(04/12/11 4:00am)
Theater can be fun. If we're lucky, theater can be extremely fun. Then there are those shows that are so much fun that their energy becomes palpable, takes over the entire theater and unites actors and audiences for a truly joyous occasion. This was the case with Hillel Theater Group's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a show rife with energy, spectacle, song and comedy, and it was clear the audience was having just as much fun as the actors.The surprisingly complex and convoluted plot of Forum is intentionally intricate, since it is a "comedy," as clearly stated to the audience during the play's opening scene. The main character, Pseudolus (David Frederick '11), steps out to greet the audience during this bit. He explains that they will be in for a "Comedy Tonight," the first and most rousing musical number of the play. The show centers around three households, one of which is home to Pseudolus, who is a slave to a young Roman named Hero (Levi Squier '14) and his parents, Domina (Abigail Clarke '13) and Senex (Christopher Knight '14). Hero falls in love with one of the subjects-or prostitutes, rather-of the second house, that of Marcus Lycus (Isaac Rabbani '14) who sells off his women to the highest bidder. The woman in question is the beautiful but airheaded Philia (Jackie Theoharris '14) and Hero will do anything to have her; the problem is she has already been sold to the conceited Roman warrior Miles Gloriosus (Justy Kosek '14). Pseudolus devises a plan to bring Hero and Philia together, with the promise from Hero that if he is successful, he will earn his freedom. From there shenanigans ensue, as Hero and Philia encounter continuous obstacles. The creator of many of these problems is Hero's head slave, Hysterium (Herbie Rosen '12), who is absolutely determined to be the best servant ever. Then there is the occupant of the third house, the elderly Erroneous (Zev Hait '14), who has left to rescue his children from pirates, whose significance aren't revealed until a comic twist at the end of the show. What is presented here is a plethora of wonderful characters and rip-roaring circumstances that can be a bit overwhelming to keep track of, but ultimately extremely rewarding if you do.The actors all gave top-notch performances; Frederick does a phenomenal job as Pseudolus, bringing an air of virtue and contrasting it with great comedic timing. He also has a wonderful singing voice that carries him through several solo pieces. Squier brings a great sense of earnestness and yearning to Hero, balanced by his romantically inclined singing voice. Theoharris proves to be his superb counterpart, bringing a hilarious aura of na'veté to Philia that adds to her extreme likability. The supporting characters all give great performances, including the Eunuchs of Lycus' house (Andrew Litwin '11 and John Schnorrenberg '14), who steal the show every time they're onstage-but the true standout is Rosen, who brings a phenomenal, harebrained insanity to Hysterium, his desire to the keep the peace always leading him to burst out into frenetic hysterics. He also gets some of the best lines in the show ("I live to grovel!"; "More bad news-" [Hysterium interrupts] "It better be good!") delivered with great energy. Rosen commented to justArts after the show on how much fun it was to play Hysterium. "This character is everything," he enthused, "Hysterium gets a part of all the action in almost every scene. He can freak out and dress in drag, and it's just so much fun. Hysterium, hysterical! I was in love with the character. It's one of the best I've ever played."Rosen's enthusiasm seemed to be shared by the whole cast, and indeed the cast's best quality was not in the actors' singular performances, but in how well the group came together and played off on one another. They also did a marvelous job with Stephen Sondheim's masterful musical numbers, particular in group pieces such as "Comedy Tonight," "Free," "Lovely," "Everybody Ought to Have a Maid" and "Finale." Some of the solo pieces were a bit shakier but did not detract from the show, which in its entirety was too entertaining to be derailed by small distractions.One of the most impressive aspects of the show was the choreography by Beth Green '12, which reached its height during the climactic chase sequence in which every character ran back and forth through the various doors on stage. The setup of the three houses provided an excellent backdrop for door access, and indeed the doors were positioned in such a way that they allowed excellent potential for a full-out Scooby-Doo-style chase sequence. It was a chance for each character to shine. "We wanted to get everyone involved, but we also didn't want it to be super fast-paced," Green said, commenting on how this sequence was structured. "The audience had time to give and take, and [we wanted] to [use] characters that aren't really played up in other versions of the show. We tried to bring them out, and give each actor a chance to be their character." Squier also commented on the chase scene, sharing a particularly hilarious story about a moment of fun the cast had during rehearsals. "We ran that so many times . and people would start losing it a little bit, so that's where half of our base came from-people just [messing] around," he said. "Initially [Knight] was just supposed to get chased out backwards, but one time he runs back, trips over the bench and falls onto it-and keeps going, falls off onto the floor, and [army-crawls] out, and we [just shout] 'Chris, you can do it!'" This moment of spontaneous mistake turned hilarity is exactly the sort of essential building block in producing a fun show that can reach beyond any limitations and that's exactly what Forum did. For director Lizzy Benway '14, the culmination of everything she and her team had been working for was when the cast first stepped out on stage. "Opening night for me [was when] everything came together. Everyone for the first time was on stage with an audience, everyone opened up and was in their character. Everything clicked and worked so well, and I couldn't ask for anything more." I think the audience would agree.
(04/12/11 4:00am)
With Union elections right around the corner, the student body needs to choose a president who will be able to adapt to a changing university while maintaining and following through on realistic goals. After meeting with all three candidates, this board believes that Student Union Secretary Herbie Rosen '12 can best meet these requirements and offers him the Justice's endorsement for the position of Union president.Mr. Rosen is uniquely qualified to serve as president because he best combines experience within the Union with concrete, well thought-out ideas that are grounded in reality. While Amber Kornreich's '12 ideas are creative, her lack of experience would be problematic moving forward. Akash Vadalia's '12 experience, on the other hand, is extensive; however, his ideas do not demonstrate the level of research and consideration that Mr. Rosen's do. This board finds Mr. Rosen's platform to be simultaneously impressive and feasible. His proposal for the creation of an off-campus liaison position to be created within the Department of Community Living is thorough and well researched. This plan promises to assist students who are part of the ever-growing off- campus community. This board also appreciates his plans to improve communication, both among the multiple branches of the Union via joint meetings and between the Union and the rest of the student population via improved office hours. Mr. Rosen has the leadership experience, both inside and outside the Union, to prepare him for the demands of the presidency. As coordinator of the New Student Orientation Core Committee this past summer, Mr. Rosen demonstrated school spirit and an ability to organize University programming on a large scale. In his current position as Union secretary, he continues to prove his diligence in keeping the student body informed; his work to revamp the weekly announcements has been largely successful. Most importantly, his current position has allowed him to work with a wide array of club leaders. This has given him an accurate idea of the needs and interests of the students. Both positions have helped Mr. Rosen develop relationships with several University administrators, which will certainly benefit the student body should he be elected. Additionally, this board finds Mr. Rosen's dedication to the Union and the presidency to be notable. In our meeting with the candidates, Mr. Rosen demonstrated his intention to forgo his current extracurricular activities. This decision shows his willingness to do whatever is required to serve the student body.Though this board endorses Mr. Rosen as the strongest candidate for president, we applaud the other two candidates for the excellent ideas contained within each of their platforms. For example, Mr. Vadalia seeks to improve cooperation among clubs by holding joint events that will both save money and improve scheduling, and Ms. Kornreich has advocated for a more transparent Student Union through the creation of public forums. Ultimately, we hope that the president-elect will seriously consider incorporating the best aspects of the other candidates' platforms into his or her own plans. We also hope that the president-elect will maintain a professional relationship with the other two.Students this semester have the privilege of choosing among three well-qualified presidential candidates. We encourage students to cast their ballots this Thursday in favor of Mr. Rosen, in light of his exceptional qualities.
(04/12/11 4:00am)
In a New York Times article published in January titled "Positives With Roots in Tragedy on Campus," Michael Winerip wrote that "some of the best university programs-at Virginia Tech, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Western Kentucky University-have been spurred by some of the worst tragedies." Following the suicide which shook the Brandeis community in February, Brandeis administrators say that the University has been no exception in evaluating the effectiveness of the counseling resources available to students, whether through the administration, Department of Community Living, Psychological Counseling Center or student-run peer counseling groups."I don't think the suicide was the result of any hole in our system or any weakness in it," said Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer. "But we would not be professional and we would not be the Brandeis administration that we are had we not done a lot of introspection and had we not done a lot of review," he said. Although the University has not set up a specific committee or written an official report to evaluate its counseling resources since the suicide, recent meetings of administrators have frequently included reflections and discussions of ways to improve the counseling resources, according to Sawyer. While the Psychological Counseling Center, located in the Mailman House at the edge of campus, is tucked away and easy to miss for some, it is nevertheless used by approximately 20 percent of Brandeis students each academic year, according to the Brandeis website. It is estimated that by the time May rolls around, about half of the senior class has been to the counseling center at least once, according to Sawyer. The types of students and issues that are addressed in counseling vary, according to information from the counseling center. While many students have been in therapy either off of campus or prior to entering Brandeis, according to the Counseling Center, many students who use the center have never been in therapy before and will come in just once for help when needed.Students can also seek counseling through peer-counseling groups on campus, among them the Counseling and Rape Crisis Hotline, Students Talking About Relationships, the Queer Resource Center and Peer Education for Responsible Choices. Many also seek help from community advisors right in their own building.The utilization rate of the center is "off the charts," according to Senior Director of the Psychological Counseling Center Dr. Robert Berlin. The uniqueness of the center comes from its strict policy of confidentiality, which separates it from the counseling services at other universities, according to Berlin. "We adhere to confidentiality, we're down at the bottom of the hill, we don't interface with any departments, and we advocate for the rights of students," Berlin says. Unlike other universities that may require counseling as a result of a disciplinary matter, students who use the Psychological Counseling Center are self-referred and therefore there only by choice, according to Sawyer. Brandeis is also unique in that students can continue to be counseled on campus, as opposed to other schools, which may refer students to therapy off campus after a certain number of visits. The struggle the University faces is when students in need don't seek counseling help and friends do not notice or reach out for help. "Everyone has that problem in every community," Berlin said. "You don't know those people who are that alone, that desperate, don't reach out, don't tell the truth, hide, are too stoned [or] too drunk," he said. The University works to educate students about the resources available to them, hoping students will make informed decisions when counseling is necessary. "I want [students] to understand what the counseling center is. I want them to know who works there and what it's like to be a patient at the counseling center or a client at the counseling center so they can make an informed decision about whether that's good for them," Director of Student Rights and Community Standards Dean Gendron said. The hope is also to reach more students by educating the student body about the signs to look for in their peers. "Could we do a better job in terms of the students? I think so," Berlin said, noting the need for more mental health education programs through speakers, presentations, meetings or forums. "We're working on the education piece," he said. "Also, bringing people who have things to offer that would be useful in understanding signs of difficulty in others and in general just raising the level of consciousness, though it doesn't need to be raised too much. This community is pretty smart," Berlin said. While the University has been successful in getting the word out about what is available, there is always room to reach more students, according to Mark Hajjar '13, a coordinator of the Student Sexuality Information Service. "It's a little bit of a balancing act. We try and highlight [our services] and get the word out about it, but we can always do better," he said. SSIS, a confidential peer-counseling service, is known for educating students on safe-sex practices but also offers "heavy duty" counseling, according to Hajjar. "All of the counseling groups on campus have felt a certain degree of pressure and self-evaluation because it was a tragedy," Hajjar says of the February suicide. "For all of us who were involved in counseling and social support networks, it feels like a personal failure. I think all of the groups on campus have taken the time to look at themselves and what they've been doing and really evaluate what could have been done differently," he said. Rebecca Erenrich '12, a coordinator of Students Talking About Relationships, feels that although a good number of students are utilizing the counseling resources, the numbers could be much higher. Counselors for STAR have office hours from 2 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, more hours than students are using, according to Erenrich. She feels that more flyers, tabling and events are needed to get the word out about how STAR can be used, and she thinks that more collaboration between the different peer groups on campus is needed. Knowing what other groups can offer and working together would allow peer-counseling groups to make educated referrals to students as to which groups to see, which could better maximize the number of students using the counseling groups. "We're getting there, but we definitely feel under-utilized," Erenrich says. In the aftermath of the suicide, however, there has also been a surge in the number of students using the counseling resources, according to Sawyer. "So quite frankly, I think we need more therapists. I think we need more people in place. I think we're feeling a little tapped out. Certainly no student in an emergency will go without being seen immediately, but the counseling staff right now is very busy. It feels like in the aftermath, we could use a little help. We need more hours. If you walk by there on a weeknight the lights are on there until nine, ten at night, ... and that's therapy going on," Sawyer said. Though there is no plan to add additional hours or therapists on campus during the short remainder of this semester, according to Sawyer, the University plans to assess the need for more help over the summer and will add more counseling hours in the fall if necessary. "I would never say we can't do a better job making sure that our students are aware of all the resources on campus, not just counseling resources," Sawyer said. "There is so much in students' lives every hour ... in terms of information. So the struggle has always been where do we fit in with that, what do we need to do? What other medium is there or what other opportunities are there to make sure that students are totally aware of where they could seek assistance either through the peer groups, themselves or through the counseling center," Sawyer said. Catering to a high-tech generation in a Facebook-centered society, the University is working to keep up and utilize online resources to reach the student body. "One of the things that's interesting about being in higher [education] right now is the way students are learning both inside the classroom and outside the classroom because of advances in the digital sphere," Gendron said. "What is it that you're attached to when you're not in class? Are you looking at Facebook? Are you looking at SMS or videos? We want to understand what kinds of stimuli students are gravitating to," he said. "We can always do better, and that's all we're trying to do," Berlin said. "We're just trying to do as much as we can. ... No one likes a failure. Every time you face that you [try] to do more," he said.
(04/12/11 4:00am)
The University hosted its inaugural Public Health Forum event that was co-sponsored by the Hiatt Career Center and the Office of Career Services at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center Thursday evening.The event included a combination of speeches and networking opportunities that allowed undergraduate and graduate students to evaluate potential future employers and job options.Daniel Pellegrom, president of Pathfinder International, addressed some of the key issues concerning health care today.Pellegrom noted how to effectively manage a corporation or organization by "making management an opportunity [and] making the organization for which you work an instrument itself that does a better job at delivering the services that you care about and believe in." Pellegrom also spoke about how to empower employees and what it means to be a competent leader. "If you do gravitate to leading an organization, do lots of listening, and examine yourself if you see that management is not doing what it should. ... Examine yourself, and figure out ways in which to direct the energy to the organization to make it more productive," he said."A leader knows where he or she is going, means what they say, remains optimistic, and is inclined to take action," added Pellegrom. After his speech, Pellegrom opened the floor to questions. Students and attendees raised questions regarding how organizations can create better health care integration on a global level related to tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS, and what, if any, are the setbacks that his own organization is experiencing at this point in time. Employers from various health care institutions stationed themselves at tables where potential employees, undergraduate and graduate students alike, engaged in 20-minute round-table discussion sessions that enabled them to ask the questions necessary to determine whether or not they were suited for that particular employer. Employers at the event included the Bowdoin Street Health Center, McLean Hospital, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Tufts Medical Center and Meditech, among others. In an interview with the Justice, Danielle Gurr '11, who attended the event, said, "I thought the event was really interesting."She continued, "The keynote speech was really relevant, and the people who were there to network with the students were really interested in the students; some of them were alums, so that made it kind of more comfortable to talk to them because they knew where we were coming from.
(04/12/11 4:00am)
Reviewer misunderstood productionIn response to your article "Futuristic Othello downplays racial discussion" (Arts, April 5):This article completely misses the point. It's absurd to go into a Shakespeare production that's clearly been set in another era expecting a tried-and-true Elizabethan aesthetic. Othello is not a play about race. It's about love, jealousy, deceit, betrayal and ultimately murder, but even looking at it with a modern eye, race is just an undertone. Anyone looking for a play about race in Othello will be very disappointed after the first three scenes. This article is not in any real way about the show that was put on here but rather about the original directorial decision. If the article had been written with any kind of professionalism, the point that constituted this entire review would have been at most a paragraph. -Miriam Goldman '14The writer was a member of the cast of OthelloProtests inhibit productive dialogueIn response to your article "Israeli Knesset members speak at town hall-style meeting" (News, April 5):Neither side is "clean" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but interrupting a town hall meeting like this is counterproductive to creating dialogue about a sensitive topic and is similar to the boorish pundit activism we see when we turn on the news on a daily basis.Is this behavior so different from members of the anti-war group Code Pink interrupting Congressional hearings and being arrested accordingly? We remember those activists more for the images of them being handcuffed than we do for the wars they were protesting. I recall the event in which former U.S. President Jimmy Carter spoke at Brandeis. Carter's book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid was very controversial among the Brandeis community, but he was greeted with a standing ovation. During the question-and-answer portion, questions to Carter were all addressed tactfully, and the event created positive dialogue within the Brandeis community. As an alumnus, I am concerned with this news. I hope this is not the fashion in which current and future Brandeis students will address differences in ideology.-Damien S. Lehfeldt '09Jews get more than enough attentionIn response to your article "The Jewish community belongs under one roof" (Forum, March 29):Yes, obviously Brandeis needs to do more for the Jewish population on campus since they clearly have not done enough. It's not as if they have their own chapels, their own study rooms or their own lounges. It's not as if every building on campus was donated by a Jewish family and contains Jewish paraphernalia. And certainly, the majority of speakers and events that occur on campus are not directed toward the religiously Jewish. Get over it. There are 2,000 other people at this school who are not religious Jews and would like at least some of the school funds and attention to go toward secular activities that encourage community among "the rest of us." Wake up, kiddo; you're not the only one here.-Alex Zweben '11
(04/05/11 4:00am)
The Tony-award winning show A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum premeried on Broadway in 1962. World-famous composer Stephen Sondheim wrote the musical's songs, while Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart wrote the book. The plot was inspired by the farcical works of the Roman playwright Plautus. The lead character, Pseudolus, is a slave who attempts to woo a woman for his master in return for his freedom. JustArts: Why did you choose this show to put on? What is unique/cool about A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum?Lizzy Benway: As of this semester, the Hillel Theater Group has implemented a new proposal system to select the show season. This proposal system allows club members to submit possible shows without necessarily being attached to the production team. HTG club members then come together to vote on the titles proposed for the semester. This is how Forum was chosen. After being asked if I was interested in directing, I applied and interviewed for the position of director for Forum and was accepted. Forum is unique because it combines a wide variety of comedic talent and characters to produce the ultimate comedy that has "something for everyone."JA: Have you seen a production of Forum before? How are you making it your own?LB: I, unfortunately, have not seen Forum before, but as a director I'm glad I haven't. By having never seen Forum, I have a fresh perspective on things, so the image of the show is my own rather than that of another director.Patrick Mullen: I had never seen the show before joining this production staff. I watched the movie version recently with [actor] Zero Mostel and it was really fun to see, but the film cut out a lot of the musical numbers, which I think are some of the highest points of the show. [Benway] mentioned that she specifically asked the cast not to watch the movie so that it wouldn't affect the way they play their characters, which I think is a great idea. I'm really excited to see David Frederick's '11 interpretation of Mostel's role. I haven't been at as many rehearsals as the rest of our production staff, but what I have seen has been hilarious. JA:What has been the best part about working on this show?LB: How do I pick one part? Everything about this show is wonderful: It makes me laugh, the people are wonderful and enthusiastic, and I am always looking forward to our rehearsals! In all seriousness, I think the best part about working on this show is the great deal that I've learned from everyone who is a part of this production, and, whether they know it or not, I'm truly grateful to everyone who has worked on this show.PM: The best part of working on this show has definitely been working with the cast, crew and designers. It's a great group of people and they've made it a lot of fun. People come up with the strangest games during late night rehearsals and meetings ... We had our Coffeehouse last week and every group that performed had members involved in Forum somehow. A cappella, dancing, improv comedy, everyone is involved in a lot of other things in addition to Forum and it made the Coffeehouse a very energetic night.JA:What are you most excited for the audience to see/experience at Forum?LB: The reason I enjoy Forum is because it ultimately makes me laugh. I'm just hoping that the audience will have the same appreciation for its humor and enjoy it just as much as I have.JA: Have you directed/produced previously? How has that experience helped you to create this show? LB: I have directed previously, but my experience comes from dramatic plays rather than comedic musicals. I have learned that dramatic pieces are founded in the interactions on stage, the relationships and emotions shared between characters whereas comedic pieces extend beyond the stage, especially in Forum. The interactions between the characters and the audience are just as important as the interactions between characters.PM: I had never produced before Forum or even worked on any kind of production staff for a show this large. It has been a huge learning experience. My Co-producer Viktoria [Lange '13] has been extremely helpful and we've both been able to lean on each other at times to get things done. But we've also gotten a lot of great advice from some of our theater friends. Herbie Rosen '12, who produced RENT and Lonesome West this semester, has been an amazing help with that.JA: Where are you right now in the rehearsal process?LB: Currently we're in a really great place in the rehearsal process. We are in tech week, the final week before the show opens on the 7th of April. The show has really come together and the cast brings more energy each and every day.
(04/05/11 4:00am)
Jewish people are disenfranchisedIn response to your article "Hillel must act boldly by reversing its decision" (Forum, March 29):Most of the nations of the world have never offered an "inclusive environment" for the Jewish people. There is even a plant called a Wandering Jew. Even here, in the supposed safe haven of the United States, I hear people using the idiom "Don't Jew me down" as if it conjured a happy image. When I visited the Jewish Museum in Berlin, I saw a wall delineating a feculent river of anti-Semitic epithets used by most nations over the last five centuries. The 1941 Nazi Wannsee Conference featured a "Judenrein" (Jew-free continent) inventory list that called for the murder of every Jew on earth. From Haman to Hamas, we Jews have been critically set apart. It starts with being disenfranchised, proceeds to being dispossessed and ends with being dismembered.So, if the choice is between those two modalities of thought, I am, without doubt, one of the uncritical ones. One cannot negotiate with one's destroyers.-Paul Trusten, R.Ph.'73 Stigma is not the problem at BrandeisIn response to your article "Greek organizations should focus more on community service" (Forum, March 29):The stigma of Greek life, both at Brandeis and at other schools, is not the problem when it comes to Brandeis Greek life engaging in community service efforts.Because of the Brandeis constitution, we are simply not allowed to hold community service or philanthropy events on campus. We also do not (and have never, and probably will never) claim to be service-oriented clubs, in which case your argument would be completely valid. In fact, in a recent meeting with the deans, the presidents of each Greek organization and of the Greek Awareness Council were asked why our founding members had chosen not to affiliate themselves with service-oriented fraternities and sororities (which do exist). Our answer was very simple: At Brandeis, a campus with a strong focus on community service, there are countless clubs available for students looking to give back to their community. Had we been looking for service-oriented clubs, we would have joined one of them. However, we were looking for a different kind of organization. The eight organizations we as a group have chosen to join do put an emphasis on community service, but we joined knowing that there was much more involved. I don't feel a need to go into an in-depth monologue about why I joined Delta Phi Epsilon, but I assure you that while I love that the sorority counts service as one of its main tenets, it is not our primary goal. We have found other ways to engage in community service and philanthropy. Yes, it is discouraging that we are not able to use Brandeis facilities and resources to promote our philanthropies, but we understand the administration's reasoning and have worked hard over the years to find ways to still support our nationally recognized philanthropies and other organizations. For Delta Phi Epsilon, this means fundraising for the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Delta Phi Epsilon Education Fund. We also participate in the Boston-area Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and fundraise and participate in Brandeis' Relay For Life. In the future, I suggest you discuss your views with someone who is a part of Greek life to get a full, balanced view before you draw conclusions. While I understand that it appears to non-Greeks that we don't do much, a brother or sister would have been able to tell you otherwise. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments.-Leah Finkelman '13The writer is co-president of the Greek Awareness Council and vice president of programming for Delta Phi Epsilon Greek life has social focusIn response to your article "Greek organizations should focus more on community service" (Forum, March 29):You seem to suggest that Greek life should make philanthropy the central focus of their organization in order to improve their image on campus. While this would probably work, it would also transform the organizations into yet another philanthropic group. Our social fraternities and sororities are groups of people who have chosen to forge formal social connections among themselves. And yes, this does involve partying and having fun. It also involves philanthropy, as well as academic and psychological aid, not to mention all of the networking possibilities. These organizations are groups of friends. That's the central focus of the organization. I agree that philanthropy is important, but so is hanging out and letting loose. Also, for the most part I don't believe that the Greek organizations are participating and sponsoring these events just to "better the image of Greek life," but to actually help out because it's the right thing to do. And ultimately, does it really matter if they are doing it with that motive? People are still receiving aid, with no downside to themselves. The only ulterior motive is that the organization gets some press for what it's doing.-Ross Benar '13The writer is a member of Alpha Delta PhiFight cancer aggressivelyIn response to your article "An all-night fight against cancer" (Features, March 29):Thank you so much for all of the work you have done! Last weekend was a chemo weekend for me but I look forward to joining you in the survivor's lap next year! It is so important to not only raise money but also awareness about cancer-particularly in regard to young adults. About 70,000 people between the ages of 15 and 40 are diagnosed with cancer every year in the United States. Two months ago, I became one of them at the age of 23. While there have been great strides in increasing the survival rate of cancer patients of all ages, the rates among young adults have not improved much in the past 10 years. Young adults are commonly diagnosed with late-stage cancer (I am a Stage IV Hodgkins lymphoma patient myself) because of lack of screening, lack of adequate health insurance and ignoring of seemingly benign, vague symptoms. I encourage everyone to start monthly self breast and testicular exams now-you aren't too young for either. Get a yearly pap exam starting at 18, even if you are not sexually active. Take swollen lymph nodes seriously. If you feel tired and run-down for more than a week with obvious cause, see a doctor. Catching cancer early can save lives. Please check out http://stupidcancer.com/ and http://www.15-40.org/, two organizations specifically geared toward supporting young adults with cancer and educating all young adults about their risks-Allie Morse '10The writer is the University's Alumni Relations CoordinatorBeit midrash should be set apartIn response to your article "Hillel must act boldly by reversing its decision" (Forum, March 29):I was an Orthodox Jewish Brandeis student (Class of 2004). I was not given the impression at that time that the Brandeis Orthodox Organization needed or wanted a new or larger beit midrash at all. I always thought that the beit midrash was perfect just the way it was: quaint and inviting. In fact, the most inviting aspect of the BOO beit midrash while I was at Brandeis was specifically the fact that it was under the auspices of the Orthodox community, and that it therefore conformed to Jewish law (specifically it is understood by Orthodox Jews). While the beit midrash was always open to everyone, and invited everyone in, regardless of their affiliations (especially Thursday night Mishmar with cholent), it nonetheless was a safe haven for religiously Orthodox Jews in the context of a secular campus. Forcing the beit midrash to become "pluralistic" would not make it more inviting in terms of that-its central purpose. It would make it less inviting in that it would be yet another place on the Brandeis campus where the values of Torah Judaism were regarded as merely parochial, and therefore capable of simply being dismissed by more secular minds. It is important that each student at Brandeis (Jewish and otherwise) feels that their views are not under assault-at the very least-when those students are in their home base (for lack of a better term). For me, and for many of my classmates, the beit midrash was our home base. (The picture featured with your article brings back many good memories.)Hillel is a wonderful organization. But its purpose is different from BOO's. That specifically is why it is important that the beit midrash, our home base, especially be independent from non-Orthodox auspices.-Jonathan Lublin '04
(04/05/11 4:00am)
March 28 marked the last day that the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life held an open dialogue online through EthicsTalk. The online discussion was a continuation of a symposium held on March 14, titled "Religion and the Quest to Control Violence" with novelist James Carroll and Prof. Bernadette Brooten (NEJS). Through the website, attendees and the speakers themselves were encouraged to engage in discourse regarding religion and violence.Carroll, a writer for the Boston Globe, has written 17 books. His most recent, Jerusalem, Jerusalem: How the Ancient City Ignited Our Modern World, was the subject for the event and was used as the starting point for the ethical discussion, according to a press release from the Center. Brooten joined Carroll at the original symposium and throughout the online discussion.The EthicsTalk website allows participants to engage in direct dialogue with each other regarding the issues at hand. Participants discussed Carroll's book in addition to religion's role in preventing violence. The website also allowed people to track how their opinions changed throughout the dialogue. On the discussion page, the Center describes the forum as "a place for the Brandeis community and beyond to explore some of the most vexing questions of our time in the areas of peacebuilding and the arts, international justice and human rights, and ethics and public life."Participants were able to discuss the various questions in an open forum through seven discussion topics. The questions addressed religion's role in violent conflict. The questions included "Religion or nationalism: which poses a greater threat to peace?" and "Does religion have a place in eliminating violence? If so, how? What is our role?" The participants were able to discuss these questions and five others directly with James Carroll and each other.In an interview with the Justice, David Weinstein, a staff member of the Center, said that participants in the online discussion were primarily Brandeis students, faculty, staff and a few representatives from the Brandeis Interfaith Group. According to the forum website, there were participants from places as far away as Nepal, Pakistan, Ukraine and Egypt. The International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life is located in the Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex. The Center says on its website that its mission is to develop effective responses to conflict and injustice by offering innovative approaches to coexistence, strengthening the work of international courts, and encouraging ethical practice in civic and professional life. According to Weinstein, the Center has posted another question for discussion through EthicsTalk: "How should the arts at Brandeis be linked to social justice? (Or should they?)" This question is connected to an upcoming screening of a new documentary called Acting Together on the World Stage at the Shapiro Campus Center on April 12.
(03/29/11 4:00am)
Have you ever been looking for the laundry machines in the basement of the Shapiro Residence Hall only to wander into a grungy room with a lot of old shelves, Hebrew books and Jews? If you have and are still wondering what that room is, it's the Brandeis Beit Midrash, the Jewish study hall where people come to engage in religious study. Why, you might ask, is the Jewish study hall located in the basement of a first-year residence hall? After all, this is not the case at any other college, at least not one that I've heard of. Simply put, the Jewish study hall is in Shapiro because there is nowhere else to put it. As stereotypically Jewish as Brandeis may be, we are not the only school with a Jewish study hall. However, in other universities around the country, these study halls, along with Jewish prayer spaces, are usually found in a Hillel building. Here at Brandeis, we only have a Hillel lounge-we have no building. But we should.Brandeis ought to have a Hillel building for three main reasons: unity, community and sanctity.One of the greatest problems that the Brandeis Jewish community suffers from is sharp denominational division. As a consequence of having such a large Jewish community on campus, larger, pluralistic umbrella organizations like Hillel are unable to lead the wider Jewish community with ease. Instead, the smaller, denominational organizations play a much larger role in Jewish programming and social life on campus. Involved Jewish students are much more likely to identify strongly with the Brandeis University Conservative Organization or with the Brandeis Orthodox Organization than with Brandeis Hillel. While smaller and more intimate social groups certainly have their benefits, this splintering allows many practicing Jews to remain in highly impenetrable religious bubbles during their time at Brandeis. A Hillel building could help reverse this trend. Having a large and functional building would give the pluralistic Brandeis Hillel far more visibility on campus. Furthermore, it would give each of Brandeis' Jewish organizations a single gathering place in which to meet. Instead of having three or four weekly Shabbat services in three or four separate locations, all of Brandeis' Jewish organizations could pray in a single building every week. This would provide a wonderful forum for interdenominational socializing and programming both before and after religious services. The presence of a Hillel building would also foster a sense of community. Currently, Jewish programming on campus takes place in a wide variety of locations. Prayers take place in the Usdan Student Center, cultural events in South Campus Commons and social events in residential lounges and suites. This constant shifting of locations for Jewish religious and cultural gathering harms the sense of community among Brandeis' involved Jewish population. Often, after a Hillel Shabbat dinner, students will wander around, confused, attempting to find the venue for the night's Jewish social events. Unable to locate friends, students often give up on finding the other members of the community and fragment into smaller groups for the remainder of the night. Having a Hillel building could give Jewish students on campus a common and regular place to gather. The majority of events that Jewish organizations on campus hold would be in the Hillel building. Students would know where to find Jewish programming on campus, and the Brandeis Jewish population would have a sense of regularity and community.Finally, we need a Hillel building in order foster a sense of sanctity about the Jewish community's religious functions. Admittedly, this concern is highly parochial and may not have as much wide-reaching appeal as my other arguments, but I feel it is important nonetheless. As a Jew with religious sensibilities, I am bothered by the fact that on the Sabbath I pray in the International Lounge, which is not a sacred space. I am bothered by the fact that the Jewish study hall on campus is in a pipe-filled basement. It harms the sense of sanctity that ought to be attached to religious study to have a study hall across from a laundry room in a residence hall. For those members of the Brandeis Jewish community who have an acute religious sensibility, a Hillel building would provide them with a regular and sacred space to pray, learn and engage in those activities they consider sacred in a place that they can truly call sacred. I'm not the first concerned Jewish student here at Brandeis to argue for the importance of a Hillel building, nor am I the first to do so in the pages of the Justice. But I hope that this column can serve to reinvigorate the discussion among students and leaders of the Brandeis Jewish community about the pressing need for a Hillel building on this campus. Perhaps, should the pressure mount and donors step forward, future Brandesians, both Jewish and Gentile, will be able to attend a university with a beautiful and welcoming Hillel building.
(03/22/11 4:00am)
Redefine Hillel policiesIn response to your editorial "Hillel correct in asserting values" (March 15):The current criteria that you must support Israel as a Jewish and democratic state runs against Zionists who never wanted a state, and diasporic Jews who see themselves in a continuum with centuries of Jewish challenges to oppression who fought for open societies and social justice for all. It seems that the boundaries set up by a Zionism that is nationalistic erases and forbids other Jewish traditions from being at the table. Perhaps one could argue that their is some anti-Semitism involved in that attack and erasure of other goals that represent the kinds of struggles that Jews waged for centuries and continue to wage in the many movements for rights, equality and justice that do not exclude Palestinians.-Marla ErlienBoston Hillel acted appropriatelyIn response to your editorial "Hillel correct in asserting values" (March 15):As Americans, we are so imbued with the concept of "freedom of speech" that we regard it as an inalienable right. The iconic "fire!" in the movie theater proves it to be less than inalienable and Brandeis Hillel's unwillingness to accept Jewish Voice for Peace is much the same. Let Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, decide for itself what its future path will be. It is inappropriate for American Jewish students, particularly those who do it out of "love," to interfere with the Israeli political and commercial landscape. Would these same students show a similar public lack of loyalty to their parents and siblings? I hope not. It is really offensive that Jews are often their own worst enemies. Kudos to Brandeis Hillel.-Rosanne LitwakWest Orange, NJ Atheism can lead to ethical livingIn response to your article "Atheists on campus require support" (Forum, March 8):While I agree it is difficult to form community around religious beliefs that you don't have and religious experiences that you are specifically avoiding, I see atheists as having some positive beliefs above and beyond the mere absence of religious belief. Deliberate, conscious atheism tends to correlate with certain approaches to intellectual inquiry. It makes different assumptions about our origins and our place in the natural world. It comes with a different understanding of how ethics and morality work in the social world and how they are justified. In this way, it leads to Humanism, which is a commitment to ethical living that is based on things that humans understand and control. A secular club that just happens not to focus on anything particularly religious does not meet a need for atheist community. The other members of the club might be theists and might not be open to, or knowledgeable about, discussing anything from an atheist perspective. -Tucker Lieberman WalthamThe writer is the editor of Moral Relativism Magazine
(03/22/11 4:00am)
On Monday, March 14 the Justice League instructed students to check their mailboxes through a campaign called "Your Mailbox Misses You." Ballots in the mailboxes proclaimed that meal plans at Brandeis are "clearly a rip-off," and asked students to indicate their concerns by checking boxes that correlated to prewritten lamentations about the meal plans. While this board commends student involvement in matters that directly affect our lives, we are disappointed by how the Justice League has handled this particular endeavor. According to its website, the Justice League "advocate[s] for a Brandeis that lives up to its ideals." In this effort, though, the League failed to make a persuasive argument for how it would effect change on this campus. The League did not specify exactly what its argument is, nor did the group provide a sophisticated rationale for its action. Additionally, the ballots, which were theoretically created to gauge student opinions, provided only a one-sided forum that did not allow students to express varied points of view: Students could either agree with a League-proposed qualm by checking "Yes!" or abstain from voting as a means of expressing disagreement. In order for the Justice League to accurately gauge student opinions, they should have included multiple options on the ballots. As it stands, the lack of options will cause an unbalanced vote and does not allow for a diversity of student opinion. There is no way to know if the Justice League is actually representing students or if it is just using this vote to advance its own platform and support its own views, and presenting the results of this survey as indicative of student opinion is unfair to the student body.The League says that it will "hand-deliver" the ballots to University President Frederick Lawrence; however, this indicates that the group is more concerned with causing a sensation than producing tangible results. In order to create a movement for change, the Justice League should research which administrators would be most able to aid its campaign and meet with them to find out what steps would be most appropriate to effect change.One example of effective advocacy for change came this past week, when the Student Union held office hours, videotaping students' opinions about housing in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium. Additionally, an e-mail was sent out on Feb. 15 containing a survey asking students what their top concerns were and proceeded to respond in a timely and effective way. The format through which the Union gauged the opinion of the student body was much more appropriate than the ballots the Justice League utilized. The Justice League should consider following the Union's example and using a similar format-in which students are actually able to speak their minds- rather than asking students to check a box that may not capture the subtlety of individual students' ideas. While the League's intention of advocating for students' interests is commendable, the execution of its ideas needs more planning and thought in order for the League to be as effective as it could be.
(03/22/11 4:00am)
Each semester we find ourselves with an abundance of meals and points that go unused. A fairly new and growing group within the Hunger and Homelessness program in the Waltham Group-Brandeis Be Our Guest-has come up with an ingenious way for the Brandeis community to give back to the less fortunate in the greater Waltham area using extra guest meals. "There are a lot of things that contributed to my thinking about BBOG, [and] one of them was that people just don't use their guest meals, which means wasted money, and in a lot of cases it's also a lot of wasted food. And people are always looking for easy and lightweight ways to donate," says Elizabeth Stoker '13, who initiated BBOG in spring 2010 .Stoker immediately started talking with Lucas Malo, the director of community service at Brandeis, about her idea. Malo helped her get started by introducing her to the coordinators of the Waltham Group's Hunger and Homelessness program. BBOG "is a program that allows students to donate their guest meals, and Aramark gives us food depending on how [many] meals we gather," says Andrew Mandel '11, one of the Waltham Group's three Hunger and Homelessness coordinators.Meals donated to BBOG come from students who send their Brandeis student ID numbers to BBOG and specify how many meals they wish to donate. BBOG then sends this information in a spreadsheet to Aramark, the provider of dining services at Brandeis."Aramark has hired some new people recently and it has been great working with them," Mandel says, noting that prior to the change in staff, it wasn't entirely smooth sailing for the members of this up-and-coming group. "People think that Aramark is this evil corporation, but they've been so helpful and we would have never been able to go along with this program without their support. I want people to know that they are doing a lot of good and having a lot of impact on the Waltham community," Mandel added. The initial proposals for the group underwent a number of changes before the plans were finalized, and Stoker explained how difficult it was to set up BBOG as it is now. At first, the plan was to bring homeless people to Brandeis, but the idea was shot down due to the numerous liability and legal issues that would ensue. The next plan was to go buffet-style, where they would take the food back to the Waltham Common, cook it up and let anybody come eat, but that idea was also rejected. "Weather, food and safety were some of the concerns brought up, so that got vetoed as well," Stoker says. Eventually, BBOG decided to visit and help out at homeless shelters, where they are able to maintain consistent relationships with the places and people they visit. With seven current members, BBOG's accomplishments are impressive despite its small size. "We have a good dedicated core of BBOG members; they're there every time we need them-totally committed," Stoker says of the group. "When we do go to serve food, we have more than enough people to help," Mandel says. "We're not turning people away if they're interested," Stoker says.Despite being a fairly new group on campus, BBOG seems to have gotten positive responses and plenty of people who are psyched and more than happy to donate meals. "There's just so much food but so little time. We get e-mails from people wanting to donate, and we always have to turn some down," Stoker says, explaining that BBOG is not constantly in service and therefore isn't always in a collection period. There also are a limited number of homeless shelters nearby that they can access frequently. BBOG's main partner is the Community Day Center of Waltham. A day shelter is different from a homeless shelter in that it doesn't close during the day and instead lets its patrons utilize its various services such as counseling, career resources, food and even computers. Last semester BBOG collected over 200 meals in only 2 weeks. "In a very short period of time, we had a staggering number of people who were wiling to give all their five guest meals," Stoker says. "We basically went around to [the] Usdan [Student Center] and Sherman [Dining Hall] asking people if they wanted to donate their meals to charity. ... We canvassed, mail-boxed and we put up a lot of fliers in dorms," she continues. "Part of BBOG that is also exciting is that it's also about relationships and friendships," Stoker says, making this evident by describing the management structure of the group. "We don't have a hierarchical structure- there's no president of BBOG, no king of BBOG. ... Anyone can meet with Aramark, everyone has access to our e-mail account and anyone can make decisions and commitments. Its just all consensus-based-everyone's involved," Stoker says.BBOG plans to make a trip next week to the Community Day Center of Waltham to cook and commune with its residents. BBOG also plans to host a points drive towards the end of the semester, during which students can donate their unused points to collect food items like energy bars, trail mix, snacks, etc. "I know that a lot of people think that [the] Waltham Group at Brandeis is a huge commitment ... but BBOG doesn't require ... a gigantic commitment. That's really all it takes-one afternoon you can be a part of BBOG," Stoker says. "When you give people power and when you give them control and ownership and responsibility, people give back a lot, and that has been the case with BBOG volunteers, they give a lot back. Because the program is just as much theirs as anybody else's."Editor's note: Elizabeth Stoker '13 is a Forum staff writer for the Justice.
(03/15/11 4:00am)
Last week, the executive board of Hillel at Brandeis voted to reject a bid from the Brandeis chapter of the Jewish Voice for Peace to become a Hillel member group. According to Brandeis Hillel President Andrea Wexler '11, the decision reached by Brandeis Hillel was in accordance with the guidelines set forth by International Hillel. While the decision reached by Hillel board has been a source of controversy, this board believes that Brandeis Hillel was correct in asserting its values in line with the global Hillel community. We do recognize, however, that Hillel's decision may cause many students to feel as though their views are not welcome in Hillel, and we encourage those involved in the discourse surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to work toward alleviating this problem by engaging in dialogue and mediation among different groups on campus.According to the international Hillel website, "Hillel seeks to inspire every Jewish student to make an enduring commitment to Jewish life." In attempting to engage every Jew on campus, Hillel encompasses a wide range of religious and political viewpoints as part of its guidelines. This is a necessary cause, as individuals seek diverse paths to Jewish identity. As International Hillel and its Brandeis chapter see it, Israel must always play a central role in this process. According to the International Hillel website, "Israel advocacy and education is ... an opportunity to engage in conversation with students about themselves as Jews and as members of the Jewish people." Even though an array of political and religious views are represented under the Brandeis Hillel umbrella-such as those of the Brandeis Zionist Alliance, the Brandeis Israel Public Affairs Committee and J Street U-Hillel perceives certain views as harmful to Israel in a Jewish cultural, political and religious context. Specifically, Hillel will not endorse the support of boycott, divestment and sanctions of settlement products, the support of which JVP has welcomed through its co-sponsorship of various events on campus. Because Hillel determined JVP's principles to conflict with Hillel's claim to the centrality of Israel as part of religious identity, we believe that Brandeis Hillel's decision to avoid association with such a group was legitimate.However, in drawing the line where it does, Hillel made a Jewish group on campus feel marginalized because they do not conform to a standardized view of Israel. As JVP Co-founder Lev Hirschhorn '11 told the Boston Globe, "We feel like we deserve a seat at the Jewish communal table, ... but there is a sense that dissent on the question of Israel is not really acceptable, which is really unfortunate." Brandeis Hillel has expressed that even though JVP was denied membership under the Hillel name, its group members are still welcome and encouraged-as all students on campus are-to participate in any and all events offered by Hillel. This board hopes that their sentiment is meant sincerely.We also believe that, although Brandeis Hillel has rejected JVP as a member group, JVP should not cease its participation in dialogue under the Hillel umbrella. JVP has successfully worked to obtain recognition as a club under the Student Union; we commend them on their progress, and we are glad that the Student Union has given this club a place in the Brandeis community. While the members of JVP may feel ostracized given that their organization is not welcome within the Hillel community, this board urges the members of JVP to pursue participation in Hillel on an individual level. This can only strengthen Hillel in adding to a multiplicity of voices. JVP and Hillel could also look to other methods of fostering productive discourse, such as the creation of and participation in forums that represent a diversity of views regarding the conflict in the Middle East. For example, in the wake of Operation Cast Lead, students at Tufts University created the New Initiative for Middle East Peace. The organization holds events that are sponsored by nearly every group on campus that deals, in some way, with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In addition to these advocacy groups, Hillel at Tufts frequently sponsors events held by NIMEP. It would be to everyone's benefit if Brandeis Hillel participated in a similar forum on this campus. Brandeis Hillel should not be condemned for making the decision it did. At the same time, members of JVP should remain part of campus discourse. This board hopes that, moving forward, the Middle East discussion on campus can be facilitated in a productive and respectful manner.
(03/15/11 4:00am)
Expressing oneself is both a freedom and a privilege of living in a democratic society. A functioning democracy protects our rights during moments in which we feel our freedoms are violated. For instance, protecting free speech requires us to preserve that freedom for every individual and accept all forms of speech, regardless of their popularity. Yet if we protect all forms of speech under blind justice, we may never understand the importance of protecting our minds and bodies from speech that defiles human dignity. When applied to unpopular or hateful sentiments, free speech can become difficult to uphold in practice.The Westboro Baptist Church is an organization known for its opposition to homosexuality and religious and ethnic groups. Picketing military funerals is one of the group's controversial protest activities. After members of the WBC protested at the funeral of U.S. Marine Matthew Snyder, his father, Albert Snyder, filed a lawsuit against the WBC and its leader, Fred Phelps, for an invasion of privacy and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. The case reached the Supreme Court and was heard on Oct. 6, 2010. The Supreme Court's decision over the WBC ruled that the First Amendment was applicable to the organization's right to protest. The legality of the case, as well as the organization's negative behavior, has drawn broad attention from the public, both from those who support the decision and those who reject it. Although there is legal justification to rule in favor of the WBC, there are reasons for supporting Snyder that one must take into account. The funeral of a fallen soldier is a private and religious occasion. It is a place of respect and remembrance for the life of a human being, one that deserves protection from disturbance by the government. It is therefore difficult to bear the sudden appearance of parishioners from the WBC. They are known to carry large, antagonizing posters while singing protest songs. This loud environment is a deliberate means to inflict pain upon the existent sorrow of the mourners. The confrontational presence of the WBC is an interference on the family's ability to mourn and show religious respect to the deceased. Showing proper grievance and respect becomes difficult while internalizing hate channeled from an external source. There should be a rational means to properly commemorate the deceased and preserve peace throughout the service. State and federal regulations should act in the family's best interest to protect their privacy and emotional security. Moreover, a funeral protest is an exploitation of a family's private emotional distress. For the duration of the funeral, the property on which the ceremony is held becomes a privately used domain. Unless stated, public access to the funeral of a soldier is undoubtedly limited to those who were invited or were close with the deceased. Attendees of the funeral would naturally assume that privacy needs to be respected. A funeral protest would be a violation of the mourners' privacy. I cannot accept a funeral as a proper forum for the formal declaration of a group's beliefs. Normally, we think of a funeral as an event to commemorate the particular individual who passed away and not as an event for public use. It seems as though the WBC has used every military funeral as a chance to verbally attack or privately harass the deceased for the individual's orientation. This is by no means a protest but rather a public display of discrimination. Moreover, funerals do not capture the broad audience that a protest is expected to provideAlthough the First Amendment allows us to share our opinions in a democratic society, should free speech allow a forum that is open to hate? We express ourselves through an unlimited array of media, whether it is through the Internet, our papers or our own opinions. The WBC can indeed make a public case for their beliefs just as any American has the right to do. However, they have argued for their anti-gay beliefs at the funerals of American soldiers, a delicate setting that demands respect and morality. Overall, Snyder's legal battle against the WBC was a struggle for empathy. As would any individual, Snyder defended his emotions when an event challenged the nature of his conscience. He sought compensation for a personal loss that was ultimately propelled by an intuitive search for justice.Maintaining the framework of our democracy comes with both a legal application of the law and a humanistic approach to society. Although the Supreme Court upheld an accurate interpretation of the First Amendment, they should, perhaps, also consider preserving the ethical values by which we live. The WBC constitutes the tiniest fraction of our nation. The court case acts as a reminder of the freedoms and righteous causes that we truly value in our society.
(03/15/11 4:00am)
Humanist club requires initiativeIn response to your article "Atheists on campus require support" (Forum, March 8):When I came to Brandeis last semester, I had just left Orthodox Judaism and was specifically looking to be active in the Brandeis Humanists. It turned out that the club was about to peter out. Several of us managed to arrange a movie night and a trip to Harvard University to hear [author] Sam Harris speak there. Unfortunately, those events seemed to be the last I have heard the Humanist Club arranged. The Brandeis Humanists need people to arrange weekly club meetings so that future events can be arranged. I think once somebody takes the initiative to do that, the Humanists will be able to build a strong campus presence. After all, other humanist clubs at colleges around Boston have been able to foster strong communities while promoting reason and spirituality (as well as challenging faith-based concepts). -Baruch Pelta (GRAD)Editorial comments disappointingTo the Editor:Due to the selective quotation of Boston University: Students for Justice in Palestine's letter to BU: Students for Israel-the topic of Elizabeth Stoker's column-we at BU-SJP believe it worthwhile for Brandeis' campus audience to hear from us directly. BU-SJP wrote a carefully crafted and principled response to BUSI, outlining why we rejected BUSI's call for a discussion and dialogue and chose instead to resort to building a mock apartheid wall. The basic point is: We are far past the point of debate and discussion. In the 1980s, when campus activism ignited over [then-President Ronald] Reagan's continued support for the white apartheid regime in South Africa, no one would have thought, much less suggested, that anti-apartheid activists stop their demonstrations on campus and sit down with white racists to evaluate the merits of the apartheid regime. However, we at SJP are being asked to do this exact thing here. BUSI's willingness to debate and discuss the Israel-Palestine issue is a ruse-not unlike the 'peace process' to which we have all been 'committed' for 17 long years. It is a stalling tactic designed to ensure that Israel remains immune from criticism on campus and, therefore, allowed to continue its occupation and expropriation of the West Bank and Gaza. We at BUSJP have made a moral and tactical calculation not to take part in the ruse to divert campus attention from the real issues at stake. Nevertheless, BUSJP are willing to have a forum to discuss and debate these issues provided that BUSI take a stand for the legitimate political and human rights of the Palestinians and act in accordance with such a stance by opposing the now 4-decade- old Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. We wait anxiously for BUSI to take up our offer and stand on the right side of history. Until then, we at BUSJP will continue to agitate on campus for an end to Israel's apartheid and occupation regime, without the hindrance of a never-ending dialogue. -Tyler Cullis The writer is a member of Boston University Students for Justice in Palestine.
(03/08/11 5:00am)
While many of us were parked on our couches watching reruns of House or Sex in the City over February break, 17 Brandeis students embarked on a journey to explore religion and culture in beautiful Rome. Led by the Rev. Walter Cuenin, the Catholic chaplain on campus, the students traveled all the way to Italy to visit marvelous sights ranging from antiquity to present day. The idea for the 7-day voyage came from Cuenin when he arrived at Brandeis, and the trip has taken place each February for the past four years. It is open for all students to apply during the fall, and participants are chosen by Cuenin on the basis of having an equal number of men and women and students of different ages. The lucky chosen ones receive the coveted ticket to Rome. "The trip is centered around Rome, the center of Catholic origins," explained participant Janette Mynette '13."In a way, it's like Birthright," Mynette said. Birthright, a Jewish foundation funded by philanthropists and the State of Israel, sends young Jews on a 10-day trip to Israel for free in order to solidify their Jewish identities and explore their Jewish roots."This is my Birthright-Catholicism type trip," Cuenin said. "For the Catholic students, I wanted them to see the roots of their faith. For everyone [on the trip], I wanted them to see the great influence of Greco-Roman culture [on the world]." "For me, this was a great opportunity," Mynette said. "At Brandeis, I always question my faith. This gave me an opportunity to pray and meditate and recharged my spiritual life." To help fund the expensive trip, Cuenin raised money from local parishioners and donors. The students also had to pay $600, a relatively small sum for such a trip, which included food costs and room and board. The group stayed at the iQ in Rome, a four-star hotel complete with vending machines stocked with bottles of wine for a small cost of 5 euros. The group toured a variety of places from Rome, the holy city of Catholicism, to Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis and the Franciscan Religious Order. In Rome, the travellers saw great ancient ruins including the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon and more. They then toured Vatican City, where they experienced an explosion of history and culture: St. Peter's Square and Basilica, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.Despite the Catholic theme of the trip, the group included two Jewish students."I did it as a trial run; I want to expand the trip to include more people," Cuenin explained. "When you are with someone from another faith, you learn you are connected, even though you are different," he said. David Azer '11, one of the two Jewish students involved in the trip, chose the trip after being approached by Cuenin and seeing the irresistable itinerary and unbelievably low price."I'm really glad I went. As a Jewish person, I felt really comfortable. People were very willing to answer questions. I could definitely sense the spiritual energy of the place." The group was fortunate enough to receive a blessing from the Pope during Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, which aired on live television."I'm not sure how many people there were; maybe 1,000," Azer said. "People speaking all kinds of languages: people from the English-speaking world, Spanish-speaking countries and Chinese-speaking people.""There was an awareness that, although we came from different countries, we're all connected by our faith," described Cuenin. "To be with so many different people is amazing."The group also discovered the diversity within Catholicism-the different strata within the sect. "A lot of people don't understand that there are different dimensions to Catholicism," Mynette said. "Within the Catholic Church, there are so many different orders of Catholicism-that was enlightening to me," Azer remarked.The trip did not answer all questions, but it allowed students to ponder their religious identities and begin to explore different issues of religion and faith. "I still have questions, but I did take time to be connected with God," said Mynette. "When you are away from school, away from family, away from home, it allows you to investigate life from a very different perspective."It seems, however, that what the participants on the trip most appreciated was the incredible bonding that took place. "Most of us did not know each other before. But now, we feel like a community," Mynette said. "I think I took with myself the relationships I made on the trip more than Rome itself," Azer said.Though the trip is over, the group has returned with new relationships and panoramic views that will hopefully continue to impact them."I'm going to tell people about it and encourage people at Mass to go," assures Mynette. "It was more incredible than I could handle.
(03/08/11 5:00am)
I am an atheist. No, I am not morally askew because I don't follow a religion. I'm not in need of guidance. And I'm not interested in dissuading anyone from his or her own beliefs. However, I am becoming more and more aware of the isolation other members of this minority must feel on the Brandeis campus where the presence of religion is so strongly stated.Contrary to what is commonly perceived by outsiders, Brandeis is religiously diverse and the University attends to all of these religions graciously. With an interfaith chaplaincy, it would be difficult to make the argument that Brandeis doesn't make every effort to welcome every faith. However, my issue isn't with the actual presence of religion on campus. Rather, my issue is with the lack of community for the nonreligious. Nearly a year ago when I discovered I had been accepted to Brandeis, I gave little thought to the school's large Jewish population. I never anticipated that I would regret the absence of a community when surrounded by individuals who habitually come together to participate in their faith. Arguably, this strong presence of religion is inconsequential if the nonreligious had a community of their own to retreat to. However, as of right now, this society doesn't exist. What makes the Jewish population on this campus so overwhelming is the united community these individuals have and the numerous organizations that have sprouted from this community, including the Brandeis Orthodox Organization and the Brandeis Reconstructionist Organization. Similarly, other religions have the Muslim Student Association, and Catholic Student Organization. Atheists on campus do have the Brandeis Humanists club, a club which contends that students can lead "fulfilling and meaningful lives without the influence of religion." Given that, theoretically, we have the potential of a community, what is preventing atheists from finding their niche on this campus?Perhaps it's the stigma and judgment still associated with atheism in our society that prevents people from openly acknowledging their beliefs. When taking into account the ever-increasing religiosity of our country, especially apparent in political issues, atheists are some of the most distrusted members of society, as corroborated by a 2003 study by the University of Minnesota. In a corresponding 2006 study, also conducted by the University of Minnesota of 2,000 random candidates, 39.5 percent believe atheists do not share their idea of the American society. Understandably, atheists negate the core religious structure of our country-they marginalize themselves. Even now, the Boy Scouts of America have barred atheists or agnostics from becoming members or leaders in their organization. In a similar case of discrimination, the nowretired Chief of the National Guard Bureau Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum openly condoned the disparagement of atheist soldiers because, as they have no religion, they don't have freedom of religion. The presence of a strong secular community can help individuals cope with the discrimination and difficulties of living as an atheist. With the inability to come together in a mosque, temple or church, atheists forego the social aspects that are found in religious congregations. While atheists don't need the texts, traditions and customs of a religion, the community sense of religion is a feature that is both desirable and recommended for the nonreligious. As creatures that naturally search for belonging, atheists can benefit from the psychological support and comfort of a community. But is it even possible to unite people on the basis of non-belief? The recent increase of secular groups on college campuses demonstrates that it is. According to the Secular Student Alliance, secular organizations have increased by 43 percent from 2009 to 2010. Moreover, the number of SSA-affiliated groups on campuses has risen from 159 to 225 in a year with chapters at prominent colleges, such as Stanford University, Yale University, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago and Harvard University. Whether there simply are more nonreligious college students or because more are coming forth and partaking in these secular organizations, this increase indicates that students are forming communities to support each other and their shared beliefs. It is just as important for students on this campus to showcase their non-belief as it is for the Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus or Buddhists to declare their belief systems. While the Brandeis Humanists club exists, it seems to lack a significant presence on campus. The isolation of this minority is only felt if there is no support system or community in place. Certainly, the current membership of this organization does not reflect how many individuals on campus consider themselves nonreligious. However, this group is just a platform for coming together and discussing our beliefs and non-beliefs. Our essential task is to vocalize our doubts and ideas in an intellectual forum because there is strength in numbers. Congregating under a common identity where we can each affirm that we are not the only atheists or agnostics on campus is the start of a successful secular community.
(03/08/11 5:00am)
Last Monday, I came across a link on a news site that intrigued me. The headline read, "Students For Justice in Palestine at Boston University Need Your Help!" Being a helpful person, I looked into the story, and found a blog post belonging to the Students for Justice in Palestine at Boston University, which detailed an e-mail exchange between their organization and a group they described as "campus Zionists." "Below," read the post, "is a threatening e-mail that BU SJP received and its response." "To Whom It May Concern," began the supposedly threatening letter, "It has come to the attention of the Boston University Students for Israel (BUSI) that next week is Israeli Apartheid Week and that in recognition of this Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) will be constructing a mock 'wall' on campus. It is our concern that such a demonstration will only serve to sensationalize and simplify a most complex, nuanced, and profoundly serious situation. This will only inflame emotions, and incite hatred."So far, I didn't feel particularly threatened. I wondered what BUSI had in mind, if not the construction of a mock wall, to bring the conflict between Israel and Palestine to the attention of Boston University students. My question was answered soon enough: "It is our suggestion that SJP refrain from constructing such a structure and from sensationalizing the Arab-Israeli conflict. In place of this mock wall BUSI suggests that members of SJP and BUSI stand side-by-side next week to promote an organized forum for discourse between all parties!" The suggestion put forth by BUSI seemed more than reasonable to me. After all, while demonstrations certainly have their place in any social movement, I believe that debate and discussion are far more constructive and have a perfect place in an academic setting. Yet, the BU SJP did not agree with BUSI or their perspective on the construction of the mock wall. In fact, they responded a little less graciously. "To BU Students For Israel," their response began, "Our original plan for Israel Apartheid Week did not include building a replica of the Apartheid Wall. But after receiving an email threat and hearing that members of BUSI complained to [the Student Activities Office] about a wall we had not discussed, we decided to construct one." I recalled, upon reading that, the realization that Isaac Babel had upon witnessing a pogrom in Czarist Russia: "My world is small and ugly." It disturbs me deeply that the conflict between Israel and Palestine has been reduced to a war of spite here in the United States, especially on college campuses, which should be hotbeds for intellectual discussion and debate. What SJP decided to do was disappointing, but not unprecedented-Anna Wintour, the editor in chief of Vogue, once sent roast beef sandwiches to members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals who protested the practice of wearing fur, for example. Yet, having reduced what should be a very involved consideration of a multifaceted issue to a hateful, spiteful competition is to reduce the import of the issue to that of a catfight between animal lovers and fashion designers. The sheer volume of lost human life and prolonged human suffering due to the conflict between Israel and Palestine should be evidence enough that it deserves well thought out discussion. A remaining point of concern is the fact that SJP felt comfortable categorizing the profoundly polite and sensible correspondence from BUSI as "threatening," despite the inclusion of this line in the original BUSI letter: "We would like to emphasize that we are not demanding that SJP refrain from expressing the substance of your opinions. In fact, we are demanding nothing! We recognize your right to freedom of speech, and to express your beliefs by any peaceful means that you determine to be appropriate." Calling them "campus Zionists" is perhaps the kindest action SJP took toward BUSI-though it can be expected that pointing this out will only result in false accusations of "crying anti-Semitism." If the discourse surrounding Israel and Palestine has degenerated into immaturity and spite in the academic institutions of the United States, I shudder to think of what the situation must be in states nearer to the conflict. It seems that any disagreement can now be branded a threat, and any objections to various methods of protesting labeled as attacks. Rarely do I maintain optimism when it comes to the affairs of states, but in this circumstance-here, in this country, in this region, in the world of academia-I really did think we could do better.
(02/08/11 5:00am)
The Department of Public Safety, in conjunction with the Office of Students Rights and Advocacy, a function of the Student Union, held an Eat and Greet last Thursday. The event aimed to provide a forum for dialogue between the student body and the University Police, explained Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan in an interview with the Justice."The purpose of the event is to help ameliorate the relations with the student body as well as with the Police and the Public Safety Department," explained OSRA member and coordinator of the event Ariel Glickman '13 in an interview with the Justice.In attendance from the Department of Public Safety were Callahan and Associate Director Bette Reilly. Director of Student Rights and Community Standards Dean Gendron also attended.Approximately two dozen students attended the event. Representatives of the Student Union, Brandeis Escort Service and Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps were also present. This event was the first in a series of several events that will be held jointly with the Student Union and the Department of Public Safety. This series of events comes at a time when Public Safety believes that it has received negative attention from the student body, particularly following the interaction between police and students on the night of Pachanga last fall, explained Callahan in an interview with the Justice. Callahan said in an interview with the Justice that "it would be good to establish or re-establish communications with students, . especially since there were situations that occurred during the fall semester."Callahan added that the events of last semester were "the impetus to conduct several other events" that would be planned by the Student Union and Public Safety."We had some situations as a result of Pachanga, not specifically Pachanga itself, . and then some students formed some stereotypical attitudes of the police without sharing or knowing information that [the Brandeis Police] have about the situation," said Callahan in an interview with the Justice.Throughout the event with students, Callahan stressed that he believes that the Brandeis Police are "amicable," and that they are not primarily a disciplinary force. "We are here more to educate than we are to enforce. . One of our main jobs is to mentor people," said Callahan. He further assured students that "arrest is not the norm on campus." He added, "The balance of security and safety and individual freedom is very much a concern. The University wants you to have an exorbitant amount of personal freedom but on the other hand we rely on you to lock doors and not let people into residence halls behind you."Callahan added that University Police often contact representatives from the Division of Student Affairs in order to discuss the best methods of handling incidents involving students and the police. This Thursday, Public Safety and the Student Union will cosponsor a game night, and police officers will be in attendance playing video games, pool and ping-pong with students in the game room. The police force currently consists of 15 patrol officers and five sergeants.Reilly said in an interview with the Justice that her department is looking to cosponsor a Thirsty Thursday at The Stein. Similarly, events-although not yet planned-may be titled "Coffee, Cops and Donuts"and "Party with the Police." These would potentially take place at the end of March. According to Reilly, previous efforts to engage students with the police have failed. For example, she mentioned ice cream socials and officer liaison programs held several years ago that "flopped."This time, however, Reilly is optimistic that the events will succeed because Public Safety is now working with the Student Union. Senator for North Quad Shekeyla Caldwell '14 attended the event and wrote in an e-mail to the Justice, "I found the event with public safety to be a beneficial experience for Brandeis students because I can now put a face [to] the department and begin knowing the people within the department on a personal level."She added, "Building a relationship with those in charge of your protection is much more important and useful than most students would initially believe."Head Coordinator of the Brandeis Escort Service and Executive Senator Abraham Berin '11 said in an interview with the Justice, "The event was a positive step forward in the relationship between the police and the student community."Editor's note: Ariel Glickman '13 is a member of the Justice Copy staff.
(02/08/11 5:00am)
Newspaper mischaracterized BunisTo the Editor: I want to thank the Justice for your front-page article on Feb. 1, 2011 announcing my new role as chief of staff. It is a thrill to find myself back here at my alma mater so very many years (as the cartoon on page 10 made clear) after my graduation. But I feel that I should set the record straight on one point. I did not, in fact, found the Jewish Repertory Theatre. Someone else with the name David Bunis did that, and although it looks like a great project, I cannot take any credit for it. And for that matter-and for anyone Googling my name to learn more about me-I am not the David Bunis who lives in Buffalo, N.Y., the David Bunis who wrote A Guide to Reading and Writing Judezmo or the David Bunis who wrote to boatbanter.com looking for swim platform support brackets for his houseboat. The truth is, I haven't been to Buffalo since my cousin Barry's wedding, I can't speak or write Judezmo and I don't have a houseboat. In all seriousness, though, I appreciate your interest in my return to Brandeis, and I sincerely hope that your readers will feel free to stop by my office and introduce themselves. My door is always open, and I am looking forward to working with all of you. -David A. Bunis '83The writer is the University president's chief of staff.Cigarette bans can be successfulIn response to your article "Cigarette bans promise to be ineffective" (Forum, Feb. 1):Actually, smoke-free campus rules have been very effective, and are often suggested and enforced by the students themselves. Quite a few of the colleges and universities in Minnesota have gone smoke free. The latest was Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn. -Robert Moffitt The writer is the communications director of the American Lung Association in Minnesota.
