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Graduate Commencement: Shirley Ann Jackson and Giselle Gabriel, Heller MA SID `25 impart inspirational speeches

On May 18, 2025, the Brandeis community gathered in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center to celebrate the University’s 74th Graduate Commencement. This ceremony acknowledged the achievements of students from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis International Business School and Rabb School of Continuing Studies and named two honorary degree recipients, Shirley Ann Jackson and Jim Obergefell. 

The class of 2025’s favorite courses

As Brandeis goes through numerous changes over the years — whether in its infrastructure, its administration or its student body — certain truths about the character of the University remain the same. One of those truths is that its academics comprise a diverse collection of talented and dedicated instructors who teach classes that change our lives indelibly.

Brandeis Jewish Bund members demonstrate during Israel Week event

On May 1, Brandeis Hillel held Israel Fest among the Fellows Garden Blue Booths at noon to “celebrate Israeli resilience.” The outdoor festival featured an art installation and candles to light in honor of those impacted by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and the subsequent Israel-Hamas War. 

The University restructures its University Writing Seminar for fall of 2025

Starting next fall, the University Writing Program — the first year writing program which includes composition seminars and University Writing Seminars — will be restructuring as “first-year seminars.” This change was primarily initiated by the Dean of Arts and Sciences office when they established a committee to do a “five-year review of the Brandeis Core Curriculum,” according to an email sent to The Justice from Lisa Rourke, the director of the University Writing Program, and Katrin Fischer, who is the director of First Year Writing. The committee laid out how they took feedback from faculty, staff, alumni and students, in addition to reviewing “Brandeis Core learning objectives [and] curricular and financial data, and faculty, students, alumni and staff feedback.” They concluded that one of the priorities was making the curriculum more flexible, in addition to introducing students to faculty from other disciplines outside the University Writing Program. 

Letter to the Editor — Mateo Levin

To the Editor:

After Hugh Hayden: A closer look at the exhibition through ekphrastic poetry

On April 24, 2025 at 2:30pm, The Rose Art Museum invited students to perform their poetry in conversation with Hugh Hayden’s exhibition, “Home Work.” I arrived ten minutes early, setting aside my belongings. Student poets dressed in flurries of flowery patterns and spring colors were scattered in the Museum, reciting their poems and practicing silently to themselves as I wandered through the exhibition. I made my way to the entrance to await the formal start of the tour. I found a stack of booklets titled “After Hugh Hayden” that was a chapbook collection of all the student poems

Balancé-ing through ballet

On April 26, the Brandeis Ballet Club celebrated their 15th year of bringing the art of ballet to the Brandeis community through their annual Spring Showcase. Unlike “The Nutcracker,” a more defined production traditionally performed each winter, the Spring Showcase featured a myriad of original performances choreographed by different students in the club.

Culture X: Connecting Horizons

Culture X, one of the most popular shows at the University, features dozens of student performers that aim to educate and entertain through all forms of artistic expression.

"Signs for Change" Exhibit: A powerful start to Creative Arts Festival

To kick off this year’s annual Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts, Brandeis’s Students for Environmental Action club put up an exhibition in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium on Wednesday, April 23. The exhibition, titled “Signs for Change,” was thematically focused on climate justice and featured both artwork made from recycled materials and an interactive display that shared educational environmental facts. One part of the exhibit featured over a dozen pieces of cardboard painted with images and words promoting climate action. The pieces were artfully placed to make a pile while maximizing the number of signs that were visible. Other pieces were taped on the windows above the central pile. This colorful and eye-catching display was accompanied by a quick response code with a link to a petition supporting Mass 350’s Climate Change Superfund Act. 

Roots with friends!

This past week, as Brandeis celebrated the 73rd year of the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts, campus was transformed into a venue for all forms of artistic expression with a captivating array of performances and events that swept through every corner. One of the defining features of Brandeis is the incredible faculty and their work. This shines through in performances and events that celebrate the creativity and talent of Brandeis staff, one of which is Music at Mandel’s Roots Music with Taylor Ackley and Friends.

Paige Bueckers: A Special Talent

March Madness 2025: one shining moment

Reflections on 'Building Americana: A Conversation with Hugh Hayden'

On April 3, Brandeis University once again welcomed architect, artist and visionary Hugh Hayden to discuss his ongoing collection at The Rose Art Museum, “Hugh Hayden: Home Work.” Joined by Dr. Muna Güvenç (FA) and Dr. Gannit Ankori (FA), the co-curator of the exhibition, Hayden explored the inspiration behind his works and provided an inside look at how he “built Americana.” 

Don't look back: a 'Eurydice' review

Last Friday, on April 4, I attended the Brandeis Theater Department’s latest show, “Eurydice.” Written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Dori A. Robinson ’00, this modern retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus is told from Eurydice’s perspective.

Daya and Baby Tate to perform at Springfest

Brandeis’ newest dorm plan updates

For the past few years, housing has been a hot-button issue on Brandeis’ campus. Students have complained about the quantity as well as the quality of their living facilities, an issue that only worsens as the Brandeis budget grows tighter and dorms age further. 

Organized Kaos Spring Show

This Thursday, March 27, Kaos Kids, Brandeis’s premier hip-hop dance crew hosted Brandeis’s yearly dance showcase: “Organized Kaos.” This event featured dance teams from Brandeis, such as Adagio and HWAA, plus teams from universities across the greater Boston area, including Lasell, MIT and Northeastern. The energy was electric as dancers performed tap, contemporary and hip-hop routines for a cheering audience. This lively performance demonstrated how dance creates community in many different ways. Pictures of the Kaos dancers were hung up outside the venue, allowing friends and fans to write messages of love and encouragement. Videos and speeches allowed the Kaos group members to congratulate their graduating seniors and honor the friendships built during rehearsals. Throughout the night, each group supported the next with lots of applause and compliments called out to the dancers on stage. Each performance was full of life, making it clear to the audience just how much hard work went into each dance. One of my favorite acts was from HWAA, Brandeis’s East Asian pop dance crew. Performing to “Midas Touch” by the K-pop group Kiss of Life, the members of HWAA exuded confidence and coordination. Another favorite of mine was Lasell University’s Pulse, who showed off their fast footwork to a medley of pop, R&B, and rap favorites. Thanks to Kaos for hosting such a fun, chaotic night! 

Hold Thy Peace's "Argonautika"

This past weekend, Hold Thy Peace, the Brandeis Shakespeare and classics theater group, performed their spring semester show “Argonautika” by Mary Zimmerman. “Argonautika” is a modern adaptation of the Greek epic poem “Argonautica” written in the third century before the common era by Apollonius Rhodius. The story follows that of Jason and the Argonauts on their quest to retrieve the legendary golden fleece from Colchis and bring it back to Iolcus, Jason’s home. Set before the Trojan War, the Argonauts feature a star-studded cast of familiar heroes including Hercules, who joins the voyage in between his famous labors. 

The Debutante: dual depictions

If you’ve visited the Rose Art Museum this past semester, you may have encountered the beautifully abstract artworks of British-Mexican artist, Leonora Carrington. From her sketches to her paintings, Carrington’s surrealistic pieces transport viewers to new realms, constructing alternate realities where our world is blended with the unimaginable. 

The rise and fall of the Nike Air Force 1’s

In 2016, I, like most other teenagers of the time, realized that the apparent key to fitting in — the so-called “missing piece” in the puzzle of adolescent chicness — was an unassuming white sneaker: Nike’s iconic Air Force 1. Once this registered, suddenly, they were everywhere I looked — at my school, at the local grocery store, stacked neatly in the cubbies where students had to store their shoes before my martial arts lessons. Sheepishly, I bought a pair for myself and vowed to never admit that there was a time prior to my ownership of them — and I certainly acted like it.