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Over the summer, Brandeis University quietly terminated the Office of Sustainability, calling into question both current and future sustainability initiatives at the University.
When entering the creative arts field where many aspects of the industry can be unpredictable and unfamiliar to undergraduate students, the mentorship of those who have come before can be invaluable. Recently, The Justice had the pleasure of speaking with associate producer and independent documentary filmmaker Alissa Fagin ’20 about the advice she wished she had received as a Brandeis student starting out in the film world.
Jiayue (Cindy) Liu ’26 is currently majoring in anthropology and minoring in studio art. She is from China, and her journey with art started with doing Chinese calligraphy when she was six. She officially began learning studio art in 2022 during her first year at Brandeis when she took the introduction to painting class. In the past two years, she has decided to continue having art as an integral piece of her life. She considers herself a keen observer of life, always paying attention to the world around her and expressing it through drawing and painting. She believes that art allows her to act as an “organ” that could transform her observations into visible forms. She enjoys the process of seeing things, interpreting them in her mind and expressing her insights through visual art.
The enticing scent of liquid yellow butter combined with the crackle of popcorn can be a unique sensory experience that encourages movie theater goers to enter the halls of brightly lit poster displays, life-sized cardboard cutouts, and bond over arts, entertainment and occasionally the overpriced tickets and pretending that $10 for a tub of popcorn is a reasonable price, all in the name of escaping reality for a couple of hours. Arts and entertainment can not only hold the potential to transport viewers to alternate universes, but to unify movie goers of all backgrounds. Yet, in recent days, the Embassy Theater on Pine Street in Waltham has become entangled in controversy.
Every fall semester is a time for possibility and growth. Each year, we watch a new group of first-years eagerly explore the campus they now call home, excited to meet new people and embrace the change that comes with starting one’s college career.
In an Aug. 14 email to the Brandeis community, President Ronald Liebowitz welcomed students back to campus, sharing summer updates and upcoming changes to the 2024-25 academic year.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
The first day of classes was full of music and art as students gathered in front of the Spingold Theatre center for the All-Arts Welcome Party. The event was open to all Brandeis students, from those who study and participate in the arts to those who appreciate the arts.
During the early days of June, students took Sidechat, an anonymous forum app designed for college communities, to express anger regarding the rumored elimination of Brandeis Arts Engagement. Brandeis Arts Engagement had long been a vital resource for students involved in or interested in the arts. For years, it provided crucial support and opportunities for artistic growth and expression. As such, the Sidechat post caused quite a stir. At the time, many students were unclear about what the end of Arts Engagement meant, let alone if there was any concrete proof supporting the rumor. However, amidst news of numerous faculty layoffs and program cuts, the possibility of the program’s end was not out of the question.
Visual art and storytelling are powerful tools for bridging the gap between our individual perspectives, offering unique ways to express, interpret and connect with shared human experiences. While many turn to artistic mediums to convey their own perceptions, Brandeis alumni Alissa Fagin ’20 utilizes documentary filmmaking to explore the subjective experiences of others. Fagin’s work is unique in that it blends science and art together through filmmaking, ultimately communicating “science in a way that’s nuanced and emotional” and capturing the subjectivity still prevalent in a concrete field.
In the afternoon of May 19, graduate students of the Brandeis Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis International Business School and Rabb School of Continuing Studies gathered in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, where they celebrated the university’s 73rd commencement exercises. Giving the Graduate Student Address was Peter Thabet, a graduate of the International Business School, earning a masters in business administration.
On May 19, students, faculty, administration, family and friends came together to celebrate the Brandeis graduate school Class of 2024. The ceremony acknowledged students from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis International Business School and the Rabb School of Continuing Studies, as well as gave out honorary degrees to Rabbi David Ellenson and Ruth Simmons.
As a part of Brandeis University’s 73rd undergraduate commencement, acclaimed director Ken Burns received an honorary Doctorate of Creative Arts and gave an address to the Brandeis class of 2024. Burns is well-known for his historical documentaries and television series, which cover a wide range of topics in United States history. He is especially well known for his documentaries “Civil War,” “Baseball,” “Jazz” and “The U.S. and the Holocaust.” Over the course of his career, Burns has won a plethora of awards, including two Oscar nominations, 17 Emmy Awards and two Grammy Awards. In 2022, Burns was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
For centuries, art has not merely functioned as a demonstration of aesthetics — it has served as a vital avenue for self-expression, communication and connection. If we turn to history, art has been a platform for communities of color to assert their identities and narratives in a world that often silences their voices.
Comedy has an incredible power to help us navigate some of the most complex and emotionally taxing experiences. A moment of genuine laughter can lift spirits, foster unexpected connections and create space for people to escape and face the challenges of life. In her one-woman performance, put on in conjunction with the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts, Brandeis alum Zoë Rose ’20 used her humor for the very purpose of inspiring audiences to look inward.
The fourth Dialogue and Action in the Age of Divides panel discussion was held on April 2, with the intention of discussing social media’s role in influencing modern discourse. Moderated by Deb K. Roy, the Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and Director of Center for Constructive Communication at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, sets the foundation of the conversation by denoting ‘constructive dialogue.’ “Those forms of communication … foster an authentic and accurate understanding of others,” Roy said. “We can contrast that with the various forms of communication that might amplify, inaccurate and overly simplify stereotypes of others.” After listing statistics related to the political divides in the country and clarifying the value of constructive dialogue with regards to strengthening communities and institutions, the panelists began to chime in.
On April 13, director Sam Ho ’20, visited the University to screen his documentary, Hero Camp!. The screening took place in Mandel G03, and was followed by a brief Q&A with a couple of the documentary’s primary subjects and part of the production team alongside Ho. The event was part of the 2024 Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts.