never quite reached the same level of camera work for me, even though it was a fantastic movie.

Sound — “F1”

Even if “F1” is, as O’Brien called it, “a popcorn movie,” the effort that went into making the sound of the cars crystal clear is evident while watching it. This was the only film in which , while I took notes on it for my predictions and review, I wrote down how noticeable the sound design was. It was unsurprising but still was good to see “F1” get the win for the area it excelled at.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay), Writing (Original Screenplay) — “One Battle After Another,” “Sinners”

The categories where the two biggest films of the night were not against each other were, unsurprisingly, the categories where they both won, deservedly so. The scripts for both of these movies are top notch and although I haven’t read what “One Battle After Another” is adapted from, I am sure that Paul Thomas Anderson did a good job of taking the best parts and putting them to screen. As for Coogler’s “Sinners,” I have no idea where he was inspired to create the world of “Sinners,” but it was very creative and attention grabbing. The ending scene, especially, is where the writing of “Sinners” shined brightest and I am glad that both of these films won their awards.

International Feature Film — “Sentimental Value”

After being nominated for Best Picture, it was clear that International Film would go to either “The Secret Agent” or “Sentimental Value.” I am not surprised that “Sentimental Value” won, after the emotional performances of everyone involved and the mostly relatable story of loss and moving on captured the hearts of viewers. While I loved “Sentimental Value,” I think that either film’s win would have been completely deserved.

Editing, Directing and Best Picture — “One Battle After Another,” Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

According to the Academy, “One Battle After Another” was this year’s best film. It had the best combination of emotional performances, flashy action, complicated plot, fun scenes, experimental film techniques and a unique story. It was the film that, even if it didn’t excel in every category, did everything well enough with very few drawbacks. Sure, I found the beginning of the film to be a little longer than necessary, but I also can not think of what should have been cut to make it shorter. The car-chase sequence at the end is one of the best pieces of cinematography from any movie this year. The performances of everyone involved were spectacular. It is completely understandable why “One Battle After Another” was up for some of the biggest awards this year, even if it could not claim them all.

Unexpected “Snub”: “Marty Supreme” wins nothing. Although it was not expected to excel at the Oscars this year, the lack of awards for Chalamet’s most recent film was notable. Many were predicting the Best Actor award was Chalamet’s for the taking, but I guess he will need better luck next year.

Best Prediction: “Sinners” only won four awards

In my previous predictions article, I guessed that “Sinners” would come away with a maximum of four awards, saying “as wonderful as ‘Sinners’ is, I will be surprised if it walks away with more than four awards.” I did not expect to get the exact number right in my initial prediction. So, that sums up my takeaways from the 98th Academy Awards. Nothing too surprising; in fact, out of the 20 categories I wrote predictions on, only two of my predictions — Best Actor and Best Cinematography, ended up being incorrect. 2025 was a great year for movies and I hope that 2026 can live up to the same standards.

Top Ten STAFF’S

Top 10 Asian Dishes

By JUSTIN GAO JUSTICE PHOTOS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

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SUDOKU