(02/09/10 5:00am)
The SunDeis Film Festival was started five years ago by a group of students who believed there should be a forum for film students to get their work out there. Intended to unify and strengthen the film community at Brandeis, new plans for SunDeis may now be dividing it.SunDeis started small and grew each year, drawing in more and more submissions from student and independent local filmmakers and encouraging a greater appreciation of the art of film. The annual festival has developed hand-in-hand with the Film, Television and Interactive Media Program, which started out offering only a few classes in the Film Studies minor but over time has grown to the point that in 2008 the University created a major for it.As of last year, SunDeis' future was in jeopardy. Due to substantially reduced funding from Student Activities and a lack of leadership, rumors abounded that SunDeis would be canceled this year. In response, the Film program, headed by Prof. Alice Kelikian (HIST), offered to ease the financial burden on Student Activities by co-sponsoring SunDeis in partnership with BTV.According to BTV president Avi Swerdlow '10, who also serves as undergraduate departmental representative to the program, the organizers will create a SunDeis 2010 planning committee. It is composed of seven to 10 people, mostly from BTV and the Film program, although as in years past, the committee will expand to include students not necessarily connected to either group. The sponsors also plan to offer prize money for the first time and bring high-profile speakers to campus, as permitted by the newly expanded budget."I think it's a good reflection of the film community that's growing on campus," says Swerdlow of the organizers' goals. On the other hand, Illona Yuhaev '11 and Tom Charging Hawk '10, who were involved with SunDeis in past years, do not think that these changes are for the better. Yuhaev believes that with the Film program's involvement, the festival would no longer be truly student-run. She advocates a neutral planning committee comprised of interested students not necessarily affiliated with the Film program or BTV, and she wants these students to have the power to decide which student films will be screened.Kelikian is eager for the program to become more involved in organizing SunDeis because of the potential to "broaden the festival," making it more inclusive of the entire film-making community, with an emphasis on alumni outreach, the greater Boston area and celebrity guests and judges. Kelikian maintains that the festival will continue to be student-run but asks, "Why should we limit ourselves?" She hopes the involvement of people outside of the Brandeis community may create more opportunities for student filmmakers and attract larger audiences to screenings and panel discussions. Although Yuhaev admits the Film program could contribute significant funding and make the festival larger than it has ever been before, she feels that in the long run, "It is better for students to have a voice." Yuhaev feels that by taking over sponsorship and trying to engage bigger names in the film community, the program is endangering SunDeis' future. "If it's not going to happen through students then it's gone, it's going to die," she says. She fears that the Brandeis community will forget about SunDeis if the program absorbs most of the control over it and that the festival will lose its significance.As a result, Yuhaev and Charging Hawk have started efforts to create a separate festival not affiliated with the department, which would be "completely student-run." Yuhaev and Charging Hawk organized a "Save SunDeis" meeting held on Thursday in the Getz Media Lab to raise student awareness of what is currently happening with the festival. Yuhaev has gone forward with plans to execute what she considers a truly student-run festival, which will focus on students' work and give any interested students the opportunity to help organize the festival, select judges and screen submissions without rigid demands from the Film program being placed on them. In this way, she hopes to create a solid base of students who can carry on the tradition and assume roles of leadership once the current organizers graduate, ensuring SunDeis will remain for years to come.Even as both festivals are in the planning process, attempts are being made by all parties involved to form some kind of compromise, since, as Yuhaev says, "It would be a waste of resources" to have two festivals. Swerdlow agrees, adding that it might come off as confusing to students. "We just want to make it as open and inclusive as possible," he says, which is why the program's festival coordinators held a town-hall style meeting yesterday, to which all interested parties were invited, in order to reflect on the goals of the SunDeis festival and offer everyone the chance to become involved in the activities. Until the two sides can reach an agreement, both will continue planning separate film festivals, with some confusion over rights to the name "SunDeis" and the timing of the two festivals. Either way, there will certainly be no lack of film festivals at Brandeis this spring!
(02/02/10 5:00am)
Delay major academic changesRegarding your article "Rethink academic restructuring" (Forum, Jan. 26):In addition to the points made in this editorial, it would be wisest to defer making any major changes in academic offerings until the new president of the University is chosen. Changes at this level should be approved and implemented under the aegis of the leader who will have to work with the consequences of them.-Meredith Warshaw, MA '87Univ restructuring plan doesn't payIn response to your article "Academic programs to face cuts" (News, Jan. 26):Rather than eliminating programs, I think the University needs to think long and hard about either how to maintain these programs while saving money, or about how much money will actually be saved by eliminating them. A program like Medieval and Renaissance Studies employs professors already firmly employed in the History, Art History, English (Literature), and other departments, and would be very easy to maintain at no extra cost.What does it actually cost the University to have courses which are already being taught by professors who are already here and firmly entrenched in core departments such as History, Art and Literature? What does it cost the University to have these courses, in disparate departments, count on someone's transcript as an established major or minor in "Medieval and Renaissance Studies"? Just about nothing, I should think. The only way I can imagine that a Medieval and Renaissance Studies program costs the university more than having these professors teach these classes without it counting as a major or minor would be if the costs were in excessive, unnecessary back office administration and bureaucracy. Whether we have a Medieval and Renaissance Studies program or not, Prof. Kapelle (HIST) will continue to go on lecturing on medieval history for the History department, and will continue to get paid. And if he leaves and is not replaced, that would create a very serious gap in the University's (specifically the History Department's) offerings-a very serious problem.Whether we have a "program" in it or not, medieval history, Renaissance art and the like are crucial core subjects that every university ought to be teaching. So I don't see where the University thinks it is going to be getting any great savings out of cutting these programs.-Travis Seifman '04
(02/02/10 5:00am)
An article in Features last week misspelled a student's surname. The student's name is Megan Strum, not Megan Stromm (Jan. 26, p. 7)An article in Sports misspelled a photographer's surname. The photographer's name is David Sheppard-Brick, not David Shephard-Brick. (Jan. 26, p. 13)An article in Forum last week misrepresented information about the number of scholarships Waltham residents are elgibile to apply for. Waltham residents are eligible to receive other scholarships besides the four reserved specifically for them. (Jan. 26, p. 11)The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail justeditor@brandeis.edu.
(02/02/10 5:00am)
Members of the Brandeis faculty and staff took advantage of open forums with Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Apfel and Provost Marty Krauss held last Tuesday and Thursday to offer suggestions for ways the University can increase revenue, reduce expenses, increase the efficiency of its work routines and enhance its image. Krauss is the chair of the Bold Ideas Group, a committee of faculty and staff investigating academic initiatives that the University could adopt to yield a steady return of at least $2 million. Apfel is chair of the Administrative Resource Review Committee, which is examining University staffing levels and administrative processes. Apfel said after the meeting that senior administrators would evaluate the ideas in upcoming meetings. He said he was open to having a similar forum with students. Faculty and staff offered a range of suggestions from "turning off the lights" to having four-day workweeks at the two open forums. Some participants used the forum to call attention to longstanding issues, such as the closure of the swimming pool: "Prospective students will wonder what's going on," swimming and diving coach Jim Zotz said. "What kind of facility keeps a pool closed for a year and a half? Every elite school we want to compare ourselves to has a pool." "We should target buildings really in distress and renovate them to avoid having to throw money at them to keep them in shape," University archivist Karen Abramson said. She suggested that the University monetize promotional material presenting the University's history. She added that the University could also charge for access to University networking-for example, charging a small fee for an iPhone application for alumni. Director of Global Communications Charles Radin suggested that the University restart an effort to establish a shuttle service to the Riverside subway station. "If we could do that, . then you could eliminate [the Boston/Cambridge Shuttle Service] downtown," he said. Radin added that "a lot of units on the campus buy supplies separately. . I think that can't be the most the efficient thing, every department and center ordering separately, even if they use corporate accounts," Radin said. Apfel agreed with Radin, stating that "when efficiency work is being done in higher education, probably the number-one area is procurement." Apfel said centralized procurement could sometimes be hard to implement because different departments prefer different types of supplies. The University had been exploring the idea of centralized cooperation in this area with Boston consortium institutions, Apfel said. "We may be going down that road over the course of the year." Lisa Andersen of the Schneider Institute for Health Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management stated that savings could be possible in landscaping. "There are a lot of contractors doing plantings [and] replacements. . If we shifted to perennials, we might reduce our landscaping budget."Chris Roppola '99, also an LTS staff member, said that it was important to many alumni that there be an alma mater for them to return to in the future. "There's a lot of debate that we can't shrink out academic offerings if we have 47 academic programs. . But if we only ever have $150 million, ... then maybe that's too many," he said. Peter de Andrade from Human Resources noted that his department had received four-day workweeks for a period over the summer with a choice of Monday or Friday to take those days off. He suggested that if staff all took off the same day there could be savings from building energy. Ethan Sewall, an English as a Second Language faculty member suggested the University become a testing center for the Test Of English as a Foreign Language. He said such a setup for the TOEFL or other tests would cost very little money but did pay some income. Some professors also offered suggestions for enhancing the University's image. Prof. Mary Baine Campbell (ENG) suggested that the University could serve as a "center for literary and cultural studies," particularly since many residents of surrounding areas have "a hard time getting into Harvard Square." The University could take advantage of visiting professors traveling through Brandeis for this purpose and become a "resource for the educated people in the suburbs." A French professor suggested greater engagement to benefit the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. "Why don't we hook up with artists in Haiti, figure out how to raise money and help their work," the professor proposed. The professor suggested that the University should take greater initiative to help student groups organizing help for Haiti, with, for example, a Justice Brandeis Semester on the country. Representatives of the Haitian Waltham community could visit English and French classes, the professor added. - Alana Abramson contributed reporting.
(01/19/10 5:00am)
Last year, when MJ Rosenberg '72 attended a conference for the pro-peace, pro-Israel lobby group J Street in Washington, he expected to mingle among upper-middle-class politicians and peacemakers from the United States and diplomatic officials from the Middle East. Instead, Rosenberg spent time with someone who was neither an American nor a diplomatic official. Rosenberg forged a relationship with Yousef Bashir, a 20-year-old Palestinian who had been shot by an Israeli soldier at the age of 15 and was the only person at the conference from Gaza."[Bashir looked] like a prosperous, athletic Jewish kid; like any Brandeis student," thought Rosenberg, who is a writer for Media Matters, "a web based, not-for-profit, progressive research and information center," according to its Web site. Bashir began his college career at Suffolk University but transferred to Northeastern University this semester to study International Affairs. Bashir had dreamed of going to Brandeis but was rejected this past semester when he applied as a transfer. Rosenberg immediately took interest in Bashir as Rosenberg and his son hold Brandeis degrees. Bashir wanted to go to Brandeis to prove to fellow Palestinians that Jews and Arabs can learn together in peace. "I wanted to be a Palestinian who graduated from a Jewish school to go back and help his own people," Bashir says. Rosenberg was amazed not only by Bashir's story but also by his positive perspective on peace considering the violence that once surrounded him. "You don't realize how incredible and overwhelming it is to grow up in Gaza until you get out of it. I used to, and most of the kids would collect bullets for hobbies," Bashir says. Bashir was shot in 2005 when two United Nations officers came to visit his home. They had to obtain permits from several Israeli soldiers who were occupying Bashir's home at the time in order to visit. The officers received a permit for only 10 minutes. Bashir and his late father sat with them in their front yard until the Israelis used a microphone to ask the officers to leave the house. "My back was to the soldier that afternoon. I was wearing a soccer shirt; the number 19 was on the back, a player from Argentina. All of a sudden, I fell to the ground," Bashir says. Medical technicians took Bashir to a hospital in Tel Aviv. Bashir had suffered a shot to the spine. It was questionable whether he would ever have the ability to walk again. Bashir has not been back to Gaza since the shooting. "That's when my whole life took a different direction," he says. Upon regaining his energy and his ability to walk, Bashir began to take interest in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and politics. "[Before the shooting], all I really cared about was soccer. After I was shot, I grew up," says Bashir. "Instead of being 15, I became 25." Still, Bashir forgives the soldier who shot him and those who occupied his home. "That bullet was supposed to kill me, and it didn't. I cannot deny that fact, but it gives me enough power to forgive them," says Bashir. This ability to forgive comes from Bashir's father, who passed away this past September. "I remember the soldiers banging my father's head on the wall one night because he forgot to gather [us] into the room. [Afterward], he said [the soldiers] are all children. They don't know any better. He said it wasn't a big deal," says Bashir. Bashir's was motivated by an interest in politics and his father's message of peace to interview for a spot at a Seeds of Peace camp in Maine. Seeds of Peace is an organization that, according to the mission statement on its Web site, "[empowers youth] from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and coexistence." In summer 2005, Bashir attended the camp with 12 other teenagers from Gaza. The camp houses teens from all over the Middle East, specifically from areas of conflict. The camp also houses American students who are interested in learning about international conflict.That summer Bashir lived in a cabin with Daniel Acheampong '11. At the beginning of the summer, Acheampong said that he felt a lot of hatred among his peers in his cabin made up of Israelis, Jordanians, Palestinians and Americans. Bashir's message of peace immediately transformed the feeling of animosity in his and Acheampong's cabin. "Speaking to Yousef and [hearing] his ability to forgive really inspired me," says Acheampong. Acheampong and Bashir are still close friends today and see each other often. Bashir says, "He's one of the first characters I met in the states. The first conversation I really had with him, [was about] our dreams and what would happen. We promised to be friends [after camp] because when you go back to Gaza, you usually don't come back."After camp, Bashir decided to live with his aunt on the West Bank. "After one month, she kicked me out because I was in Seeds. [She] thought I was being brainwashed," says Bashir. Not long after, Bashir enrolled in an American boarding school. After a couple of years in the U.S., it was through Acheampong that Bashir discovered Brandeis. He had known of the University, but it was through his visits to Acheampong that the University caught his interest. Acheampong says that he finds many similarities between Brandeis and Seeds of Peace, as they are both devoted to open dialogue and social justice. Bashir feels, though, that anywhere in the U.S. is a forum for open dialogue when compared to his homeland. "I had a hard time talking about my views [in Palestine], so I decided the U.S. was the best place [for me]," says Bashir. With all the hardships Bashir has endured, he is hopeful for the future. "Every hardship I've gone through has happened when I [was] young. It's early. So I think when I'm older, my life will be better for it," says Bashir. In 10 years, Bashir sees himself investing in Gaza. "Schools, hospitals, anything. Hopefully, I have a career in Gaza somehow, but [I hope] in 10 years it will be different, and I hope the people in Gaza won't even need me," he says. Even though Bashir is attending Northeastern and not Brandeis, he is grateful. "I'm a really lucky guy. There [are] few that [leave] Gaza. I appreciate what I have," says Bashir. "Education is education; it has nothing to do with our disagreements.
(01/19/10 5:00am)
UNION IMPEACHMENT WAS UNTIMELYIn response to your article "Student Union Senate votes to impeach Union secretary, censure Union president" (Breaking News, Dec. 6):As a lawyer, I have some sympathy for those who are in student government and believe in following the Constitution, but on Saturday night? Nixon created a constitutional Saturday night crisis when he fired the Attorney General some months before he was impeached. Too bad the Brandeis Student Union senators didn't have other plans for the weekend.-Gary D. Lander '67RUSSIAN PROGRAM REMAINS STRONGRegarding your article "Russian Language and Literature faculty propose new Russian Studies program" (Breaking News, Dec. 4):This proposal rings true. I was a Russian Language and Literature major after four years of study in high school. With the department's blessing, during the first semester of my senior year at Brandeis I created a student teaching assignment at a local independent high school. I simultaneously explored multi-media design and production; the Russian professor who coordinated the language lab helped with my first soundtrack. That is to say that even 40 years ago there were those of us eager to enrich our Russian language study in multi-disciplinary ways. Professors Szulkin and Hanson were very, very supportive.-Jonathan Barkan '71USE OF TWITTER BENEFITS EDUCATIONRegarding your article "Keep 'tweeting' out of the classroom setting" (Forum, Dec. 1):While I very much appreciate your well-crafted message that makes a good case for not using Twitter in the classroom, I must disagree with the objective of maintaining the status quo of traditional academic settings. In the long run, using Twitter in the classroom may lead to great steps forward for education. The use of Twitter in the classroom as education research and development may lead to big payoffs down the road as professional educators begin to harness the power of existing, nearly ubiquitous technology in new ways. Research and development in the private sector is the lifeblood of innovation and improvement. The use of Twitter in the classroom may represents the lifeblood of innovation and improvement in classrooms across the country. -Mark SchambachThe writer is publisher and educational director of daviecountystem.com, a Web site tracking education reform efforts in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. REVISE FIRST YEARS' ELECTION SYSTEMIn response to your article "Midyear senator position proposed" (News, Dec. 1): Here is my solution to the "problem" without creating a new seat or giving a small population over-representation: How about the senator for the first-year class who gets the second most votes is only elected for one semester? At the beginning of the spring semester, a new election for the second first-year senator is held and then all first years can vote and run for the seat, midyears included.-Daniel Baronofsky '09CALIFORNIA PROTESTS HAVE MEANINGRegarding your article "Protest with a forethoughtful agenda," (Forum, Dec. 1):Cooper claims that the situation is just as bad for the administration but then cites pay cuts to faculty and workers. First, he is equating all adults-or nonstudents-at the University with the administration, and then he assumes that students are protesting all the nonstudents. On the contrary, the students are not protesting the faculty or the University workers; they are protesting the administration and the regents. In fact, many faculty members and University workers are standing in solidarity with the students.The protest is an attempt to highlight how time after time again when faced with financial crisis, California has chosen to slash the budget of education and has shifted the burden onto students who simply cannot pay-thus denying their access to higher education.-Lev Hirschhorn '11
(12/01/09 5:00am)
With 10 minutes left of my Introduction to International and Global Studies lecture, I found myself slumping in my chair, checking the clock nearly every 5 seconds and praying with all my heart for the class to finally be over. I carefully surveyed my notes for the day and realized that I had been drawing doodles in the margins for the last half hour. When the professor posed a question to the class, I didn't even think to raise my hand because I knew that whatever I said would probably sound incredibly stupid and indicate quite clearly that I had not been paying attention to any of the discussion that had ensued for the past 50 minutes. At long last, the clock struck 11, and I was out of the classroom before the professor could even get his closing words out of his mouth.Although my complete loss of focus was quite unusual considering my typically studious disposition, a general lack of interest and engagement among college students is a far too common problem for both students and educators. According to an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education titled "Teaching with Twitter: Not for the Faint of Heart" by Jeffrey R. Young, the latest innovation for remedying this problem is using Twitter, an online social network, as a new form of forum for discussion in the classroom. Several professors at colleges and universities across the country have been trying Twitter as a means of getting their students more involved in class discussions. According to the article, the online forum emboldens quieter students to participate and ask questions via "tweets"-short 140-character posts that can be submitted via a laptop or cell phone. In addition, it allows students to engage in an ongoing discussion about class material both inside and outside of the classroom.Using Twitter as a classroom tool certainly seems like an interesting idea. Admittedly, when I first read the article, I found myself wishing my IGS professor would adopt a similar system. But on second thought, I realized that using Twitter in the classroom is actually detrimental to an esteemed academic environment. Twitter is undoubtedly an effective way to get students engaged, but the problem is that students would be engaging the wrong skills.One obvious downside to using Twitter in the classroom is that the open, unlimited access to this online forum draws students' attention away from the lecture. According to the Chronicle article, in Prof. Sugato Chakravarty's consumer sciences and retailing class at Purdue University, the experimental Twitter project causes "a constant stream of comments, often tangential. . During one session . students took over the back channel to ask the professor to cancel class Thanksgiving week." Clearly, the students are participating in this online discussion, but their chatter is often not related to the subject material at hand.If a serious lack of focus is already a problem, it seems counterproductive for professors to then provide a forum for unmediated discussion in Twitter. If Twitter is used as a tool for instruction, then students are given license to discuss anything they like, relevant to class or not, under the pretext of participating and paying attention. So rather than encouraging active classrooom participation, professors are actually allowing their students' minds to wander through the distractions of the Internet with absolutely no consequence. Another issue with Twitter as a forum for discussion, though perhaps one less obvious, is the limitations that the Web site places on students' ability to communicate and express themselves. For one thing, tweets can only be 140 characters long. This seriously limits a student's ability to ask questions or make insightful comments. Prof. Monica Rankin at the University of Texas addresses this limitation on her blog about her experience with Twitter. During her Twitter experiment, she encouraged her students to use more than one tweet if necessary to get the whole point across. But displaying a comment or question in segments still interrupts the thought processes of the student writing the comment and the person reading it, particularly if another tweet pops up in between the multiple parts of one comment. With such limited space, Twitter definitely makes deep, analytical and meaningful class discussions, which are key to an excellent learning experience, more difficult if not impossible. And of course, let's not forget the important skill of oral communication. Twitter, which relies solely on comments and questions written by students in the class, takes the emphasis off of oral communication altogether. Not every student is a stellar speaker, but there is a reason why oral communication is a core requirement at Brandeis. The ability to effectively express oneself via oral communication is an extremely valuable skill both in the academic world and the professional world. If less-outspoken students can use Twitter as a "get out of jail free" card to avoid speaking in class, they will never learn to effectively express themselves through speech.There are probably several more reasons Twitter could be detrimental to an academic environment. Luckily, at present this popular social networking Web site isn't being used nearly enough in college classrooms to feel the effects of this detriment on the traditional academic setting. One can only hope that professors will find a better way to draw their students into classes instead of relying on a distracting and limiting Web site. Student apathy may be a huge problem in the classroom, but that is no reason to turn to Twitter, which does more harm than good.
(12/01/09 5:00am)
An article in News last week was unclear about the cost of a meal plan. The "$1,400 All-Points Meal plan" costs $2,473 per semester, not $1,400; students receive $1,400 in points. (Nov. 24, p. 3) An article in News last week should have included an editor's note. Daniel Orkin '10, who is mentioned in the article "Chum's institutes changes because of series of thefts" because of his role as president of the Punk, Rock n' Roll club, is a staff writer for the Justice. (Nov. 24, p. 3) A segment in Forum last week incorrectly characterized a reader's relationship to Abram Sachar. Roger Sachar Jr. is not Abram Sachar's grandson. (Nov. 24, p. 11)The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail justeditor@brandeis.edu.
(11/24/09 5:00am)
STAND MAKES VALID CONTRIBUTIONSIn response to your article "Concentrate less on large-scale campaigns," (Forum, Nov. 17): I understand where you are coming from, but as the president of my univ-ersity's STAND chapter, I would like to explain why I do what I do. I realize what we do probably doesn't have as much impact as we would like. And I also realize that we could do good much more easily and efficiently in our own community. But I believe that genocide is the worst possible crime that can happen, so even raising a little money to help those victims is better thannothing. It's not much, but it is something. And I don't feel like we are taking away from the needy in our own towns. I would still help them out too, and I do. But if I were to only focus on my community then the people whose communities can't help them will have no one.-Mary Pritchard KEEP UP "SAVE THE ROSE" ACTIVITIESRegarding your article "Button controversy discussed at meeting" (News, Nov. 10): The controlling presence of the Reinharzes and the trustees at the "Re-Opening of the Rose" rather than the excellent Board of Overseers is evidence enough that the "Save the Rose" movement must remain vigilant. Closed doors bespeaks of a corrupt purpose, which as long as the current administration remains committed to its position that it has the right to sell off the collection, seems to be the motive of the day.-Dennis J. SolomonCambridge, Mass.GOLDSTONE IMPEDED ROAD TO PEACEIn response to your article "The Justice speaks with Dore Gold and Richard Goldstone" (News, Nov. 10):Goldstone has made peace more difficult by encouraging Palestinian intransigence- their continued denial that the Jewish people have any historical connection to or any rights at all to any parts of the land of Israel.This is the root cause of the conflict. Israel has acted with more restraint and more humanity in defending its citizens from real existential threats than any other army in the world has ever acted. Look at how many civilians have been killed in Afghanastan, Iraq and many other places by countries (such as the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanastan under President Barack Obama) faced with much less a threat than Israel has faced. And yet there is no Goldstone commision, no demonization, no slander against those nations. This is pure hypocrisy.-Larry Bigio '81PROTEST AGAINST GOLD WAS JUSTIFIED Regarding your article "Students stage protest during Gold's speech" (News, Nov. 10):You know, some people can stand up and listen at the same time. It would have been more beneficial for everyone involved to have access to multilateral discussion instead of being handed a right-winger who, from what I can judge based on his comments, did no listening and no engaging in relevant discussion.-Amanda Hoffman '11WIND TURBINES ARE DISADVANTAGEOUSIn response to your article "Union Senate Goals in Disarray" (Forum, Nov. 3):Although I did not attend Brandeis, whenever I'm in Boston on business, I always make a point of driving out to the Sachar Woods and enjoying the quiet tranquility that it provides. Knowing how noisy wind turbines are, I'm chagrined to learn that on my next trip, there may be one buzzing in the background. While Senator Nipun Marwaha's '12 goals may be laudable, I hope that some serious consideration is made before imposing the unceasing noise of a wind turbine in that particular locale.-Roger Sachar Jr.
(11/17/09 5:00am)
The Student Advisory Committee, which was created to provide the Presidential Search Committee with student feedback, will hold a townhall meeting Nov. 30 to encourage student input in the search process, Committee Chair and Student Union President Andy Hogan '11 said in an interview with the Justice.The meeting will take place at either 5:30 or 6 p.m. in Sherman Function Hall, Hogan said. Trustee and faculty members of the Presidential Search Committee will be invited to the meeting, which will be run by Meyer Koplow '72, the chair of the search committee. The meeting will be a forum "where students can express what they want in a new president," Hogan said. "After we finish the town hall, hopefully the search committee will have a better idea of what students really want to see in a new president," he said. The SAC was created after University President Jehuda Reinharz announced his intention to resign in a Sept. 24 campuswide e-mail. Reinharz will remain president until a new president has been selected or until June 30, 2011, according to a Sept. 24 University press release.The PSC, appointed at the Oct. 29 Board of Trustees meeting by Chair of the Board of Trustees Malcolm Sherman, does not contain any student members. Koplow told the Justice Nov. 3 that the committee will be responsible for managing the search process and presenting recommendations to the Board. The number of faculty on the PSC was increased to three after discussions with Sherman. Sherman charged the Faculty Senate with creating a faculty advisory committee to provide the search committee with faculty input. Over 30 out of the 84 faculty members who were nominated are willing to run for the eight seats on the faculty advisory committee, Chair of the Faculty Senate Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL) said. The electronic ballots for the faculty advisory committee election will be sent out this week, von Mering said. "There will be one person from each school [on the faculty advisory committee]: . four in Arts and Sciences, one [in the International Business School] and one [in the Heller School for Social Policy and Management], and then there will be two people at large. They can be from any of the other six [departments]", von Mering said.The committee will advise the search committee and have input on the position descriptions of presidential candidates, von Mering wrote in an Oct. 30 e-mail to the faculty. Von Mering also wrote that the committee will be involved in interviewing finalists.
(11/17/09 5:00am)
Elaine Schuster, a founding donor of the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism and a board member of the Women's Studies Research Center, has been appointed as the United States representative to the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly, according to an e-mail to the Justice from the Schuster Institute. A Sept. 22 White House press release states that Schuster, a philanthropist and health care and education advocate, has been a member of the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts for eight years. She has also served as the New England chair of the Democratic Women's Leadership Forum and was honored by the Massachusetts State Democratic Party for her work in support of Democratic values. Additionally, Schuster has been recognized by Franciscan Children's Hospital for her help in fundraising and increasing the hospital's visibility, according to the press release. She has also received the Heritage Society Award from the Brigham and Women's Hospital. Schuster could not be reached for comment by press time because she was traveling by air. "I think in that nominating Elaine Schuster, [President Barack Obama] has made an outstanding choice because she, in addition to all her other qualities, is [a] smart and knowledgeable woman about world affairs and is going to represent the United States in a very caring and intelligent way," said University President Jehuda Reinharz in an interview with the Justice."[Schuster] told me that at the United Nations, she is particularly interested in learning more about the enormous problem of modern-day slavery worldwide, and about the sex trafficking of girls and women worldwide," Florence Graves, the founding director of the Schuster Institute, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. Elaine and Gerald Schuster made a gift of $5 million to Brandeis' previously named Institute for Investigative Journalism in 2007. The Institute was renamed to include the Schusters after the gift was received. Graves also wrote that Schuster's concerns about human rights and social justice align with those of the institute she founded, which is currently working on a project devoted to reporting on slavery issues."Elaine Schuster's many generous philanthropic efforts reflect her lifetime commitment to social and political justice. In particular, she leapt at the opportunity to fund investigative reporting into issues of social justice precisely because she understands what an enormous effect such work can have on public understanding and therefore on politics and policy," Graves wrote."[The WSRC is] so proud of [Schuster]. She has many accomplishments before this, but I think this tops them all. . We're sure that she'll do a great job," said Prof. Shula Reinharz (SOC), who is also the director at the WSRC. Prof. Reinharz said that she had known Schuster for 15 years before Schuster became involved with the WSRC in 2001. Prof. Reinharz added that she admired Schuster's "political savvy" and said that Schuster's political interests did not lie just within Massachusetts. "I love talking to her about who she thinks will win a race [because] she's always got great insight into political missions and trends," Prof. Reinharz said.
(11/10/09 5:00am)
Last Thursday, Justice Richard Goldstone and former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold discussed Mr. Goldstone's eponymous report on war crimes committed during the Gaza conflict at an event in the Levin Ballroom. Two weeks ago, this page emphasized that the event would be a rare and valuable opportunity for students to attend a serious discussion of international importance. While the event did serve as a meaningful forum for discussion, we are nonetheless disappointed with the actions of several attendees of the forum. Firstly, the protest staged by a group of students that intentionally interrupted Gold during the first moments of his presentation was inappropriately timed. Their supposedly silent protest was only nominally such, as their coordinated efforts constituted a distraction to the speaker and, even more unfairly, to the audience, which included fellow students and University faculty. We wholly respect and defend the students' right to protest the absence of a Palestinian speaker to provide his or her perspective on the report at the forum. Yet such a protest should have occurred outside the room in which the forum was held. The disruptive effort was a drain on the event for the community at large; the protesters have a right to freedom of speech but should not have used that freedom to block the speech of another party. However, we do not condone the physical harassment the protesters reported suffering after they returned to their seats. The protesters said that their chairs were shoved and that they were in some cases physically assaulted; such a violent response to a nonviolent protest is completely inappropriate. Such a physical response should not have occurred within the confines of this campus, and we hope that no Brandeis students in attendence took part in these attacks. Despite the setbacks that occurred during this past Thursday's forum, the successful and interesting discourse at the event lead us to hope that the University will continue to bring politically significant events to this campus for the continued benefit of its entire community.
(11/10/09 5:00am)
Prof. Shulamit Reinharz (SOC), Fine Arts undergraduate departmental representatives and students involved in the controversy over the "Save the Rose" buttons at the museum's reopening last week attended a confidential meeting last Thursday, according to Tara Metal '10, a Fine Arts major who works at the Rose Art Museum and was one of the students Reinharz asked to remove her button.Metal, who said her encounter with Reinharz at the Rose made her visibly upset, explained that the meeting was confidential because both parties wanted to create an open forum for discussion without any press. "We all felt strongly about keeping a safe space, trying to have an actual discussion," she said.Reinharz and the wife of a trustee whom interviewees have declined to identify asked several students and faculty to remove their "Save the Rose" pins at the Rose reopening Oct. 28. Some students wearing the button claim that Reinharz had been somewhat abrasive in requesting that they remove them. Reinharz had said in a Nov. 2 interview with the Justice that she did not view her actions as coercive.Reinharz declined to be interviewed, explaining in an e-mail that both parties had agreed to keep the proceedings of the meeting confidential and that she was going to abide by that stipulation.Provost Marty Krauss wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that she did not attend the meeting but was aware that it took place. "I was briefed by several people about what transpired at the Rose opening," Krauss wrote. She did not comment further. Beccah Ulm '11, a Fine Arts UDR who attended the meeting, said that she did not believe the discussions at the meeting provided concrete resolutions for the issues that that occurred at the opening. Ulm said she believed what occurred was essentially a violation of free speech. "I feel like the intent was positive, but there are still a lot of issues that need to be dealt with," she said. Ulm added that she hoped more communication would occur, but that nothing definitive was agreed upon at the meeting to ensure that. Student Union President Andy Hogan '11, who attended the meeting, also declined to discuss what occurred at the meeting due to the confidentiality agreement. Hogan was asked to attend the meeting but would not say who asked him. "The only thing I feel I can say is that it went well and I hope we can continue to have productive dialogue on contentious issues on this campus," Hogan wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.When asked if students had submitted an official complaint to the University, Metal said that there was a report but it was not from students and that Provost Krauss has been made explicitly aware of these cases. She said she could not elaborate further. Krauss said that she has not received a complaint. Ulm said she did not know if students had filed a complaint but that there are means by which they could.-Harry Shipps and Nashrah Rahman contributed reporting.
(11/10/09 5:00am)
Rarely do I go to bed before 3 a.m-and this dent in my sleep is not the result of General Chemistry lab. Instead, it is because at 1:30 in the morning my hall will often burst into intense political and philosophical conversations. Why? Because my roommate and I both took a gap year. On nights not spent in the hallway hosting a spontaneous political forum, we stay awake and discuss from our beds the implications of what we learned that day on our worldviews. These late nights have been one of the most valuable aspects of my daily life at college. Brandeis students pursue their interests outside the classroom, which creates a great sense of tangible curiosity and appeal for outside knowledge to make its way onto campus. One way that students pursue their interests outside of class is by taking a gap year between high school and college. Students who choose to take a gap year before entering Brandeis have an entire year's worth of worldly experience and perspectives to bring to the campus. For this reason, it would seem to be in Brandeis' best interest to encourage its students to take gap years. However, the opposite is done. Students who are awarded merit scholarships and choose to take a gap year are deprived of the final year of their scholarship. In an e-mail interview with the Justice, Vice President of Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy said, "When a student is offered a merit award, the clock starts ticking because it is tied to a budget figure. If the student starts as expected then the scholarship will renew for the next three years. If a student defers, the funds are still tied to the year and budget that student should have started in. Thus they would only have 3 years left. Because these are real budget dollars we can only give out what we have." While this system for allocating merit scholarships seems to make sense, it could be improved to allow students choosing to take a gap year to retain their scholarships. Perhaps Brandeis should include a segment on the application to allow students to make note of their plans to take a gap year. This way, Brandeis can budget to allow for the scholarship dollars for these students to come from the next year's supply, and thus will carry through with them for all four years at Brandeis.Brandeis is an extremely expensive school, but it is worth every dollar paid. In an ideal world, everyone could afford to receive the incredible education and opportunities we receive here. However, money is a great factor for accepted students in making the final decision to attend Brandeis. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that many students at Brandeis do not qualify for financial aid, but covering the cost of such a costly education is still a great burden. Students awarded merit scholarships to Brandeis may be offered merit scholarships to many other schools. The fact that Brandeis refuses to extend the length of their scholarship to accommodate a gap year discourages worldly, curious students from either seizing the opportunity to take a gap year or from attending Brandeis.Gap years offer the incredible opportunity to sit back and philosophize for an entire year without the stress of a busy school schedule. In a busy college schedule, this is unheard of. What if, for example, a student travels to Djibouti for a year and stumbles upon the only vegetarian aardvark during their travels? Shouldn't that student be more highly sought after by colleges because of the unique and enriching experience he can share with his peers? Unintentionally, Brandeis is turning the gap year into a financial burden on gifted students. Perhaps, in addition to budgeting to allow gap year students to use the entirety of their scholarship, it would be in Brandeis' best interest to have a separate scholarship set aside for students who choose to take a gap year. After all, the gem that is Brandeis is a sum of its parts, and a fair percentage of the University chose to take a gap year before beginning their time here. It is important to realize that in Brandeis' short 61-year existance, it has become one of the most prestigious colleges in the country. This is partly due to a student body that takes a sincere interest in their studies. Perhaps by becoming "gap-year friendly," even more late-night political discussions, a staple of college life, would flourish.
(11/10/09 5:00am)
LAWSUIT AGAINST HARPER'S IS A WASTEIn response to your article "University criticizes Harper's article" (News, Nov. 3): Brandeis administrators should stop trying to prevent criticism of this type. The fiasco around the Rose Art Museum speaks for itself: Poor planning and an erosion of integrity toward the arts. Having received a Ph.D. in History in 1990 from this university-from an outstanding department with superb faculty-the latest developments at Brandeis are a great disappointment to me. And Harper's-to which I subscribe-is one of America's finest critical popular magazines, far more truthful than most of U.S. media, print or otherwise. A defamation lawsuit?! What a terrible waste of money and time. I'll stand by Harper's on that one.-David Palmer Ph.D. '90The writer is a senior lecturer in American Studies at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.REQUEST LEGAL ADVICE BEFORE SUINGRegarding your article "University criticizes Harper's article" (News, Nov. 3): Are statements of opinions that are based on factual errors or that are insulting actionable as defamation in any jurisidiction where Harper's is distributed? I doubt it. The University has been in court enough lately over the Rose Art Museum controversy. As a lawyer as well as an alumnus, I hope the President gets sound legal advice before pursuing a libel case on the University's dime. -Gary Lander '67 BEHA'S ARTICLE IS POOR JOURNALISMIn response to your article "University criticizes Harper's article" (News, Nov. 3): As a Harper's subscriber, veteran journalist and long-ago Brandeis graduate, I was surprised and put off by Beha's article-not so much because it was highly critical of Brandeis but because it offers virtually no evidence to support its one-sided point of view. Beha may have a few points to make, but his piece is lazily prepared, too polemical and ultimately unconvincing to anyone who reads it closely. It simply doesn't pass muster as a reporting job. There is little evidence that he actually interviewed anyone at Brandeis or did any investigative reporting. Or that he wanted to do any. He provides no quotes from the administration-or anyone else. Not even any off-the-record quotes, however misleading, to convince the reader, except one blind comment from a an unnamed "committee" involved in the Rose controversy. If Beha had really wanted to get the story, he would have interviewed several well-informed Brandeis sources and provided quotes from at least a few of them or at least quoted from one or two on 'deep background.' Beha damages his credibility further by implying that some students might actually have decided to attend Brandeis-despite its high tuition-because of the presence of the Rose Art Museum. Really? He provides no evidence for this absurd contention. Who would choose Brandeis over University of Massachusetts, Amherst, simply because of the art museum? He offers no anecdotal or survey data to support that notion. Beha even implies that Brandeis' tuition is significantly higher than that of other private institutions (he compares Brandeis with publicly funded UMass, not with comparable private universities)-so his comparison in that respect is utterly worthless. Rather than threaten a lawsuit against Beha, however, I believe the Brandeis administration should focus its rebuttals on the substance of the article. If, as President Reinharz has asserted, Brandeis has not been severely damaged by the Madoff debacle, then the administration might want to provide evidence that it is still in good health. Address the issues. Don't expect any apologies from the author, however. Remember that Beha would never have written this article in the first place if he had intended to make it a balanced one. Otherwise, he would not have overlooked the first rules of objective journalism in putting it together.-Alan FieldThe writer is an associate editor at the Journal of Commerce.POOR PICKS FOR SEARCH COMMITTEERegarding your article "Search committee appointed" (News, Nov. 3): Pray tell, how does buying a building with your name on it qualify you to make decisions for an entire university community that you're not even a part of? Malcolm Sherman seems to think that the expertise that comes from donating large piles of money far outweighs anything brought to the table by students or staff-that is, the people who live and work here, and the people who will be most affected by the selection of a new president. This leadership clearly hopes to model Brandeis on corporate structures and practices rather than on a community of learning, something I don't think Louis Brandeis would have appreciated. -Jon Sussman '11 BUILDING WOULD DO LITTLE FOR THE JEWSIn response to your op-ed "Scrap plans for chapel; erect a Hillel building" (Forum, Nov. 3): The writer's intentions are good, but his proposition would simply prove inconsequential. Putting a whole group of people in the same building will not magically solve all of the problems with our campus' Jewish community. The community here at Brandeis is fragmented because each denominational group (Brandeis Orthodox Organization, Brandeis University Conservative Organization, Brandeis Reform Chavurah and Brandeis Reconstructionist Organization) has its own social activities. What really needs to be done is more joint programming among the various demoninations, so that we (that's right-I'm including myself in this statement) can get to know each other on a more personal level. Two people merely walking in the same direction to and from services or Shabbat dinner means absolutely nothing. -Daniel Kasdan '13 GOLDSTONE AND GOLD FORUM WAS FAIRIn response to your op-ed "Accord speaker his own platform"?(Forum, Nov. 3): Several points are unclear in this article.First, the opinion writer refers to Thursday's forum as a "debate." A debate is an argument in which some arbiter determines a winner and a loser. A famous example might be the debates in which Douglas rhetorically defeated Lincoln. As much as I would like to demonstrate to the world that not everyone has gone off the deep end, I highly doubt the audience will be asked to select a winner at the end of Thursday's forum.Second, on what grounds does the opinion holder conclude that Dore Gold is "far to the right of the Israeli political spectrum?" It's impossible to be to the side of a spectrum; no matter where one is in relation to others, one is still on the spectrum. Also, the tactic of hawkifying or extremifying is a tactic we see from terrorism apologists everywhere. I ask again: what do you know about Gold that convinces you he is several standard deviations from the mean of Israeli political thought? Third, the assertion that "the Brandeis administration will not let a left-wing activist stand on his or her own" is patently ridiculous. If I recall correctly, we hosted American terrorist-gone-academe Bill Ayers last spring; certainly he was the loudest name, but Barney Frank and Carl Levin have spoken here, too. If anyone reading this believes left-wing speakers are shunned, they need to share a bit with the rest of us. Finally, this forum was balanced. On one side is the man who accepted the flawed mandate of the mission, failed to screen other panelists for prior prejudice and seriously entertained the testimonies of "civilians" living in an area that had recently experienced internal civil war, an area controlled by a vicious, uncompromising group dedicated to the destruction of any Jewish establishments between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. On the other side is a man standing up against the biases inherent in this mission and the prejudices in other U.N. work, a senior official in a government that saw the Mission's real colors from the outset, a man from a nation that has kept coming back to negotiate itself into oblivion, from Israel.-Gideon Klionsky '11
(11/03/09 5:00am)
An article in Forum last week incorrectly referred to an administrative body at Brandeis. Any current sustainability projects fall under the Campus Sustainablity Initiative, spearheaded by the Facilities Services department, not the Office of Sustainability. (Oct. 27, p. 11)An article in News last week mispelled the surname of a student. The student's name is Nicholas Hornstein, not Nicholas Horstein. (Oct. 27, p. 7)An article in Forum mispelled the surname of Haym Salomon. His name is Haym Salomon, not Haym Solomon. (Oct. 27, p. 10) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail justeditor@brandeis.edu.
(11/03/09 5:00am)
To the Editor:In light of the article "Despite flaws in programming, Eco-Reps benefit campus," (Forum, Oct. 27), we as current eco-reps just wanted to let you know what we're up to. For the past couple of weeks, we've been in intensive training and are now armed with knowledge about environmental issues and peer education techniques, and we are ready to dedicate our time fully to engaging the student body. Here are a couple of projects we are working on and welcome you all to join. Green Room: An environmentally friendly certification program aimed at commending those who are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and encouraging their peers to do the same. We are not only acknowledging current behaviors but also educatingstudents regarding alternative behaviors they may take. Recycling Grades: Brandeis students in particular are responsive to grades! As eco-reps, we wanted to play on that sentiment, and thus we implemented a "recycling grade" program. In just one semester last year, recycling grades in East Quad improved from an average of C to A-, which is quite a significant jump. Recycling grades have been proven to work and get people thinking about what they put in a trash can. While both of these initiatives seem simple, we've found that they are effective ways of reaching out to average Brandeis students and making them aware of their simply mundane behaviors and how these behaviors affect the world at large. As always, we welcome questions, comments and concerns and are looking forward to meeting and working with you all.-Aka Kovacikova '11 and Jenna Brofsky '10
(11/03/09 5:00am)
In response to "Seven semesters of residency not necessary" (Forum, Oct. 27): I disagree with the overall opinion and the reasons you list. If someone is bright enough to get into Brandeis and possibly finish in three years, wouldn't we expect him or her to have enough financial aid for that final year? Furthermore, who can afford to go to Brandeis for six semesters but not seven? This is why we have such generous financial aid programs (from which I also benefited): to make sure these bright students are able to stay here as long as they need to complete their degree. Also, the crux of a liberal arts education is that you must have a broad-based education in a wide range of courses. It is true that some people know they want to be doctors, so what's the harm if they take a few extra English classes and learn how to write well also, or take more foreign language classes? Since many people don't find jobs in their field (especially now), it is to their advantage to have a broad base of knowledge and flexibility. This is the advantage that a true liberal arts education gives to you. Lastly, as the cliché goes, college is about more than book learning. Having an extra year to develop personally and socially with your peers before moving on is an advantage. Plus, as a recent graduate now working full-time, what's the hurry?-Eli Harrington '09
(11/03/09 5:00am)
The Constitutional Review Committee, a group composed of students and alumni to evaluate the Student Union Constitution, is in the process of being formed, according to Union Director of Communications Sydney Reuben '10. Most of the committee members have been selected, but last Friday's deadline, by which constituencies had to select their representatives for the committee, has been pushed back to give groups more time.Ryan Fanning '11 will represent the Senate, Jenna Brofsky '10 the Senate Executive Board and Julia Cohen '10 the Financial Board. Andrea Fineman '10 will represent secured media on the committee, Jessie Steinberg '10 secured nonmedia, Matthew Feinberg '10 religious organizations, Andrew Litwin '11 artistic and performance organizations, Benjy Cooper '11 club sports, Nipun Marwaha '12 nonsports competition organizations, Kenta Yamamoto '10 the intercultural community and Tamar Brown '12 community advisors. Sahar Massachi '11 and Alex Schneider '12 will represent the student body at large. The spots on the committee reserved for three alumni of the School of Arts and Sciences have yet to be filled. According to an e-mail from Reuben, "Many [alumni] have said they'd love to be a resource, but that they live too far away to be a rep." As a result, it has been difficult to find alumni to serve, she wrote.According to Article 13, Section 1 of the Student Union Constitution, "Every four years there shall be established an independent Constitutional Review Task Force charged with conducting a full review of all aspects of the Union, including the operation of clubs, Secured Organizations, and Union Government." "The task force shall not be subject to review or oversight by the President, Senate, or Finance Board. Disputes regarding the actions of the task force may be brought before the Union Judiciary," as stated in Article 13, Section 8 of the Constitution.Reuben said in an interview with the Justice that representatives from the Student Union met with leaders of the represented constituencies to explain the purpose of the Constitutional Review Committee. Those constituencies were then allowed to choose their representatives to the committee, and members of the Student Union interviewed candidates for the committee. "Everything will be finalized this week," Reuben said. She said that if any constituencies failed to choose representatives, the Union would appoint students for these groups. "I want to work with the other members of the committee to take a critical look at the constitution, see what's working [and] what's not working and try to improve on those areas if we can and try to get as much student input into the process as possible," said Brofsky about her goals for the committee. Massachi said his goals include "creating a constitution for the Union that is more accountable and democratic and . creating a Union constitution that structures the Union to be more effective." He continued, "We don't have a Student Union right now; we have a student government, and I've been exploring the idea of actually having a Student Union."Schneider said that as a member-at-large, "I am one of the representatives that represents the whole student body instead of a club." He was selected for the position after filling out an application sent to the student body and was interviewed by members of the Senate.Several of the committee members expressed interests in including student input in the review process. "Each month the committee must hold . an open forum that's open to the public. . I want to reach out to constituents, and I hope that other people on the committee do the same," said Brofsky. "One thing I'm interested in is using polls and other methods to get student input," said Schneider. Another one of his goals is to "finish the discussion about the Racial Minority Senator that was started last year at the Union Judiciary. . I think that the Union Judiciary trial last year was not the best way to deal with that issue." Massachi also discussed the role he envisioned students would have in the Union in the future, saying, "Some of the ideas that have been tossed around are running the Union more like a co-op or more like democratic government. I am really interested in the idea of, whenever something big goes down on campus, . we just call a general meeting, and everyone who shows up has a voice."Editor's note: Andrea Fineman is managing editor of the Justice.-Harry Shipps contributed reporting.
(11/03/09 5:00am)
Daniel Terris, director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, and Prof. Ilan Troen (NEJS) led a discussion last Sunday about the controversial report by the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, which was presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council on Sept. 29.Sunday's forum was a pre-event held in the lead-up to Thursday's event, "The Challenge of the UN Gaza Report," at which Justice Richard Goldstone, who led the U.N.'s fact-finding mission, will discuss the final report with former Israeli ambassador to the United States Dore Gold. Attended by around 30 Brandeis students and community members, the open-ended discussion focused on providing a basic understanding of the 600-page U.N. mission's report and the reasons it has engendered so much controversy in the international community. In an interview with the Justice after the event, Terris said that he thought it was good to have as many opportunities as possible for Brandeis students to explore the issues involved in the Goldstone report."Having an opportunity in a quiet setting to exchange ideas and exchange information is valuable in itself," he said. When Goldstone, who has a long-standing relationship with Brandeis and is currently on the advisory board of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, first agreed to head the U.N.'s mission to investigate the state of human rights in the midst of the Gaza conflict, he refused to operate under the original U.N. mandate, Terris said at the event. The original mandate called for an investigation focused solely on Israel's actions regarding the conflict in Gaza; Goldstone articulated his desire to investigate human rights violations on both sides of the conflict. Despite this initial ideology, according to Troen, when the final report of the four-member mission was published, Israel took issue with the "astounding" one-sidedness of the report, which details 36 individual incidents of Israeli violations agains the Palestinians. Terris said that he has heard the full range of opinions regarding the report and thinks that the entire spectrum is represented on the Brandeis campus, from those who strongly support Israel and think that the report is "out of line" to those who are "harshly critical of Israel and have a variety of different opinions on the report."Troen said that the Brandeis community finds itself in a unique situation because, until now, Israel has steadfastly refused to engage Goldstone regarding the report. Thursday night will be the first time that Goldstone will discuss the report with someone, Dore Gold, who, even if he no longer represents official Israeli policy, has worked in Israeli government and represents an educated and informed Israeli opinion on the matter, Troen said."I think that students are very curious, want to know and have yet to engage themselves with the massive material, except second- and third-hand," said Troen when discussing the importance of Sunday's discussion in a later interview. "So how does one cope with the mass of contradictory opinions that people bring to this event without having engaged in the material oneself?" Troen asked. When asked why he thought it was important that people who planned on attending the event on Thursday had an understanding of the report and its effects, Troen said, "I think that issues are so complex for everybody because they also reflect on the role America plays in the world, not only just in terms of the Arab-Israeli conflict but how America conducts itself in conflicts where there are civilians proximate. [The Arab-Israeli conflict] may be the issue that illuminates much else."Terris said that if people want to get a true sense of the methodology and ideology behind the report they should read some of the report's observations and conclusions regarding specific instances of human rights violations. He said that these will give a good sense of how the mission went about conducting research and what kind of conclusions it drew based on that research.Asher Bublick '12 said that he had attended the event on Sunday because "both [Terris and Troen] are known to be well educated on the topic, and . I thought it would be a really good opportunity to learn more about the report and hear the opposing opinions.""It was a really good format of speaking on the topic because you were able to see both sides and go back and forth," said Bublick.- Nashrah Rahman contributed reporting.
