Use the field below to perform an advanced search of The Justice archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query.
During the election cycle, both race in the United States and the COVID-19 pandemic have been controversial topics. The Justice asked students of the Brandeis community about these issues and more. The participants include columnists for the Justice Reena Zuckerman ’23 and Vandita Malviya Wilson M.P.P ’22, as well as Clay Napurano ’24 and a member of the Brandeis Democrats, Noah Risley ’24.
In light of the U.S. presidential election today, Tom Friedman ’75, H’88, a New York Times columnist and author, joined the Brandeis community on Thursday, Oct. 29 for a virtual discussion with University President Ron Liebowitz. During the event, which was titled “Thinking Ahead to the Presidential Election,” Friedman discussed a wide array of concerns pertaining to the election and voiced his predictions for the outcome.
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management moderated a panel discussion last Tuesday, Oct. 27 about the nature of democratic participation and civic engagement in 2020. The panelists were Prof. Anita Hill (Heller), University of California, Los Angeles Professor of Social Welfare and Public Policy Fernando Torres-Gil Ph.D. ’76 and Prof. Dan Kryder, the Louis Stelberg Chair in Law and Politics. The discussion, titled “The Act of Democracy,” referenced an op-ed written by Former United States Representative John Lewis, which he wrote a few days before his death, stating that “democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part.”
The Justice spoke with Dr. Michael Schatman, adjunct faculty member at Tufts University Dental and Tufts University Medical School and editor in chief of the Journal of Pain Research, about prescription opioid policy in the United States in an Oct. 29 interview. Schatman responded to the points that Medical Director of Opioid Policy Research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management Dr. Andrew Kolodny raised in a recent interview with the Justice regarding opioid prescription.
Student club TEDxBrandeisUniversity hosted its annual event on Nov. 1. The event, which had been postponed twice, once because of COVID-19 restrictions, featured speeches from Ruben Kanya ’14, Prof. Kristen Lucken (IGS), Eric Moyal ’17, M.A. ’18, M.S. ’21, Henry Chen ’23 and Mendel Weintraub ’21, all under the topic of “Wellness in the New Age.” These speeches, recorded on Oct. 14 by Media Technology Services, were streamed on Facebook Live and in a Zoom watch party. Each of the speakers interpreted this prompt differently, all expressing some sort of vulnerability to their virtual audiences.
I miss Halloween. Not the monstrous holiday/adult-themed party. Not the “it’s all about the children” tropes of recent years. I just miss the crappy Halloweens of my long-lost childhood. Some time ago, Halloween was a time to load up on some extra candy, which my immigrant parents would never buy for me. It was a time to see movies before I knew they were formulaic and to never ever turn my back on the door, or anything, because the frightening thing was always going to be right behind me.
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays last week in the 116th Major League Baseball World Series. It may be easy to overlook this recent event with an upcoming contentious national election and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Still, baseball has played a large part in our national identity and culture and has earned its title as our “national pastime.” This reality has not been lost on Madison Avenue, who told us that “Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Chevrolet, they go together in the good ol’ USA,” according to a June 2016 Tri-County Times article. Thus, it is not surprising that changes within baseball, and in all sports, will reverberate into society as a whole. With the Dodgers' historic win in this unimaginable year, the Justice looked back at another historic Dodger moment: when Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League baseball in the spring of 1947. It was a monumental moment in American history. This leads to the question: who was the man behind the ballplayer?
Content warning: This article discusses addiction, chronic pain and suicide.
The Senate voted to charter the new Students Demand Action Club and amended Article VIII of club bylaws on Sunday.
In the midst of Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation process, Prof. Anita Hill (Heller) participated in a discussion called "The Supreme Court and the Future of Equality.” The conversation was moderated by Prof. Jill Greenlee (POL) who asked questions that students had submitted prior to the event. During the webinar, Hill shared her thoughts about a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court and the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Spring study abroad
It’s a sunny Wednesday morning and you have two classes before 1 p.m. and a class at 2:30 p.m., enough time to squeeze in lunch with your friends. You foresee the microwavable mac and cheese from your freezer being your dinner for tonight, while you attend your Zoom lecture with your camera turned off. You got the “DO NOT REPLY You have received a Package” email this morning — you're expecting your Amazon package today — some clothes that you saw on a TikTok and your favorite chocolate that you can’t find at the Hoot Market. You figure, you can pick up your package in between class and lunchtime, stuff it in your backpack, and open it when you get back to your dorm. You head to the Usdan Student Center, stand in a short line, swipe your ID card and wait. You see the mailroom workers look at some computer, call out a number, disappear for two seconds, and come back with your package in hand. You say “thank you,” and just like that you go up the stairs and get on with the rest of your day. This is the level of interaction that many Brandeis students have with the mailroom. But what goes on behind the curtains of the Brandeis mailroom? What stories do the workers behind the plexiglass have to tell?
Judicial confirmation hearings are not very entertaining TV. Nominees usually pledge allegiance to the “law” while avoiding statements about what the “law” is, or even how to define it.
In an unprecedented semester, the University has implemented a number of policies both to provide students with necessary campus services and to contain the spread of COVID-19. One such policy is the University’s use of a Campus Passport Portal system, where, in order to access certain services on campus, students must fill out a daily health assessment and confirm their COVID-19 biweekly testing status. Students receive a color and status through the passport system, which corresponds to their eligibility for navigating the campus and accessing dining halls, classrooms, the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center gym and testing sites. This board commends the University for its efforts to ensure the safest possible campus at this time. The passport system is a well-intentioned attempt to deliver a safe yet effective means of both ensuring the best possible campus experience, and making sure students, staff and faculty alike can navigate the campus safely. However, key issues remain with the passport service’s accessibility and ease of use.
One phrase stood out to me during the first presidential debate. In a night filled with constant interruptions, I had almost given up on listening to it, but one question made my focus sharpen. The moderator, Chris Wallace, asked President Donald Trump to denounce right-wing extremist groups like the Proud Boys, a white supremacist group. As I intently listened to his response, I heard Trump utter the words, almost as if he was issuing a command, “Stand back and stand by.” I was more worried than surprised. This statement was not out of the ordinary for President Trump. In fact, the president has been given countless opportunities to condemn right-wing extremists and has failed to do so. The problem is that a major catalyst for right-wing violence is quickly approaching.
Following the June 2 event hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion — “Coming Together to Face Systemic Racism” — that had a whopping 714 participants, students requested smaller, identity-focused spaces where they could share their pain and grievances, call for action and support, find community and create plans to address systemic racism, both interpersonally and at the institutional level.
The Senate voted to approve the creation of a new club and discussed funding for this year’s Midnight Buffet at their Oct. 18 Zoom meeting.
The upcoming Nov. 3 election is unprecedented in many ways. The coronavirus pandemic has already claimed the lives of over 220,000 Americans and cases continue to increase across the country as winter approaches. Additionally, the country is extremely polarized, with individuals taking opposing positions on a range of issues that are not typically politicized, including public health. States’ stances in regards to voting options for the upcoming election have been drastically different, with some expanding their mail-in voting services, others conducting the election entirely by mail and a small number maintaining the same voting guidelines as before. These changes have been overwhelming and confusing for many eligible voters, and the spread of misinformation doesn’t help either. Below is a list of myths associated with voting, along with information that disproves them and additional information for the state of Massachusetts. If you are not voting in Massachusetts, make sure to look at your state’s regulations and policies if you still have questions.
The Bill of Rights guarantees the civil rights of the American people. It symbolizes individuals’ freedoms from higher institutions, particularly from the federal government.
As the 2020 presidential election approaches, questions about registration deadlines, mail-in voting requirements and other available forms of voting participation have become prevalent. With the number of COVID-19 cases rising, these concerns have been magnified as individuals around the country search for the safest way to participate in the voting process. This board would like to encourage all eligible individuals, particularly Brandeis students, to use available resources to facilitate their participation in this year’s presidential, state and local elections. Links to these resources can be found at the bottom of this article.