Use the field below to perform an advanced search of The Justice archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query.
“Brave New World” is a dystopian novel written by Aldous Huxley back in 1931 when most of our grandparents were born. Yet, strangely, it is scary 90 years later. This book almost became a prophetic vision of what happened in some autocratic or even democratic societies today — the pursuit of utilitarianism and power play exactly as described in the book.
This is my surprise last article ever for the Justice. It’s been a pleasure to serve as your annoying columnist for the past four years. After all, everything else isn’t exactly hunky-dory in all walks of American life right now, and our usual refuge of sports is unfortunately no different. The NBA is suspended, March Madness is canceled, the MLB delayed and the NFL is in no man's land. But that doesn’t mean we’re wholly bereft of sports content.
The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, has been the center of public attention since the first cases were reported in Wuhan, China this past December. According to Johns Hopkins Medical, “Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).” Most of the viruses in this family are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted from animals to humans. At first, it was believed that COVID-19 was transmitted to humans via contaminated seafood at a market in Wuhan, China. Recent studies have shown, however, that the first patient to have contracted the virus did not visit the presumed seafood market.
Prof. Bernadette Brooten (NEJS) joined more than 150 other academics in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to sign a letter opposing the use of facial recognition on college campuses. The letter, published on Feb. 28, was written in conjunction with Fight for the Future. The letter states that “the constant surveillance of facial recognition threatens our human rights and privacy” and that “facial recognition is invasive, enabling anyone with access to the system to watch students’ movements, try to analyze facial expressions, monitor who they talk to, what they do outside of class and every move they make.” Fight for the Future is a group that aims to “harness the power of the Internet to channel outrage into action, defending our most basic rights in the digital age,” according to their website.
March 2 — A party in the Stoneman Infirmary and Public Safety lobby reported a twisted ankle and requested assistance transport. University police transported the party to the Urgent Care facility for further care.
The Senate discussed a popular petition concerning the continuation of in-person classes if the coronavirus were to come to campus, passing several amendments and Senate Money Resolutions during its weekly meeting on Sunday.
Boston’s first recreational marijuana store is set to open Monday, March 9, according to a March 6 Boston.com article.
Chartwells, a New England-based independent subsidiary of Compass Group, presented its plan for the University’s Request for Proposals for the new dining contract during an open forum on Thursday in Sherman Function Hall, which emphasized the integration of technology into dining services.
Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Dorothy Hodgson presented the University 2019 Creative Arts Award to visual artist Fred Wilson on behalf of University President Ron Liebowitz for Wilson’s critical work regarding institutional racism, in the Wasserman Cinematheque on Tuesday.
Harvest Table Culinary Group, a subsidiary of Aramark Corporation, presented as the third Request For Proposals presentation on Thursday in Sherman Function Hall. After the members of the Harvest Table team introduced themselves, they began to present their vision for Brandeis Dining Services.
Based in Palo Alto, California, Bon Appetit Management Company visited Brandeis for the second of four Request For Proposals presentations on Wednesday in Sherman Function Hall. Throughout the event, Bon Appetit leadership staff presented what they would do if they were the next Brandeis dining vendor.
Artist Shterna Goldbloom presented her photography, which was inspired by her experiences reconciling with her queer identity and Hasidic upbringing, as part of an exhibit of her work at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute on Wednesday. Goldbloom was selected from among 70 applicants, and her exhibit, entitled “Ich Bin Di Sitra Achra” — Yiddish for “I Am The Other” — is part of an HBI sponsored series of exhibits by Jewish artists.
Sodexo, the University’s current dining services partner, aims to “continue the momentum” of its work at the University, while reinventing itself with more diverse menus if awarded the new dining contract, the company’s representatives said during an open forum on Wednesday in Sherman Function Hall.
In recent months, the Supreme Court has announced it will take on various court cases that test already festering tensions in American society. These cases will involve issues ranging from abortion rights, to the status of DACA immigrants, to deciding the fate of the Affordable Care Act. The case Gee v. June Medical services will determine the Supreme Court’s stance on certain laws that restrict abortion access. Another case, Barton v. Barr, determines the future of 800,000 immigrants known as Dreamers. On March 2, the Supreme Court decided to take up a challenge to the Affordable Care Act, which has survived major attacks under Trump’s presidency. Why do you believe the Supreme Court has chosen to hear these controversial cases now? How will these upcoming rulings deepen the divide amongst an already polarized society? You can answer these questions focusing on one specific case or addressing them as a collective.
Brandeis University hosted a series of four Request for Proposal forums between Wednesday, March 4 and Thursday, March 5 in search of a new dining vendor. The University invited Sodexo, Harvest Table, Chartwells and Bon Appetit to present at these forums.
When I first thought of writing this article regarding the economic impact of the coronavirus (officially known as COVID-19), I knew things were going to get worse before they got better — and they have. There has been a delayed impact on the United States, but as of March 7, there has been a total of 17 deaths and 308 cases. A state of emergency has been declared in California, New York and Washington and more. A cruise ship with 21 confirmed cases so far is quarantined near San Francisco, and in limbo as to when test kits for all the passengers will be available. They have finally been allowed to dock in Oakland, CA, which is odd, since Oakland is just a short drive from San Francisco, so I’m not quite sure what they’re trying to prevent.
Unless you have been living under a rock, then you have probably noticed the introduction of reusable straws around campus. The supposed intent behind this new green initiative is to cut back on the use of single-use plastics, of which I am completely in favor. The abundance of single-use plastics in existence has exacerbated the effects of climate change by contributing to greenhouse gas emissions around the world. This initiative to stop using plastic straws is not just isolated to Brandeis University — this is a global movement in which the consumer is being challenged to consider how even the smallest actions, such as using a straw, have drastic consequences on the environment. However, though I am in support of holding ourselves accountable for climate change and its impact on our environment, I am not on board with the focus on blaming the consumer. Instead, I believe that we should shift our collective gaze on the giant conglomerates responsible for the mess we find ourselves in now and hold them accountable for the absolute destruction these companies have caused in our world.
On Saturday, March 7, students packed Levin Ballroom, ready for the Brandeis Asian American Students Association’s show – BAASA Presents: APAHM Opening 2020: Reclaiming Voices. Everyone waited with anticipation and excitement to witness the incredible talent and important messages this event offered.
There’s something about William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” that keeps us feeling pulled in by the tides of time back to the shores of Prospero’s island. And this week, the mysterious and fantastical story was told in the Laurie Theater, part of the Spingold Theater Complex. It tells the story of Prospero, an Italian nobleman and sorcerer, who was marooned on a wilderness island with his daughter, only to create a magical storm to lure an Italian ship to bring them home. The crew and passengers get lost on the island, meeting its strange inhabitants and uncovering the evil plots of Prospero’s brother. This play has something for everyone: romance, fantasy, revenge, court intrigue and questions on the nature of existence itself that have shaken theatergoers to their core for centuries.
International Women’s Day began in the early 1900s as a labor holiday honoring working women’s movements in the United States and throughout Europe, per National Geographic. Originally implemented by the Socialist Party of America, it became an important day of pacifist protest during World War I, and in 1917, International Women’s Day rallies in Russia contributed to the start of the Russian Revolution, as stated by Penn Today. In the 1970s, the United Nations formally recognized March 8 as International Women’s Day, and it has since been used as a day to “celebrate how far women have come in society, in politics and in economics,” per the BBC.