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Massachusetts Health Policy Forum gets grant

Pop Culture

This week on Glee, Glee Club leader Finn (Cory Monteith) outed lesbian cheerleader Santana (Naya Rivera) in the middle of McKinley High School's famously homophobic hallways during a heated argument. Since the episode aired, fans of Finn have claimed that Santana has famously been a bully and that she deserved to be outed. Santana fans fired back, calling Finn's actions unforgivable.

EDITORIAL: Gauge opinion strategically

Last Friday, Provost Steve Goldstein '78 sent an email to the Brandeis community describing the manner in which the Strategic Planning Steering Committee will move forward as it begins its work. While Mr. Goldstein mentioned several methods in which student input will be solicited, there are more effective ways to obtain students' opinion in order to get more thoughtful and well-considered opinions. In his email, Dr. Goldstein wrote that "undergraduates will convene a Student Advisory Committee to engage the student body through a series of town hall meetings, forums and online surveys" in order to inform the student representative to the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12. We approve of the creation of such a committee: Having students from different aspects of the student body informing Mr. Rosen as he works on the larger committee will be useful and will ensure that different facets of student life are represented. However, as the town hall meetings for the Constitutional Review Committee two years ago and the presidential search last year proved—some meetings had no students in attendance, others very few—holding open forums for all members of the general student body is not an effective way of gathering representative opinions. Perhaps offering some sort of incentives, such as food or giveaways, would boost attendance. There may be an even more effective approach, though: The Student Advisory Committee would be better served by asking focus groups to give their opinions on the different aspects of student life. By convening groups of club leaders, members of the student government, members of Greek life, commuters and other groups representative of specific aspects of the student experience at Brandeis, the committee would gain valuable insights into the issues that will be critical to the strategic planning process. Online surveys are a better way to reach out to all of the undergraduates than town hall meetings, as many more students are likely to respond to an email than to attend one of the meetings. But as the email questionnaires about the search for the provost and senior vice president for Students and Enrollment last year showed, questions on those surveys need to be accessible to students. For example, last year's survey sent out by then Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 on the provost search asked: "What are the most important areas to be improved within the Provost's authority?" Students filling out this survey had little ability to answer this question, as most were unaware of the provost's role at the University. Questions should be geared toward subjects of which students have direct knowledge, and the survey should be advertised in ways that will make students interested in participating. Again, some targeted surveys might help the committee reach out to parts of the student body that are otherwise not represented, but one general survey to students would be a way to ensure that everyone who is interested in expressing his or her opinion can be heard. At a time in which our university is considering its goals and values, we have a unique opportunity to make our voices heard. It is our responsibility to speak out, and the Student Advisory Committee to the Strategic Planning Steering Committee should do its best to reach out to those students who are interested in contributing to this important conversation.

Process begins for strategic plan committee

Provost Steve Goldstein '78 announced in an email to faculty, students and staff that a steering committee has been formed to begin the strategic planning process that University President Frederick Lawrence initiated earlier this year. Goldstein will serve as the chair of the committee. According to his email, the "talented and diverse committee" includes faculty, deans, undergraduate students, graduate students, trustees and members of the senior administration. Notable members of the Brandeis community on the committee include Prof. Anita Hill (Heller), the senior adviser to the provost; Chief Executive Officer of the Davis Companies and the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Jonathan Davis '75; and Chief of Staff of the Office of the President David Bunis '83. The committee had an introductory meeting yesterday. Lawrence charged the committee and "set [them] off with a robust and exciting introduction to his view of the process. He brought energy to the table about being bold and at the same time practical," said Goldstein in an interview with the Justice. The committee will meet for five or six hours once a month for a year. "The timeline is that we expect to present the board of trustees with a completed plan for their approval by December a year from now, so it's a yearlong process," said Goldstein. The students on the committee are Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12 and Graduate Student Association representative Michael Singer. Undergraduate students will be represented in the process through a Student Advisory Committee, which will hold town hall meetings, forums and online surveys. Rosen will accept applications from students who want to be on the committee. "I'm going to be looking for students from all different fields. I want to hit all corners of the University," he said in an interview with the Justice. "Our concerns can't be turned away." The Graduate Student Association will hold similar events to represent graduate students, according to Goldstein's email. The University hired Elaine Kuttner of Cambridge Concord Associates as a consultant to the committee. The five academic deans and six professors will also serve on the committee. "President Lawrence and I are deeply grateful to committee members for their willingness to assume this demanding service, and we thank the Faculty Senate Council for its guidance during the committee selection process," wrote Goldstein in his email. Goldstein also announced the scheduling of information gathering sessions. According to his email, faculty and staff can sign up for a session online. These campus-wide discussions, which will begin the next week, will help develop the strategic plan. All input received from these planning discussions will be posted on a strategic planning website sometime in December, according to Goldstein. Goldstein's email also thanked members of the community in advance for their participation. "We need your input to produce a vibrant and successful plan that will propel us into a future as bold and discerning as the act of our formation," he wrote. "There was a palpable sense of opportunity and anticipation in the room," said Goldstein of yesterday's first meeting. "That was very exciting." 

State Representative Chan speaks about public service

State Representative Tackey Chan '95 returned to Brandeis last Thursday to speak about his experiences in public service at the third-annual Government Careers Forum and Networking Night hosted by the Hiatt Career Center and held in the Hassenfeld Conference Center. Chan's speech encapsulated the theme of the Government Careers Forum, which had 25 agencies attending, including the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General and the Peace Corps. Chan focused his speech around "how to get from point A to point B by going through point Z." He used his own career as an example, recounting how he began by working for State Senator Michael W. Morrissey and was recently elected as state representative in Quincy, Mass. He also stated that one of his goals is to become the junior senator for Massachusetts. Throughout his address, Chan remarked on his attraction to politics and public service despite pressures to go into the rapidly growing computer science field. "I was always intrigued by politics because it's about people," said Chan. He said that public service gave him a great deal of satisfaction, knowing that he had influenced other individuals. With self-deprecating humor, Chan reiterated that public service does not pay well, claiming to have "made no more than $30,000" per year in the past, yet still affirmed that is well worth the sacrifice. Chan worked as general counsel and legislative director for Morrissey from 1995 to 2007 after graduating from Brandeis. He then served as an assistant attorney general in Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office of Ratepayer Advocacy from 2007 to 2010. He obtained his juris doctorate from the New England School of Law in 2003. On a more relatable level, Chan told the audience that he worked at the Hiatt Career Center and the Goldfarb Library as an undergraduate at Brandeis. In discussion of his recent election to the state legislature, Chan commented on recognizing an opportunity when it presents itself. "There's always going to be opportunity out there, but are you smart enough to recognize what it is? And are you smart enough to take it or pass it by?" he said. Chan's opportunity arose after the former state senator retired, leaving an opening. Despite nearly 15 years of public service experience, Chan cited several obstacles to his campaign, namely being an Asian-American democrat. First, he was running against an Irish Catholic in a district with only a 20-percent Asian population. Also, the Republican Party made some major gains in 2010, especially with the election of Scott Brown as U.S. Senator for Massachusetts. Chan humorously described his campaign strategy as knocking on every Asian-American door in Quincy asking for votes, "even if they didn't speak Chinese or English." After he had sent 72,000 pieces of literature to 22,000 homes, Chan won the election, defeating the Republican and Independent candidates. In his closing remarks, Chan told the audience that "the message is ‘You can do this, if you really want. You can win, if you really want to.'" He also said that he aspires to become a U.S. Senator for Massachusetts, but right now, he is enjoying the moment. "Enjoy the moment … because you only get one," he concluded. Though many of those attending the event were from Brandeis, some students came from as far as Tufts University and Stonehill College for the event. Caroline O'Shea, assistant director of employer relations for Hiatt, told the attendees that the event was not a career fair but rather a networking opportunity. Students had 15 to 20 minutes to socialize with an agency representative before a bell rang, signaling them to change tables. The event was also structured so that students could network with each other. While checking in for the forum, students were instructed to put a blue sticker on their name tag if they had previously worked for a government employer. Hiatt staff encouraged students to mingle with each other in order to get information about potential internships and jobs. 

A guided perspective on art

Johns, Lichtenstein, de Kooning, Warhol. These names are familiar, but you aren't quite sure of their significance. You peruse the vast halls where museums house their treasures. Walking what seems to be an endless path of paintings and sculptures, you see the various names of their creators etched upon a bronze plaque below. You wonder how Ellsworth Kelly's "Blue White" shows minimalism or how Max Weber's "Seated Woman" reflects subtle Jewish themes. You wonder if someone else shares your questions or if anyone can answer them. Recently, the Rose Art Museum unveiled a new student guide program to accompany its myriad works and help visitors navigate the museum. The new tours will change how students visit the Rose Art Museum after its reopening this past week. "The tours are a new and great opportunity for students to interact with art," said Rebecca Pollack '13, an Art History major and one of nine gallery guides for the museum this semester. In addition, Pollack is a member of the Student Committee for the Rose Art Museum, a student group that works with the Rose to organize events for students. Though the program is first opening this semester, its development has been in the works since last spring. Over the course of several meetings, the museum was able to gather the input of several students and art lovers alike, listening to what each group wanted out of the program. The gallery guides underwent an intense two-day weekend training session in April, according to Diana Flatto '12, who is working as a guide this semester and previously worked as a guard for the museum. The premise of the training was "based on simple guiding to more comprehensive visual expression, thinking and how people perceive art." In addition, those students chosen as guides have continued to train throughout this semester, with two-hour sessions each week. Though the guide program is open to all applicants, it is recommended that those who apply have at least a background in art. Although the museum has been on campus since 1961, prior to this semester, no official guide program was offered at the Rose. In some special circumstances last year, Director of Academic Programs for the Rose Art Museum Dabney Hailey had visual thinking programs for anyone who wished to come. This year, students have an opportunity to enjoy a more hands-on approach to the works of the museum. "The most exciting part about the program is [that] it is run by students," Pollack said. "Brandeis students giving tours for Brandeis students: [It's about] mutual contribution and critical thinking, whose purpose is to look at art in new ways together, and not for me to talk at you," she said. This method of guidance will be done with the use of visual thinking strategies. The idea is that a tour guide will invite the group to look at and silently analyze a work of art for approximately one minute, after which they will ask the group what is happening concerning the piece. In this way, every idea discussed is that of the tour group rather than that of the guide. In addition to the guide program, a new feature for the Rose Art Museum is the incorporation of iPod Touches, allowing people quick and easy access to information about works of art. Though anyone from Brandeis can contact the museum and book a tour, the guide program is primarily geared toward clubs or classes, according to Pollack and Flatto. And although it is a small program, with only nine guides so far, each tour will be led by more than one guide. "No tour will be led alone, there's always going to be someone with you, ... one guide leading and the other listening," Pollack said. Currently, the majority of guides for the museum are involved in some sort of art on campus, be it for their major or a club. Still others are majoring in education. However, many of the guides are people simply focused on and admirers of art. Though art is not their major, several of these students in the past took a few Art History or Studio Art classes, enjoying them enough to help serve the museum. Guides like Pollack hope that the program will attract tour groups filled with art-intensive people as well as those looking to pique their interest in the subject. In addition, the program will provide an open forum for students to express their artistic opinions. "It's our museum, a great asset we have on campus. Every Brandeis student should experience it," Pollack said. "The Rose was built 50 years ago so Brandeis students could learn about art," Pollack said on the Rose's close proximity to students. "It's a fabulous museum, probably one of the best university museum collections that there is. We're here. It's a really great resource for anything from art history to sculpting to painting," she said. The guided tours are now open to the public since the Rose reopening last week. "Some people don't even realize the Rose is open, … and it's a shame. It's a great museum with a really great collection," she said. "We want to get students involved with the Rose again," Flatto added about the program's purpose. 

Networking for a cause

Sam Vaghar '08 lost every election he ran in during high school. Like many students, Vaghar says that, in those four years, he "just didn't fit in." So when he got to Brandeis, he decided to do the exact opposite of what he did in high school. In his first year at Brandeis, he made the extra effort to meet everyone in his class by going door to door while running for positions in student government and the Student Union. It was then that Vaghar realized he had the skills to be a leader.

Reader Commentary

BTV's challenges have precedent

Employers and students network at science forum

Last Tuesday, the Hiatt Career Center sponsored its third annual Biotech, Healthcare and Science Forum called "Discovery Without Borders." The forum began with a panel presentation followed by a question-and-answer session and 20-minute speed networking sessions. The event, which was held in Sherman Function Hall, drew 240 students, according to Joseph DuPont, director of Hiatt. Twenty-five employers attended the forum, including high-profile companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Shire Pharmaceuticals. Provost Steve Goldstein '78 moderated the event, which included a panel composed of Glen Cowley '88, a research scientist at the Broad Institute; Robert Sackstein, a bone marrow transplant physician, biomedical researcher and professor at Harvard Medical School; and Amber Toll, director and senior human resources business partner for Shire Pharmaceuticals. Goldstein directed each of his questions to a different panelist, asking what employers are looking for in students, how the medical and biotech industries have changed over the past years and the importance of collaboration between different professions, companies and countries in an age of globalization. Sackstein, who was described by Goldstein as a man who professionally "wears many hats" because of his many areas of involvement in the medical industry, emphasized the necessity of pursuing a career that one is truly excited and passionate about. "Identify yourself early on; what gets you out of bed in the morning? You want to find something that really captures your enthusiasm. … You will be amazed what you can do with only your own energy," said Sackstein. When asked what would make a student an appealing hire to Shire Pharmaceuticals, Toll said that, in addition to having extensive experience in the lab and having several internships, the "softer skills" are also essential. "The ability to work with other people and collaborate is very important; you must have a certain level of emotional intelligence. [A student should be] bright, open and able to get along with people. If you can't, we don't want to deal with it," said Toll. Cowley spoke about the changes in biotechnology and the importance of communication and collaboration in a globalized world. Cowley said that when he was a student, the Internet was still in its infancy, and being global did not mean what it does today. "Now being global means I am on the phone with people in Korea or Belgium at 8 o'clock at night. … Things have changed a lot in the last five or 10 years. … The ability to communicate clearly is essential; you don't have to be bilingual, but you must be able to communicate and explain your science," said Cowley. Following the panel presentation was a 30-minute Q-and-A session, followed by speed networking, which gave students an opportunity to meet with prospective employers. Cary Weir Lytle '98, associate director of employer relations at Hiatt, gave the closing remarks. Rachel Danzig '12, an HSSP major, said after the event, "I found the forum to be extremely educational and I feel like I was given a lot more information toward finding a job for next year. I am definitely glad I came." "This year's forum was more helpful than last year['s] because I was able to gain more from the knowledge of all of the experts as I enter the workforce [next year]. It was also a great networking opportunity," said Natali Baner '12, a Neuroscience and Biology major who hopes to become a pediatric neurologist. In an interview with the Justice, DuPont said that aside from looking at the curriculum and the capability of students, the connections that Brandeis maintains with its alumni was what allowed Hiatt to draw such prominent companies and organizations to the biotech forum. "We can literally pick up the phone and say, ‘Can you come to this event? Can you help us champion [Brandeis] students?' … The fact that most people had a great experience at Brandeis makes them willing to do that," said DuPont.  

Corrections and clarifications

 An article in News about the Occupy Wall Street protests misspelled the given name of a student that attended one of the protests. She is Hanna Wellish '12, not Hannah Wellish. (Oct. 4, pg. 3) The Brandeis Talks Back feature in Forum included a picture of Hannah Simms '14 accompanying a quotation from Clair Weatherby '12. The photo should have been of Weatherby. (Oct. 4, pg. 6) An article in Arts misspelled the name of Indian henna and an Indian type of music. Indian henna is spelled mehndi, not mandhi, and the type of music is sangeet, not sungeep. (Oct. 4, pg. 16) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@thejustice.org.

Hillel pitches tent for discussion

Last Wednesday, Hillel at Brandeis sponsored the "Talk Israel Initiative" on the Great Lawn, an event aimed at encouraging discussion about the Middle East among university students.

Corrections and Clarifications

An article in News incorrectly stated that Prof. Dan Perlman (BIOL) was involved in the research that led to the creation of Smart Balance. In fact, it was Prof. Daniel Perlman (PHYS) who contributed to the research that led to the product. (Sept. 20, pg. 3) An article in News incorrectly implied that the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department was two separate departments, when it is, in fact, one department. (Sept. 20, pg. 7) The Brandeis Talks Back feature in Forum misspelled the surname of an interviewed student. The student's name is Sivan Levine '13, not Sivan Levin. (Sept. 20, pg. 10) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@thejustice.org.

Alumni and professor discuss social justice

The University along with the Hiatt Career Center and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management hosted the SoJust Leadership Forum last Tuesday in the Hassenfeld Conference center in Upper Sherman. The forum, titled "Journeys in Social Justice, Beyond Brandeis," was designed to encourage students to pursue careers in social justice and utilize resources that are largely available to them at Brandeis. Prof. David Cunningham (SOC) opened the program with a few remarks on what it means to pursue social justice during one's career at Brandeis and far beyond it as well. Cunningham also spoke about what the event was essentially designed to accomplish, saying that the SoJust forum was crafted to sustainably connect current and former University students in their efforts to work toward careers in social justice in the nonprofit and private sector worlds. Following Cunningham's opening remarks, the panel began the informal question-and-answer segment of the evening. The panel consisted of Yaser Robles '03, substitute lecturer of Social Sciences at Bronx Community College; Andrew Slack '02, executive director of the Harry Potter Alliance; Rosaline Salifu MA/SID '11, a former program manager for the Social Investment Fund in Ghana; Maicharia Lytle, executive director of Lift Boston; and David Warren '85, director of education for the Anti-Defamation League. Several questions were posed to the panelists, ranging from their personal experiences at Brandeis to the immense difficulty they faced when trying to plan their ultimate or ideal careers in social justice. When asked to describe his journey from Brandeis to his current position as director of education for the Anti-Defamation League, Warren spoke about how his initial academic comforts were not necessarily the right skills to depend on. "Back when I was in school, internship and practicum opportunities weren't what they are now, so I really had a very linear path," Warren said. "I was a Politics major here, and I really had a sense all the way through that, based on what I perceived to be my skill set over time, and after a number of different experiences and opportunities, I came to discover skills I never thought I'd be exercising." In an email to the Justice, Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12, who helped promote and plan the forum, wrote, "Members from the Hiatt Career Center, Ethics Center, and the Schuster Institute [for Investigative Journalism] wanted to put more emphasis on the social justice that Brandeis is known for. What better way than to invite Brandeis alumni who have pursued a social justice route in their professional lives after Brandeis?" "I think the main goal was to get a conversation going on what students could do with social justice outside of school. It was also a networking event, and we created a nice atmosphere to fulfill both goals," Rosen wrote. In an interview with the Justice, Haley Orlofsky '14 spoke about how the informal Q-and-A with the panelists inspired her to pursue her dream of working toward a career in social justice. "Personally, I've always had a passion for social justice and I'm still learning and trying to figure out what direction I want to go in," said Orlofsky, "And it's refreshing to hear from people and know that it's okay to not know 100 percent how to do it, but that all the experiences along the way are what help you achieve that," she said. When asked why she attended the event, Caroline Duchin '13, spoke about the resourcefulness of the event. "I hope from this event to gain more of an idea of what people do in general, related to social justice at Brandeis and afterward," she said in an interview with the Justice.

Reader Commentary

In response to your article "Republicans restore spirit of American Dream" (Forum, Aug. 30): To the Editor: There are assumptions in your recent piece that need to be addressed and debunked with facts. The first is the article's premise that when a Republican candidate talks about renewing the American Dream, it insinuates an unrealistic, cult-like fantasy that America can escape any recession or depression no matter what. There is no Republican who hasn't been utterly dismal about the current $14.5 trillion national debt, the credit rating downgrade and the $53 trillion of unfunded liabilities in Medicare, Medicaid and social security that plagues every single person in this country. American exceptionalism is not purely about its superior economics—actually, it's a term that makes a greater reference to America's unique principles of liberty, free speech and opportunity, all of which are principles that admittedly support free market capitalism by their own terms. This is something that President Barack Obama has discredited in his "apology" tour all across the world, dismissing America's story as a nation born on liberty, free markets and limited government in favor of a disillusioned narrative about the original sin of slavery and inequality. Now that unemployment is at about 9 percent and, when considering underemployment, the number is closer to 20 percent, people are sick and tired of the president and liberals continuing to spend frivolously rather than ease up regulations/lower taxes and allow business owners to grow their business, hire more people and create permanent jobs. The fervor that Michele Bachmann draws from her speeches on American exceptionalism is not some blind, hick "religious" awe from the American people, but their acknowledgment of the basic economic principles that made our country prosper in the past, making us the strongest free economic power in only the 200-some years it's existed. Considering that Obama's Keynesian economics have dragged the country to historically unprecedented debt, with the first 19 months of his office seeing debt rise by more than all the American money ever spent from George Washington to Ronald Reagan (which is money that was earned by everyday people and then squandered by incompetent politicians) abyssmal GDP growth of less than 1 percent, and an astounding loss/lack of job gains, it's no wonder that most people, unemployed or underemployed, would be emboldened by the truth and wisdom of Bachmann's words. Believing in American exceptionalism is not blind faith, but intellectually honest admissions of the lessons of history and economics, an understanding that most Republicans know will determine whether our country recovers. —Mary-Alice Perdichizzi '12 Editor's note: The writer is the founder of the Brandeis Tea Party  

Experts discuss unrest in Arab world

The Crown Center for Middle East Studies hosted "Beyond the Arab Spring: A Discussion of Recent Developments," to discuss the ramifications of and prognosis for the series of uprisings enveloping the Middle East; the forum took place last Thursday in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall.

Lawrence connects with Israel

This summer, University President Frederick Lawrence and several administrators traveled to Israel to explore opportunities for collaboration in the sciences and to connect with education leaders, alumni and friends of the University in Israel, according to a June 12 BrandeisNOW press release.

Masthead

The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. Operated, written, produced and published entirely by students, the Justice includes news, features, arts, opinion and sports articles of interest to approximately 3,100 undergraduates, 800 graduate students, 500 faculty and 1,000 administrative staff.

CollegeACB at odds with University values

From the moment I came across College Anonymous Confession Board, I made it a personal goal to never revisit the site.From one malicious post questioning an individual's sexual orientation to another asking all readers to comment on the ugliest, prettiest and most sexually promiscuous girls on campus, I am truly disappointed and saddened that members of our student body are feeding into this abominable site that is fundamentally at odds with the values and beliefs of our university. Taking private conversations into a public space, CollegeACB is a controversial online forum that allows individuals to anonymously post and discuss anything relevant to the students and the school. Brandeis, along with some of the most prestigious colleges in the country, has an active section on the website. While the previous owner Peter Frank claims this site is a confession board where students can openly "share feelings and discuss sensitive topics in a sincere fashion," it is at most a trashy gossip website that has compiled hearsay and hate speech under one domain. Frank, who just sold the website to an undisclosed buyer earlier this year, is a rising senior at Wesleyan University who took over the site from its original founders, college graduates Andy Mann and Aaron Larner. The website was conceived in 2008 in time to fill the void of JuicyCampus, another gossip website, which was created by a Duke University graduate and shut down in 2009 due to financial problems. In a 2009 interview with Time, college students described the content on CollegeACB as ranging from legitimately helpful posts asking for missed lecture notes to others salaciously discussing which freshman girl is most likely to give fellatio. While the creators of the site intended for real conversations about universities to take place that otherwise would not find a forum, the website has degenerated into an arena for students to slander other students without fear of retribution.Though the website boasts on its front page that it's trying to move in a more positive direction with "productive content," the posts found on the Brandeis section of CollegeACB indicate the contrary. With their posts uninhibited by site moderators or morals and ethics, students relentlessly malign others for entertainment value. The social justice motif championed by this university is lost somewhere between a post ranking the "best ass" on campus and another rating the first-year class girls. This is not what I expected of my university-one that strives for academic excellence above trivial and idle gossip. Under the veil of anonymity, these individuals engage in what is essentially cyberbullying. Without consideration of the emotional distress inflicted on the persons who they are disparaging, the posters engage in a virtual public stoning. This disgusting display of the most primal and immature behavior undermines everything this university stands for: justice, inclusion and tolerance. Perhaps in an ideal world the space would be used constructively. However, without a filter system or any accountability for destructive words, the positive, productive community Frank envisioned is woefully in ruins. Even more disturbing, this information is available for anyone to view, regardless of which school they attend. Professors, parents and even future employers can log on to the Brandeis section and see what individuals write about each other. I do not want my school to be represented by the words of the minority that posts on this site. While anyone can request to remove a post, a deletion is not immediately guaranteed. It takes a few days to process the request and delete the post. We should really be working towards a more permanent solution. This past April, nine sororities from Duke University collectively petitioned to have their school removed from CollegeACB, telling the school newspaper, "It has affected our chapters on a collective level. It fuels a social hierarchy that leads to competitiveness between our sororities." Cornell University, Drew University and Tulane University are taking similar steps to eradicate their schools' affiliations with the website. School administrators are seeing the serious impact the site is having on students, creating an environment of hostility and hate-the antithesis of a college community. The ridicule sophomore Sage Burke-Cabados endured on the site was so terrible he ended up transferring from Oakland University in Michigan to Central Michigan University. Similarly, a freshman at Drew University was understandably upset to be called one the "fattest people on campus." She went as far as to employ the aid of the state attorney general to remove the post on the website. For the purposes of writing this article, I had to revisit the website, understanding that I would-ironically-inadvertently garner the site a few more visits from curious readers. I urge those familiar with the site and as outraged as I am to follow Duke's example to eliminate any interaction with the site. Having scoured Brandeis' section in depth, read the cruel posts singling out individuals by name and questioned how the values of this school could possibly be represented on this forum, I have personally lost respect for our student body. As long as this site exists and is available to be viewed by anyone with access to the Internet, the integrity of our university and the reputation of our students will continue to be threatened.

Reader Commentary

Counseling center is unhelpfulIn response to your article "Creating a safety net on campus" (Features, May 3):Oh lord. To gauge the efficacy of the counseling center on campus by the number of students who have visited it once is to gauge the effectiveness of a doctor by the number of patients they have consulted once. From my personal experience, the counseling center on campus is understaffed with often-dismissive administrators and ineffective counseling times. In the fall semester, when I visited in October, they told me they didn't have any slots for about a month and that I would need to sit through intake appointments before they could even consider assigning me a counselor. By that point, I was suffering incredible anxiety and panic attacks but I couldn't see anyone for 5 weeks. And by that point, the counselor that I finally did manage to see blamed me for not going to see him sooner. The counseling center is available as a resource, but it is not a particularly helpful one. While there are nice counselors, there are more than a few who are unhelpful in times of emotional crises at best and, at worst, push you emotionally in the opposite direction. The appointments are difficult to secure. While I have never used SSIS counseling, I'm sure they make themselves more available than the counseling center. In a time of poor mental health, it's difficult to manage to slog out of bed or to do even the most minute of tasks, and securing a counseling center appointment makes you jump through more hoops than even the registrar's office requires.-AnonymousShowcase Jewish diversityIn response to your article "Campus Jewish life is misrepresented" (Forum, April 12):Although I understand and sympathize with your frustrations, I think this "issue" is in fact a gift. American Jewry looks at Brandeis because students here are involved. They care about Israel, our connection to the land, and the politics that surround it. We should be proud that Brandeis is regarded as a microcosm to what Jewish college students believe. We should rise to the challenge and display beliefs and agendas that showcase how diverse our community really is. I realize that this takes effort. The New York Times is not going to come out with an article titled "Brandeis still boasts a committed Jewish community." We must do something to be worthy of headline news. And it's important, like you mentioned, that the news cover all opinions, not just radical ones. That is why I urge all Israel advocacy groups on campus to make sure (in a respectful, meaningful manner) that the news about Brandeis really represent who we are.-Michal Pearl '11Brandeis Jews in unique positionIn response to your article "Campus Jewish life is misrepresented" (Forum, April 12):I, too, dislike being held up to some kind of fantasized expectation about "Brandeis" as if we should provide reinforcement to every conventional line of thinking in the Jewish establishment. As a student body we would love to coalesce over issues such as Middle East conflict, but it's clear that the problems are not that straightforward. Gone are the days of Civil Rights and Vietnam: the question of what is best for the Jewish people and for Israel is inherently divisive. If anything, it should be appreciated that we are earnestly conflicted, and if anything our voices should be taken seriously as indication that there is turmoil and doubt within our own community, not just from secular Liberalism. Brandeis students are at the vanguard of a generation balanced with both acknowledgement of an eternal tradition, and progressive outlook toward religion, politics, and social justice.-Nathan Hakimi '11News story was biasedIn response to your article "Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace present three generations of Palestinian refugees" (News, April 12):It is one thing to write a report about an event that takes place by informing readers of the main purpose of the gathering and of the primary message that the organizers of it wish to convey. However, it quite another thing altogether, when a journalist uncritically regurgitates a highly contested version of history. A journalist should never allow her story to serve-for all practical purposes-as a press release for one side in a highly charged, controversial issue. Almost every "fact" reported in this "news" story is presented in a distorted and totally one-sided manner. Readers of the Justice deserve better-on this and any other controversial issue.-Ken BrocinerSomerville, Mass.

Kraus elected to be Justice editor in chief

Following an election on April 12, Emily Kraus '12 became the new editor in chief of the Justice. The staff of the Justice voted with a majority of the votes in favor of electing Kraus with one vote for another candidate and one abstention. The editorial board confirmed Kraus unanimously. "I have loved my time at the Justice for the past few years," she said, noting that she joined the Justice soon after arriving at Brandeis as a first-year.Kraus explained that even though she has worked primarily with the Copy section for 3 years, first as a member of the Copy staff, then as editor of the Copy section, she has also "enjoyed reporting and getting to know all of the different facets of Brandeis."Kraus has also been active writing News articles and has contributed to the Forum section. She began her career at the Justice working on the Photography staff. Kraus said that she enjoyed all of her roles on the paper but was particularly fond of her time on the Copy staff under the leadership of then-Copy editor Hannah Kirsch '10. Kraus then rose through the ranks of the Justice, becoming assistant Copy editor in September 2009 and then Copy editor in February 2010."I've been on the Justice for a long time, and I've gotten to see all of the different sections of the paper and how everything all works together, and I think my experience has prepared me really well for moving forward next year," she said. Kraus said she plans to expand readership by increasing subscriptions as well as improving the Justice's website.Senior Editor and former Editor in Chief Brian Fromm '11 said, "I've been working with [Kraus] for 2 years. She was my assistant Copy editor when I was Copy editor, so I've had the opportunity to train her for two positions.""She rose to the position and stepped up," Fromm said. "Due to Emily's experience and enthusiasm, the Justice will have a very successful year under her leadership.