Fades to blue with Brandeis logo in white on top, and white text reads:
“Brandeis University Department of History and Department of Politics”
Title: “Celebrating the Class of 2021”
Transitions to a video. Soft, uplifting piano music plays in the background.
Video begins:
Camera moves over a bed of pink and red flowers to a marble sign that reads “Brandeis University” with the university seal. The sign is located on South Street at the entrance of campus. The video transitions to a shot of the statue of Louis Brandeis, then the camera moves beyond the head of the statue and between two trees. The shot closes on the Shapiro Campus Center, a green asymmetrical building, in the background. Camera pans with an out of focus tree in the foreground and the front of the Shapiro Campus Center, in focus, in the background. The camera moves to reveal the entire front of the building and a section of the green Great Lawn. From above, we see the Shapiro Science Center, the morning skyline and sections of the science complex. The camera begins to zoom in on the building and then fades to a shot of the side of the blue and white building.
Camera flies low to the ground over green grass and towards the Volen National Center for Complex Systems. Camera perspective switches to a shot of the building rising, revealing a student walking below. A tight shot of Spingold Theater's white, cylindrical dome and brick siding pans to reveal a tree-lined horizon looking towards the Shapiro Campus Center. The video transitions to a shot of a table and single chair sitting on the Spingold Theater's main stage. The camera flies over the table and into the audience of red seats and up into one of the stage lights.
We then see the Rabb Graduate Center steps where the camera climbs to the top of the staircase. At the top of the steps, the camera turns left to reveal the side of Mandel Center for the Humanities with the setting sun peering through the trees, creating a lens flare (burst of light) in the left hand corner of the screen. The video transitions to a panning shot of Mandel's glass windowed walls. Sign on building reads “Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for the Humanities.” Camera pans slowly showing the front of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Sign on building reads “Heller School for Social Policy and Management.”
Beginning at the top of the building and moving to the base, the camera reveals the back side of Brandeis' International Business School. A student is seen working at a computer through windowed walls. The video transitions to a shot where the camera flies around a water fountain in the middle of Massell pond with the fountain as its focal point. Following the narrow path of the pond, the camera flies into the sun, revealing the residence halls around Massell pond.
Camera walks up a set of stairs in Ziv quad, towards the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Admissions building. Students walk by the white and windowed admissions building, waving at each other. The video fades to show a few leaves in focus by the admissions building. The focus changes allowing "Carl and Ruth Shapiro Admissions Center" to be read on the side of the white building. One student walks by.
The video transitions to a slow pan from the blue sky moves down to reveal trees and a shadowed sidewalk in front of the bricked library. Two people walk down the path. Then we see a tight shot of the Brandeis Peace Circle. The Peace Circle has a mosaic image of a dove holding an olive branch. Around the image, the word "peace" is written in many languages and symbols. The camera pulls away slowly to reveal even more translations and two red benches with blue legs.
The camera then circles around a statue of a woman lounging on a rock in front of the library. As the camera moves, the sun, peaking through the trees, makes the lens of the camera flare and radiant white light illuminates the statue. Camera moves between two trees to reveal a statue of a woman praying facing Mecca. Chapels pond, covered in lily pads and wild flowers, is seen along with the Chapels themselves. The camera fades from the chapels to a tight shot of lily pads on chapels pond. The camera slowly begins to spin and the green lily pads glide slowly in the wind.
The video transitions to an aerial shot where the camera flies over the athletic fields. Beginning first with the baseball field and then the soccer field with track surrounding it. Video fades to a tight shot of the top of Gosman Athletics and Convocation Center and pulls through a dozen or so flags bearing the names of schools in Brandeis' athletics division.
The video transitions to a shot circling the statue of Louis Brandeis on top of a small hill. Then we see a tight shot of the Rose Art Museum pulls back to reveal lit oversized lamp posts that make up a sculpture installation known as "The Light of Reason." The camera continues to pull back until the entire row of sculptures are in view as well as the darkening sky. The sun set is a dark blue color.
Transitions to credits. A dark with white text reads “drone videography”, next to that are a list of names: “Ian Roy ’05, Tim Hebert, Hazal ‘H’ Uzunkaya ’14, Brandeis Makerlab.” Another slide appears with white text that reads “Director and producer - Caroline Cataldo.”
Video fades to black. End of video.
Transition to Eva Bellin.
Bellin speaks:
Welcome Brandeis, Class of 2021. My name is Eva Bellin, and I am Chair of the Politics Department. I, along with my colleague, Michael Willrich, Chair of the History Department, are so happy to welcome you to our joint history and politics department celebration, marking the completion of your studies at Brandeis University. The past four years have been extraordinarily eventful ones with challenging politics, polarizing debate and of course, the trials of coronavirus over the past 15 months. But you have soldiered through these trials, risen to the challenge of political turmoil and social distancing and endless classes via Zoom and you have made it to the other side. You have made it to the other side with integrity and accomplishment.
Now it is time to revel in your achievement and celebrate all that you have done. We want to recognize each and every one of you on this wonderful day. Joining me in this celebration with you are the faculty of our department, scholars who have lectured you, debated with you, read with you, learned with you over the past four years. They join me in taking great pride in your accomplishment. At this point, I would like to name the faculty who have worked with you in the politics department over the past four years. They are; Zachary Albert. Zachary Albert is Professor of American Politics with specialization in the politics of political institutions, parties, and interest groups in the United States. Kerry Chase.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin’s and Kerry Chase’s Zoom windows. Chase smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Kerry Chase is Professor of International Relations with specialization in international institutions and international political economy. Lucy Goodhart.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin’s and Lucy Goodhart’s Zoom windows. Goodhart smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Lucy Goodhart is Professor of International Relations with specialization in international political economy and comparative political economy. Jill Greenlee.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin’s and Jill Greenlee’s Zoom windows. Greenlee smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Jill Greenlee is Professor of American politics with specialization in political behavior, political socialization, and women, gender and sexuality studies in the United States. Jytte Klausen.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin and Jytte Klausen’s Zoom windows. Klausen smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Jytte Klausen is Professor of Comparative Politics with specialization in the politics of Western Europe, migration and domestic terrorism. Daniel Kryder.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin’s and Daniel Kryder’s Zoom windows. Kryder smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Daniel Kryder is Professor of American politics with specialization in American political development, policing, social movements, and race policy in the United States. Jeffrey Lenowitz.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin and Jeffery Lenowitz’s Zoom windows. Lenowitz smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Jeffrey Lenowitz is Professor of Political Theory with specialization in democratic theory, constitutional theory, global justice, and global governance. Gary Samore.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin and Gary Samore’s Zoom windows. Samore smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Gary Samore is Professor of International Relations with specialization in the politics of international security, nuclear weapons, arms control, and nuclear non-proliferation. Amber Spry.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin’s and Amber Spry’s Zoom windows. Spry smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Amber Spry is Professor of American and African and African American politics with specialization in the politics of identity, race, ethnic politics, political behavior, and survey design. Ralph Thaxton. Ralph Thaxton is Professor of Comparative Politics with specialization in the politics of China, revolution and agrarian politics. Alejandro Trelles.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin and Alejandro Trelles’s Zoom windows. Trelles smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Alejandro Trelles is Professor of Comparative Politics with specialization in the politics of Latin America, elections and electoral boundary delimitation. Steven Wilson.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin’s and Steven Wilson’s Zoom windows. Wilson smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Steven Wilson is Professor of Comparative Politics with specialization in the politics of Russia and the post-communist world, as well as digital politics. Bernie Yack.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin’s and Bernie Yack’s Zoom windows. Yack smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Bernie Yack is Professor of Political Theory with specialization in nationalism, cultural pluralism, and democratic theory.
Transition to Eva Bellin. Bellin continues:
Now, in addition to our faculty, I would like to recognize our steadfast administrators, Rosanne Colocouris and Martha Cronin. Rosanne Colocouris. Rosanne Colocouris is the academic administrator for the Department of Politics. She has helped run the politics department for over two decades, and her experience and generosity in dealing with both students and faculty has proven to be an invaluable pillar to sustaining the department. Martha Cronin.
Transition to a side by side view of Eva Bellin’s and Martha Cronin’s Zoom windows. Cronin smiles and waves to the camera. Bellin continues:
Martha Cronin is the finance and media specialist for both the politics and history departments. She is responsible for keeping the lights on and more immediately for organizing events like this very one. Without her, we would not be gathering effectively today. Thank you so much to Martha Cronin and Rosanne Colocouris, and to all our dedicated faculty in the politics department.
Transition to Eva Bellin. Bellin continues:
Now, let me turn things over to my colleague and co-host, professor Michael Willrich, who is Chair of the history department.
Transition to Michael Willrich.
Willrich speaks:
Hi, everybody and welcome. On behalf of the Brandeis University Department of History, I want to extend the warmest possible welcome to all the members of the class of 2021 and to their parents, families, and loved ones. This has been a historic year as Professor Bellin has just reminded us, and an incredibly challenging one for all of us. My colleagues and I know that this has not been the senior year that you all imagined when you started college. I have a son myself who just graduated this past week and I know both about the challenges and the joys of this year through the eyes of the students.
But the faculty and I just want to emphasize that we are deeply impressed with the strength, dedication, and commitment to your education that each of you has shown during the past year. As a class, you've done a truly amazing job and we congratulate you. I would also like to introduce faculty members and faculty members of the Brandeis Department of History, most of whom are in this meeting with us today to celebrate with you. A few could not make it. Let me start with Professor Gregory Childs.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Gregory Childs’s Zoom windows. Childs smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Childs is a specialist in Latin American and Caribbean history with a particular expertise in Brazil, the history of Brazil, and African diaspora studies. Professor Emilie Connolly.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Emilie Connolly’s Zoom windows. Connolly smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Connolly teaches and researches North American indigenous history, the history of capitalism and 19th century United States history. Professor Abigail Cooper, unfortunately, is unable to be with us today, but she extends her warmest congratulations to you-all. Professor Yuri Doolan.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Yuri Doolan’s Zoom windows. Doolan smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Doolan is an expert in the fields of Asian American history, transnational US history, and women's gender and sexuality studies. Professor Gregory Freeze.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Gregory Freeze’s Zoom windows. Freeze smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Freeze is a specialist in modern Russian history with a particular emphasis on religious and social history. Professor Paul Jankowski.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Paul Jankowski’s Zoom windows. Jankowski smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Jankowski is a specialist in modern European, French history, and the history of modern war. Professor Jankowski, I'm sad to note, is retiring this year after 31 years of teaching at Brandeis. We're sad to see him go and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Professor William Kapelle.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and William Kapelle’s Zoom windows. Kapelle smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Kapelle is a specialist in Roman and medieval history. Professor David Katz.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and David Katz’s Zoom windows. Katz smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Katz is a specialist in the history of ideas, the long early modern period. You can ask him later what that means exactly, especially in the history of religion. Professor Alice Kelikian.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Alice Kelikian’s Zoom windows. Kelikian smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Kelikian is an expert on modern European cultural history with particular emphasis on Italy. Professor Wangui Muigai.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Wangui Muigai’s Zoom windows. Muigai smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Muigai is an expert in the field of the history of medicine, science, and public health. It's also a real privilege for me to tell you that Professor Muigai is the recipient of the 2021 Michael L. Walzer class of 56 Award for teaching. Professor Hannah Muller.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Hannah Muller’s Zoom windows. Muller smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Muller's scholarship in teaching is in the area of Britain and the British empire in the long 18th century. Professor AJ Murphy.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and AJ Murphy’s Zoom windows. Murphy smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Murphy studies and examines and teaches the Cold War, United States military history, business history, and the history of gender and sexuality. Professor Amy Singer.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Amy Singer’s Zoom windows. Singer, dressed in regalia, smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Singer is a historian of Ottoman and Turkish history over a long period of time. Professor Avinash Singh.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Avinash Singh’s Zoom windows. Singh smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Singh studies the fields of modern Indian history and South Asian culture. Professor Govind Sreenivasan.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Govind Sreenivasan’s Zoom windows. Sreenivasan smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Sreenivasan studies early modern European history, especially Germany and also world history. Professor Sreenivasan, I'm delighted to note, is also the recipient of the 2021 Lerman-Neubauer Prize for excellence in teaching and mentoring. Professor Leah Wright Rigueur.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Leah Wright Rigueur’s Zoom windows. Rigueur smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Professor Rigueur is a scholar in 20th century US political and social history, as well as African American history. A very powerful and important combination. I'd also like to introduce our wonderful administrative team. Martha Cronin gets two appearances today.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Martha Cronin’s Zoom windows. Cronin smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
She serves as the finance and budgets and communication specialist for both history and politics. As Professor Bellin said, was really a very important figure behind the scenes in bringing this event together. Dona DeLorenzo.
Transition to a side by side view of Michael Willrich and Dona DeLorenzo’s Zoom windows. DeLorenzo smiles and waves to the camera. Willrich continues:
Dona, as many of you in the meeting today know, is our Senior Academic Administrator and works very closely with our students both in the undergraduate and graduate levels. That's it for the introductions in history. Let me pass the virtual mic back to Professor Bellin.
Transition to Eva Bellin.
Bellin speaks:
Thank you. Now, we're going to move on to our class speaker. This year, the politics department has chosen Andrea Bolduc to serve as class speaker for the politics graduating class of 2021. Andrea has been an extraordinary member of the Brandeis community, and in the politics department specifically. She is the consummate student-athlete excelling both as a competitive runner on the track team, as well as a superb student in the politics department. She has been engaged in political life both on-campus and off. She has worked tirelessly to build community in the politics department, serving as undergraduate departmental representative for two years. Organizing many events, reaching out to students to get involved, taking the pulse of student needs and concerns. Andrea is selfless, energetic, inspiring in so many ways. It is a pleasure to invite her to speak as a class speaker this afternoon. Andrea Bolduc.
Transition to Andrea Bolduc.
Bolduc speaks:
Thank you, Professor Bellin. Brandeis politics faculty, staff, students, family, and friends, welcome and congratulations to the class of 2021. After four long challenging years of classes, researching, reading, and a lot of writing, we have made it to the finish line of what is, in my extremely biased opinion, one of the most interesting, broadly applicable, and rewarding courses of study in existence. As we close this chapter of our lives and look ahead to what's next, let us do so with joy for the future and with gratitude for the people who helped us get here. The study and practice of politics is not just about the structure and function of government. At its core, politics asks us to think about how people relate to and interact with one another and with the world. It forces us to wrestle with a variety of ideas about how societies have or ought to organize themselves. Politics is a discipline that teaches you how to think critically about the world around you and most importantly, helps you better understand others. But what makes the Brandeis politics department truly special is the people. Thank you.
To the classmates who became dear friends as we navigated our time at Brandeis together, the administrators who make the department run smoothly and with whom a listening ear is always available, and to the faculty who invested in us as underclassmen, helping us to dive into the world of research, introducing us to new ways of thinking, and most importantly, believing in the power of our ideas and encouraging us to always dig deeper. This department has become an intellectual home for so many of us through our time at Brandeis. I know I speak for my fellow politics graduates when I say that it has been an absolute joy to be a part of this community. And what a time it has been to be a politics major. In 2016, when many of us were preparing to graduate from high school, the world as we knew it, began to shift at breakneck speed. Our four years as students of politics had been defined by the most tumultuous presidency in American history, a global rise in nationalism, the increasingly visible challenges of climate change, and a historic wave of racial justice protests, all in the midst of a global pandemic.
Over the past four years of our undergraduate education, the only real constant was the word unprecedented. Whether you're a news junkie, obsessed with the latest Senate horse race or someone who ardently refuses to talk politics, your choices and actions are inherently political. We are living in an age where longstanding injustices are being laid bare in increasingly powerful ways, with those in power and those who previously remained silent are being forced to account for institutional violence and inequities. Today, May 25th, 2021, marks one year since the murder of George Floyd at the hands of former Minneapolis police officers. The surge in national and international protests that occurred in response to the murders of George Floyd, Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others, has shown us that the march towards justice is far from all over, but also that we are standing on the precipice of massive socio-political change. In order to be fully realized, this change will need passionate, determined and empathetic leadership.
As politics graduates, we are uniquely positioned to make a difference and we have a responsibility to use our education to be of service to others. One of the most sacred duties we have in life is that of citizen. It is my firm belief that loving your country and community means being able to honestly examine existing injustices and put in the consistent effort and creativity needed to forge a better world than the one we currently live in. On move-in day my freshman year, I wandered to the top of the hill at Fellows Garden and, across from the statue of Louis Brandeis, found a quote that has been a guiding light throughout my time here. It's from Earl Warren, former Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, who, reflecting on the life of Brandeis, said that he was devoted to keeping the shackles off people. He insisted that each individual was entitled to grow to the full stature of his personality.
In this time of dizzying change, it might be more comfortable to simply sit on the sidelines and hope that somebody else does the work of keeping the shackles of injustice off the most vulnerable among us. But we must ask ourselves two very important questions; if not us, then who? If not now, then when? The time has come for us to go forth into the world, and I am confident that our time in the politics department has prepared us to march forward with determination and get to work. Thank you and congratulations, everyone. We did it.
Transition to Michael Willrich.
Willrich speaks:
That was terrific. Thank you, Andrea. The chat is lighting up with thanks and congratulations. I'd now like to introduce the undergraduate speaker for history. She happens to be a double major in history and politics, so politics is getting a twofer on this I believe. When I asked the committee of our colleagues to nominate a student to speak at the diploma ceremony, they very quickly came up with Violet Fearon. I recommended Violet to the department and the department unanimously agreed that this was an excellent choice. So I'm happy to introduce Violet Fearon.
Transition to Violet Fearon.
Fearon speaks:
Hello. It's great to be here today and I want to extend our congratulations to everyone who's graduating today and also say, thank you to all the wonderful professors here. I was trying to think what I should say in connection with the Brandeis History Department. My mind went to a strange place, which is the journals that George Orwell kept when he was in London during World War II. I read these a while ago; I think it was in high school and they were great. At the time I was really obsessed with World War II, and I thought it was just the most fascinating and important time period. The interesting thing about George Orwell's diaries was, there was one part of them where he kind of talks about how in the study of history, all of the events that happened in the past have this telescoping effect when we study them and they seem so much more exciting in comparison to the present day. This was the explanation he came up with to explain why he personally found World War I so compelling and exciting, and in comparison, World War II was not as great.
And so, I thought this was crazy, but I also thought it was cool, and I thought about it a bit. I think the reason I enjoyed reading his journals was because that kind of research has the opposite of the telescoping effect because you could read about the air raid, the sirens, and all of the casualties, and these crazy events that he would write about. But then he would also write about all the totally mundane day-to-day events as well. This gave me a feeling which I think anyone who enjoys the study of history has experienced, where all of a sudden this stranger in the past seems so human. And I think there's something about that that's really powerful. And it can be kind of a lot like in the same way that staring into the night sky can give you this sense of being extremely small in both a good way and a bad way, but it's also kind of comforting. And when I think about what I loved about studying history at Brandeis, a lot comes to mind, like learning to accept the complexities and the gray areas and learning how to allow two conflicting ideas to be in tension, and learning how to examine where people's perspectives are coming from and how that perspective affects what they're saying.
But above all, I think the thing that makes me love history is that feeling of connectivity that you sometimes have. It's this reminder that everyone who's ever lived had the same feeling of inferiority that you do. I think studying history has a lot of practical uses that are talked about a lot in terms of learning from the past. I think that's extremely important. But that's not why it's so fun. I think it's fun because there's something magical about being able to listen to and connect with people from the past. I think there's something about that that's deeply human and good for the soul or mind, or what have you. Congrats, guys. It's been a ride. It's been great. Thank you.
Transition to Eva Bellin.
Bellin speaks:
Thank you so much, Violet, for giving us such a wonderful description of the beauties of history. Both of our speakers have made clear the value of both politics and history, and frankly, I would say the intersection of the two. So thank you so much. Now we are going to move on to the Honors in the Politics Department. So it is my pleasure to introduce Professor Jeffrey Lenowitz. Professor Jeffrey Lenowitz is Director of the Honors Program in the Politics Department. He will announce the honors and prizes awarded to our graduates in the politics major this year.
Transition to a blue slide with the Brandeis logo in white on top. White text reads “Jeffrey Lenowitz. Honors director. Meyer and W. Walter Jaffe Assistant Professor of Politics.” Lenowitz’s Zoom window resides at the top right of the screen.
Lenowitz speaks:
Hello, everyone. I am so delighted to be here today and to present these honors and awards. To receive honors, students have to earn a high GPA in politics courses, spend their senior year writing a thesis, a long piece of original research, and then defend their work in a presentation in conversation with three faculty members. Now writing a thesis is incredibly challenging in normal times. It requires identifying a question, selecting the appropriate method, engaging with, and mastering a portion of the academic literature in politics, and working tirelessly all year on a difficult project. Students who are successful in this endeavor rely heavily on a bunch of external resources, from the library, to support of friends, to social activities to take their minds off writing, to regular contact with their advisors, and much more.
Needless to say, this year was especially difficult for our honors writers. An ordinarily self-confident, challenging, emotionally fraught activity was made all the more grueling by our COVID times. I'm still amazed that seven of them not only were able to produce theses, but that what they wrote is so very good. I've told our honors students this repeatedly, but I want to say it again in front of everyone. I am so proud of and impressed by each and every one of you. It was truly a pleasure to watch you grow and gain strength as independent researchers throughout the year. I have no doubt that all of you will go on to do great things. Without further ado, I'll announce the levels of honor achieved, the name of each student, and their thesis title.
Transition to a blue slide with Brandeis logo in white at the top. White text on the slide displays the student’s name, thesis, and accomplishment; and the text changes with each student honored. The Zoom window of Jeffrey Lenowitz is subsequently replaced by that of the student whose name is called. Lenowitz continues:
Receiving highest honors in politics, Andrea Catherine Bolduc, for the thesis, "Suburban Protest and Social Conflict: Social Movement Dynamics in Four Boston Area Suburbs During the 2020 George Floyd Protests”.
Receiving honors in politics, Makayla Connor, for the thesis, "Plurinationalism and its Effect on Independence Movements: A Case Study of Scotland and Catalonia.”
Receiving highest honors in politics, Javin Cooke Dana, for the thesis, "Does Party Banning Work? The Political Cost of Party Banning as a Strategy of Militant Democracy.”
Receiving honors in politics and also, in my opinion, the unofficial best title award, Sophie Rachel Edelman, for the thesis, "The Donkey, the Elephant, and the Populist: An Analysis of Populist Rhetoric and Representation in the 2016 Election.”
Receiving highest honors in politics, Jocelyn Emma Gould, for the thesis, "A Pandemic Effect? Women's Candidate Emergence Amid the COVID-19 Crisis.”
Receiving high honors in politics, Anna Frances Greenberg, for the thesis, "The Arias Effect: How Inside Mediation Brought Peace to Central America.”
Finally, receiving honors in politics, Jackson Henry Kartun Shiell, for the thesis, "Technical Probation Violations in the United States: An Analysis of Causes, Consequences and Solutions.”
Now, in addition to announcing these honors, I also get to announce the winners of our two department prizes. The first, The Departmental Prize for Excellence in Politics goes to Javin Cooke Dana. Congratulations, Javin. As each of us who were lucky enough to have you in our courses know, you not only excelled at every single facet of them, but also improved every classroom, both real and virtual, that you were in with your thoughtfulness, insight, and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge. You'll be greatly missed.
The second award, the Politics Faculty Prize for Best Senior Thesis, goes to Jocelyn Emma Gould. Her thesis, "A 'Pandemic Effect’? Women's Candidate Emergence Amid the COVID-19 Crisis," looked at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's candidacies in state legislative races. We were all very impressed by Jocelyn's sophisticated research design, her original dataset, the real scholarly contribution that she made, and the all around skillfulness and beauty of her writing. Congratulations, Jocelyn.
Thank you, everyone.
Transition to Michael Willrich:
Willrich speaks:
Now, Professor Govind Sreenivasan, who is the Undergraduate Advising Head for history will present the undergraduate prizes and awards in history. Govind.
Transition to a blue slide with the Brandeis logo in white on top. White text reads “Govind Sreenivasan. Undergraduate Advising Head. Associate Professor of History.” Sreenivasan’s Zoom window resides at the top right of the screen.
Sreenivasan speaks:
Good afternoon, everyone and welcome. As an historian, I often find myself thinking about the fact that theses and their defenses are a very old historical tradition, and in the 17th century, actually, when I worked, it was by then already customary for students to have to engage in public disputations in support of their theses. You might be amused to know that 17th century theses are often on seemingly rather strange and arcane subjects, like, "Was Cain a Monster?” and, "Why Did Aristotle Walk into the Ocean?” These aren't quite as absurd as they might sound. The first one is about the problem of whether or not any human being can completely lose their conscience. The second one was about whether or not you should learn things about the natural world by actually directly experiencing it rather than just by reading books. But I mention that just because the theses that were completed in the History Department this year were on much more obviously pertinent subjects, connecting both the past and the present.
I should also say that whereas the 17th century thesis is typically a response to questions largely put together by your advisor or the professor, theses nowadays, especially the ones we had this year at Brandeis, are much more original pieces of work. Students go out and do their own thing. They blaze new trails, they pose new questions. That's much more difficult than it sounds, to come up with something really genuinely original and path-breaking. So in advance, my congratulations to all. So, let us begin with our first history thesis writer.
Transition to a blue slide with Brandeis logo in white at the top. White text on the slide displays the student’s name, thesis, and accomplishment; and the text changes with each student honored. The Zoom window of Govind Sreenivasan is subsequently replaced by that of the student whose name is called. Sreenivasan continues:
Receiving highest honors in history, Michael Benjamin Atkins, for the thesis, "The Ultimate Institution: The History of Solitary Confinement for Incarcerated People with Disabilities.”
Receiving highest honors in history and in African and Afro-American studies, Jake Haveles, for the thesis, "Solidarity and Rupture in the Black International: Black Communists and Global Crossings, 1925-1949.”
Receiving honors in both history and African and Afro-American studies, Isaiah D. Johnson, for the thesis, "Keystone of Revolution: Cuban Socialism and the Special Period.”
Receiving highest honors in history, Ruhi Roy, for the thesis, "No Facts, Only Interpretations: Knowledge Production, Argument, and Imperial Policy in Late Nineteenth-Century India”.
Receiving highest honors in history, Ryan David Shaffer, for the thesis, "The Chase and Waite Courts: Hindering the Reconstruction Promise of Racial Equality, 1864-1888.”
Receiving highest honors in history, Elias Brandfonbrener Trout, for the thesis, "Justice and Justification: Historical Renderings of Republic of Austria v. Altmann, National Self Identities, and the Framing of American Moral Authority on the Global Stage.”
In addition to these theses, we have three prizes to announce. The Eugene C. Black Prize for Excellence in History is awarded to King Hei Roy Lee, for the best overall record in the history department. Secondly, the Patrick Thomas Campbell Award for the best thesis in history goes to Elias Brandfonbrener Trout for his thesis, “Justice and Justification.” Finally, the Doris Brewer Cohen Award in Justice and Public Life goes to Ryan David Shaffer, for his thesis on The Chase and Waite Courts. That completes the theses and the prizes in history for this year.
Transition to Eva Bellin.
Bellin speaks:
Congratulations to all our prize winners and all the hard work that those prizes represent. It's now my pleasure to introduce Professor Jill Greenlee. Professor Greenlee is Director of Graduate Studies in the Politics Department, and Professor Greenlee will announce the recipients of the graduate degrees in the Politics Department in 2021.
Transition to a blue slide with the Brandeis logo in white on top. White text reads “Jill Greenlee. Director of Graduate Studies. Associate Professor of Politics.” Greenlee’s Zoom window resides at the top right of the screen.
Greenlee speaks:
Thank you, Professor Bellin. I'm delighted and honored to recognize the six graduate students who will receive their degrees this year. Three of these students have earned master's degrees in our intense and challenging one-year MA program, and three of these students have earned their doctoral degrees in our long and arduous, and did I mention long, PhD program. One race is a sprint and the other a marathon, but both of these paths I hope have been incredibly rewarding to each of these excellent students. It's now my great pleasure to read the names of these six students.
Transition to a blue slide with Brandeis logo in white at the top. White text on the slide displays the student’s name, thesis, and accomplishments; and the text changes with each student honored. The Zoom window of Jill Greenlee is subsequently replaced by that of the student whose name is called. Greenlee continues:
Our first graduate is Jacob Luke Detiege, Master of Arts in Politics, “Revitalizing The State: A state-centered approach to the minority AIDS initiative, 1990 to 1998.”
Asli Ercem, Master of Arts in politics, Western Democracy Promotion and Shifting Leverage in New Authoritarianism: The cases of Turkey and Venezuela.”
Gabriel Cardillicchio Sultan, Master of Arts in politics, “Surveilling Students: Aggressive school policing in the United States.”
Christiana M. Botticello, Doctor of Philosophy in Politics, “Mixed Strategies of Nation-Building: Implementation approaches of acculturation strategies in the Baltic states (1989 to 2019).”
Maria Smerkovich, Doctor of Philosophy in Politics. “Civil Tongues: Examining the Role of Language and Ethnic Group Mobilization for Violent Contestation.”
Finally, Kelly Stedem, Doctor of Philosophy in Politics, “Reconceptualising Security: Clientelism and the provision of order in Lebanon.”
Congratulations to all of our graduate students on your remarkable achievements.
Transition to Michael Willrich.
Willrich speaks:
Now, I'd like to introduce Professor Amy Singer, who is the Director of Graduate Studies in History. Professor Singer will present the graduate degrees in history. Amy.
Transition to a blue slide with the Brandeis logo in white on top. White text reads “Amy Singer. Director of Graduate Studies. Sylvia. K Hassenfeld Chair in Islamic Studies.” Singer’s Zoom window resides at the top right of the screen.
Singer speaks:
As DGS in the Department of History, I have the pleasure of meeting all students working toward masters and doctoral degrees in history and learning about the wide range of fascinating original research projects they have designed and redesigned under COVID. Each one is exploring an unexamined aspect of history and in the process contributes to making sense of human existence. In case you wondered why the study of history is important, it's because it helps us understand our own world and not just the past, and understand the beauty of human existence even in its challenges. We all benefit from the insights they have gained and they leave Brandeis with well-developed skills and experience as researchers, writers, critical readers, and critical thinkers. That is a very big load that they take with them.
It's now my privilege to introduce our latest recipients of the Master of Arts degree in history. These are our sprinters, our marathoners are still one lap to go until later in the summer. I was fortunate enough to work with both of these students in a class this spring, in digital history and digital humanities, and so I can attest firsthand that they are truly talented people.
Transition to a blue slide with Brandeis logo in white at the top. White text on the slide displays the student’s name, thesis, and accomplishments; and the text changes with each student honored. The Zoom window of Amy Singer is subsequently replaced by that of the student whose name is called. Singer continues:
With a Master of Arts in History, Emma Meredith Dionne, author of a thesis, “An Actual and Present Danger: A New History of People versus Hall.”
For the Degree Master of Arts in History, Kaleigh E. Mency, author of the thesis, ''Re-imagining Transitional Justice in the United States: Truth-Telling and Reconstruction.”
Congratulations to you both, we wish you every success in your future endeavors. This concludes the awarding of the graduate degrees in history.
Transition to Eva Bellin.
Bellin speaks:
Congratulations, so exciting. It's now my pleasure to introduce Professor Daniel Kryder. Daniel Kryder is the Undergraduate Advising Head for the Politics Department, and Professor Kryder will read the names of the graduates of the politics major for the class of 2021.
Transition to a blue slide with the Brandeis logo in white on top. White text reads “Daniel Kryder. Undergraduate Advising Head. Louis Stulberg Chair in Law and Politics.” Kryder’s Zoom window resides at the top right of the screen.
Kryder speaks:
Thank you Professor Bellin. Greetings everyone! On behalf of the politics department faculty and our staff, I'd like to congratulate each of our graduates and importantly their families for completing the major across these last several years. These are our graduating politics majors.
Transition to a blue slide with Brandeis logo in white at the top. White text on the slide displays the student’s name and accomplishments; and the text changes with each student honored. The Zoom window of Daniel Kryder is subsequently replaced by that of the student whose name is called. Kryder continues:
Samuel Isaac Ades, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, majors in politics and in film, television, and interactive media, and in history.
Breylen David Ammen, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude, majors in politics and in environmental studies, minor in economics, prizes, Atilla Klein Environmental Conservation Award Phi Beta Kappa.
Tristan Jak Barca-Hall, Bachelor of Arts in Politics.
Darren Gregory Bates, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, minor in business.
Curtis Troy Beatty III, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, minor in legal studies.
Andrea C. Bolduc, Bachelor of Arts Summa Cum Laude, with highest honors in politics, minor in French and Francophone studies, prize, Phi Beta Kappa.
Gabrielle Julia Burkholz, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, majors in politics and in health science society and policy with honors, minors in legal studies and in social justice and social policy.
Teresa Tais Campos, Bachelor of Arts, Majors in Politics and in Business.
Ruby Ravgiala Carlon, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in Politics, Minors in Legal Studies, and in Hispanic Studies.
Makayla Connor, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, Majors in Politics with Honors, and in International and Global Studies. Minors in Legal Studies and in Social Justice and Social Policy, and in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Connor Patrick Crowley, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Minor in Economics.
Casimir Nicholas Dahrouch, Bachelor of Arts, Majors in Politics and in Economics, Minor in Hispanic Studies.
Javin Cooke Dana, Bachelor of Arts Summa Cum Laude, Majors in Politics with highest honors, and in Economics. Prizes, Sidney S. Cohen Award in Economics, Departmental Prize for Excellence in Political Science, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Sophie Rachel Edelman, Bachelor of Arts, Majors in Politics with Honors, and in Health, Science, Society, and Policy.
Jillian Emily Fisch, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude, Majors in Politics and in History. Phi Alpha Theta.
Alexa Joy Foman, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude, Majors in Politics and in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies, Minors in Legal Studies, and in Social Justice and Social Policy.
Isaac Samuel Fossas, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Minors in Business and in Philosophy.
Jack Henry Sinclair Fox, Bachelor of Arts in Politics.
Allison Lee Frebowitz, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude in Politics, Minors in Economics and in Legal Studies.
W. Cahler Fruchtman, Bachelor of Arts, Majors in Politics and in American Studies.
Ariella Rachel Gentin, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude, Majors in Politics and in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Prizes, Ezra Z. Shapiro Family Prize in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Robert Alden Good, Bachelor of Arts, Majors in Politics, and in Economics, and in Philosophy.
Jocelyn Emma Gould, Bachelor of Arts Summa Cum Laude, Majors in Politics with Highest Honors, and in Creative Writing. Minor in Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Prizes, Politics Faculty Prize for Best Senior Thesis, and Phi Beta Kappa.
Eli Hideo Green, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Minors in History of Ideas, and in Philosophy.
Anna Frances Greenberg, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, Majors in Politics with High Honors, and in International and Global Studies, Minor in Hispanic Studies.
Ivy Ricks Hardy, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude. Majors in Politics and in International and Global Studies. Minors in Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence Studies, and in Russian Studies.
William Robert Hodgkinson, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Minor in History.
Sara Cristina Hogenboom, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in Politics, Minors in History, and in Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence Studies.
Rebecca Jane Hyman, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in Politics, Minors in Legal Studies, and in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Zachary Charles Kern, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Minors in Legal Studies, and in Social Justice and Social Policy, and in Classical Studies.
Matthew Adam Kimmelstiel, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Minors in Legal Studies, and in Philosophy.
Oliver Burton Leeb, Bachelor of Arts, Majors in Politics, and in Economics, Minor in Theater Arts.
Yang Lin, Bachelor of Arts. Majors in Politics and in International and Global Studies, Minor in Philosophy.
Noam Maman, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude, Majors in Politics and in Economics.
Melissa Nicolas, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Minors in Psychology, and in Legal Studies.
William Douglas Phillips, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in Politics. Minors in Legal Studies, and in History.
Santiago Guillermo Regan, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in Politics, Minors in Hispanic Studies, and in Latin American and Latino Studies, and in South Asian Studies.
Elias Y. Rosenfeld, Bachelor of Arts, Majors in Politics and in Sociology, Minor in History, Prize, Elise Boulding Sociology and Social Activism Award.
Matthew Shai Rothenberg, Bachelor of Arts in Politics, Minor in Economics.
Ruhi Roy, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude. Majors in Politics and in History with Highest Honors.
Maya D. Rubin-Wish, Bachelor of Arts, Majors in Politics and in Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies, Minor in Journalism.
Hannah Toby Saadon, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude in Politics, Minors in Legal Studies, and in Health: Science, Society, and Policy.
Benjamin Justin Schwartz, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude. Majors in Politics and in Business, Minor in History of Ideas.
Emily Honglin Shen, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, Majors in Politics and in American Studies, Minors in Economics and in Philosophy.
Jackson Henry Kartun Shiell, Bachelor of Arts Summa Cum Laude with Honors in Politics, Minors in Legal Studies, and in History.
Tamara Valeria Botteri Stein, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, Majors in Politics and in International and Global Studies with High Honors. Minors in Economics and in Legal Studies. Prize, International and Global Studies Award for Global Citizenship.
Grace Tswei Ping Teng, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude, Majors in Politics and in International and Global Studies. Minors in East Asian studies, and in Legal Studies.
Shania Thomas, Bachelor of Art, majors in Politics and in Health: Science, Society, and Politics, minors in Legal Studies and in Social Justice and Social Policy.
Zachary Jay Weiss, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, majors in Politics and in International and Global Studies, minors in Environmental Studies and in Legal Studies.
Zachary Jacob Wilkes, Bachelor of Arts in Politics.
Hannah Wilson, Bachelor of Arts, majors in Politics and in Anthropology.
Nicholas Charles Yanco, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, majors in Politics and in Business.
Celia Collopy Young, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude in Politics, minors in Journalism and in Legal Studies.
That completes the reading of the names of students graduating with a major in politics. Congratulations.
Transition to Michael Willrich.
Willrich speaks:
Congratulations, everyone. Now, I'd like to turn things over once again to Professor Govind Screenivasan, who will present the undergraduate degrees in history. Govind.
Transition to a blue slide with the Brandeis logo in white on top. White text reads “Govind Sreenivasan. Undergraduate Advising Head. Associate Professor of History.” Sreenivasan’s Zoom window resides at the top right of the screen.
Sreenivasan speaks:
Hello, again, everyone. It's a great pleasure today at the conclusion of an uncommonly challenging year for all members of the Brandeis community to announce the names and to acknowledge the hard work and the accomplishments of our students graduating this year in history. As a preamble to this reading, I should also explain that Phi Alpha Theta is the National Honor Society for students in history into which a select number of our students is inductive, every year. Let us go to our first graduate.
Transition to a blue slide with Brandeis logo in white at the top. White text on the slide displays the student’s name and accomplishments; and the text changes with each student honored. The Zoom window of Govind Sreenivasan is subsequently replaced by that of the student whose name is called. Sreenivasan continues:
Samuel Isaac Ades, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, with majors in History, in Politics, and in Film, Television, and Interactive Media and also inducted into Phi Alpha Theta.
Michael Benjamin Atkins, Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude, with highest Honors in History, also with a minor in Legal Studies. Michael is an addition the winner of the Lester Martin Foundation Award in Legal Studies.
Casey Jacqueline Bachman, Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude, with majors in History, and also in Theater Arts with High Honors. The winner of the Theater Arts Outstanding Student Collaborator Award and inductions into Phi Alpha Theta and also into Phi Beta Kappa.
Anna Birtwell Badalament, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, with majors in History and in American Studies with a minor in Legal Studies. She's also the winner of the Pauli Murray Award, as well as the Justice Louis D. Brandeis Internship Research Prize.
Lindsay Madison Biebelberg, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude with majors in History and also in Economics, and with a minor in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies with induction into Phi Alpha Theta.
Jordan Rosalia Brill-Cass, Bachelor of Arts with majors in History and also in Sociology, and with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Rachel Canter, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude with majors in History and also with Linguistics, with minors in History and in English, and in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies with induction into Phi Alpha Theta.
James Clark-Stewart, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude with a major in History and a second major in Economics.
Nina J. Collay, Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude with majors in History and also in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with Highest Honors, with a minor in French and Francophone Studies and the winner of the Giller-Sagan Prize in Women's Studies.
Qingyang Dong, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude with majors in History and in Sociology and with minors in East Asian Studies and in Education Studies.
Arman Wahid Entezar, Bachelor of Arts, majors in History and in Business, and with a minor in Legal Studies.
Violet Augusta Rose Fearon, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude in History, with minors in Creative Writing and also in Politics, and with induction into Phi Beta Kappa.
Jillian Emily Fisch, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude with majors in History and also in Politics, and with induction into Phi Alpha Theta.
Samuel James Foreman, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, with majors in History and also in American Studies with minors in Hispanic Studies and also in Religious Studies, and with induction into Phi Alpha Theta.
Sara Lindsay Getzoff, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude with majors in History and in Education Studies with minors in both Religious Studies and in Psychology.
Samuel Goldberg, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude in History.
Jake Haveles, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude with majors in History with Highest Honors, with majors also in African and African-American Studies, with Highest Honors with minors in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies.
Joshua Oliver Saramello Hoffman, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude in History with a minor in Classical Studies, with a second minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and with induction into Phi Alpha Theta.
Isaiah D. Johnson, Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, with majors in History with Honors, with another major in African and African-American studies with Honors, and the winner of the Jane's Travel Grant.
Zoe Kastenberg Klein, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, majors in History and in Education Studies and with a minor in Economics.
King Hei Roy Lee, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude in History with a minor in Philosophy, the winner of the Eugene C. Black Prize for Excellence in History and induction into Phi Beta Kappa.
Eamon McCormick, Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude with majors in History and in Business, with Highest Honors, the winner of the Perlmutter Award for Interdisciplinary Studies and with induction into Phi Alpha Theta.
Eliana Sylvia Padwa, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude in History and with a minor in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.
Eileen Jiayi Qiu, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude with a Major in History and in International and Global Studies, with a Minor in Economics and with Induction into Phi Alpha Theta.
Patrick Michael Quinlan, Bachelor of Arts in History.
Meredith Vancampen Roberts, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude, with majors in History, with a second major in International and Global Studies with a minor in Creative Writing, and with induction into Phi Alpha Theta.
William Lawrence Robitaille, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude in History and with additional minors in Medieval and Renaissance Studies and in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.
Noah Hunter Ross, Bachelor of Arts with majors in both History and in Economics.
Ruhi Roy, Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude with a major in History with Highest Honors and with the second major in Politics.
Jeremy Noah Segal, Bachelor of Science with majors in History and also in Neuroscience and Biology.
Ryan David Shaffer, Bachelor of Arts Summa Cum Laude with majors in History with Highest Honors in Economics, and also in Philosophy, and the winner of the Doris Brewer Cohen Award in Justice and Public Life.
Kerstin Victoria Shimkin, Bachelor of Arts, majors in History and in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and also with a minor in Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
Elias Brandfonbrener Trout, Bachelor of Arts Summa Cum Laude with Highest Honors in History, winner of the Patrick Thomas Campbell Award in History, elected into Phi Alpha Theta and also into Phi Beta Kappa.
Lena Truong, Bachelor of Arts with a major in History and another major in Sociology and a minor in African and African American Studies.
Henry Padraic Wasserman, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude with a major in History, with a second major in Anthropology, and with a minor in Religious Studies.
Ruth Ellen Arons Wyckoff, Bachelor of Arts Magna Cum Laude with majors in History and in International and Global Studies with minors in both Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies and in Hispanic studies, and with election into Phi Beta Kappa.
These are the Brandeis students graduating this year in history of whom each and every one, whatever distinctions, titles, accolations, numerals or letters in Greek or Roman may be attached to your name, of each and every one of you, we are so very proud. Congratulations to you all.
Transition to Michael Willrich.
Willrich speaks:
Congratulations class of 2021. Before we enter the concluding portion of our event, which is the homily, I want to say just a quick thank you to Edwin Gonzales and John Pizzi who've worked behind the scenes for MTS and Brandeis to make everything go as smoothly as possible today. Thank you to my colleagues in politics as well. It's been a pleasure doing this event with all of you.
It's now my great pleasure to introduce our final speaker of the day, Professor William Kapelle, who will deliver the homily, which will be followed by a performance of the Brandeis alma mater. We invite you to join us in our individual Zoom rooms after the event. Sadly, Abby Cooper is unable to be with us today due to sickness, but she encourages students to reach out to her to set up a separate time to meet if you wish. Professor William Kapelle.
Transition to Wiliam Kapelle. Kepelle’s title reads “Associate Professor of History.”
Kapelle speaks:
Good afternoon. All that remains is the homily, which is an elaborate way of saying goodbye to the graduates. Although it will shed some surprising light on their accomplishments. The text is one of my earliest memories. I spent the first years of my life living on a small farm in Eastern Kansas that belonged to my grandfather. At the time, my father was invading France largely via French fruit sellers, which allowed him to escape from Army food. My mother had gone home to live with her father and mother. My grandfather was not actually a farmer, he ran a grocery store, a grain mill, and a creamery for the farmers. These businesses were in fact co-ops, and it shows you something that you may be better off for now, that there have been populists that tried to actually help farmers rather than teaching them whom to dislike. In that case, the farm was wonderful. It contained a very wide variety of animals, far greater than contemporary farms do. It was a wonderful place for a little boy to run around.
The anecdote that I want to talk about today relates to the sale which followed my grandfather's sudden death. Such farm sales were major events in the bucolic world. All the farmers came. They came to look for bargains, some came to support the families of the bereaved. All came to talk and see each other. Such sales could take hours and hours to accomplish because in those days the countryside was populated, which is not true now. The auctioneer slowly moved his way across the farm lot and the buildings. He sold everything; the animals, the machinery, the tools, down to coffee cans full of nails and bolts. I was between four and five when this event occurred, and I watched it with stark amazement. Probably I was horribly depressed, but I didn't have a word for that then. Anyway, who knew that such a thing could happen to a human life, to just be basically rolled up via the intermediacy of money. Anyway, about 4:00 PM in the afternoon when almost everything had been sold, my cousin Dana who was a grown young man at that point asked me to go find the old tomcat and bring him to the barn. The cat and I were friends, so I managed to do it. That would have been a major accomplishment given how freaked the cat must have been.
By the time I reached the barn, the auctioneer was selling the little bits of grain that were collected there for the immediate feed of that food for animals, in particular a big open box that had corn in it. The box had an open top that stood about 18 inches high. All the corn was gone except for the bottom layer. When I arrived Dana with a big scoop, scooped up most of that exposing the very bottom of the box which, wonder of wonders, was covered with dozens and dozens of frightened mice. It was literally teeming with mice. At that point, I knew of course what was the purpose of the tomcat. I threw him in the box. The cat thought that he had entered the promised land of cats, and he went into a frenzy. He captured mouse after mouse. At the height of his exploits he had a mouse under three of his paws, another mouse in his mouth and he was reaching for more mice with his free paw. The audience was hysterical over this performance which was of course the point, but then the wonderful thing happened. Tom stopped. He lifted his paws one-by-one, freeing the pinned mice. He spat the mouse out of his mouth, he stood up to his full height, and he was a big cat, he then jumped out of the box and he walked and basically marched out of the barn with his tail held high.
Now, this forgotten little story throws considerable light on the accomplishments and the future of the graduates. First, the wisdom of the Grateful Dead. When life looks like Easy Street, there is in fact danger at the door. The cats were in fact part of the animal population of the farm and the last act of the sale was to give them away to families that wanted cats. The cats for your information hated this. They would escape and come back to what had been their home, but now derelict farm, again and again. Now, the interesting question for us is this, why did the cat jump out of the box? Was it a question of dignity? Cats do not like to perform for people; they're not like dogs. Did Tom realize that he couldn't have it all? Possibly. Did the cat's goal prove hollow at the moment of his satisfaction? That really could be. Comparative evidence suggests that that could be the real answer. New South Wales, this past year has been invaded by a plague of mice. Initially the cats in New South Wales attacked the mice, but reports have it that after a while they stopped doing it entirely. I don't know which of these answers is correct but I doubt it if you really care, but the significance of this anecdote is pretty clear if we anthropomorphized it.
The ultimate purpose of your liberal arts education is to develop your understanding of the world and your sense of self so that in the future you can, metaphorically speaking, jump out of the box if the fix is in, which of course was the case with the cat. In any case, in the name of the History Department and the Politics Department, I would like to congratulate you. The time of your dispersal is at hand. We will miss you. If, like the cats, you wander back occasionally, we will listen to the stories about your exploits. And this concludes the ceremony, goodbye and good luck.
Transition to a slide with the Brandeis University Logo. Screen text says “Commencement 2021”, “Alma Mater”, “Performed by the Brandeis Chamber Singers, University Chorus, and Alumni”, “Robert Duff, Conductor.”
Opens to a sweeping view on the Louis Brandeis statue with a springtime campus in foreground surrounded by twenty of the The Brandeis Chamber Singers on Zoom who can be heard singing:
“To thee, Alma Mater.
We'll always be true.”
Singing continues, but the inner video is replaced by more choir singers in the center singing in-person, wearing masks and social distancing. Camera moves towards the right showing more students singing on the right side before zooming in on two of the students and then moving back left.
Music continues:
“All hail to thy standard
the white and the blue.”
Shot zooms out to show the Chamber singers from above. Camera moves around to show other students. Singing:
“Proclaiming thy future,
recalling thy past
our hopes spring from
memories eternally cast.
With sorrows we'll leave thee,
new worlds to create.”
Transitions to an aerial view to show all of the masked, in-person singers, with the zoom singers still framing the inner video.
“May deeds of thy children
make thee forever great.
May deeds of thy children
make thee forever great.”
Transitions to sweeping view of the Louis Brandeis statue in the foreground with trees and the Shapiro Campus Center in the background.
Fades to black.
Series of slides appear with white background and text in Brandeis blue, each with a header on top reading “Brandeis University”, “Brandeis Chamber Singers, University Chorus and Alumni”.
Transitions to first slide: Conductor- Robert Duff
Transitions to next slide with the heading “Soprano” and the names spanned across two columns:
Transitions to next slide with the heading “Alto” and the names spanned across two columns:
Transitions to the next slide divided into two columns. First column with heading “Tenor” with names under it:
Second column with heading “Bass” with names under it:
Transitions to the next slide with text that reads: “Filmed and Produced by Brandeis Media Technology Services with special thanks to Brandeis Maker Lab”.
Transitions to the next slide with bold and enlarged text reading “Congratulations Class of 2021!!!”.
Fades to black.