Brandeis' United We Stand (BBUWS), saying it was threatened with a hostile takeover, said it stands united against club filibustering, proposing amendments to its constitution and privatizing its mailing list. These measures were taken preemptively after club members became aware of an e-mail which "outlined in depth how to use our constitution against us to take over our club," BUWS President Mira Meyerovich '03 said in a forum discussion she created on my.brandeis.edu.

The e-mail in question, sent by Daniel Mauer '06 to the Antiwar Planning list server, explained that, "you can become a member (of BUWS) by attending one meeting and that, following that, you can vote on proposed amendments to their constitution."

"Let's just say I wouldn't be too terribly opposed to a hostile takeover (although I clearly would never support a hostile takeover)," Mauer's e-mail said.

Meyerovich and her co-legionaries became aware of this e-mail after Mauer, North Quad senator and the sponsor of a proposed referendum declaiming U.S. military intervention in Iraq, unexpectedly joined the BUWS list server.

Meyerovich claims she knew Mauer to be "a prominent anti-war activist," and "in the spirit of mutual information," she and other BUWS leaders proceeded to browse the archives of the Antiwar Planning list server, stumbling upon the e-mail.

Mauer was subsequently excised from the BUWS mailing list.

In response, Mauer sent responses to both the United We Stand and Antiwar Planning lists, apologizing and assuring that his proposals were made in jest.

"I have no intention of attempting to take over any club -- United We Stand or any other," Mauer wrote. "I can see after re-reading the e-mail I sent why people would not have seen that my comments were a joke. I apologize very much for that, as I sometimes forget that e-mail can't express the humorous tone that I intended."

When asked to comment, Mauer reiterated these sentiments. "The e-mail was just intended to brighten everyone's spirits a little," he said. "I certainly don't want to take over any clubs."

Nonetheless, this incident has provoked United We Stand to take action in protection of its sovereignty. Club leaders have decided alter their constitution to include a clause whereby "if someone joins the club to change the constitution, they can be kicked out," Meyerovich said.

"It's basically designed to prevent anything like what was described in the e-mail from happening," she continued. "Although at this point, it's really unlikely that anything's going to happen."

Also, the club's list server now requires the approval of the moderator in order to join.

Meyerovich also created a discussion forum on the my.brandeis.edu Web site to decry what some people see as anti-conservative sentiment at Brandeis. The forum is entitled "persecution of conservatives on campus."

"This is not an isolated incident," Meyerovich said in a Wednesday post. "The Republican club has lost its office with no explanation... BUWS fliers are being defaced. Conservative and patriotic student decorations on dorm doors are being vandalized...."

Meyerovich and other BUWS members have refused to go on the record regarding dorm decoration vandalism.

As for the defacement of BUWS fliers, club secretary and public relations officer Joshua Wiznitzer '03 explained the extent of the damage.

"One of the signs just had the word 'moo' written all over it. One of them just had the big yellow ribbon on it totally scribbled out," he said. "One of them had 'This can't happen at Brandeis' written on it. Sometimes there were just a bunch of peace signs."

When asked about allegations of unfair treatment of conservatives on campus, Mauer said, "it is certainly possible that the conservative clubs are being discriminated against."

"But it is also possible that things are just happening," he said. "I can certainly understand why things which are just everyday, normal occurrences can be interpreted as being discrimination. It's a touch issue, the whole thing."

Tobias Harris '05, editor of the campus conservative-libertarian publication Concord Bridge, seemed to agree with Mauer's assessment of the situation.

"There may be individuals who missed the part about liberal democracy including free speech (all across the political spectrum)," he said, "but most people seem to respect others' opinions, if not agree with them, when the proponents argue in a calm, rational manner rather than engaging in ideological guerrilla warfare."

"If we compare it to other universities, it's really not a bad place to be," he said.