January'Deis gets iced: A blast of arctic air heralds 2004's spring semester. On one Friday, temperatures drop to 15 degrees below zero, breaking local records and creating an epidemic of homesickness among Brandeis' Northeastern newcomers. "Californians aren't holding up well," Marc Lowe '05, a native of San Francisco, said on behalf of people from warmer parts of the country.

Record high for marijuana cases: Shawn McGuirk, the University's chief disciplinary officer, reports a significant increase of marijuana cases referred to the University Board on Student Conduct. Dan Schleifstein '05, then the UBSC co-chair, attributes the rise to a growing acceptance of casual marijuana use. "Students often come to us and say that they were only smoking pot," he said.

Danielle Fitzpatrick scores 1,000th point: The powerhouse center scores 32 points-including her 1,000th career point at Brandeis-in a Jan. 25 women's basketball game against Washington University in St. Louis. She is the sixth woman in Brandeis history to reach this mark.

New financial amendment in effect: An amendment to the Student Union constitution introduces sweeping changes to the management of the Student Activities Fee, which funds all Union clubs and events. Most notably, clubs are now required to submit financial disclosures detailing what funds they get and where they go.



February

Curriculum gets boost of diversity: Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Marty Krauss announces a new plan to diversify the curriculum. Students and administrators said the diversity initiatives were a consequence of controversial events on-campus notably during the fall of 2004, when an allusion to a racial epithet was published in the Justice. "While I'm really glad that the administration is trying to do something to help with this issue, I'm not sure some of these steps will really help," Nick Freeman '05 said. "Will [diversity] classes act as eye-openers for the campus at large or will they only attract students who are already open-minded and dedicated to fostering pluralism?"

Zetlins eat AEPi in IM Bowl: The Burning Zetlins routed the team from Alpha Epsilon Pi. Ben Oh '04 scored two rushing touchdowns and made a game-clinching interception.

Cheryl Sousa named interim AD: After the unexpected resignation of Jeff Cohen, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy appointed the longtime Brandeis athletic staffer to the post.

COSI teaching assistant dies: 29-year-old Ming Ming Hao was found in her Waltham home, taken to an area hospital and died on the morning of Feb. 22. Hao spent over two years at Brandeis, after graduating from McGill University in Montreal. She was known as a tenacious and artistic student. "It's really so tragic when a young woman loses her life, especially when she had finished her education and was ready to move on to the next stage of her life," said Timothy Hickey (COSI).



March

'Pass-Fail' anonymity threatened: Opposition quickly follows a closed vote by the University's Curriculum Committee to propose eliminating pass-fail anonymity, so professors would know which students elected to take a course pass-fail. Critics of the proposal fear that students using the option would be treated differently by professors, some of whom, they argue, resent pass-fail. "Dean Jaffe promised that if we ended anonymity, professors could approach pass/fail students more easily," North Quad Senator Aaron Gaynor said. "I really think it will create a bias. While most professors will fulfill their duties, others might take advantage of the fact that a student is taking pass/fail, and not spend as much time evaluating their work."

Students safe after Madrid train bombings: While the city is a perennial study-abroad hotspot, Brandeis students in Madrid were unaffected by the terrorist attacks on four commuter trains which killed over 200 people there on March 11. On the evening after the attack, Nathaniel Westheimer '05 joined Spaniards for a demonstration against the violence. "For me, it meant standing by Spain during its time of loss, as it, to me, has been an amazing source of inspiration and hospitality," he said in an e-mail.

John Mayer plays at Gosman: 4,500 people pack into Gosman on March 14 to watch Atlanta's pretty boy croon. His now-signature songs were met with glee, especially from a section of Brandeis' female population.

Schlangel wins in landslide: Joshua Brandfon '05, the incumbent, lost to Finance Board Chair Mark Schlangel '05 by a mandate. Less than one third of the student body voted in the Union elections. "Erect Schlangel" was the psychology major's campaign slogan. Some Union officials attributed this to his victory, though some said it was inappropriate.

Arson strikes first-year residences: The trash can that was set ablaze on March 28 in North Quad is one in a string of at least seven alleged acts of arson. Public Safety officials investigate but cannot identify any suspects. In April, the acts lead to policy shifts in the department of Residence Life, including a rule that barred posters from being attached to dormitory walls.



April

Heller celebrates its 45th birthday: Senator Ted Kennedy, speaks at the social policy school, now ranked third in the nation. Dean of the Heller School Jack Shonkoff is honored for a decade of service. Before delivering his address on forming a strong middle class, Kennedy commented on the occasion. "This is an extraordinary anniversary with leaders who contribute greatly to social justice and commonwealth across the nation," Kennedy said. "It's an honor to be a part of this."

FMLA students march on Washington: Wearing pink shirts that read "This is what a feminist looks like," Kate Pouilliard '06, Marissa Collins '06 and Maggie Frye '04-the leaders of Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance-and around 100 other students from the Brandeis chapter of the FMLA join together for the "March for Women's Lives." "It was a little awkward to be a guy here today, especially with some chants having to do with leaving my ovaries alone," said Jon Winstone '07, who noticed many other men at the march. "It was really inspiring to know that so many men are willing to stand up for women's rights along side one another."

Brandeis alumna wanted by F.B.I.: A spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation told a Justice reporter that Aafia Siddiqui was being sought for her connection to al Qaeda. The former Brandeis Ph.D. student was identified by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as a "fixer"-someone who provided logistical support for terrorist operations.



May

World Bank president paints a promising, albeit uncertain, future: In his speech to 1,114 seniors and graduate students, James D. Wolfensohn speaks to graduates about the challenging world they are about to enter-one filled with hope but also with inequity. "This is a world where each one of you has a responsibility, where each one of you can make a difference," he said. "It is a world we are bequeathing and handing over to you that is not in the best possible shape."



July

Sawyer promoted to VP: Rick Sawyer receives increased responsibilities with his promotion to associate vice president for student affairs. The promotion was part of a continuing effort by Jean Eddy, the vice president of students and enrollment, to consolidate departments within the University. The Health Center, the Counseling Center, the Athletic Department and the Chaplaincy were all sections of the University which previously reported to Eddy; they were made Sawyer's responsibility.



August

Ziv residents waterlogged in sprinkler deluge: A sprinkler head bursts in Ziv 130, flooding suite 403. "I opened the door to their suite and it looked like a torrential downpour, and there were people running around with buckets trying to save their stuff," said Lisa Debin '06, a Ziv resident.



September

Gordie refutes Frontpagemag.com story: Prof Gordon Fellman (SOC) is accused by the Web site hosted by conservative pundit David Horowitz. "Entirely inaccurate," is how Fellman describes the article which accused him of indoctrinating students into an ultra-liberal mindset-one that holds the United States in extreme disdain. "To me, patriotism includes criticizing the government," Fellman said.

With thefacebook.com, "poking" becomes de rigueur: Brandeis students registers in droves for the Facebook, a Web site that hosts profiles of students, allowing them to locate long-lost friends among other services. "To me, it seems like just a way for people to add up their friends and list their friends," Tessa Venell '07 said. "There is no purpose except to look at your friends and their profiles."

Makiya rumored to be new Iraqi ambassador: The Washington Post prints a rumor that names Prof. Kanan Makiya (NEJS), the noted Iraqi dissident, as a possible choice for the Iraqi ambassador to the United States. "He's the right man for the job and it will be very exciting to have a Brandeis professor, a NEJS professor, in Washington doing this," said Mark Brettler, chair of the department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies.



October

Red Sox wins World Series: For some ecstatic fans, the historical baseball victory promted celebrations and some cancelled classes.

Modfest a no-go: As a result of safety concerns and past noise complaints, ModFest, the semesterly celebration that unites revelers in the Foster Mods, is suspended indefinitely. The action prompts a passionate response from community members-especially some Union senators and Mod residents-who fight to schedule ModFest in December, with increased security precautions. The event is eventually cancelled due to cold weather.

Jaffe proposes classics cut: Before Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe's complete proposals came to light, classics professors rallied against his recommendation that their department be cut, along with the teaching of ancient Greek. "This is a man who is driven by numbers," said Prof. Ann Koloski-Ostrow (CLAS), referring to Jaffe. "Just because my department attracts fewer students, he wants to close us down." Jaffe announced that all departments are under review and explains that the classics recommendation is part of a comprehensive plan to restructure the curriculum, which he estimates will affect up to 10 percent of the faculty.

Friedman comes to campus to welcome new J-program: Three-time Pulitzer prize winning columnist Thomas Friedman '75 speaks at a celebration for the new Investigative Journalism Program, headed by Florence Graves, who broke the story on former U.S. Senator Bob Packwood's sexual misconduct for the Washington Post.



November

Bush wins: President Bush wins another term in office, much to the chagrin of Brandeis' largely liberal student body. Republican students issue flyers celebrating the event.