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Violence Against Women

     With the welcoming of Prof. Jutta Lindert to the Women’s Studies Research Center on Tuesday Sept. 13 came a renewed conversation about violence against women globally to campus. Lindert, a professor of public health at the Protestant University of Ludwigsburg, Germany and WSRC scholar, has spent much of her career researching health impacts on interpersonal and domestic violence and the long-term impacts of violence against women. 

Shaping the Newsroom

A newsroom, an office with a group of reporters, is a spot that records the shifts of a society. One of the most recent shifts society has seen came with the rise of digital technology, which has come to permeate the daily lives of most people. Yet even as news reporters chronicle shifts in society, they themselves can be affected by them.

The chemical makeup of art

   Tucked inside the University of Massachusetts Boston’s newly constructed University Hall, Brandeis Prof. Todd Pavlisko (FA) proudly welcomed guests to the opening of his art installation “Now’s the Time.” Pavlisko has worked with UMass for a while now; more specifically he has collaborated with Prof. Robert Carter, the director of the chemistry department. In an email interview with the Justice, Pavlisko explained, “[Carter] and I have been using chemistry and science to make art for about a year and a half. The opportunity for the exhibition came out of this collaboration.”

Bringing history to life for decades

    “American Jewish history for me was not a job, it was a career. It defined me,” said Professor Jonathan Sarna (NEJS) who, after decades of writing, publishing and teaching, has been named a University Professor. 

Creative Minds

Working toward peace

     Remy Pontes ’17 spent his summer working toward one goal: peace. Starting at the end of the spring, Pontes worked as a legislative intern for Massachusetts Peace Action (MPA). MPA is an affiliate of Peace Action, the nation’s largest grassroots funding campaign. According to their website, “For over 50 years, Peace Action has worked for an environment where all are free from violence and war.”

Cultural Connections

Many associate Cuba with communism, the Castro family and the Cold War. These Cuban stereotypes remind many Americans of another political system and cultural circumstances. Prof. Elizabeth Ferry (ANTH), who led a tour to Cuba this year as part of Brandeis Travelers program, brought back stories that challenge these stereotype. In 1961, during the heart of the Cold War, the United States banned Americans from visiting this neighbor. Things changed in 2015 when the U.S government historically restored diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Rethinking History

     “What I hope is that wherever I have been at Brandeis … that I have made something better. That’s the hope, even in small ways. And I think if we all did the small ways, we wouldn’t need anyone to do the big ways,” Prof. Emerita Susan Lanser (ENG) said in an interview with the Justice in which she discussed her most recent publication and her legacy at Brandeis. 

Building Peace

On Sunday afternoon, Dan Rugomba ’16 — brimming with confidence and a touch of nerves — walked across the stage of the International and Global Studies commencement ceremony to receive his college diploma. He never thought he would make it here.

Looking at Lisa

Following Former University President Frederick Lawrence’s departure, Interim President Lisa Lynch did a great deal more than keep a seat warm for President-elect Ronald Liebowitz. In an email interview with the Justice, Lynch reflected on her numerous endeavors this year, from gauging the campus climate on race and sexual harassment to working to improve sustainability

Theses for Thought

As the semester draws to a close, six seniors have been hard at work perfecting their English honors theses. Carmen Altes ’16, Caro Langenbucher ’16, Naomi Soman ’16, Katerina Daley ’16, Emily Wishingrad ’16 and Brianna Majsiak ’16 presented their work at a celebratory luncheon hosted by the English department on Tuesday.

Growing Community

Despite the dark clouds and steady drizzle of rain, the children of the Lemberg Children’s Center played outside happily. 

Growing Narrative

Each student in her class was asked to produce a sculpture made from a book. In a spurt of inspiration, Brontë Velez ’16 decided to cut a hole through her book’s pages and fill it with soil and a dead bouquet of flowers. 

The art from war

Last Wednesday, many gathered in the Wasserman Cinematheque, where the History department and the Film, Television and Interactive Media program co-hosted the North-American film premiere of “Verdun, They Won’t Pass.” The film is a historical documentary created by Serge de Sampigny, a French filmmaker who has written and produced three historical documentaries previously. Prof. Paul Jankowski (HIST), whose work deals primarily with the history of modern war, was the contributing historian for the documentary. 

You can have your cake and read it, too

Last Friday, Goldfarb Library hosted its third annual Edible Book Festival, in which students and faculty from the Brandeis community were invited to combine cooking ingredients with words in order to create their own edible bestsellers. 

Please Stand Up

Josh Gondelman ’07 is many things: a stand-up comic, a writer for “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver, the co-author of the widely popular @SeinfeldToday Twitter account, a former preschool teacher and a Brandeis alumnus. 

Awareness through art

A voice from the back of the theater emerged and Nyah Macklin ’16 walked down an aisle singing  “Take Me to the Water,” by Nina Simone. Simultaneously, Brontë Velez ’16 danced down the center aisle, and the sound of a violin accompaniment came as Priya DeBerry ’17 walked down the opposite side. The audience remained transfixed, and eyes followed the trio as they made their way towards the stage. 

Illustrating Activism

Janet Mock, a contributing editor for Marie Claire, a transgender rights activist and the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir “Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, & So Much More,” came to campus last Tuesday for a conversation with Professor Jasmine Johnson (AAAS) about her memoir. She spoke of  the challenges she faced while writing and the important questions her memoir poses about growing up multiracial, poor and trans in America. “Redefining Realness” addresses the process in accepting oneself while at the same time understanding how to coexist with and accept others.

Bridging the Gap

“Brandeis Bridges is an on-campus organization that was founded a few years ago that seeks to create dialogue between the Black and Jewish students on campus. It’s just kind of a way to create connections between people and to form friendships,” said Divanna Eckels ’18. Eckels, double majoring in History and African and Afro-American Studies with a minor in Sexuality and Queer Studies, heard about Brandeis Bridges as a first year. 

Evolving Families

In 1998, the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute created its 26 word mission statement: “The mission of the HBI is to develop fresh ideas about Jews and gender worldwide by producing and promoting scholarly research, artistic projects, and public engagement.” They’ve yet to make any changes, “which means we’re either stuck in the mud, or we came up with a good one,” said Prof. Shulamit Reinharz (SOC), laughing as she addressed the crowded Rapaporte Treasure Hall on Sunday night.