Letter to the Editor — Marc Sapir
Brandeis Alumni Newsletter Editor:
Use the field below to perform an advanced search of The Justice archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query.
Brandeis Alumni Newsletter Editor:
Dear Editor,
Boston University Law Professor Raphael Stern’s discussion about any contention that may exist about Israel’s borders as reported by Chava Thiell appears to ignore the controlling international law concerning Israel’s status: Article 80 of the United Nations Charter, an international treaty, that supercedes any resolution of the Security Council or General Assembly that may conflict with it. (“Making Israel’s Legal Space: Discussions About International Law”).
Entering the Brandeis libraries at this time of year, you’re more than likely to see the building overflowing with people in all directions. Surprised that everybody had the same idea as you, you might settle for the last seat available on a couch in front of Starbucks or somberly retire to your dorm room to study in solitude. Sure, the library is a hotspot for socializing and productivity alike, but why exactly is it that there always seems to be such a surplus of people within its confines at all hours of the day, whether it be morning or even up to its closing at 2 a.m.?
Grad is not that bad.
Farewells are always challenging, but as the end of the fall semester approaches, it’s time to say goodbye to those who are graduating early. Graduating and receiving an undergraduate degree is a remarkable accomplishment that takes endless hours of hard work, dedication and focus. With this in mind, The Justice Editorial Board congratulates all who are graduating in December, and wants to take this opportunity to honor Justice Arts and Culture Editor Maeve Coakley ’25 who will be graduating in the coming weeks.
Every fall at Brandeis, students may wake up on a Wednesday with a Tuesday class schedule, or on a day when there are no classes for reasons unbeknownst to them. These days off may provide opportunities for relaxation and relief, but so much time off in October always leads to a messy midterms schedule, and this semester, it meant finals end on Dec. 22. While a secular university, Brandeis follows the Jewish calendar and gives days off accordingly. A small fraction of the student body requires all of this time off for religious purposes, leaving the rest of the student body to navigate the unclear class schedule. This editorial board believes that the unequal value given to some class times and the lack of organization for midterms could be addressed by a clearer class schedule regarding time off for religious holidays in the fall.
There has been a recent discussion in The Brandeis Hoot about the downfall of the novel due to capitalism. To me, this seems like a surface-level argument. The novel chosen as the pinnacle of “pre-capitalist” peak literature in this debate is George Eliot’s 1871 novel “Middlemarch,” a novel that astute readers might point out was written and released at the end of the Victorian period, a time during which capitalism had already sunk its fangs deep into the anglophone world, as demonstrated by Mark Twain referring to the period in American history as the Gilded Age. So, is “Middlemarch” truly unaffected by capitalism? Probably not, but that is neither here nor there.
At Brandeis, there seems to be an unspoken rule: “If you’re not busy, you’re not doing enough.” Every conversation seems to begin with a schedule rundown of every club meeting that has to be attended, the endless amounts of essays, homework and midterms — probably due within the next 24 hours and, usually, those conversations end with an apology since it is hard to find time to hang out in the midst of the endless flow of work.
To the editor,
Historically, America has killed fascists
We have reached a point in our world where Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, bringing with it ethical and logistical challenges. In educational spaces, this new technology often means reckoning with multiple conflicting truths: On one hand, AI is a useful tool with increasing relevance in everyday life. On the other hand, it can be used as a false replacement for exercises in learning and critical thinking. As these considerations persist, the Brandeis community continues to grapple with its usage in our classrooms.
With course registration on the horizon, I wanted to give a few tips, tricks and recommendations I’ve collected during my time at Brandeis. For more specific advice, you should meet with your academic advisor and consult your department head to make sure you stay on track to complete your major.
Dating apps have come a long way since the now-archaic computerized dating services that first rose to prominence in the 1960s. Since then, decades of digital advancements and software innovations have refined dating apps with highly efficient features designed to match the user to others based on specific dating preferences and common interests, creating a vast pool of people to choose from. However, the ubiquity of apps like Tinder, Hinge and Grindr, begs the question — are dating apps truly a good way to find a partner? With almost 50% of college students reporting using them, as of 2023, these apps boast convenience and speedy match-making, yet a laundry list of cons, risks and flaws are entailed in their usage. The spaces created by these apps can seem confusing and contradictory, with great disparity between intention and outcome creating insecurity and harm where the apps promise success.
Protecting the Global Fund and PEPFAR
The 2025 government shutdown is now officially the longest in U.S. history, having reached 36 days on Wednesday, Nov. 5 — and there is no clear end in sight, as disagreements over allocations of government funding remain firmly gridlocked. The shutdown has innumerable consequences, not only to the daily functioning of the government but also to the wellbeing of U.S. residents. One such consequence is the potential budget cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps to provide food for low-income families and individuals. With nearly 41 million people in the United States dependent on SNAP for sufficient access to food, it is a major concern that this program may be impacted by the shutdown.
Like many other schools in the Greater Boston area, Brandeis offers a free shuttle service directly into the city Friday through Sunday. However, students who are looking to go into Boston during the week are forced to take the commuter rail train, drive or Uber to wherever they’re trying to go. For most, these means of transportation are costly and inconvenient.
CONTENT WARNING: This article contains mentions of suicide.