(10/27/09 4:00am)
When the Heller School for Social Policy and Management opened in 1959, the building was not Wi-Fi enabled. It did not have a Dell computer system sitting in every classroom nor a projector that would slowly unroll with the touch of a button. It did not have elevators for all three floors of the building. What it did have were professors, its first three graduate students and a vision of social justice. "While we have physically gotten larger, the basis of the vision has really stayed the same," said Dean of the Heller School Lisa M. Lynch, who opened the ceremony for the Heller School's 50th Anniversary. As a testament to the Heller School's progress over the last half century, Lynch mentioned the school's 2,300 alumni and the current class of 500 students from 59 different countries.On a breezy evening at the Irving Schneider and Family Building last Friday, over a hundred guests, alumni, students and professors gathered at the Zinner Forum to celebrate the Heller School's 50th anniversary. Many of the attendees were retired, but the desire for social improvement was still alive in them 40 years after graduating from the school. The Heller School was founded in 1959 as Brandeis' first professional school with the aid of philanthropist Florence G. Heller. The School's founders were committed to the field of social policy as well as health and human services management. The Heller School offers degrees that range from doctorates in social policy to master's degrees in business administration and social policy and began offering a joint degree in Women's and Gender Studies this year. At the weekend-long event, Brandeis alumni who graduated in the 1960s alongside current students attended lectures and workshops. Most of the events were panels of speakers who presented social and community policy issues such as "Transforming the Practice of Development" and "Philanthropy, Social Justice and the Recession." All panels were relevant to recent political changes, such as Barack Obama's health reform. The commemoration was as much a celebration of the Heller School as a commemoration of the memories and friendships that it has created. Mary Laverne '76, who arrived early, stood up to keep a careful watch of the stairs in the hopes of spotting a friend of 30 years. After waiting 20 minutes with fixed eyes, she broke into a bright smile at the sight of her friend. During the reception, Lynch spoke to the audience of alumni about the development of the Heller School's mission. "The original founders wanted to train new leaders to face challenges. Intellectual curiosity, flexibility, adaptability-these characteristics are included in the faculty," Lynch said. She looked at the audience of alumni, students and faculty and ended with, "Welcome home." Lynch, an Economics professor, was appointed the Heller School's fourth dean and first female dean, in 2008. Former deans include Charles Schottland, Arnold Gurin, Jack P. Shonkoff and the twice-appointed Stuart Altman. Altman was also involved in the 50th Anniversary Advisory Board. Marian Wright Edelman, a public interest lawyer and activist, was the keynote speaker Friday evening. "I see so many old faces here tonight," said Edelman. "I don't mean 'old' faces," she joked. Edelman's works have been used in social policy classes and her advocacy symbolizes many of the Heller School's aims. Originally from South Carolina, Edelman earned a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School and worked as a lawyer until she became connected with the civil rights movement in the 1960s. She founded the Children's Defense Fund in 1973 and works closely with Congress to lobby causes for children's education and development. Edelman spoke quickly but with deep introspection: "No nation should allow their children to be born in poverty. There is something wrong with this picture. ... We [U.S.] love being number one, but we don't mind being number 16 in lowest maternal mortality rates." She emphasized the necessary shift in American and international policy from politics and war to child development and education. "I would invest the trillions of resources for the poor, hungry children on our shared Earth .We know what to do but we must build a movement to make it happen. I submit the facts that I am about to share: the American social Achilles heel is that a child drops out of school every ten seconds," she said. Tom Glynn, Ph.D. '77, chairman of the Heller School's Board of Overseers, described Edelman as "the most effective advocate in every area." "Her cause, social justice for children and families, is our case and our mission. She never misses an opportunity to advocate her cause," Glynn said in a speech. He paused briefly to show the audience Edelman's sign-up sheets for the Children's Defense Fund. The audience laughed warmly and applauded. The speech was followed by a commemoration for Prof. David Gil (HELLER), a University of Pennsylvania graduate and Holocaust survivor. As a professor, he specialized in the dynamics of violence and oppression. He has fostered close relationships with Heller School students and staff and has taught courses such as "Work and Individual and Social Development," as well as "Theories in Social Policy." While Gil sat quietly in the front row with his wife during the reception, the panel of speakers emphasized his international influence and his dedication over the years. "He did not give grades; you had to grade yourself. The external reward forces you to go deeper [into the subject]," said Kathleen Kantzer '88, who earned a master's and doctorate in human services management from the Heller School. She currently teaches at Regis College in the Sociology department. Kantzer said of Gil's unconventional grading style, "He was a fierce and eloquent advocate that I admire very much." For some of the younger attendees, Sunday was an opportunity to network and polish job-finding skills. The event, "Career Networking and Career Building Session: Well Rounded in a Flat World: The Secret to Successful Career Development in the Global Economy," was held Sunday morning for anyone who wanted to prepare themselves in a recession. Stacyann Gabbidon, a first-year Heller School student from Jamaica pursuing a dual degree in Sustainable International Development and Coexistence and Conflict, said that the 50th anniversary provided a chance to begin career networking. "I came to the Heller School event because I was interested in behavioral health and enhancing people's capabilities for development. The events are relevant whatever you study," she said. "I won't necessarily find a job, but it is a good way of meeting people casually," she said.
(10/27/09 4:00am)
On Nov. 5, Richard Goldstone, a former judge in his native South Africa and the chair of the advisory board for the International Center for Ethics, will debate Dore Gold, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations. This event is part of a forum regarding the merits and implications of the report produced by the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, which was headed by Goldstone. A large part of the report's significance lies in the fact that it criticized both Palestine and Israel for human rights violations, drawing approbation from some and praise from others. While this board does not take any position regarding the report's virtues, we recognize the incontestability of this report's ramifications for the standards and processes of modern international justice and the subsequent importance of holding such a forum at this University.Serious open discussion over contentious and politicized issues is a fundamental attribute of any university. As students, we should pride ourselves in the fact that such discussion occurs within the bounds of our campus and at such distinguished levels. With that in mind, we urge all members of the Brandeis community, irrespective of their stances or impassivity on the report, to attend this significant event. This first opportunity to witness a debate between the author of the report and a major Israeli figure should serve as a stepping-stone for our own increased awareness and involvement in matters of international importance. We encourage students not simply to attend this forum but to attend it with an open mind. Goldstone serves as the chair of the advisory board for the University's International Center for Ethics and has worked toward achieving justice in numerous parts of the world over the course of his legal career. His words cannot be disregarded. Likewise, Gold has been a key diplomatic player on behalf of Israel, crafting foreign policy and negotiating peace. He cannot be ignored either. As students, it is our responsibility to give heed to all sides of this discussion and to be attentive to all arguments. Students should be prepared to challenge both speakers with effective questions based on the content of the forum rather than loosely connected and divisive political motivations. And to that end, we encourage those planning the forum to ensure a period for questions from the audience of a sufficient length.
(10/27/09 4:00am)
You pulled yet another all-nighter. This constant college studying is getting tough, and the only thing that will get you through that dreaded morning class is that one glorious (and very much awaited) cup of coffee; nothing else is capable of uplifting your spirit and giving you energy to survive the rest of the day. Given that you live in Massell Quad, you run to the closest eating locality: Einstein Bros. Bagels. You buy that steaming hot cup of coffee and run to class. Your friend, who lives in East Quad, pulls the same all-nighter, but instead of running to Einstein to buy that cup of coffee, she runs to the Provisions On Demand Market. The only difference is that you paid $1.99, and she paid $1.59 for that same cup of coffee. If you have the same morning class three times a week, in the course of only one month you will have spent approximately six more dollars on coffee than your friend. It might sound ludicrous to hear that there is such a significant price discrepancy between two almost identical items bought on campus, but the truth is that it happens a lot. Not only can we see it in items such as coffee but also in the two main dining halls, Sherman and Usdan. A meal's worth in Sherman is unlimited, but in Usdan you better think twice when serving yourself every additional ounce, because it will cost you. Even if you decide to use up your meal at the P.O.D. Market or Quiznos, you will have certain specific options regarding what you can buy with a meal, and ordering something insignificant like a Coke to go with your sandwich costs extra. Not only are the prices inconsistent and expensive at different localities on campus, but there are also various limitations as what one can get. Why is it that at Quiznos you can buy some sandwiches but not others and at Einstein some salads and not others? The answer I got at the Dining Services Forum last Thursday from Alex Schneider '12, Dining Services committee representative, was that each firm establishes what is C-Meal approved based on what is convenient for the individual firm. However, from the student point of view, the options they give us are extremely illogical and unhealthy. For instance, for the equivalence of one meal at Einstein you can get up to six bagels, but you can't get so much as a single fruit cup. The reason for this is that it costs the firm much more to make a fruit cup than to make a bagel or sell a piece of fruit.Nonetheless, I think we can all agree that after eating six bagels for lunch, you should head directly to the gym and stay there for a good long while. But seriously speaking, with all the advertisements and information about eating right and staying healthy, these localities aren't doing much of a job to help us. Let's face it, as college students, a) we're broke and b) we have newfound liberty that allows us to do whatever we want. Thus, as a form of rebellion, students will stop focusing on eating healthy meals and eat what is most convenient, or in other words, whatever is cheapest. In the long run, this practice can bring about various health-related consequences that will certainly disturb our lives. One of the most commonly heard of consequences of unhealthy eating in college is the freshman 15. This "myth" was recently proven to be more of a reality than you might expect. A study by Utah State University found that one in four freshmen gains an average of 10 pounds during the first semester of college. And as it appears, the dining options we have here at Brandeis are ideal to help make our population a perfect model of these statistics. All in all, if Brandeis Dining Services were to standardize the price inconsistencies around campus and reconsider adding healthier options as part of meals, people would be much better off. To begin with, students and faculty would be able to buy products anywhere without having to commute to the other end of campus looking for more affordable prices. Secondly, if the meal plans enhanced their options, people in general would be healthier and lead more contented lives. Moreover this change would help those dreaded freshman 15 become only a "myth" here at Brandeis.
(10/13/09 4:00am)
In response to "J Street U?opens doors for Israel conversation"?(Forum, Oct. 6): We at J Street U have facts and figures, and our members have a strong knowledge of the complexities of the Palestinian-Israeli and Arab-Israeli conflicts. Many of us also have deep personal connections to the state of Israel. We have started this organization at Brandeis in order to combat the idea that a person must support all of Israel's policies to be a Zionist-a proposition paramount to the idea that we all needed to support President Bush's war in Iraq in order to be true Americans. We understand that there are many perspectives in this issue and that yours is valid. But we interpret policies differently, and J Street U was not created at Brandeis in order to sling facts and figures back and forth between groups of different opinions. J Street U was started so that all students on this campus understand that Zionism is a movement derived from individuals with a personal belief system, and within that movement we find that there are all types of Zionism. Jeremy Sherer, like all the other members of J Street U at Brandeis, wants more than anything to see the state of Israel prosper peacefully. We also don't want to allow ourselves or any other student at Brandeis to be told we aren't real Zionists or to be told we don't support the same cause because we don't approach the issue from the exact same perspective. As Jeremy pointed out, multiple voices and varied interpretations have always been and always will be central to the culture of Judaism. I hope everyone will realize that Jeremy's op-ed was not an argument about our positions on specific issues with the Israeli-Palestinian debate but rather a commentary on the refusal of some American Jews to recognize the growing number of voices who do not feel adequately represented in the American Israel lobby, and the quickness with which people are willing to dismiss a legitimate point of view because it is not the one that so many have hung tenuously to for so long with obscure results.-Jeremy Konar '10
(10/13/09 4:00am)
In response to "J Street U?opens doors for Israel conversation"?(Forum, Oct. 6): Mr. Sherer suggests a "brand of Zionism, which advocates an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and subsequent creation of two states for two peoples. It holds that the eventual boundaries of the state of Israel must respect the Green Line (Israel's pre-1967 borders) and that both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the Jews, Muslims and Christians among them must enjoy equal access to the holy city of Jerusalem." May I suggest that this is not quite Zionism but a personal belief system based on a political orientation that is far left of center. I hasten to add that it is legitimate to express such views, but it would seem to be a precarious position. Take the last point: Under no other control in the past 1800 years has there been more equal access to Jerusalem, so much so that Jews are the only ones permanently banned from praying at the site they consider their holiest. How's that for backbending for peace?Moreover, the Green Line was never Israel's border but a cease-fire line that had no international recognition. If we're adjusting lines on the map, and Sherer supports territorial compromise, what territory will the Arabs yield to Israel for all its aggressive terror in the 1950s (from "militant" refugees acting as fedayeen before the Fatah took control) and of the Fatah which began operations in 1965, incidentally, two years before the Six-Day War when Israel assumed administration of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, areas which international law had decreed to be Jewish land back in 1922. One last issue: the two states for two peoples? Why are the so-called "Palestinians" a different people from the Jordanians or vice versa? Both live in the area of the former Palestine Mandate. Why are there to be two Arab states in the former Mandate territory (although it seems there may be a third one, Hamastan, in Gaza) both uni-ethnic in which no Jews can live but there can only be one Jewish state which must share itself with a 20-percent Arab minority? Cannot a 20-percent Jewish minority live in the area of the Palestine Authority? Why must there be an ethnic cleansing of Jews, especially after the last one in 2005 from Gaza proved a disaster?-Yisrael MedadShiloh, Israel
(10/06/09 4:00am)
University President Jehuda Reinharz revealed plans to install 1,383 individual solar panels on the roof of the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center that will help avoid 122 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year at the Great Green Ideas for Brandeis and Beyond event last Wednesday.The announcement coincided with the introduction of the Brandeis University Climate Action Plan. The plan was released and submitted to the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment Sept. 15.The Climate Action Plan was compiled by the Brandeis Environmental Sustainability Team, the advisory committee of the Campus Sustainability Initiative, which consists of members of the Brandeis faculty, staff and student body. Highlights from the plan include a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 15 percent by 2015 and to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions on campus completely by 2050. Other components of the Climate Action Plan stress the University's goal to promote energy efficiency on campus. The University will work with the renewable energy company Alteris Renewables to build the 277-kilowatt solar panel array and will begin installation in November 2009. After its completion, the solar panel array will be one of the largest in Massachusetts. The University has signed a contract with EOS Ventures, a renewable energy company that will finance the up-front cost of the installation. The University will then buy the electricity produced by the solar panels and use it as an alternative source of energy. "The system didn't cost us anything," said Sustainability Coordinator Janna Cohen-Rosenthal '03. "We are using a power purchase agreement, where another company owns the system. We just pay for the power. I believe that the solar panels could cost $1.5 to $2.5 million dollars." "This development is highly worthwhile both for its energy production and for its educational value," Reinharz said at the presentation.Reinharz also stressed individual action and student education in his speech. "We are committed to educating Brandeis students to be sustainability leaders," he said.Prof. Sabine von Mering (GRALL), who also spoke at the event, introduced the new Web site affiliated with the Brandeis Forum on Environmental Crisis. "The number-one goal of the site is very simple: We want to better educate the campus and each other about climate change, including the basic issues, the threats to biodiversity and to clean food and water," von Mering said.Student Union President Andy Hogan '11 reviewed past campus involvement in promoting environmental sustainability at the event.He discussed the new course "Greening the Ivory Tower: Improving Environmental Sustainability of Brandeis and Community," which helps initiate student-led sustainability projects on campus. Under the Climate Action Plan, students will be able to receive a "Green Room Certification" from the Eco-Rep in their quad by following a list of eco-friendly guidelines, Hogan said. The Eco-Rep program seeks to encourage environmental education in residence halls and has been adopted by over 30 colleges and universities, according to the Office of Facilities Services. "We as a community are committed to this green movement, and I know that through our cooperation with each facet of the Brandeis community, we can move mountains," Hogan said."I am proud of the success that we have achieved so far, but I also readily acknowledge that there is much more that can be done [to promote environmental sustainability on campus]," Reinharz said. He added, "It is through such efforts that we maintain our university's proud traditions of social consciousness and responsibility.""I thought the event was really exciting," Ellen Abramowitz '11 told the Justice after the event. "I thought there was a really good turnout. If everything goes well, Brandeis will be ahead of the curve [in promoting environmental sustainability projects]," she said. "I think the thing that really stood out to me was the Web site. I think it's a great way to get students involved." Yale Spector '11 told the Justice.
(10/06/09 4:00am)
After reading two articles on the course that the University should take in regard to Greek life (Forum, Sept. 22), I felt compelled to respond. First, let me introduce who I am as it is pertinent to this issue. I am a proud brother of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. I also have visible cerebral palsy, which affects both my speech and walk. The issue of Greek life here has been exhausted and void of the voice of Greek life itself. I find remarkable the number of people I hear vehemently criticizing the Greek system that would probably have nothing to do on weekends without it. It's easy to hold us up as an example of depravity, but we do not hurt anyone. With friends in all seven of Brandeis' organizations, I can safely say that if someone would benefit from being involved in Greek life, he or she is able to enter. The exclusivity of our organizations has been unfairly demonized. It is the nature of groups to accept complementary people. I felt an obligation to write this because I feel that I am a prime example of the depth our Greek system has. Will everyone fit in? No. But that is the nature of human social practices. There are social groups on campus where I would not fit in and might be excluded from because of my beliefs and interests. I have found a group of people I share the connection of social norms with, and I think it is unfair that we are under attack for that. In a school that prides itself on accepting students that come from all walks of life, people should not be insulting and accusing institutions that provide a number of students a safe and comfortable zone to be themselves. -David Wayne '12
(10/06/09 4:00am)
The Justice Brandeis Semester committee expects to fill the position of JBS manager within the next three weeks to coincide with the approval process for summer 2010 JBS proposals, which were due last Thursday, according to Director of Study Abroad and JBS committee member J. Scott Van Der Meid. According to the JBS Web site, four proposals for summer 2010 have been submitted by the deadline: "Collaborative Theater and the Theatrical Essay," "Environmental Health and Justice," "Ethnographic Fieldwork" and "Web and Mobile Application Development." "All JBS proposals will be submitted first to a subcommittee for 'preapproval,' before submission to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and dean of arts and sciences for final approval," according to the JBS Web site. Criteria for proposals include academic coherence, excellence and feasibility, expected appeal to undergraduates, and financial viability, as stated on the Web site"[The proposals] should be going through, so by the end of the month we should know more concretely what the product is and our hope is to have a program manager on board at a similar time," Van Der Meid said. The Brandeis employment Web site lists the responsibilities of the JBS manager, which include "managing the logistics of the program, including developing publicity, the application process, budget monitoring, logistical arrangements for students and faculty, and the implementation of the program evaluation rubric."Van Der Meid said that the JBS committee had conducted phone interviews with a large number of candidates two weeks ago and then invited a smaller number of applicants to interview on-campus throughout the past week. He was unwilling to comment on the number of candidates interviewed, a policy he said was in keeping with similar situations in the past. Applicants for the position of JBS manager who interviewed on campus talked with several different groups, including a "subset of the larger JBS committee," students, faculty and staff, according to Van Der Meid. Most of the applicants for the post had previous experience with experiential learning either in their professional or academic careers, he said.Member of the JBS committee Prof. Laura Goldin (AMST) said that faculty who had submitted proposals for JBS programs held a forum for other faculty members and certain students on Thursday, Sept. 24. The forum aimed to generate discussion about the JBS programs and to inform other faculty members who might submit proposals. The forum was attended by faculty members and invited members of the Student Union, including Union President Andy Hogan '11, Vice President Amanda Hecker '10 and the two student members of the JBS overview committee, Sofya Bronshvayg '11 and Danielle Wolfson '11. Hogan said that at the meeting, "We spoke about students' needs in the JBS process. . Those were student life concerns as well as definitely encouraging the faculty to follow through with the proposals because the JBS is a good solution for overcrowding." Hogan said that he does not expect there to be any more programs for summer 2010 because the deadline for proposals has already passed. "I think [the forum] was instructive; I think people got a chance to see what [the proposed JBS programs] might look like. . I've heard some ideas around the table that I had not heard before, . and it was very exciting to hear that," said Goldin.
(09/22/09 4:00am)
In response to your article "Klausen's cartoon book exceeded the bounds of freedom of speech"?(Forum, Sept. 15): I applaud Yale's decision; the images were not necessary as they could be described. While they are merely supplements, they could have caused serious damage. The cons definitely outweigh the pros. These aren't merely feelings that could be hurt, but lives taken.-Rinita Zanzerkia '13
(09/22/09 4:00am)
In response to your article "Klausen's cartoon book exceeded the bounds of freedom of speech"?(Forum, Sept. 15): It is a wonder that anyone would find a reason to dispute the decision to remove the cartoons; allowing them to be published would only have increased the risk of tension or worse.-Stephan TrahanThe writer is a student at University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
(09/22/09 4:00am)
In response to your article "University chapels to be renovated" (Forum, Sept. 15): It seems to me that just as the University paved the way for multireligiosity in the '50s, the time has come for Brandeis, as the first Jewish-sponsored, nonsectarian University, to show the way by building a brand-new mosque for those who regard Islam as their focus, regardless of the number of users. In the '50s, the vast bulk of users of the Catholic chapel were the members of the recruited football team! If we no longer actively recruit a more diverse student body, perhaps we should. It would be a wonderful way of showing the world that we still believe in religious equality as well as religious freedom. Vice President for Capital Projects Daniel Feldman and University President Jehuda Reinharz ought to see the need and instead of financing rehabs and make-dos, find the funds to build the fourth chapel. It can be financed in much the same way as most other institutions do-by issuance of bonds. America financed the construction of Israel through bonds. It was a good idea back then. It still is right now. And on a local level makes a great PR as well. -Ed Hamada '59
(09/22/09 4:00am)
In response to your article "Klausen's cartoon book exceeded the bounds of freedom of speech"?(Forum, Sept. 15): Censorship in its true form is really only the action of a government. The choice not to depict the cartoons is a mutual decision by publisher and author. Obviously, the weight of the decision comes overwhelmingly from the publisher, but the book, with or without the cartoons, belongs to the author. The cartoons appeared in a nation of just over 5 million people, fewer than reside in Massachusetts, and I imagine not many more speak Danish, yet these cartoons inspired craziness and death worldwide. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, an anti-Semitic tract long ago exposed as a fraud, are produced in the millions of copies year in and year out in many languages, though Arabic and English are probably the most popular, and are even endorsed by leaders of many Arab and Muslim states and yet do not evoke any violence or killing. Being offended or having your feelings hurt are not suffient grounds for violence and neither Yale nor Brandeis nor Dr. Klausen should have to make a decision about an academic publication over fear of violence or terrorism. I've never known of an academic book to sell millions of copies for decades, if not a century.-Robert BrennanThe writer is a data analyst at the Harvard School of Public Health.
(09/22/09 4:00am)
Harvard Law School Prof. Charles Ogletree discussed the ways in which race, gender and religious issues played into the 2008 presidential election of his former student, President Barack Obama, last Wednesday. Ogletree's speech was the first in the ongoing lecture series "Social Justice and the Obama Administration," sponsored by the Heller School for Social Policy and Mangament in honor of its 50th anniversary. Ogletree is also the founding and executive director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, an organization based at Harvard Law School that organizes forums and conferences to promote civil rights legislation, according to its Web site. He taught Obama during his years at Harvard Law School and is currently writing a biography of the president.Ogletree showed media coverage of the race, gender and religious issues that arose during the campaign. Among the topics he discussed were the controversy over Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the debate over Obama's religious affiliation and fears of a "Bradley effect" in the voting booth. During the campaign, news media released excerpts from sermons delivered by Wright, the pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, of which Obama had been a member. The excerpts were highly critical of the American government and of the history of race relations in the United States. Obama's critics at the time used both the Wright controversy and the speculation about his Muslim heritage to suggest that Obama harbored anti-American sentiments. The Bradley effect debate arose before voting took place last November when some analysts predicted that Obama would win fewer votes than expected. This was the case when Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley lost the 1982 gubernatorial race despite his lead in opinion polls, possibly because he was African-American.Ogletree also spoke about how, in his opinion, President Obama has helped promote civil rights and equality through his cabinet and high government appointments. "He did [appoint Secretary of State Hilary Clinton], but he did more than that in terms of social justice," Ogletree said in his speech. Obama's appointment of Eric Holder, the first African-American attorney general, and of Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and third female Supreme Court justice, were "symbolic for the country to see that everybody should have that opportunity." Ogletree believes Obama's appointment of Elena Kagan, the first female solicitor general, was especially progressive. "It's sort of extraordinary that . we've missed gender as a factor when over half our law students are women and half the population is female," he said. "It was, to me, probably the most important appointment symbolically because it said, 'This is a job everyone can do.'"Included in his lecture were several anecdotes about Ogletree's relationship with Obama. For instance, when Ogletree discussed the controversial July 16 arrest of fellow Harvard professor Henry Gates, he also described the experience of personally attending the infamous White House "beer summit" between Gates, Obama and Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department on July 30.In a question-and-answer session following the lecture, Ogletree predicted that Obama would have to balance and address both the specific needs of the African-American community and Americans in general. "We cannot think of him as 'the black president,' but rather the president who happens to be black," he said. Ogletree argued that this is because the president is elected to represent the entire country, even though Obama's appointments and support for legislation like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act suggest his support for civil rights. "What would transform America," Ogletree concluded, "is not just [Obama] getting elected, but young people saying, 'I can, too: I can become senator, I can become governor.' If the young people who came out enthusiastic about this campaign became enthusiastic about democracy, about changing the way we face the issues, we can move forward on these issues and begin a real transformation in this country." In an interview with the Justice, Prof. Anita Hill (Heller) who introduced the speaker, said, "This is really such a complex issue with so many things to consider." "We can think about not only the role that race, gender and religion played in the campaign but how they impact where we need to go now as we look at health policy, education policy and economic policy," Hill said. "This was the first time I had seen these images and news clips since 2008. I never realized how large a role they played in swaying public opinion," Benjamin Huh '13 said in an interview with Justice after the event"It was clear from the videos [Ogletree showed] how during the election the news media hyped up superfluous things like whether Obama is a Muslim," said Huh."It was fascinating to hear from someone who knows Barack Obama personally and has sort of an insider's perspective into his presidency," said Madelyn Katz '13.
(09/15/09 4:00am)
In response to your article "Cherish Brandeis' excellent environment" (Forum, Sept. 8): The book was a lengthy ramble about how if a company empathizes with its customers, it can do a more effective job of marketing to and creating products for those customers. One of the examples that the author gave was a consulting project that his own design firm worked on. Target asked its design firm to come up with ways to more effectively market to 17-year-olds shopping for their freshman year of college.The point that an Olin student brought up was a very valid one: The last thing the world needs is more stuff. His point was that it is slightly unethical for Target to prey on the fears of nervous teenagers to hawk more stuff to them, when what they really need are people telling them, "Yes, you'll do great in college, don't worry." But it isn't Target's job to reassure college freshmen. Target is the business of selling goods to you. Convincing you to buy less stuff is perhaps a more ethical thing to do from an environmental standpoint, but it is not in the best interest of Target to do so, so they won't do it. It seems that you interpreted this counter-argument of "Target is in the business of selling household goods, not counseling" as "Olin students are corporate shills." It is hard to discuss a nuanced argument in an auditorium of 300 students. I hope that the impression of Olin that you take away will come from your classes rather than an awkward convocation Q-and-A. Also, I was the person who asked the question about laying off people. What I was trying to ask was, "Is an empathetic corporate culture always the best for the greater good of the company? What if it hurts the company's bottom line, resulting in less pocket change for the employees?" I was trying to emphasize that caring for people on an individual level may not be the best for the greater good of the collective. Nuance is key here. It is unwise to assume that a large room of sentient human beings are all mindless tools. -Katherine ElliottThe writer is a student at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering.
(09/15/09 4:00am)
If someone were to pick up a copy of Prof. Jytte Klausen's (POL) new book, The Cartoons That Shook the World, he might expect to see the said cartoons that supposedly shook the world. However, these cartoons, as well as any sort of supplementary images, are conspicuously absent.The Cartoons That Shook the World, which was published in October, chronicles the influence of cartoons from an article from the Danish newspaper The Jutland Post titled "The face of Muhammad." Images from "The face of Muhammad" include cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad dressed in a bomb-shaped turban as well as several caricatures' of the Muslim holy figure. The cartoons, which were published in September 2005, prompted violent demonstrations led by various Islamic groups across Europe, Asia and Africa several months later. These protests led to the deaths of over 100 people and caused Danish embassies in Lebanon, Iran and Syria to be set on fire. "There's a big difference between saying that the cartoons caused all these things to happen and that the cartoons were used in the context in which all these horrible things happened," Klausen said. "One hundred seventy five people died in Nigeria in which the cartoons were mentioned, but it was really a civil war that was going on. . There were more important issues."Klausen, who is Danish and knew many of the Danish actors involved in the cartoons, wrote the book as part of an investigative project. She said that she started the book in early 2006, right when the protests against the cartoons peaked. Klausen also knew several of the Muslim leaders involved in the protest from working on her previous book, The Islamic Challenge: Politics and Religion in Western Europe."I wanted to find out what happened in between [the publication of the cartoons and the protests], ... what were the sources of the protest and how could we trace those sources," said Klausen, who has been a professor of comparative politics at Brandeis for 17 years.However, when Klausen brought her book to Yale University Press to be published, Yale decided to have the images of the 12 cartoons, as well as other images of Muhammad in the book, reviewed by experts. In the end, Yale decided not to publish the images. John Donatich, director of Yale University Press, discussed including the cartoons in the book with counterterrorism officials, diplomats and Muslim United Nations officials. Donatich told the New York Times that the Press's decision regarding the publication of the cartoons was "overwhelming and unanimous." Yale was afraid that republishing the images might cause further protests and violence from the Islamic world.However, according to Klausen, the decision was not unanimous. "John Donatich used the term unanimous, and he realized he had misspoken afterward and sent me a message. The book was also reviewed by four expert reviewers who were asked if the cartoons should be in book, and they said they should," explained Klausen. Charles Radin, director of global operations and communications at Brandeis, who has been handling all the media requests that Klausen has been receiving, also confirmed that "at least one of the people who gave an opinion said that she did not agree.""After Yale sought some opinions of these cartoons and [Klausen] demanded to see what the people who [Yale] sought opinions from had to say, they said they wouldn't show them to her unless she promised not to reveal who the people were," said Radin. The result has been described as a "gag order."Klausen said that she believes Yale University Press wanted all images of Muhammad removed, not just the cartoons, because "[they have] become very politicized. [They've] become a lens in the West for speaking about what Muslims want or do not want-regard we should pay to not just Islam but all religious prohibitions," said Klausen.Additionally, Yale sent the cartoons out to be reviewed without sending the book along with them. In this way, Klausen believes Yale did not provide proper context for the book. "I think it's a mistake to send out illustrations about an academic book without sending the book. I would say the experts were not fully informed about a book they were asked to have an opinion about. It's as if we're in the Cold War, but we're not in a war," Klausen said. Yale University Press officially refused to print the controversial Danish Muhammad cartoons because "[they] are freely available on the Internet and can be accurately described in words, so reprinting them could be interpreted easily as gratuitous," saidDonatich.Klausen contends that republishing the cartoons now would be harmless, since the goal of the book is to explain why the cartoons were controversial. However, Klausen also said she knew that the images would be controversial but thought that the book would be a forum to discuss their implications in a neutral and calm way. Radin also said the book has been getting attention and coverage from not only American papers but also United Arab Emirates papers, the London Times and even journalist and religious skeptic Christopher Hitchens, all centered around the cartoon debates. Some members of Brandeis' faculty agreed that the images in Klausen's book should have been published. Chair of the Politics department Prof. Steven Burg said, "Suppressing the publication of the cartoons was an act of self-censorship under pressure of fear of acts of relation."Radin explained that fear: "The impression that comes out of much of the media accounts is that they were security consultants who [did not] read the book but just looked at the cartoons. To consider it that way doesn't look at the context or the academic mission."Donatich confirmed to the Boston Globe that "it became a security issue and not a censorship issue."Burg believes that the information that the book provides should be of greater importance than the consequences the cartoons may cause."While judgments about the probable consequences of publication may reasonably differ, the work itself is serious scholarship intended for a serious audience," Burg said.Politics student Nathan Koskella '13 also believes that the decision to remove the images from the book is an act of censorship."I think that there need to be pictures in the text to refer to," Koskella said. While Radin contends that Klausen's book is still effective in its message, he worries that it is not as effective as it could have been."It's a good, strong, solid piece of scholarship, but I don't see how anyone could argue that it could be as effective without the images," Radin said. "Part of the reason of the book [was written was to see what the] controversy really was about. [Klausen] basically says [that] if [she were] was teaching a course on sex education [she] would expect people to be able to look in a straightforward and educated motivated way at how [things] look. ... It would be silly to teach a course like that without having illustrations." -Rebecca Klein contributed reporting.
(09/08/09 4:00am)
The headline of an AP Brief in Sports last week incorrectly spelled the name of a New York Mets pitcher. The pitcher's name is Nelson Figueroa, not Nelson Figuerora. (Sept. 1, p. 11)A photo caption in Arts last week incorrectly identified the sponsor of an event on campus. Girl Talk's 2008 performance was sponsored by Student Events, not Punk, Rock n' Roll Club. (Sept. 1, p. 14)An article in News last week incorrectly implied that both the original Rose Art Museum archives and Robert D. Farber Special Collections and Archives pertaining to the Rose were removed from their original locations. In fact, only the Robert D. Farber archives were removed; the Rose Art Museum archives still reside in the museum. (Sept. 1, p. 1)The Quote of the Week in Forum last week directed the reader to the wrong page and section. The quote was taken from Features, page 7, not Arts, page 21. (Sept. 1, p. 8)The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail justeditor@brandeis.edu.
(09/01/09 4:00am)
In response to your article "University should not begin to consider online education"?(Forum, Aug. 25): I had my doubts about higher education online-until I became involved in it professionally. I have taught online graduate courses for three years, and I find that my students, spread over North America and beyond, work hard, learn a great deal and consistently meet and exceed my rather demanding expectations. Comparison to the for-profit University of Phoenix is a classic straw man argument. No one is proposing that Brandeis become a diploma mill. The opportunity to offer a limited number of courses taught by Brandeis faculty members to students who cannot attend a full-time residential program for four years can enhance the University's reputation, broaden the student body (online students are often older and more experienced, and they are likely to live far from Waltham) and perhaps provide needed revenue. All of that is consistent with the University's mission. In a world in which "if you are not virtual, you are not real," an online teaching component might even be a necessary expansion of the University's activities.Peretz Rodman '75, M.A. '83
(08/25/09 4:00am)
Author of 1996 short story collection Drown and 2007 novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz has garnered considerable critical fame for his work, including a Pulitzer Prize for Oscar Wao. He currently teaches creative writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. On Wednesday, Aug. 26, he will address the 2009 Helen and Philip Brecher New Student Forum, a Brandeis orientation tradition. Oscar Wao was chosen as summer reading for incoming first-years. JustArts: Your first book, Drown, was a collection of short stories published to wide acclaim. Was there a sense of expectation afterwards as to what your next work would be? Did that contribute to the subsequent writer's block?Junot Diaz: I wanted to write a novel. What it was about wasn't clear, but I wanted to write a novel for sure. It just happened to take 11 years. I'm sure the expectations didn't help but that wasn't the real problem. The problem was that I was too hard on myself and on my book.JA: In the 11-year span between the publication of Drown and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, you've mentioned that you wrote a lot of unsuccessful material. Is all of that related to what would become Oscar Wao or your upcoming novel? What other kinds of ideas did you pursue?JD: All of it was for versions of Oscar. All of it terrible.JA: Were the stories about Oscar and Trujillo always intertwined in your mind from the very beginning? Did Yunior always narrate the tale?JD: Yes, Oscar in some ways was the anti-Trujillo. And Yunior was always the narrator for reasons that are in my opinion essential to the book.JA: Part of Oscar's loneliness stems from his total isolation as this Dominican ghetto-nerd. If he had grown up with the Internet, do you think meeting and interacting with other fanboys would have made him less lonely? Could he have found some of the intimacy or connection he so craved?JD: Oscar's loneliness runs deeper than the non-networked '80s. Oscar is a victim of a society, a culture that has losers and winners and his love for a "useless" art form and his atypical masculinity all helped to marginalize him as well.JA: I was delighted when you referred to A Wrinkle in Time during your talk for Google. What other children's books have influenced or stayed with you? What is it about reading books or comics or imbibing other kinds of culture as a child or adolescent that causes them to leave such lasting impressions?JD: Well, I don't consider all comics to be children- or adolescent-specific, though some are. As a kid I adored Watership Down and a lot of John Christopher's adventure books. At that age I suspect we're simply more open to fall in love with a narrative. As adults our sense of wonder is dulled, our willingness "to go along" is sometimes reduced. In the end books that touch us in childhood touch us forever and the why of it is still a mystery.JA: Which other artists have influenced you as a writer? What are you currently reading or watching?JD: So many artists made me. From Stephen King to Maxine Hong Kingston. Right now I'm reading novels for the National Book Awards. I'm a judge. I can't wait to get back to my own reading, though!JA: The book is filled with allusions and footnotes, particularly in the beginning. What's your advice for people who might not know as much about comic books, science fiction and fantasy as Oscar does? Does not understanding all his references dilute the experience or somehow improve it?JD: My advice is that you should seek someone out who can help you understand the terms! It's a nice way to build community, to meet new people. And this book can be [understood on] so many different levels. It's ok not to understand whole chunks of it; the book still functions, as strange as that might sound.JA: You've lamented the unidirectionality of genre writers before-how they'll never become legitimate literary presences the way, for instance, Michael Chabon can when borrowing from a specific genre. Do you think this will ever change? And, if so, how? Does the success of your own novel-by no means a typical, high-handed, ponderous affair-improve these chances?JD: Hard to predict. I want it to change but I doubt it will any time soon. One book can't change a culture. But these conversations, if they happen enough, might.JA: Ethnic writers, as you've mentioned before, are sometimes forced into the role of an ambassador for their culture. For some people, myself included, Oscar Wao was indeed an introduction to a previously unfamiliar aspect of Dominican culture and history. Do you consider that a kind of success? Or do you feel limited by the title of being a "Latino author"?JD: I'm not an ambassador of any kind. I'm an artist. But a book has a mind of its own and if you learned a lot about Dominican culture and history that's cool, but it's not anything that I'm aiming for in my process. I'm trying to address in largest terms the human condition through a Dominican lens, but native informant I am not. As for being a Dominican writer-it doesn't limit me at all, because people are not one thing and I am not one thing. I'm a Dominican writer but I'm also a writer from New Jersey, an immigrant writer, a writer of African descent. I'm many things and I embrace each of them as long as I'm not limited to any of them.JA: For you, what is the American Dream? How do some of your favorite characters define it?JD: The American Dream is the dream of civil rights, of a more just, more equitable society. It is the dream of all the Latin American young people who got disappeared and tortured in the '70s and '80s for desiring a more just society.JA: When you include the offspring of immigrants like Oscar and Lola, who simultaneously understand so little about their parents' lives and are yet doomed to relive parts of it, are you trying to indicate something representative of the immigrant experience? How much can the second generation manage to straddle two cultures successfully?JD: Oscar and Lola are not doomed to repeat anything specifically because they are immigrants. It's the silence in their family that invites the repetition; it just happens that some immigrant families have become geniuses at silences. JA: I noticed you were scheduled for a lot of college visits in 2009. Have you enjoyed the experience? How have the student audiences compared to your usual students at MIT?JD: I love meeting readers from all over the country, from all over the world. Something I could only dream about when I was a young boy stuck in a nowhere town in Central New Jersey. MIT students are one of a kind. They are intense in ways that few students are, and they have to work in ways that few students have to work. Such a different culture. But young people share so much in this culture that the institutional differences don't really loom as large as one would think.JA: Any more hints about your upcoming novel, Dark America?JD: It's just coming slow. I'm trying to blow up the planet. So it's taking a while to get going.-Joyce Wang
(05/19/09 4:00am)
For this last issue of the academic year, we'd like to use this space to recognize and thank the graduating editors at the Justice for all they've brought to the paper.Mike Prada started out as a Sports writer and, after his tenure as Sports editor, became editor in chief during a very challenging semester. He rose to the occasion, working through to the end with enthusiasm and energy. Mike's passion for the Justice and journalism will carry him far.Daniel D. Snyder is a former Arts editor whose writing was a wonderful asset to the Justice, as his column, "Made of Metal," rained quip-filled death and destruction in the form of metal music reviews. As associate editor, he helped lead the Forum section temporarily between changes in leadership, picking up the slack when the Justice needed it.Associate editor Joel Herzfeld got his start as Copy editor, and he helped to develop a fledgling Copy section and to write the Justice's own style guide. He joined Dan Snyder in taking over the Forum section, and we know from experience that he would be homeless for a day in Boston so he could write a Features story about it.Mike, Dan and Joel have been invaluable contributors and colleagues at the Justice. We thank them and all the other graduating Justice staff members for their time with the newspaper. They will be missed, and we wish them the best for their lives after Brandeis.
(05/19/09 4:00am)
The great-nephew of a donor whose bequest funded the Kalman Science Building filed an injunction in Suffolk Probate Court May 7 to prevent Brandeis from tearing down the building due to disrepair, saying that such a move would violate his great-uncle's will. According to the will quoted in a copy of the injunction provided to the Justice by Sumner Kalman, the great-nephew of Julius Kalman, Julius made a bequest of approximately $1.8 million to Brandeis "to be used by the trustees of said University for the purpose of erecting a building, buildings or a portion of a building, to be known as the 'Julius Kalman Memorial'" in 1956. The injunction goes on to state that "the testamentary intent of Julius Kalman, as with most donors to Brandeis, was that his gift to the school would carry on in perpetuity." If the building were destroyed, according to the injunction, "there no longer will be a 'building, buildings, or portion of a building' named after Julius Kalman, as is required in his Last Will and Testament." The Kalman building is scheduled to be razed by this winter as part of Phase 1 of the Science Complex Renewal Project, which also includes the completion of the Carl J. Shapiro Science Center, according to the Web site of the Office of Capital Projects. In a May 2007 memo to the Brandeis community, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French wrote that Phase 2 "will involve the creation of a new building more or less on the footprint of Kalman." According to a PowerPoint presentation from a 2006 community forum on the project, Phases 1 and 2 were scheduled to be completed by late 2010 or early 2011. Vice President of Capital Projects Dan Feldman told the Justice this February that Phase 2 had been indefinitely postponed."It's one thing to say that the building has got to be torn down because they need the space for a new building, [but it's] a little different when they don't have any money to build a new building, but they're going to tear down the [Kalman] building anyway," Kalman said. "Brandeis' position was that they weren't going to really recognize my uncle in the way we felt the testamentary intent was reflected in the will; ... that's what brought us to court."University General Council Judith Sizer wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the "Kalman Science Center is one of the oldest, most heavily used buildings on campus, and needs to be replaced." Sizer also wrote that "the Kalman family was assured, over a year ago, that the University has every intention of continuing its memorial to Julius Kalman, a generous early donor to Brandeis." Sizer wrote that the University received notice of the lawsuit May 11, 2009 and intends to work with the family to resolve the matter.The motion for the injunction states that Brandeis gave its assurance of a future commemoration "without providing specifics." Kalman said he began raising concerns about the building last year by getting in touch with Brandeis and the Massachusetts Attorney General's office when he heard about the plans on the Internet. According to the complaint, Kalman received a response letter from Reinharz about the matter.Emily La Grassa, director of communications for the Massachusetts attorney general's office, wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that after receiving a complaint in May 2008, "after carefully reviewing the will of Julius Kalman, we determined that nothing contained in the will imposed on Brandeis an obligation to maintain a building, or a portion thereof, in the name of Julius Kalman beyond the building's useful life." She wrote, "Moreover, the University has pledged that when and if it elects to demolish and replace the building, it will commemorate, with a plaque and a ceremony in his honor, Kalman's contribution." She wrote that the attorney general's office saw no reason to take any action. Kalman said that discussions about the case were underway but he could not comment on specifics as the case was ongoing. When asked how the University should respond to concerns that the building is technologically outdated, he said, "They've got to talk to the Kalman family, just like they're talking to the Rose family." He said he was not pleased with the University's reaction so far. Kalman told the Justice last Friday that he was awaiting the scheduling of a hearing on the motion for the preliminary injunction. "If we're successful in the probate court, then that's as far as we need to go," he said. "Now how [the intent is] honored, whether it's by this building or some proposal that satisfies the terms of his will, that is a question.
