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(05/20/12 4:00am)
As another year comes to a close, we would like to extend our congratulations and gratitude to the Class of 2012 and departing Justice writers and editors for their relentless efforts and innumerable late nights working for the Justice. We wish the seniors the best in their future pursuits and thank them for their years of hard work and dedication. Emily Kraus displayed her steadfast commitment to the Justice during her time from the Copy staff and News staff to Copy editor to editor in chief. Her decisive decision-making and unwavering support for writers and editors has allowed for the Justice to thrive under her leadership. She fostered a calm and positive environment with her amiable personality and unflustered demeanor. Brian Blumenthal has displayed his tireless dedication to the paper since his first year at Brandeis, serving as Layout editor, associate editor and production editor, a position created for his specific skill set. His vision has defined the design of the paper over the past year and his deft attention to detail will sorely be missed. Rebecca Blady's impressive term as the Forum editor began only months after she joined the Justice. As she moved from managing editor to associate editor, she became the Justice's moral compass, infusing the staff with journalistic ethics and integrity. Nashrah Rahman, who served as News editor, associate editor and managing editor, illustrated her poise and journalistic ethics in her coverage of difficult news stories. Her coverage included the controversy surrounding the Rose Art Museum and myriad other important issues. Hillel Buechler's tremendous commitment to the paper is best illustrated through his leadership positions from opinion columnist and Forum editor, a spell as deputy editor and finally associate editor. Perhaps most notably, he created and held the position of the Online editor, leaving the Justice a legacy of continued and consistent improvement. Alana Abramson, who served as News editor and associate editor, led the News section's coverage of important issues such as the Rose Art Museum controversy. Her unyielding pursuit of facts and information produced fair and balanced coverage of the University. Bryan Flatt has proven his spirited commitment during his time as Arts editor and associate editor. Carrying the burden of producing the entire Arts section by himself, Bryan exhibited the sincere investment of an editor working to better the Justice. Rebecca Klein's enthusiasm for the Justice was first evident through her dynamic relationship with her staff. As she evolved from a Features writer to Features editor and then an associate editor, her infectious optimism has energized the office for the past four years. Asher Krell's dedication to stunning photographs and videos elevated the newspaper to higher multimedia standards. While he is not a graduating senior, his coverage of every aspect of the University was the tour de force of his time as Photography editor and associate editor. Tess Raser displayed her devotion to the paper as Features editor and associate editor but also by actively contributing to other sections of the Justice. Her warmth and friendliness made working with her enjoyable and her passion for writing will be missed. Ariel Kay's unremitting dedication as the Arts editor and her superb musical taste showcase the ideal qualities needed in an editor. Although she is not a member of the Class of 2012, her absence will be felt. Wei-Huan Chen, who served as Arts editor, carried the Arts section with his exceptional writing talent and knowledge of the Arts. His byline and lively prose will be missed. Cody Yudkoff illustrated her devotion to the Justice while serving as the Advertising editor. Her friendliness and consistency during her two-year term maintained the paper's ability to retain advertisements. In addition to graduating editors, we also congratulate Senior Arts Writer and Pop Culture Columnist Shelly Shore as well as Forum Columnist Diego Medrano for their years of dedication to the Justice. We wish them, along with the rest of the Class of 2012, the best of luck.
(05/01/12 4:00am)
JustNews: What is your biggest achievement as Student Union president?
(04/03/12 4:00am)
The University administration announced yesterday that the Board of Trustees approved the budget for fiscal 2013, which includes a 4.1 percent total cost hike for current students and a reduced size for the class of 2016 to between 800 and 820 students. Financial aid will also increase by seven percent, or $5.5 million. Other changes include offering new first-year living options and new first-year seminars, improving campus resources such as advising and career counseling, and supplementing Library and Technology Services and the Rose Art Museum. Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel emailed the student body last night about the changes to the $306.7 million budget. "Chief among this year's concerns was moderating the growth of our student body, both lowering the size of select classes and decreasing the number of incoming first-year students," he wrote. To meet these goals, the full price tag for most Brandeis undergraduates-the cost of tuition, room, board and fees-will rise to $56,022. Total cost for new students will be even higher, at a 4.85 percent increase, or $56,407. The tuition disparity between new and current students is to accommodate families who have already created a financial plan and are committed to the University, explained Flagel. "It was something we could do for our continuing students that could help ease the challenges for them [of increasing costs]." Within the national climate of growing higher education costs, the University is still mid-range in comparison to other colleges, according to Flagel. In an interview with the Justice, Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12 acknowledged the transparency of the administration but said that "it's unsettling that the University is relying on our tuition for prior financial situations," like the renovations of the Rose Art Museum and the Joseph M. Linsey Pool. Flagel also spoke about the budget adjustments the Board had to make for next year to ensure that it "preserve the character of the University" in the face of the University's growing student body and University endowment. The total amount of need-blind/full-need financial aid to be offered for the 2012-2013 academic year, to respond to the increased costs and keep Brandeis accessible, according to Flagel, will amount to $86.5 million. Flagel said that the updated budget will pull from endowment revenues, though there was caution issued in the allocations. "What we're able to do with some of the changes is make some alterations both in terms of revenue from the endowment and student revenue that permit the kinds of investments you see" in the other budget changes. While tuition rises, Flagel projects next year's first-year class size to be between 800 and 820 students, less than last year's 858, which was the largest in University history, according to BrandeisNOW. Flagel said that the goal is to increase the undergraduate student population to 3,600 by next year, a slight increase from the current 3,319, according to the admissions website. Along with reducing the goal for the incoming first-year class, the Board approved limits on select course sizes and provided the finances to offer more sections for some language classes. Provost Steve Goldstein '78 said in an interview with the Justice, "There is good, strong evidence that the strongest way to teach language classes is in small sizes. ... What we wanted to do was aggressively push the classes down in size so that they were in the range of 18 students or less." Library and Technology Services is also receiving more funding for "library collections and subject area librarians; information security; overdue computer refresh and classroom equipment renewals across campus; upgrades to the campus learning management system; data warehousing; and efforts to protect unique archival and special collections from environmental damage," according to BrandeisNOW. The Board also approved more funds for academic advisers. "What we were particularly anxious to do was make sure there were enough staff members so that the students would have ready access," said Goldstein. As part of the Board's goal to address the central aspects of student experience on campus, the budget incorporated a new "Living Learning Community" option for first-year students. The program is designed around common academic and cocurricular interests. Professors will also be involved in the residential community, and "Ph.D. teaching assistants will be hired to facilitate faculty involvement," Flagel explained."The working titles for each community are 'Media, Politics and Society' and 'Global Connections.' " Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren wrote in an email to the Justice that the University will also introduce first-year seminars titled JustBooks. "These small seminars will engage students in humanist inquiry and will honor the university's focus on social justice," she wrote. The Board also approved additional funds for the Rose Art Museum. Goldstein said the "re-energization of the Rose" would give additional funding to support the educational programming and maintenance of the museum for students and faculty. Frances Drolette, senior vice president for finance and chief financial officer, said: "The spending plan is a cautious reflection of the improved financial climate, the desire to fund some immediate priorities that align with the university's values and mission, and a recognition that other initiatives will await the results of the ongoing strategic planning effort," according to BrandeisNOW. All changes will be enacted on July 1, 2012, according to BrandeisNOW. -Alana Abramson, Sara Dejene and Sam Mintz contributed reporting.
(03/19/12 4:00am)
The Phi Beta Kappa Selection Committee elected 77 new members from the Class of 2012 and seven new members from the Class of 2013 to Phi Beta Kappa. The Brandeis Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa elects about 10 percent of the senior class and about 1 percent of the junior class each year. Selection is based on three criteria. One is the quality of academic record, of which the GPA is an important consideration. Another is the breadth of interest, indicated by courses taken beyond a student's concentration. The third is the opinions of faculty and senior administrators concerning the scholarly achievements and character of the candidate in the form of letters of recommendation. The Phi Beta Kappa Selection Committee met recently and elected Alana C. Abramson, Serafina-Natali V. Amarilio, Jesse A. Appell, Raechel L. Banks, Michael A. Baum, Chet M. Berman, Daniel E. Bernazzani, Tarun R. Bhatia, Hannah L. Blumberg, Brian N. Blumenthal, Joshua K. Bookman, Philip Braunstein, Hillel Y. Buechler, Adam B. Cohen, Hamilton F. Cook, Samuel H. Datlof, Talya Davidoff, Calliope Desenberg, Kayla H. Dinces, Abigail S. Drapkin, Amy R. Eisenberg, Emily R. Farver, Meryl J. Feinstein, Juliette O. Flam, Russell P. Foxworthy, Kassandra J. Gibbs, Ethan C. Goldberg, Daniel S. Graulich, Samantha L. Grosser, Leah W. Hartman, Elizabeth C. Hinchey, Ariel L. Hirsch, Dane P. Isenberg, Allison R. Joseph, Rebecca C. Joy, Michelle S. Kaplow, Austen D. Katz, Sabrina R. Katz, Yeon Soo Kim, Katherine L. Kolios, Emily G. Krainer, Emily E. Kraus, Abby L. Kulawitz, Jacob A. Laband, Christopher Lau, Daniel L. Liebman, Nicole Z. Litvak, Joshua M. McGrath, Sarah J. McWhirter, Shayna A. Medley, Jonathan R. Megerian, Shane B. Morris, Aaron J. Mowitz, Jessica L. Nusbaum, Leanne R. Ortbals, Alexander R. Pagan, Sidak S. Pannu, Michael K. Perloff, Mara W. Rosenberg, Dara S. Rosenkrantz, Geraldine O. Rothschild, Frank A. Scangarello, Alexander I. Schneider, Carolyn M. Schweitzer, Andres Vahid Shahidinejad, Daniel A. Shimansky, Cassandra M. Shull, Ilana S. Sidorsky, Meital Singer, Rachel A. Soule, Marianne F. Specker, Maxim I. Starobinets, Jeremy W. Weinberg, Johanna L. Wickemeyer, Florence H. Yellin, Xi Zhang and Danielle L. Zionts. Starobinets was also elected to the society as a junior in 2011. Students elected from the Class of 2013 are: Alex Bargar, Sonya Entova, Keith W. Frankston, Lev Gorfinkel, Daniel R. Noar, Asher R. Preska Steinberg and Maya Tydykov. Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most prestigious undergraduate honors organization in the United States. Founded at the College of William and Mary in 1776, its high and rigorous standards of excellence have made election to it one of the greatest academic honors an undergraduate attending a college in the United States can receive. Brandeis founded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in 1962, putting it ahead of every other university in America in terms of the time it took the university from the time of its founding to the time it became eligible to establish a chapter. No other university in the United States has been granted the privilege to form a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa more quickly than Brandeis. The initiation ceremony will be held on May 19 during Commencement weekend on the main stage of the Spingold Theater Center at 1:30 p.m.
(02/13/12 5:00am)
The administration is considering options to close off the path in the woods leading from the back of East Quad to South Street due to complaints from neighbors, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan wrote in an email to the Justice. Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins explained in an interview with the Justice that the path, which has unofficially formed over the years as an alternate route for students to access South Street, is a concern for Waltham residents living on Wheelock street. Residents have complained to the University when students are unusually rowdy and noisy; however, Collins said that this behavior did not apply to a majority of students. "We hear about it when the behavior is not neighborly," he explained. He also added that the path is dangerous because it is unlit and isolated, which is an ideal situation for problems to emerge. Callahan wrote that "a review will be initiated to determine the best option to address the matter." Although Collins said he was unaware of a review, he said he was considering putting up a fence around the path, an option that could potentially be implemented by the end of the upcoming break. When asked about the way in which this would impact the student body, Callahan wrote that this change would not affect students' access to South Street because there are alternate routes. "Community members may be required to continue their direction of travel on the sidewalk adjacent to South Street and access the stairs by Stoneman," he wrote, adding, "This sidewalk is lit and heavily traveled." —Alana Abramson
(12/12/11 5:00am)
Paul S. Grogan, the president and chief executive officer of The Boston Foundation, has been elected to serve on the University Board of Trustees, Chairman Malcolm L. Sherman announced at a Board meeting last week. Sherman described Grogan as a "very intelligent" individual who is knowledgeable in the area of philanthropy. "He was selected because he is a significant leader in the city of Boston and in Massachusetts on so many issues that are important today—education, health care, trouble in the streets," he said in a phone interview with the Justice. "Greater Boston is the high[er] education capital of America, and within it, Brandeis University is a very special institution. I am deeply honored to accept Brandeis' offer to join the Board of Trustees," Grogan said in a Dec. 12 BrandeisNOW press release. Grogan could not be reached for an interview by press time. Grogan was interviewed by Sherman and University President Fredrick Lawrence before being brought before the members of the nominating committee for another interview, according to Sherman. The nominating committee then voted to recommend Grogan to the Board of Trustees. "He is a major figure in the greater Boston philanthropic world, and he brings to our board a wealth of experience in the not-for-profit sector. Paul cares deeply about the issues of equality and access about which we at Brandeis also feel strongly," Lawrence said in a Dec. 12 BrandeisNOW press release. The Boston Foundation is a community foundation that "devotes its resources to building and sustaining a vital, prosperous city and region, where justice and opportunity are extended to everyone," according to its website. Grogan is also a trustee of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which "aims to help sustain democracy by leading journalism to its best possible future in the 21st century," according to its website. He is a former trustee of his alma mater Williams College and serves as a director of Community Development Trust, a for-profit company, and New Profit Inc., a national venture philanthropy fund. Prior to working at The Boston Foundation, Grogan served as vice president for Government, Community and Public Affairs at Harvard University from 1999 to 2001. He was also a senior lecturer at the Harvard Business School. —Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(12/12/11 5:00am)
Paul S. Grogan, the president and chief executive officer of The Boston Foundation, has been elected to serve on the University Board of Trustees, Chairman Malcolm L. Sherman announced at a Board meeting last week. Sherman described Grogan as a "very intelligent" individual who is knowledgeable in the area of philanthropy. "He was selected because he is a significant leader in the city of Boston and in Massachusetts on so many issues that are important today—education, health care, trouble in the streets," he said in a phone interview with the Justice. "Greater Boston is the high[er] education capital of America, and within it, Brandeis University is a very special institution. I am deeply honored to accept Brandeis' offer to join the Board of Trustees," Grogan said in a Dec. 12 BrandeisNOW press release. Grogan could not be reached for an interview by press time. Grogan was interviewed by Sherman and University President Fredrick Lawrence before being brought before the members of the nominating committee for another interview, according to Sherman. The nominating committee then voted to recommend Grogan to the Board of Trustees. "He is a major figure in the greater Boston philanthropic world, and he brings to our board a wealth of experience in the not-for-profit sector. Paul cares deeply about the issues of equality and access about which we at Brandeis also feel strongly," Lawrence said in a Dec. 12 BrandeisNOW press release. The Boston Foundation is a community foundation that "devotes its resources to building and sustaining a vital, prosperous city and region, where justice and opportunity are extended to everyone," according to its website. Grogan is also a trustee of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which "aims to help sustain democracy by leading journalism to its best possible future in the 21st century," according to its website. He is a former trustee of his alma mater Williams College and serves as a director of Community Development Trust, a for-profit company, and New Profit Inc., a national venture philanthropy fund. Prior to working at The Boston Foundation, Grogan served as vice president for Government, Community and Public Affairs at Harvard University from 1999 to 2001. He was also a senior lecturer at the Harvard Business School. —Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(11/21/11 5:00am)
Prof. Antony Polonsky (NEJS), the University's Albert Abramson professor of Holocaust Studies, was awarded the annual Kulczycki Book Prize at the national convention of the Association for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies for his three-volume monograph, The Jews in Poland and Russia, according to a Nov. 18 BrandeisNOW article. The Kulczycki Book Prize is administered annually by the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies "for the best book in any discipline, on any aspect of Polish affairs," according to its website. According to the ASEES website, the conference took place Nov. 17 to 20 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. In an interview with the Justice, Polonsky said the association consists of approximately 3,000 members. The monograph for which Polonsky received his award is in the Littman Library of Jewish Civilization which is in the United Kingdom. It chronicles the history of the Jewish people in Poland and Russia. The description on the Littman Library's website states "The history of the Jewish communities of these lands—where most of the Jews of Europe and America originated—is often the subject of woolly thinking and stereotypes. Antony Polonsky recreates this lost world in a way that avoids both sentimentalism and the simplification of the east European Jewish experience into a story of persecution and martyrdom. This is an important story whose relevance extends beyond the Jewish world or the bounds of east-central Europe." Polonsky told the Justice that he learned he would receive this award in the middle of October and was very glad about it. "I was particularly pleased because it is a book on Jewish history, but represents how Jewish history is central to the history of Poland," he explained. —Alana Abramson
(09/20/11 4:00am)
The University held a symposium on Monday to mark the publication of Prof. Antony Polonsky's (NEJS) magnum opus, which is said to be the most important work of an author; a three-volume compilation of Jewish life in Poland and Russia from 1350 to 2008. The event, which was sponsored by the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies departments, the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, the Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry and the National Center for Jewish Film, included a scholarly panel, remarks from University President Frederick Lawrence and a keynote presentation by author and journalist Ruth Franklin. Joanna B. Michlic introduced Polonsky's book, The Jews in Poland and Russia, noting its examination of social, political and economic topics in Jewish communities. Michlic noted the difficulty of breaking away from the views of previous generations in Jewish history. Though Polonsky discusses politics in his compilation, Michlic noted that he shifts the focus away from the politically charged discourse of Polish-Jewish relations and history. His focus in the magnum opus is more on the social and cultural history of the complicated narrative. David Engel, the Maurice R. and Corinne P. Greenberg professor of Holocaust Studies at New York University, discussed a brief history of Russo-Polish history. He also spoke about the historian's role in predicting what is now Jewish history. Engel went on to say that while some historians believe that studying the past would "illuminate" the present, Polonsky's work illuminates the past. Lawrence, in his remarks preceding Franklin's presentation, explained that Polonsky's work had especially resonated for him because of his own family's Jewish roots. The keynote speaker, Franklin, a senior editor at the New Republic and a former researcher at the Warsaw Bureau of The New York Times, echoed similar sentiments in the opening lines of her speech. She explained that Polonsky's magnum opus was close to her heart because her maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors from Poland who immigrated to America. Franklin went on to explain what Poland meant to her and her grandparents—a place to which they felt deeply attached. She told the story of their trip to Poland in the 1990s, which they found to be much different than their pre-war vision of the Eastern European country. After graduating from Columbia in 1995, Franklin returned to Krakow. While there, she studied Polish and, to her dismay, found a prevailing negative attitude toward Jews. After Franklin's lecture, she took questions from the audience. Prof. Sharon Pucker Rivo (NEJS), on behalf of the National Center for Jewish Film at Brandeis University, presented a film tribute to conclude the evening. —Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(09/13/11 4:00am)
The Student Union Senate will hold its first meeting of the academic year on Thursday at 10 p.m. in order to avoid violating the Student Union Bylaws, said Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12 in an interview with the Justice, a change from the originally planned meeting scheduled for Sept. 25.
(12/07/10 5:00am)
The Brandeis Climate Change Campus Weeks, a two-week series of events focused on issues and solutions surrounding growing problems associated with climate change, wrapped up on Dec. 1 with the Green Unity Gala in the Levin Ballroom.The Climate Change weeks, according to the Brandeis website, were co-sponsored by the Center for German and European Studies in cooperation with the Campus Sustainability Initiative, the class "Greening the Ivory Tower,"the Environmental Studies Program, the Sustainable International Development Program and Students for Environmental Action. According to Kilian Leibundgut, a graduate student assistant for the Center for German and European Studies, there were six events during the two weeks, from Nov. 15 to Dec. 1: the Students for Environmental Action coffeehouse, a screening of the film A Sea Change, a local and organic food banquet, a panel discussion on becoming a low-carbon society, presentations by Joseph Ole Tipanko and Prof. Bob Lange (PHYS) and the Green Unity Gala. Leibundgut wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that he thought the gala was the most successful event, in terms of attendance and discussion, during the two weeks.The events were initiated by the Transatlantic Climate Bridge program, which according to the website of the German Mission in the United States is an effort "to foster transatlantic cooperation and partnerships between Germany, the US and Canada on climate and energy policies, at the German Embassy, wrote Leibundgut. Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL) said during an interview with the Justice that the German Embassy, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of German unification, conducted a number of events around the country to celebrate the progress made on climate change, and Brandeis was one of the universities involved in the programsHannah Saltman '12, president of Students for Environmental Action, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice, "While all . events at Campus Climate Weeks were successful, I think the Gala was the most exciting as it brought everyone involved with sustainability on campus together in celebration of all we have accomplished at Brandeis thus far." Leibundgut wrote that the Gala had a great turnout and that it included a good mixture of presentations which provided "a wonderful finish to the two climate change campus weeks."The gala included "posters describing the differences between Germany and the US in their approaches to climate change, the debate society discussing the role of Nuclear power in Germany, a raffle with over 20 intriguing and fun prizes, [and] performances by Voicemale and Up the Octave," wrote Leibundgut.Leibundgut and Saltman agreed that the events were publicized very well and that publicity was enhanced by the Maasai home constructed outside of the Usdan Student Center. According to a Nov. 16 feature in the Justice, the Massai house was constructed by Lange and his colleagues as an example of the kinds of sustainability work, including introducing more efficient stoves and installing solar panels, that he has been conducting with the Maasai tribe in Kenya and Tanzania. Von Mering said that she was "blown away by the dedication of the students." She said she had never seen a response from the Brandeis community like the one received at the Green Unity Gala. -Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(12/07/10 5:00am)
To mark the conclusion of Jehuda Reinharz's presidency, we delved into the Justice archives to sift through some of the key events of his tenure. In this timeline, we present the Reinharz years directly out of the pages of the Justice with excerpts from articles, along with their headlines, preserved in their original forms. - Compiled by Alana Abramson, Rebecca Blady, Hillel Buechler, Rebecca Klein, Asher Krell and Tess Raser
(11/23/10 5:00am)
Approximately 150 students gathered in the Castle Commons Sunday night to discuss a student response to the Westboro Baptist Church, which plans to protest Brandeis Hillel here on Friday, Dec. 3. According to the Westboro Baptist Church's website, the group plans to "picket the Hillel at Brandeis University to remind these Jews that they bear the curse of their forefather's [sic] murder of Christ. Further these college students of doomed america [sic] live for the devil himself, spending their energies on drunkeness [sic], lust, sloth and greed rather than serving the Lord Almighty."Multiple student leaders, including Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11, Senator-at-Large Aziz Sohail '13, Hillel President Andrea Wexler '11 and Hillel Campus Relations Coordinator Erica Shaps '13 were present at the planning meeting. The meeting was led primarily by Sahar Massachi '11, Queer Resource Center Coordinator Megan Straughan '11, Jason Henry Simon-Bierenbaum '11 and Morgan Gross '14.At the meeting, students introduced themselves and discussed why they chose to come to the meeting, and then Massachi, Simon-Bierenbaum, Straughan and Gross explained plans that were the result of brainstorming from a preliminary meeting the night before between them and members of Brandeis Hillel.Their proposed idea is for students to meet together before the church protesters arrive and, once they do, turn their backs on the protesters and partake in activities throughout the day that celebrate Brandeis' diversity, including fundraising money for Keshit-an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Jews. A Student Union Executive Board press release from yesterday supports the proposed plans that will "celebrate the values that make Brandeis great."According to Massachi, proposed plans will come to a vote at a Nov. 30 meeting in the Castle Commons to create a finalized plan of what will happen on Dec. 3. "We're trying something new in this in that we're being as grassroots as possible and as democratic as possible," said Massachi in an interview with the Justice. So far, the response efforts have been entirely student-driven, he explained.In an e-mail to the Hillel listserv, Wexler stated that the day of the protests "will be a day of celebration of the values we at Brandeis cherish: inclusion, mutual respect, social justice, academic inquiry, and pursuit of knowledge. To unite our community, we are planning activities that exemplify all that Brandeis represents." At the planning meeting, Wexler emphasized that the whole campus is invited to attend a Harry Potter-themed Hillel dinner on the night of the protests to bring the campus together.Mark Hajjar '13 heard about the protests from a friend and began to spread the word. "They're a very hateful group, they preach a very destructive message about just about everybody on campus," he said in an interview with the Justice. "I made it my Facebook status, I talked to a lot of other people that I knew, and I e-mailed the administration about it." According to Hajjar, the students planning response events have been in close contact with Hillel to create an appropriate response. "We have plans for this to be a very large event to bring us together as a community, but for that to work, it's really important that everyone is on the same page and everyone is willing to come together as a community," he explained.Rabbi Elyse Winnick '86, the University's Jewish chaplain, said in an interview with the Justice that faculty will provide guidance for the students, but she was extremely impressed with their organization,Winnick added, "They will de-emphasize the values of the Westboro Baptist Church and focus on the values of our community, which I contend are a much more sacred word of God's intent than anything we will be confronted with next week," she said.The Brandeis Catholic Chaplain, Rev. Walter Cuenin, said in the interview with the Justice, "It's up to the students to formulate what they want to do, and [the Chaplaincy will] support them and be there." He clarified that the chaplains will support any kind of peaceful response.Senior Vice President for Communications and External Affairs Andrew Gully explained in an interview with the Justice that the University is in communication with students about their plans for responding to the members of the Westboro Baptist Church, but no conclusive plan has been officially established as of press time. In a campuswide e-mail yesterday, University President Jehuda Reinharz wrote that he "urge[s] all members of our community to focus on the inclusive values that Brandeis stands for rather than WBC's hateful agenda, knowing that what WBC seeks most is attention.""We'll be getting the word out to everyone we can and turning this into a very positive thing," said Hajjar.-Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(11/09/10 5:00am)
According to Vice President of Enrollment Keenyn McFarlane, the number of merit scholarships offered to students has been gradually reduced in recent years and will be further reduced for the Class of 2015. The further reductions are due to the fact that many students offered merit aid in recent years declined attend the University.According to statistics provided by the Office of Enrollment, the number of matriculating students who received merit aid declined by 78 percent from 2006 to 2010.In an interview with the Justice, McFarlane said that by limiting merit aid funds, the University aims to meet 100 percent of estimated financial needs of more students.According to McFarlane, the elimination of merit aid due to the declining number of students offered merit scholarships matriculating is independent of the University's new financial aid policy, which states that students will be admitted into the University on a need-blind basis until there are no more available funds to admit students while meeting 100 percent of their need. From then on, applicants would be admitted on a need-sensitive basis, meaning that their financial need would be added to a list of factors that would determine whether or not the student would be accepted into Brandeis.According to McFarlane, the reduction of merit-based aid has been "ongoing" for "several years." McFarlane said that after reviewing the incoming class each year, the administrators in Enrollment found that they were more "effective" in being able to fund students when money was given in the form of need-based financial aid rather than merit scholarships since the number of students who received merit-based aid and matriculated into Brandeis has declined by 78 percent since 2006. McFarlane said the University also has a higher yield rate of matriculation when need-based aid is given rather than merit scholarships. The number of merit aid offered to accepted students has declined by 16 percent since 2006.McFarlane said that the reduction of merit aid would allow for a greater focus on the provision of need-based financial aid rather than merit scholarships, which would impose more stringent deadlines on submitting financial aid forms such as the FAFSA and CSS Profile, which are used by the federal government and CollegeBoard to assist universities determine a student's estimated financial need. The dates of the financial aid filing deadlines would not be earlier or later than those of past years, but they would be enforced to ensure that the University can accurately predict the amount of need it can meet for each student.McFarlane said that giving money in the form of financial aid need rather than merit scholarships would be more in line with the "social justice philosophy" of Brandeis. "We want to be giving out money to those who need it," he said.McFarlane added that although he wanted both students with merit and students with need to be able to attend the University, he said he hoped that students would "embrace" the values of social justice Brandeis would be trying to promote by allocating more money to students with need.Additionally, McFarlane also said that he does not believe that the elimination of merit scholarships will affect the competitiveness of students applying to and attending Brandeis. McFarlane said that although the number of students with merit scholarships has declined, the performance of accepted students has not. According to statistics from the Office of Enrollment, the average SAT scores of students accepted in to Brandeis has remained near 1400 on a 1600 scale. The average SAT scores of students who have matriculated have remained in the mid-1300s. "If students do not get merit aid money, that does not mean that the students aren't meritorious," said McFarlane, explaining that reducing merit aid would not alter the University's admission standards. -Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(11/09/10 5:00am)
The Centers and Institutes Review Committee presented several recommendations in its report, which was released yesterday, such as making directors of the University's centers and institutes regular members of the Brandeis faculty, creating the Academic Priorities Committee to consider the overall academic planning of centers and institutes, and ensuring that centers and institutes cover their indirect costs as best as possible.According to the report, other "major" recommendations include forming steering committees for all centers and institutes; seeing that the steering committees "work together with Center directors and relevant academic departmental chairs to define shared goals and to best allocate resources for faculty, student support, and program expenses;" and establishing "incentives that promote engagement and cooperation between Centers and relevant faculty." The recommendations also state that centers and institutes contribute to the University's educational mission and that "all paid and unpaid research appointments associated with Centers should be of limited term and meet university standards of scholarly or practitioner excellence." The Centers and Institutes Review Committee was charged by University Provost Marty Krauss to offer recommendations regarding "how to maximize Centers/Institutes' academic and fiscal contributions to the university's core missions of teaching, scholarship, and public engagement," according to the committee's website. In an interview with the Justice, committee chair Prof. Susan Birren (BIOL) said, "One of the findings of the committee is that there has been a lack of communication between different units of the University." She stated that some departmental faculty had questions about the role of centers and institutes and how they financially operate. "Likewise, from the centers [and institutes,] there's this sense that they would like to be more integrated, but it's not clear how to do that integration," explaining that the recommendations emphasized transparency.Krauss said in an interview with the Justice that she thought the "most fundamental recommendation" was concerned with the creation of steering committees. The report recommends that all centers and institutes should have steering committees that include departmental faculty selected by the dean of Arts and Science and the provost in consultation with directors of centers and institutes. With regard to finances, Birren told the Justice that the committee was mostly charged with making recommendations about the governance of centers and institutes and communication within centers, institutes and departmental faculty.In this financial section of the report, the committee writes, "All Center programs and operating expenses that constitute direct costs should be fully supported by outside funding sources secured by the Center." However, the report also states, "While Centers should cover indirect costs to the greatest extent possible, we recommend that complete coverage of these costs not be required. Nevertheless, the university should develop and define clear indirect cost rates that approximate the overhead costs incurred by the individual Center."Currently, the provost's guidelines for centers and institutes mandate that all centers and institutes fully fund both direct and indirect costs, according to the report. The report states "The mandate to cover all costs is not typical of our peer institutions, many of which do not require that Centers fully cover indirect costs.""Many Centers do not have a funding structure that allows them to fully cover their indirect costs, forcing them out of compliance with university policy," according to the report. The report states that indirect costs borne by the University are likely to exceed 15 percent of expenses for the centers and institutions.Birren told the Justice, "The money was given to [centers and institutes] with the understanding that it was going to be used to carry out research projects or specific set of activities, so the question isn't 'Can we divert from the centers and institutes?' but 'How can we work . together in order to maximize the ability of those funded activities?"In an interview with the Justice, Krauss said that she is meeting with the directors of centers and institutes this week to discuss the report. She said that she will also meet with the committee to "try and flush out some of their thinning behind some of the recommendations" and discuss the report with other faculty members. "I think it's a complicated report. It will take some time to digest it and identify what the appropriate process and step will be for implementing recommendations," Krauss said.-Alana Abramson and Fiona Lockyer contributed reporting.
(10/19/10 4:00am)
The credit card machine at Domenic's Café in the Lemberg Academic Center in the International Business School is currently under investigation after multiple students reported encountering credit card fraud there, according to Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan.Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins sent out a campuswide e-mail Oct. 11 stating that eight students had encountered credit card fraud at Domenic's and that Public Safety was investigating the reports. However, as of Oct. 18, approximately 35 students had reported credit card fraud after eating at Domenic's, Collins wrote in an e-mail to the Justice."The Credit Card machine has been removed from the Cafe site and is in the hands of investigators," Collins wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. Domenic's is currently only performing cash transactions, according to Callahan, who did not know if WhoCash is being accepted as well. Emily Diamond '12, one of the students who noticed strange credit card charges on her statement after using her card at Domenic's, explained that she last used her card on Oct. 12 and has since been informed that charges of $332.46 appeared on her statement. Diamond explained that she received a phone call from her bank, Metcalf Bank, located in Kansas, warning her of these suspicious charges on the card. Her account has since been frozen, and Metcalf is sending her a new card.Diamond is in the process of reporting this fraud to Public Safety but was unable to file an official report because she did not have all of the necessary documentation. Diamond said that Public Safety requested that she print out her official bank statement and bring in her actual credit card in order to file the report. Diamond plans on filing the report later this week.Diamond said she was glad the University sent out an e-mail warning students about the credit card fraud situation but explained that her bank was in charge of fixing the charges on her bank statement, not Brandeis.Collins expects that Domenic's will not be able to operate credit card transactions for another 4 weeks. "When and if future credit card purchases are allowed at this site there must be a safe, secure and definitive transaction plan in place by the Independent vendor in charge of this service location," Collins wrote in his e-mail to the Justice.Collins wrote that the investigation is still ongoing at this point. He explained that IBS has otherwise been operating normally and that he expects it to continue to do so."This is one cash register machine run by an outside vendor. . It had no other impact on the operation of the business school," Collins wrote.-Alana Abramson, Brian Fromm and Nashrah Rahman contributed reporting.
(10/19/10 4:00am)
For the past week, the Brandeis Real Food Coalition, an alliance of around 30 students who advocate using more organic and local foods, has been circulating a petition around campus suggesting that University Dining Services use only cage-free eggs, In addition to the Real Food Coalition's petition, the Student Union issued a survey polling students' opinions on switching to only cage-free eggs. The survey was conducted through both e-mails and face-to-face surveys. Cage-free eggs are eggs that come from hens that are raised in much more humane conditions than battery-caged hensAccording to the Humane Society, the nations' largest animal protection organization, caged hens are controversial because they pose intolerable treatments for the animals that they contain by preventing them from engaging in a multitude of natural behaviorial tendencies such as nesting, perching, and dustbathing.Seth Grande '12, one of the coordinators of the cage-free campaign, said that battery-caged eggs come from an environment where six to seven hens are kept in a cage together, resulting in each hen only getting a space roughly the size of a sheet of notebook paper in which to live.According to Grande, over 1,200 people on campus have ratified the petition so far. He said that the Real Food Coalition started work on the cage-free eggs campaign at the beginning of this academic year. In an interview with the Justice, Grande said that he believes the method in which cage-free eggs are produced is incompatible with the mantra of social justice that defines the University, which is why he is adamant about ensuring they are prominent in dining services and are easily accessible for students."The way battery-caged eggs are produced is inhumane and is contrary to the values of our university," he said.The survey from the Student Union asked students if they would support a switch to using only cage-free eggs on campus and if they would still support that switch if it caused meal plans to increase in price. Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 said in an interview with the Justice that the participant turnout for the survey was "impressive;" 877 students contributed their opinions through either the online survey or the face-to-face method. According to the results that Acheampong e-mailed to the Justice, 781 students, 89 percent of those surveyed, said they would support the switch, while 96 students said they would not. For the second question, he said that 557 students said they would still support the switch if it caused an increase in the price of meal plans while 320 said they would not. "The cost was the number-one reason for people saying no [to the switch to cage-free eggs]. If there wasn't a cost factor, I think everyone would have said yes," Acheampong said. "They never get a chance to walk around, open their wings or do anything that chickens should be doing, so we decided we were going to do something about it," Grande said. The issue of cage-free eggs has manifested itself on campus previously. In 2008, Brandeis students ran a similar campaign, which resulted in what Grande referred to as the "cage-free compromise." This compromise resulted in cage-free eggs being served as an option for students when they order an omelet or eggs from Sherman Dining Hall or Usdan Café. Grande said that this compromise is not effective for a few reasons. He explained that all baked goods and other food products that contain eggs on campus were cooked with battery-caged eggs, so students do not get a choice with those products and the additional effort and extra cost required to obtain cage-free eggs makes students less likely to order them. He also said that the cage-free option has not been advertised, and often, dining services just does not have the eggs available even to those who request them. "These factors really mean that the cage-free option doesn't do a lot to [actually] address the problem on campus," Grande said.If the University does switch over to using only cage-free eggs, meal plans will have a slight increase in price. Grande said that while he cannot provide a specific numerical price increase for the University, he has "been speaking with outside experts who have given [the Real Food Coalition] data from other campaigns they have worked on at other schools." According to data Grande said he has been looking at from the University of Minnesota and the University of California, Irvine, their meal plans increased by about $5 when they switched to just cage-free eggs. Acheampong said that he would report the results of the survey to Dining Services. When asked if he thought the University would make the switch, Acheampong said that he thinks it is "important for the University to acknowledge what the students want, and [the fact that] 877 students participated was great." "This is Brandeis, people really care, and they are passionate," Acheampong said. -Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(10/12/10 4:00am)
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences posted a budget surplus of nearly $2 million in fiscal 2010, up from a budget deficit of $1.77 million in fiscal 2009, which can be attributed to an increase in the number of students admitted to master's programs and a decrease in the number of admitted Ph.D. candidates. In an interview with the Justice, Prof. Malcolm Watson (PSYCH) explained that master's students pay tuition but that Ph.D. students at Brandeis, like at most universities, receive tuition remission and a stipend from the University, which "costs the University a lot of money." Watson said the decision to make changes to the number of admitted students was made during the worst of the financial crisis when the administration of the GSAS was worried about losing the school entirely. "The graduate program, for the most part, has always functioned in the red," said Watson, "but we couldn't sustain that." The GSAS currently has 923 graduate students, according to Watson. "Out of that number, 529 are Ph.D. students and 394 are master's students, and we had a total of 355 students who matriculated this fall," said Watson. He continued to say that for the current academic year, there were 1,117 Ph.D. applications of which 16 percent were accepted (a total of 178 students) and there were 1,120 master's applicants of which 48 percent were accepted (a total of 537 students). "These were significant increases from previous years," said Watson.Watson said that he expected the number of applicants to continue to rise and that while the school may accept slightly more applicants next year than it did for this academic year, he expects the numbers to "soon reach sort of steady state." The increase in students has provided GSAS with challenges ranging from increased work needed to process all the applications to efforts to provide the appropriate and needed resources to the students. "The main thing is that the professors who mentor these students really don't get paid more to take on master's students, but they're willingly doing it," he said. Watson said that while no one can determine admissions figures for upcoming years, the Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee and the Brandeis 2020 Committee set a decreased target number for Ph.D students in various departments for the 2008 to 2009 academic year, and those are still the numbers on which the GSAS is operating. The International Business School reduced the number of students admitted this year, according to the Senior Associate Dean Trenery Dolbear. In an e-mail to the Justice, Dolbear wrote that while he was unable to provide the exact admissions rates from the previous academic year, the "number of new students this year is actually lower than last year." Dolbear explained that while IBS was asked to contribute about $2 million to the budget, "this target hasn't changed by a substantial amount ... so we were not under pressure to push up acceptance rates to increase revenue." -Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(10/05/10 4:00am)
According to an interview with Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, five students filed reports of theft in Usen Castle towers B and C early Sunday morning, and a possible suspect has been described as a male, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds who was wearing a dark knit cap and a grey hooded sweatshirt.In a phone interview with the Justice, Callahan explained that the thefts took place between 3 and 8 a.m. Four students had items taken from their rooms while a fifth student, who was awake studying for an exam, only witnessed the suspect attempt to enter her room but leave instead. In an interview with the Justice, Harrison Goldpsiel '13 and Ben Crown '13, who are roommates in the Castle, said they both had items stolen."I woke up at 10 and realized my alarm and my phone didn't go off, and I realized something was wrong," explained Goldspiel in an interview with the Justice. He said that his phone, PlayStation Portable, phone, backpack and iPod were all stolen Sunday morning and that his laptop, which was locked to the desk, had been unplugged and moved around the desk.Crown stated that he had $1,000 worth of electronics stolen from his room, including his laptop, PlayStation 3 and assorted video games, as well as his wallet.Jacob Moore '13 wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that his wallet was stolen. "I keep my laptop and ipod [sic] and phone close to me when I sleep, but my wallet stays on my desk on the other side of the room, so I'm guessing that's all they took cause [sic] they didn't want to wake me up," he wrote.Alyssa Moore '13, another resident of the castle, said that her cell phone was stolen and that she had witnessed the suspect in her room in the middle of the night. "At 3:15 a.m., I woke up and saw a tall, skinny guy wearing a zip-up sweatshirt with his hood on standing in my doorway, with the door wide opened, shining a flashlight into my room," she wrote. She further explained that although her drawers had been opened and her backpack had been searched, her phone was the only item missing from her room.The fifth student to file a report, who wishes to remain anonymous out of concern for her safety, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that she was studying for a midterm at 5:30 a.m. when a "tall, skinny, creepy young man" walked into her room. When she asked who he was, he said that he was just curious who lived in the room and then left."It just seemed that he made a mistake and thought we were people he knew," she wrote.Callahan explained that University Police found a propped-open fire escape door, which may have been the mode of entry for the culprit. Callahan said that as a result of this incident, the Department of Public Safety is emphasizing that students take extra precautionary measures and is encouraging them to lock their doors. "Every single room had a common denominator, and that was students leaving their doors unlocked," Callahan said. Callahan explained that the crimes that occured in the castle were "crimes of opportunity.""Don't compromise doors, don't let anybody else into residence halls, let yourself in and let anyone else use their own key if you don't know them," he advised. He explained that if a suspect is named, the Department of Public Safety will be in touch with community advisors and community development coordinators.According to the University Police Log, two other thefts also occurred in the past week. The Police Log stated that a student's identification card and room key were stolen from the Village fitness center, and a student's unattended backpack was stolen from Goldfarb Library.Callahan said that it is unlikely that those thefts were related to the larceny in the Castle, but Public Safety is investigating them. "We're looking at some videotape on those locations to see if we can come up with a suspect for those locations," said Callahan.Senior Director of the Department of Community Living Jeremy Leiferman also sent out an e-mail to community development coordinatorss to be distributed to all resident students, reminding them to be aware of their surroundings at all times, lock residence doors when away or sleeping, not let strangers into residence halls and not leave valuables out in the open, but at press time not all students had received this e-mail.Goldspiel said he would consequently take more precaution with his belongings on campus. "I never lock my door while I'm sleeping or in the bathroom because I just never think of it. I've always thought of Brandeis as a safe, friendly campus. Though I still think of it as a safe place, I'll definitely be more cautious in the future and lock my door when I'm asleep," he wrote.-Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(10/05/10 4:00am)
Representatives from the Wabash National Study, which focuses on factors affecting the outcome of a liberal arts education, will be visiting Brandeis tomorrow through Friday in an effort to compile qualitative data to supplement the quantitative data collected by the study thus far, according to Provost Marty Krauss. The Wabash National Study is, according to the Brandeis website, "a large-scale, longitudinal study to investigate critical factors that affect the outcomes of liberal arts education." The study currently includes 49 institutions of higher learning. According to the Brandeis website, the study focused on seven areas: critical thinking, need for cognition, interest in and attitudes about diversity, leadership, moral reasoning, well-being and integration of learning.In an e-mail to the Justice, Krauss wrote that Brandeis' involvement with the study began in fall 2008, when first-years, along with the 2009 midyears, participated in the study.The Wabash study is longitudinal, meaning that it aims to study the same people at different times throughout their college experience. At the beginning of the 2008 to 2009 academic year, 62 percent of the incoming class completed the study, according to the Brandeis website. When the second part of the study was conducted in the spring of 2009, 29 percent of those who participated in the first part of the study were present. Among 2009 midyear students, 85 percent completed the first part of the study, while 25 percent of that group was present for the second part. Students who have completed both parts will be asked to participate in the study again at the end of their senior years in the final installment of the study. Findings from the quantitative data claim that 40 percent of Brandeis students spend between 21 and 30 hours a week preparing for class. The data also show that 68 percent agree that courses at Brandeis have "helped them understand the historical, political and social connections of past events." Additionally, while 17 percent often attend class without completing assignments, the data reveal that, in comparison with other students participating in the Wabash survey, Brandeis students are "more interested in collaboration, citizenship, political and social involvement, and diversity issues."Krauss wrote that the representatives are now seeking qualitative data to supplement these findings because "qualitative data obtained through focus groups is often very helpful in putting 'meat' on the statistical data." She wrote that qualitative data often provide more insight and depth into the meaning of the statistical data."The results of the focus groups would not change the statistical results-they are what they are-but could be very helpful in understanding them better," Krauss wrote. Krauss explained in her e-mail that in an effort to obtain this qualitative data, representatives from the Wabash study will hold three sessions for focus groups on Wednesday. She wrote that the focus groups will start at 5 p.m. and will take place in Room 317 of the Shapiro Campus Center.According to Krauss, the purpose of the focus groups is to discuss with students the results of the study and find out how they interpret the findings represented by the data. Krauss also wrote that the representatives are having dinner in Sherman Hall at 6 p.m. that same day in hopes that they will interact with students during dinner. Krauss explained that she hoped 15 to 20 students would participate in each of the focus groups.She wrote that the representatives from the Wabash study would like to talk with students from all years, regardless of whether they have been involved in the study previously or not, in order to get a complete picture of the study's findings.-Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
