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On April 21, the Brandeis Democrats hosted “The Supreme Court: Legitimacy and the Future,” a panel discussion featuring Prof. Daniel Breen (LGLS) and Prof. Jeffrey Lenowitz (POL). The panel brought the two professors together to discuss “all things Supreme Court,” according to the Brandeis Democrats’ weekly email.
On April 23, the Center for Spiritual Life hosted a memorial service for the lives lost within the Brandeis community over the last year.
This year’s annual Deis Impact festival of social justice showcased a wide variety of programs. Highlights from the event, which ran from April 7 to April 12, include: a workshop on the Migration of Caste, a keynote speech from Jose Antonio Vargas, a 7-Day Neurodiversity Challenge and a faculty panel that discussed immigration policy and social justice under the Biden Administration. This year’s Deis Impact theme was “Reflections on Im/Migration,” focusing on immigration, migration, asylum-seeking, refugee experiences, xenophobia, citizenship and nationality, according to the event website. Members of the Justice attended several of these events.
The Every Voice Coalition — a student- and survivor-led organization working to pass survivor-centered legislation to prevent campus sexual violence — spearheaded efforts to pass a recent Massachusetts bill. After five long years of grassroots advocacy and organizing in which Massachusetts college students played a key role, the bipartisan bill S.2979, commonly known as the Every Voice Bill, was signed into law on Jan. 12, 2021, according to a March 25 email from Bella Fong, Every Voice Coalition National Development Fellow and National Communications Director for Outreach, to the Justice.
The Brandeis Board of Trustees agreed to extend President Ron Liebowitz’s contract for five years, according to an April 9 email from Liebowitz to the Brandeis community.
As climate change becomes an increasingly urgent issue, climate-friendly lifestyle choices are gaining popularity. On April 6, the Center for German and European Studies hosted “Could Veganism Cool the Planet? A Conversation with Vegan Activist ‘Earthling Ed,’ Ed Winters.” Ed Winters is the co-founder and co-director of Surge, an animal rights non-profit organization. Following his introduction, Winters discussed the role of veganism in the climate movement with the founder of 350PDX, Adriana Voss-Andreae, Surge Project Manager Tatiana von Rheinbaben and 18-year-old climate and animal rights advocate Juliana Voss-Andreae. The event was moderated by Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL).
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
A Forbes Magazine article reported staggering data about the price of university and college tuition in the United States — the average cost of a four-year college rose by 497% between 1985 and 2018, which is more than twice the rate of inflation. While this increase alone continues to cause a financial burden on tuition-payers, the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have worsened this burden. Most universities that switched to remote learning in spring 2020 continued to charge the same tuition that was charged prior to the pandemic, according to the article.
Jewish communities and individuals around the world observed Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom HaShoah in Hebrew, on April 8. The day is an internationally acknowledged commemoration of the atrocities of the Holocaust in which six million Jews perished. In Israel, a siren sounds and everything stops — including traffic and pedestrians — and for two minutes everyone stands in silence to commemorate the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Other communities around the world commemorate with services, educational programs, survivor stories, Holacaust themed films and more.
On Tuesday, April 6, U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed that all adults will become eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations beginning on April 19. The move marks a shift from original official projections of vaccine availability back in January, and a change in Biden’s foreshadowing that everyone would be eligible by May 1, a prediction he offered in March. Since their initiation, states' registration processes to sign up for vaccine appointments have been a source of frustration for many people across the country. How has the vaccine rollout program worked for — or neglected — particular communities? What challenges might this new rollout plan, which coincides with multiple states lowering restrictions on social distancing, pose for achieving herd immunity?
Prof. Joseph Assan (Heller) spoke at a virtual Heller School for Social Policy and Management event on March 24 about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted “livelihood sustainability and human wellbeing.” Hosted by the Center for Global Development and Sustainability, this presentation was the third in a series of discussions centered around sustainable development.
The Center for German and European Studies hosted a panel discussion about predictions for how the COVID-19 pandemic will end. Anja Martini, a science journalist for the German radio and TV news program Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), and Prof. Elanah Uretsky (IGS) spoke at the event, with CGES Director Prof. Sabine von Mering (GER) moderating.
Students will vote on April 7 for five high-level Student Union positions for next semester: President and Vice President, Secretary, Head Treasurer and Junior Representative to the Board of Trustees.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
Dean of Students
The Union Senate met Friday, April 4 to make up for two consecutive weeks of break for the holidays. At the meeting, senators chartered five clubs and discussed facemasks and the upcoming election.
As part of their Trends in Asset Management Series, the Brandeis International Business School invited three alumni who work for multinational organizations to speak about their professional experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. Andrea Dore M.A. ’98 is the Head of Funding at the World Bank, Elida Rico M.A. ’99 is the Governance and Public Administration Officer at the United Nations, and Olaf Unteroberdoerster M.S. ’98, Ph.D. ’98 is Division Chief at the International Monetary Fund.
On Monday, Mar. 29, the Arkansas Senate passed a bill that would prohibit transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming hormone treatments and surgeries. HB 1570, the SAFE Act, would prohibit trans youth from accessing health care and insurance coverage for gender-affirming care. Doctors would be both prohibited from offering gender-affirming care to trans minors and unable to refer minors to other providers for treatment. This bill passed amid a surge of anti-trans legislation that is being considered in state legislatures across the country. On Monday, Apr. 5, Gov. Hutchinson vetoed the bill calling it a “vast government overreach.” However, considering the overwhelming Republican support, his veto is likely to be overturned. Rather than limiting trans youths' access to gender-affirming care, what are the most important protections that state governments should enact for trans people? How may this bill relate to broader discussions of medical rights for marginalized groups?