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On March 19 in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall, Cameron Samuels ’25 gave a talk titled “A Seat at the Table: Storytelling, Policy and Law in a Precarious Higher Education Landscape,” sponsored by Brandeis’ Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation department. The talk centered on the litany of conservative education policy that has impacted Samuels’ home state of Texas and their organization — Students Engaged in Advancing Texas — which is a student-led movement that has advocated for free speech in schools by opposing book bans and the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives along with policies that target immigrant students.
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On March 12, an unidentified suspect drove a vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, causing the building to catch fire, and sparking fear within the Jewish community. Just over a week later, on March 23, ambulances of a Jewish volunteer rescue organization were set on fire in front of a synagogue in London. A recent report from the American Jewish Committee showed that in 2025, “two-thirds of American Jews surveyed report that Jews in the U.S. are less secure than a year ago.” As incidents of antisemitism are on the rise globally, students, staff and faculty members reflect on how antisemitism has been addressed in academic spaces along with how Brandeis supports the Jewish community.
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On Wednesday, March 18, Prof. Anita Hill (WGS, LGLS, AAAS) hosted a fireside chat in Schwartz Hall with former district judge of Massachusetts Mark L. Wolf, titled, “The Existential Threat to the U.S. Rule of Law and Democracy and How to Counter It.” Professor Hill and Judge Wolf discussed how the politics of President Donald Trump’s administration are jeopardizing the American government’s core foundations, such as rule of law and free and fair elections. Wolf began his legal position in 1985 and retired in 2025 in order to speak out against the Trump administration.
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On Sunday, March 22, the Union Senate convened in Shapiro Campus Center 313 for their weekly meeting. The agenda included a club chartering proposal from DeisBikes, the presentation of a Senate Money Resolution, committee reports and public comment for members of the Brandeis community to voice their concerns. The meeting was called to order by Student Union Vice President Daniel Shin ’27.
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Brandeis’ chapter of the American Association of University Professors has called upon the University to end its relationship with Enterprise Rent-A-Car by May 1, 2026. Their petition explains that “Enterprise Rent-A-Car is the primary provider of [Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s] ICE’s vehicles, and is also a Brandeis preferred vendor.” The connection between Brandeis and Enterprise Rent-A-Car arises from the University’s membership in E&I Cooperative Services, which is a member-owned nonprofit service for higher education institutions founded with the intention of cutting unnecessary costs. AAUP is collecting signatures for a petition that urges the University to demand E&I cut ties with Enterprise. E&I would be forced to find a different car rental service, one that hopefully aligns with the social justice values held by the professors of AAUP and the signatories of the petition. Organizations such as Sisters of Social Service have been cutting ties with Enterprise since October of 2025. Notably, the petition does not ask Brandeis to yield its membership in E&I, which has given Enterprise business from all of its members who require a car rental service.
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In a March 23 email to the Brandeis student population, Student Union President Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27 announced the candidates for the upcoming spring election cycle. The email included candidate information for the upcoming academic year and proposed amendments to the Constitution.
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On Saturday, March 21, a student band gave a public concert co-hosted by Basement Records and Cru Brandeis in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium. The band was composed of students in Basement Records and Cru, and they performed Christian songs themed around worship and love. Free food and refreshments were provided, and Cru gave away bracelets and stickers.
(03/17/26 10:00am)
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 subscribers and changes to leadership that further sank the paper.
(03/17/26 10:00am)
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.
(03/17/26 10:00am)
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.
(03/17/26 10:00am)
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.
(03/17/26 10:00am)
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 Profs. Melissa Johannes (LGLS), Charlotte Powley (LGLS), Josh Wolk (JOUR) and Phillipe Wells (BUS). Plates of whipped cream were provided and used for the pieing, while CAB also offered students an assortment of pies to enjoy. Students were encouraged to partake in the event, whether they wanted to pie a volunteer or grab a slice of pie.
(03/17/26 10:00am)
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.
(03/17/26 10:00am)
The Anti–Defamation League, a civil rights organization focused on combatting anti-Jewish hate, released its 2026 report card on March 26 and awarded the University an “A” for its efforts to combat campus antisemitism.
(03/10/26 10:00am)
On Friday, March 6 at 2:00 p.m., Fight Authoritarianism Brandeis — a new group on campus — held a protest at the base of the Rabb steps to speak out against the government’s recent actions in Iran. The protest was led by Prof. Sabine von Mering (WGS, CGES) and approximately seven FAB members. The new group is unaffiliated with Brandeis in an official capacity, but comprises of students, staff and faculty with the mission of standing together “against ICE and authoritarian threats.” A statement on their Instagram page — @fab_brandeis — reads, “We stand in solidarity with our undocumented neighbors, actively resisting the reach of ICE and organizing to ensure our community remains a sanctuary of safety and dignity for all.”
(03/10/26 10:00am)
Over the past few weeks, campus Wi-Fi has been unstable, causing frustration and concern among students at a time of high academic stress. Many of the disruptions come from problems connecting to eduroam, which is the secure Wi-Fi network used by Brandeis and many universities worldwide.
(03/10/26 10:00am)
Speculation has arisen about the future of East Quadrangle following the 2026-27 school year. East is divided into four halls: Hassenfeld-Krivof, Shapiro House, Pomerantz-Rubenstein and Swig. Over the years, the residential quad has gained a negative reputation among the community, with students reporting unsanitary living conditions and complaints about the facilities. While the University has yet to comment publicly on the space’s future, many students have speculated that the living area will be torn down following the 2026-27 academic year.
(03/10/26 10:00am)
On Thursday, Feb. 26, Brandeis alum Ravi Simon ’19 hosted a kickoff for his campaign as state representative. Simon, who is currently aide to State Representative Carmine Gentile, is running to replace Gentile after he announced that he would not be running for re-election this year. Though Gentile was unable to attend the event, he was spoken of fondly by many of the night’s speakers. The kickoff was held inside the First Parish of Sudbury in a crowded room filled with dozens of supporters. Dark blue posters with the words “Ravi Simon for State Rep” decorated every table and across each wall. The Democratic Representative for the Middlesex and Worcester district, Jamie Eldridge, introduced Simon to the crowd. Eldridge spoke about Simon’s many years of service and accomplishments, describing him as an individual who is “passionate about service and committed to
(03/10/26 10:00am)
On March 5, the Department of Student Engagement held it’s second annual Ragefest for students as part of it’s First Thursdays series co-hosted by the Department of Orientation and First Year Experience. Over 40 students participated in smashing items from laptops to glass bowls. Brandeis students brought the energy and took advantage of the opportunity to let out some steam and midterm-related stress in the Shapiro Campus Center.
(03/10/26 10:00am)
On Feb. 13, Brandeis faculty debated three motions during their monthly meeting. The first motion concerned the establishment of a finance major. The movement was headed by Prof. Debarshi Nandy (BUS, ECON) who outlined the increase in demand for finance programs. He has worked to curate “finance, technology and society” courses and believed that a finance major had potential to attract new students. There was no debate concerning this motion during the meeting, and it was passed after a vote. The second motion, introduced by Vice Provost of Undergraduate Affairs Jeffrey Shoulson, involved a plethora of minor changes to the Brandeis Core requirements. Most of these changes involved nomenclature. The “Foundational Literacies” component would be renamed to “Core Competencies,” while the current “Digital Literacy” component would be renamed to “Technologies.” The “Global Engagement” requirement would be renamed to “Global Engagement and Justice.” Lastly, the “Schools of Thought” would be renamed to “Areas of Inquiry.” On a more substantial level, the motion aimed to add “Teamwork and Collaboration” as a new core competency with a one-class requirement. Additionally, all double-counting restrictions within the core curriculum would be lifted except for those pertaining to first-year seminars along with the level 10 and level 20 foreign language courses. Students are still permitted to count 30-level languages for two requirements. There was substantial debate concerning this motion. Some faculty members brought up concerns that these changes were rushed, while others encouraged its passage as a first step towards making more substantial changes to the Brandeis Core. The motion was ultimately passed. The third motion was the most controversial. It had previously been a part of the second motion’s revisions to the Brandeis Core, but was separated in order to improve the chances of the other Core changes passing the second motion. Shoulson once again introduced the motion. “Resolved, that the World Languages and Cultures requirement be amended to specify a proficiency level equivalent to one year of college-level study. Students will typically achieve this by successfully completing a second-semester course (normally numbered in the 20s) or demonstrating equivalent proficiency and knowledge acquired prior to Brandeis.” Many faculty members had strong opinions about this motion. Several professors advocated against its passage. These arguments included that novice-level proficiency is not meaningful in the context of becoming a global citizen, that level 30 language classes are a valuable form of student enrichment and community development and that this proposed change could cause faculty retention issues. Professors who advocated in favor of this motion argued that students should be able to choose how they spend their time. Many pointed out that Brandeis students are naturally inclined to become broadly-educated citizens no matter their area of study, and that the three-semester language requirement can cause difficulties for students who take on substantial coursework, such as pre-med students. There was an apparent subject-area divide amongst faculty who advocated for and against this motion. Nearly all who spoke in favor of the motion were STEM faculty, while most who spoke against it represented the arts, humanities or social sciences. Ultimately, the third motion was not approved and the three-level language requirement will remain unchanged.
