Article misrepresented HiattIn response to your article "School should rethink its career services" (Forum, Oct. 5):

I am writing on behalf of the Hiatt Career Center. We would like to correct the factual errors in Mr. Mermelstein's article and help students better understand the process of career development vs. job placement.

Please know that we openly encourage and appreciate feedback and are glad that the Justice wants to foster dialogue about how the University can best serve the career needs of students.

As Mr. Mermelstein notes, given the current academic climate, this can understandably be an anxious time for students thinking about their steps after graduation.

That said, the Brandeis education serves students well.

Brandeis students have been very successful in gaining employment within 6 months of graduation-the standard benchmark in higher education.

The classes of '08 and '09 were employed at rates of 96 percent and 94 percent, respectively, nearly 20 percent higher than the national average during a very bleak economic period (we will have 2010 data in the next 6 months).

For those alumni still job searching, all of Hiatt's services are available to all alumni for life-something very few schools offer. The article also incorrectly asserts that the majority of internships available to University students are unpaid, when, in fact, the overwhelming majority of internships are paid.

Moreover, Mr. Mermelstein categorizes the fall career fair as the penultimate event for students who want to connect with employers when it should be viewed as the first among a diverse, varied approach to make students aware of opportunities available to them.

There is much more to come, including four industry-specific career summits and forums, career fairs in five cities across the country during winter break and Skype networking meetings with long-distance employers, including those abroad who want to hire Brandeis students.

In the last week alone, for example, Hiatt hosted the U.S. Department of State and a leading economic consulting firm, prepared students applying for a fashion internship open only to a select number of schools and secured paid internship opportunities for students who want to work in government.

We will have to make it a higher priority to better educate students on the nuances of their specific fields of interest so that they may strategically and effectively market themselves. Job search timelines vary widely by field. For example, finance and some federal government employers are recruiting now, whereas marketing and environmental employers generally recruit in the spring.

Although we appreciate the kind comments about how helpful the Hiatt staff can be in preparing students for interviews and producing strong résumés, we want to dissuade students from thinking that Hiatt is a résumé service. Writing and submitting a résumé is merely one component of an effective search strategy.

Career development is a transformative process.

Students need to integrate their career exploration throughout their Brandeis career by taking ownership of the process-reflecting on their interests, engaging in career exploration and networking with potential employers.

Hiatt staff, faculty and other members of the Brandeis community can be very helpful in this process.

To that end, Hiatt agrees with the article that parents, alumni and friends of Brandeis can be an excellent resource for students, and we are actively working with the Alumni Relations team and others at the University so that the student professional support network is as robust as possible.

-Joseph Du Pont, Esq.

The writer is dean of the Hiatt Career Center.



Community alert was unnecessary

In response to your editorial "Thefts merrited communiy alert" (Oct. 5):

The entire community should have been warned?

You guys get 800s on your SATs and you need someone to tell you to secure your belongings at all times, and you throw a hissy fit if you don't get warned?

I won't trust anyone under 60 to take out my appendix.

-Paul Trusten R.Ph. '73



BEMCo quote was misleading

In response to your article "BEMCo

Beginnings" (Features, Oct 5):

On behalf of the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps Executive Board, we feel the need to clarify a quote in this article. BEMCo strives to provide the highest quality patient care and customer service to all we come in contact with.

The writer quotes to imply that BEMCo will treat and release all patients on scene with no cost to the student.

However, if the crew chief or on-duty supervisor determines the need for advanced medical care, BEMCo is obligated to dispatch further care and is not responsible for the costs of the ambulance or hospital care.

We advise all of our patients of their treatment and transport options, and most of the time, whether we dispatch further care or not, patients are free to refuse or decline services.

BEMCo is proud of our progress over the past 28 years and is honored to care for the Brandeis community.

-Seth Merker '11

The writer is director of BEMco and also a clinical supervisor for the organization.



Clarify information on cage-free eggs

In response to your article "University should serve only cage-free eggs" (Oct. 5):

The article states that most schools don't pass the costs on to the consumer, or if they do, the meal plan cost increases by $7 to $10, which is a small fraction of the meal plan cost.

I know at many other schools they have all-you-can-eat single meal plans like we have at Sherman Dining Hall, so the overall meal plan cost is the only place it can be passed on.

Since Brandeis also has an Oe la carte meal-plan option, which is used at all but one of the dining locations, the cost of individual items is another area that the costs can be passed to the consumer, and in fact, you currently have to pay more for cage-free eggs when you request them in Usdan Boulevard and Café.

There are also other foods that are cooked with eggs, like baked goods, which could incorporate the higher input costs into their final price.

Do you have any data on the prices of egg- based items at schools with la carte meal plans after making the shift?

-Josh Waizer '11



Joe Linsey was mischaracterized

In response to your article "The drowning of a pool" (Features, Sep 14):

As a Brandeis alumnus and parent, I was disappointed by your incomplete portrayal of Joseph M. Linsey. The article failed to capture the depth of his dedication to Brandeis that extended far beyond construction of the Linsey Pool.

Joe's philanthropy touched every part of Brandeis from the late 1950s until his death in 1994.

He strengthened the University through his gifts in support of athletics, student scholarships and fellowships and academic programs. He was a trusted and dear friend of founding President Abram Sachar and responded to the University's needs each and every day.

In the early 1960s, Joe chaired a major fundraising campaign.

In just 3 years, the campaign secured millions of dollars for Brandeis, including two prestigious grants from the Ford Foundation.

The Brandeis athletics program would not exist as it does today without Joe's leadership, commitment and support. He gave students the opportunity to pursue athletic as well as academic excellence.

Joe's induction into what is now the Joseph M. Linsey Athletic Hall of Fame and the establishment of the Linsey Fellowship in his honor are true measures of the esteem in which Joe was held by Brandeis. I would suggest that a more appropriate characterization of Joe Linsey would be that he was a true mensch who made life better for so many.

-Nate Lubofsky '58

The writer works in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.