(10/28/08 4:00am)
The Sports teaser "Conference Play" incorrectly identified the UAA as the USAA. (Oct. 21, p. 1)The News story "Review to be conducted on Health Center" states that Alex Davidson '10 wrote an e-mail to the Justice, but he actually wrote a Facebook message. (Oct. 21, p. 1)The announcement for "Ethics Center Student Fellows" should have stated that for more information, students should e-mail ethics@brandeis.edu. (Oct. 21, p. 2)The Features article "The genetics of gender" did not end. It should have said, "It was really cool to get to hear her in person." (Oct. 21, p. 12)The Associated Press photographer who provided the photo for the Features article "The road not taken" was not identified as Chitose Suzuki. (Oct. 21, p.14)The Forum article "High holidays shouldn't dictate our schedule" incorrectly stated that Brandeis did not give students holidays off before 2003. (Oct. 21, p. 16)The Athlete of the Week photo incorrectly stated that it was taken by David Sheppard-Brick. It was taken by Julian Agin-Liebes. (Oct. 21, p. 23)The Showtimes at the Embassy incorrectly stated that the showtimes listed were for the week of Oct. 10 through Oct. 17. They were actually for the week of Oct.17 through Oct. 24. (Oct. 21, p. 32)The Sports story "Rosman closes fall with big win" stated, "Lamanna said Miller will not be on the team during the spring season, but declined to elaborate further." It should have stated, "Lamanna said Miller is not currently playing or practicing with the team, and his status for next season and beyond has yet to be determined." (Oct. 21, p. 22)The News graph "Partial results from 2007 Health Center survey" presented the numbers of students who responded to the surveys, not percentages of student responses. (Oct. 21, p. 11)The Letter to the Editor attributed to? enna Brofsky was posted online as anonymous. The Justice regrets this error. (Oct. 21, p. 17)The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail abergman@brandeis.edu.
(10/28/08 4:00am)
As college students, procrastinating, slacking and activities of that ilk come naturally. But what about dawdling or idling? Do these terms strike a different note than the ones listed above? For Mark Kingwell and Joshua Glenn, not only does slacking have little to do with idling, but idling is distinct enough to warrant its own book. I had the pleasure of interviewing Mark Kingwell, a leading Canadian social critic and popular philosopher, and Joshua Glenn, a prominent Boston-based editor. They are writers of the recently released Idler's Glossary, a self proclaimed "Devil's Dictionary for do-nothings" in which I discovered the nuances of idling.JustArts: When I first picked up The Idler's Glossary, I thought I was opening up a book form of the Urban Dictionary and other amusing texts of the like. But, after reading the introduction, it almost seemed like you had made a philosophical manifesto out of idling-equipped with a glossary! What was your intention in creating this book?G: You're right-the book is not a manifesto equipped with a glossary. In fact, The Idler's Glossary doesn't support any text, unless you agree with a very flattering, hyperbolic line in Mark's introduction, where he suggests that "the ur-text for which this glossary is definitive must be, in the end, life itself." My intention in writing the Glossary was two-fold. I wanted to make a contribution but without working too hard at it, to the obscure but age-old tradition of defending "idleness so called, which does not consist in doing nothing, but in doing a great deal not recognized in the dogmatic formularies of the ruling class," as Robert Louis Stevenson once put it. And I also wanted to distinguish between the slacker-a person who is failing to work, or who ought to be at work but isn't-and the idler, who somehow transcends the imperatives of work (e.g., the idler demands free time; the slacker settles for mere leisure time. The idler dreams; the slacker daydreams. The idler naps; the slacker dozes at his desk). Writing a glossary seemed to me an undemanding, non-didactic way to draw such sharp distinctions. And like all aphoristic writing, the form encourages the reader to dawdle, to meander, to drift from entry to entry. Don't you think?K: Absolutely. I say in my introduction that the glossary form, meandering and always incomplete, structured only by the contingency of the alphabet, is the [idlest] of texts. Any glossary is a kind of amble of words, and so a glossary seemed the perfect form for an investigation of idling. Like Josh, I've always been drawn to the persistence of the aphorism in philosophical thought: the tiny idea-bomb, timed to go off at any moment. But the intro itself posed a problem. If it became too manifesto-like, it would self-defeat; that would make idling a demand. Even to treat the intro as an essay-a word rooted in trying and effort-would sail close to self-contradiction. So, I made it a loose and playful philosophical defense of the idling life as the best life, mixing uncontroversial claims with some deliberately provocative ones. One blog entry about the book said my intro moves from erudite to evangelical. I'm not sure about the evangelical part, but there is a subversive political and personal message here: You must change your life! But, you know, no pressure.JA: Josh, I know you're a blogger for the Boston Globe, and having mentioned Urban Dictionary [a viral forum for most college-aged idlers of the 21st century], I was wondering what your thoughts were on the Internet's influence on idling. Has the Internet provided a community for idlers or has it reduced the art form that you have taken great pains in describing?G: Good question! But I should point out that I quit blogging for the Boston Globe this past summer. Idlers see quitting as a creative, life-affirming act. Idling is a solitary practice and art form, yet idlers do enjoy communing with one another, forming a nation-within-a-nation of sorts. They don't want to live together, or even spend too much time together, but they [do] want to stay in touch. In his early book Daybreak, Nietzsche compares the "company of thinkers" that he hopes to participate in forming to "birds of passage" meeting on an island in the middle of the ocean and enjoying "a precarious minute of knowing and divining, amid joyful beating of wings and chirping with one another" before going their separate ways again. This is a perfect description of an idler's community. Now, nothing can replace a face-to-face get-together, but I should note that Nietzsche never managed to convene his company of thinkers. Perhaps if the Internet had existed then, he'd at least have been able to commune with like-minded contemporaries. So, two cheers for the Internet.K: One of the great things about this book is that Josh and I did not meet face to face until after it was completed. In fact, our launch event in Toronto was only the second time we'd met, and the one in New York will be the third. Our intellectual friendship was entirely facilitated by the Internet. True, we could have been old-fashioned hardcopy correspondents instead and achieved the same end. But then, no hot links to stuff we know the other will like, no connections to his wide range of interesting friends (artists, cultural journalists, writers, musicians). I get far more out of this complex connection than anything from, say, my departmental colleagues at the University of Toronto. To answer the question more directly: Creating a thought-stroll by clicking on interesting stuff, following your mind's nose is certainly idling in the best sense. It doesn't replace sequential thought and argument, but the great thing is that it doesn't have to.JA: Also, in the same vein as the last question, I think most people would consider idling a more recent phenomenon given the slew of technological distractions we have these days, but with references to the work of Oscar Wilde, Bertrand Russell, Kafka, and Aristotle, it seems quite the opposite. What has time done to the idler--how has he changed over the years?G: You may be confusing dawdling with dilly-dallying. The idler dawdles-she's often late to appointments, because she has stopped to smell the roses, for example, or chat with a charming stranger. The slacker dilly-dallies-that is to say, he's late to appointments because he's acted with trifling vacillation or indecision. Alas, all too often, I spend my mornings dilly-dallying, not dawdling. And, it's true that technological distractions can exacerbate dilly-dallying! But dilly-dallying is nothing new. According to Aristotle, Socrates was invariably late (atopos). It's been suggested that the sort of philosophy that Socrates demonstrated-endlessly curious, unsettled and unsettling-goes hand-in-hand with dawdling. But Mark is the philosopher, not me- what do you think of this proposition, Mark?K: The more time I spend with the ancient philosophers, the more convinced I become that everything they wrote was really about idling. Socrates strolling in the agora, Aristotle's peripatesis, Lao Tzu's walking along old tracks-they're all trying to tell us something. And that is: all this striving we go in for, all the achieving and getting ahead will not succeed in making us happy. Desire is a kind of booby-trap, sprung to catch us even as we imagine we escape it in satisfaction. I tried to capture this insight in a book I wrote about happiness ten years ago, but it still exercises me and needs more saying. It's hard wisdom to follow.JA: Co-authors are in general a bit of an odd concept, but especially with a book that would suggest that neither person wanted to particularly work. How did you two collaborate over this piece? Did one indulge in a stint of idling while the other studiously gathered the inspiration from the idler in question?G: We wrote the two parts of the book -- my glossary, his introduction -- separately. But I've been reading Mark's brilliant essays for years; there's no one with whom I'd rather collaborate. We know each other, I think, because I wrote him a fan letter about eight years ago. Then I sent him a magazine that I was publishing called Hermenau, and he bought one of our T-shirts. So I knew he was the coolest philosopher ever.K: See, this is why I like to work with Josh! Really, the best collaborations are like happy chance meetings, in a bar or along the road. I should add that, once the text was done, we invited the artist Seth to join us in illustrating and designing the book. I had worked with Seth before, and I think he's a genius. The beauty of the final product, and much of the whimsy, are largely owing to his presence.JA: Finally, is The Idler's Glossary the culmination of your best idling moments or is it a departure from your mutual talent in idling in order to showcase it to the world?G: Well, creating the book didn't feel like labor, if that answers your question. Idling is a mode of life and a state of mind that I've found compelling at least since I was an undergraduate, if not my entire life -- so when the opportunity arose, thanks originally to a British magazine called The Idler, and more recently to the book's publisher, Biblioasis, the ideas just flowed. However, I should conclude by stating forcefully that I'm not a bona fide idler! The idler is an ideal type to which I aspire. If my glossary and Mark's introduction encourage others to aspire to the same difficult ideal, then I'm sure we'd both be thrilled.K: I agree there was no labor involved! I say in my bio note that years of graduate [school] made me proficient at a form of idling for which I could get paid. I'm a very lucky guy. Idling is analogous to Aristotle's idea of virtue in that it needs luck as well as personal cultivation to produce the best outcomes. We don't always have opportunities to idle, especially if we remain mired in work-slack cycles. The basic idea of the glossary is simple: when an idle moment comes your way, seize it and make the most of it. As Nietzsche said, live your life as a work of art!
(10/21/08 4:00am)
The Brandeis Coalition for Food Service Reform had its first meeting on Oct. 6 during which it developed a list of dining services grievances to present to Aramark when the University's contract with Aramark is considered for renewal in 2009, according to Committee Chair of the Coalition Danielle Hollenbeck-Pringle '10.The Coalition discussed a variety of issues, including dining services labor and safety, healthy food options, dietary restrictions, dining hours and meal-point equivalency.When asked to comment on whether Aramark is aware of such rising student dissatisfaction, Director of Dining Services Mike Newmark wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that he was "sure" that Aramark's student dining satisfaction scores continue to "increase semester after semester." Newmark also wrote that online surveys are assessed by university administration and the Student Dining Committee "to ensure that student concerns are addressed and that we continue to raise satisfaction scores." He wrote that Aramark "absolutely" encourages and welcomes student feedback.In the meeting, Labor Coordinator Nathan Ross '11 said that a primary demand is that campus workers retain their jobs, benefits and union protection during the transition of contracts. Ross also addressed understaffing, which he considers to be a key problem. In an e-mail to the Justice, he clarified, "Understaffing means that workers have to do much more than eight hours worth of work within the right hours they're paid for, and this is not safe; nor it is fair." In his e-mail Ross clarified that the labor demands were compiled with the help of "many people's work and involvement" and the approval of the Brandeis Labor Coalition. He wrote, "Our dining workers have served us thousands of meals and are a part of the community on campus." The Coalition plans to ask that Aramark collaborate with the dining workers' union. Szkilnik Tolan '11, a Stein employee, also drew attention to the sporadic break times at her workplace and emphasized that employees must be allocated a more solidified and coherent schedule. The Coalition questioned the safety aspects of working in an environment in which safety instructions are denoted in English while a significant number of staff members do not have a strong grasp on the English language. Considering that the languages spoken include among others, Creole, Spanish and Mandarin, the Coalition is proposing that Brandeis engage in a "translational program to make instructional material in the workplace available in the commonly used primary languages of employees," Ross wrote. In an e-mail to the Justice, Health, Availability and Dietary Restrictions Coordinator Liza Behrendt '11 wrote, "We want to make sure that all students have access to healthy food, and the information necessary to make healthy choices." The Coalition addressed the problem of the lack of nutrition information available in Usdan, Sherman and the Stein. Behrendt stressed, suggesting that the information needs to be available in the dining halls so students can have access to it while they get their food.Behrendt noted that as a vegan "who complained quite a lot last year," she is "very satisfied" with this year's vegan options. The Coalition is now pushing for other dietary options such as halal, a preparation of food permissible under the Muslim law, and gluten-free foods, according to Behrendt. She wrote in her e-mail that she does not believe that is it "fair" for students who do not have these options because of dietary restrictions to "be required to purchase the same meal plans as everyone else, and then not have the same access to meal options." Acknowledging the large Muslim community on campus, the Coalition also considered whether there should be flexibility in dining hours during the month of Ramadan.Behrendt believes that a change in the weekend dining hours will "encourage healthier eating because a lack of access to meals forces students to eat unhealthy food in their rooms, or not eat when they are hungry." The Student Dining Services Advisory Committee is also pushing for a change in dining hours, according to Jenna Brofsky '10, the co-chair of this committee. In an e-mail to the Justice, Brofsky wrote, "We are looking at ways to increase Einstein hours on weekends and to make breakfast at Usdan start earlier on weekends." Newmark, on the other hand, wrote that he believes that dining hours are the subject of "increased" student satisfaction due to the recently extended hours at Einstein's, added brunch hours at Usdan and extended lunch hours at Usdan. Issues related to increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables, reduction in the usage of grease and food coloring and the availability of hormone-free milk and meat were raised in the meeting. Giselle Casillas Gonzalez '11, the Coalition's Sustainable Practices Coordinator, elaborated in the meeting that the Coalition is pressing for more biodegradable dishware and utensils in the dining halls. The possibility of composting in Usdan was also discussed.According to Innermostparts.org, a student-run blog about Brandeis issues, the Coalition's Fair Price Coordinator, Lev Hirschhorn '11, calculated that if students on the 21 Meal Plan ate every meal at Sherman Dining Hall in a semester, it would cost the equivalent of 2808.4 points. This comes out to about 0.85 cents per point spent on each of the three meals used in a day. Each point is equivalent to a dollar."We don't know where this extra money is going," Hirschhorn wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. The Coalition wants to "ensure that students get what they pay for." The Coalition is also in the process of settling on a date to host a forum to spread awareness about the Coalition and its list of demands for all Brandeis students.
(10/07/08 4:00am)
About one hundred and fifty students attended the "Financial Crises at Home and Abroad-Imagining the next President's agenda" forum to discuss the current state of the United States economy on Sept. 24, according to Student Union Director of Communications Jamie Ansorge '09.The event, sponsored by the Student Union and the Office of Communications, featured Dean Bruce Magid of the Brandeis International Business School and Dean Lisa Lynch of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management as they discussed the current state of the United States economy as part of the Brandeis University "Spotlight on Economic Distress." The goal of the hour-and-a-half forum was to have a better-informed student body by providing insight into the origins of the economic crisis by discussing how the crisis will affect the United States domestically and abroad in the future and addressing the challenges the next president of the United States will face in order to facilitate the economic recovery. In an e-mail to the Justice, Daniel Acheampong '10 wrote, "[The session] was really informative and appropriate, especially at a time when the economic situation is highly affecting everyone in some regard. [The panelists] provided an in-depth analysis to explain why the economy is in a downfall, the future of the economy, and the long/short-term benefits and consequences of government intervention."Lynch, currently chair of the Board of Directors of the Boston Federal Reserve and former chief economist at the Department of Labor under the Clinton administration, explained that the significant signs of the economic crisis emerged in February and March of 2007. At this point in time, the prices of homes began to decrease dramatically. Additionally, as a result of the price decrease in homes the default rate of sub-prime mortgages increased. Lynch also discussed the Bush administration's proposed $700 billion rescue plan. She explained that there would be "opportunity cost" associated with spending that amount of money to assist with the economic recovery because spending that much money will have an impact on the next president's financial plans.Additionally, Lynch said, "I identified the significant constraints that either candidate would face in light of what was currently being proposed. The $700 billion rescue packet is going to impose a significant budget constraint on whoever is the next president." Lynch said that "additional issues will arise for the next president, including worse conditions in the labor market to our exports weakening and loss of investments. All of this will shape the economic climate and affect the revenues that are available to a president to spend on programs." Magid, the former managing director and senior vice president at Bank of America, compared the economy to a "house of cards," explaining that the economy is based on credit. Magid said this is the "worst financial crisis since the [Great] Depression."In his presentation, Magid explained that if foreign nations lose interest in the American dollar, it will exacerbate the current economic crisis. He stressed the importance of the United States' improving its relationship with emerging countries, since the U.S. is "no longer a superpower" and that the U.S. is going to have to "change its diplomatic tone." David Warsh, an economic journalist, led the question-and-answer portion of the program. Warsh posed the question to the deans regarding the impact of the economic crisis on Massachusetts and the nation as a whole. Dean Lynch said that Massachusetts has not been heavily affected by the economic crisis because of the state's investment in higher education and in the life sciences. The forum concluded with another question-and-answer session involving the students in the audience.
(10/07/08 4:00am)
The Student Union's Student Health Advisory Committee has been looking to administer some basic changes in the University's Health Center. Now, inspired by the upcoming renewal opportunity for Brandeis' contract with Beth Israel Hospital, the Union is calling for a large-scale review of the Center. Although students have been complaining about the complex, there isn't enough justification to invest Union time in a review.For one thing, the last time we saw a progress report from Health Advisory Committee coordinator Jessica Blumberg '09 was March 16. Blumberg announced a forum to "discuss how to better the Health Center," then noted that she "flyered, mailbox stuffed, etc." The only other word from this committee since then is when then-Senator-at-Large Andrew Brooks '09 noted March 26 that he attended Blumberg's forum.Blumberg wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that her findings are based on her hour-long forum and the results of an unsuccessful initiative two semesters ago to give outpatient surveys to students treated by the Health Center. The Union's drive is well-intentioned but not supported enough to justify a complete overhaul of the system.Many of the problems Blumberg's research uncovered, listed in another e-mail, can't be fixed without more doctors or an expanded health center - "difficulty in obtaining a timely appointment with a doctor"; "lackluster customer service"; and "lack of privacy" being just a few. Blumberg's other grievances are mostly to do with the quality of care - things like misdiagnoses, lost prescriptions and poor elucidation of money and health issues.Also, these are all problems people can expect to find at any doctor's office, within reason, and most of them are relatively minor. Our health center is inconvenient and frustrating, sure, but not cataclysmic. A review won't solve these problems, nor will it tell us anything we don't already know. The need for more doctors and a bigger building goes without saying.It's worth noting also that our hours are better than most small schools in our area. We have 15 weekday hours on Lesley University and five on Wellesley College, and our weekend hours are some of the best in our area.As is, Blumberg has no reform ideas that aren't to do with upsizing. She wants to "[address] all of the issues that have come up in whatever way is most appropriate and feasible."Given all this, it doesn't make sense for the Union to invest time in a review. Their advocacy is impressive, but their time could be better spent.
(09/23/08 4:00am)
The original meaning and significance of our national holidays are quickly forgotten by the American public. We appreciate holidays because they afford us a day off from work; advertising agencies love them because they provide wonderful marketing opportunities. The holidays or anniversaries of key historic events are rarely taken seriously by most people.Is Sept. 11 slowly being forgotten, trivialized and commercialized as well? The first few years after the attacks, we had elaborate commemorative ceremonies at my middle school followed by lengthy classroom discussions. Once I entered high school, we dedicated less and less time to it. Last year, the principal asked for a moment of silence. When it ended, my teacher wryly observed, "Have you noticed that each year the moment of silence gets shorter?"Adam Cohen of The New York Times describes how Memorial Day has evolved and lost its original meaning. It was first observed in 1865, during the last year of the Civil War, according to Yale historian David Blight. Hundreds of Union soldiers had died in a Confederate prison in Charleston, Va. and were buried in unmarked graves without coffins. When the city fell to the armies from the North, the black citizens of Charleston, at great personal risk, reburied all the dead soldiers in a new cemetery they built for them and honored them as heroes who had died fighting slavery.In the years after 1865, a shift in emphasis became apparent at Memorial Day ceremonies. It became a day to remember all the soldiers who had died in the Civil War, and was no longer celebrated as a victory for racial equality. Even later, it was redefined again and became a generic holiday to commemorate all dead soldiers from every American war. Today, says The New York Times, "Memorial Day is little more than the start of summer, a time for barbecues and department store sales."This first Memorial Day was a unique, transient moment in history, just like Sept. 11. Americans were able to cross cultural and racial barriers to unite for a common cause. In 1865, black and white people were able to come together to honor the dead who had fallen in the fight for equality. In 2001, firemen, policemen and civilians from every background completely forgot their differences and struggled together to save the victims of the terrorist attacks. These events were both tests of our nation. We must not forget that at these most difficult of times the people worked together as equals, with shovels to rebury the dead, with buckets to scrape at the debris of the fallen towers.A frank, open discussion of landmarks in our nation's history is important, not only out of respect for the dead, but to help us understand and draw lessons from the past. Had we not forgotten the lessons of Memorial Day so readily, we might not have needed a Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s. It is likewise important to come to an understanding of what took place on Sept. 11. It was a traumatic moment in American history; we need to discuss its meaning and how we ought to react to it. The forum attended by eight Brandeis students on Sept. 11 to discuss what happened seven years ago was a noble effort; as a nation, we need to do the same on a much greater scale if we are to properly commemorate those who died.
(09/23/08 4:00am)
The Student Union and the Office of Communications will hold a forum on Wednesday night as part of Brandeis Votes to discuss the current state of the economy and how the presidential candidates may handle these issues.The forum will feature Dean of the Heller School Lisa Lynch and Dean of the Brandeis International Business School Bruce Magid. Lynch is currently chair of the board of directors of the Boston Federal Reserve and is a former chief economist at the Department of Labor under the Clinton administration. Magid is a former managing director and senior vice president at Bank of America. According to the Student Union Web site's press release, the forum will be "facilitated and moderated by economic journalist David Warsh."According to the press release on the Student Union Web site, "The forum is an installment of the Brandeis University 'Spotlight on Economic Distress' series. The subject of the forum will be 'Financial Crises at Home and Abroad-Imagining the next president's agenda.'"According to Director of Communications for the Student Union Jamie Ansorge '09, the program was created to "actively engage the community in the electoral process in a nonpartisan, apolitical way while increasing voter engagement with the issues in play."Ansorge said, "The goal of the forum is to be a very insightful, in-depth and cross-cutting discussion on the state of the United States economy and what that might mean for our next president."In an e-mail to the Justice, Magid wrote, "I hope to provide members of the Brandeis community with a unique perspective on the current financial crisis: What are the lessons learned and how will it impact the U.S. and global economies? How will it influence the economic and social policy decision making of the next president?"Magid also explained why he believes he was chosen to speak at this event. He wrote, "As a former chief international economist at Bank of America and a leader of an overseas corporate finance banking unit, I believe I will provide both a practitioner perspective on the current crisis as well as an analytical framework to understand the recent historic events in the U.S. financial system."Student Union President Jason Gray '10 said that Lynch and Magid are "the best people to talk about the topic." Gray expressed his hopes for the forum by saying that "the experts [will be] given the opportunity to provide insight into the important issues.
(09/16/08 4:00am)
Students gathered to commemorate the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001 during a memorial service in the Shapiro Art Gallery last Thursday.The service was an open forum moderated by Father Walter Cuenin, the Catholic Chaplain on campus. Ryan McElhaney '10, the co-coordinator of diversity and social programming, planned and moderated the event with the help and approval of Student Union. Jason Gray '10, the Student Union president, also helped moderate the event and explained, "I think people should share why it was important to have the opportunity to remember, commemorate, and express themselves and to know that Sept. 11 is a special day to pray and reflect."Father Cuenin began by telling the students that the events of Sept. 11 should "remind us how complicated the world is." Cuenin spoke about the difficulty of remembering such a tragic day but also about the importance of what we learn by remembering. He explained that by remembering events like Sept. 11, we can learn about the need to repair the world.Students told their personal stories about how they learned of the attack on Sept. 11, as well as their fears at the time. The one-hour forum allowed students to share their political thoughts on government policy before and after Sept. 11 and discuss the impact the event had on the nation and the world. Julion Olidort '11 shared his father's incredible survival story, detailing his escape after the first plane crashed.Olidort said, "My father was in the building in the second tower and worked on the 92nd floor." Olidort explained that his father is an engineer, so he understood the structure and design of the building. "He saw the fire in the first building and walked down to the 65th floor. [The 65th] floor was one of the highest floors that survived. He knew the building wouldn't stand for another 10 minutes, because he knew the stairwell was the central structure of both the towers. . He made it down the stairs and left the area to go and call my family."The event was publicized through a campuswide e-mail sent the day of the event. The event was attended by only eight students, but McElhaney said he was not deterred:"The number of people who attend is less important than the value of the time for the people who do come. That is to say, if only one person comes and that one person is better off in some way, then the 'forum' is successful in my mind."Olidort said, "I think an event like this is very important because it brings awareness to a national day of mourning. It should be commemorated." Gray said, "I think that it is important for all of us to remember how tragic Sept. 11 was and continues to be. We need to continue to keep the event that happened in our thoughts and prayers.
(09/16/08 4:00am)
One of Brandeis' numerous trademarks is its desire for diversity in our histories, our nationalities and our interests. And the latter shows itself in the great variety of clubs that are available to the student populace. This semester, several students have brought forth a new collection of groups that will unite students from all points on the spectrum and educate us on everything from fashion to Buddhism.The Floor is LavaIf you've read The Blowfish as of late, you may already be familiar with The Floor is Lava on account of their recently published plea in the aforementioned paper for "those boots Link gets when he gets to the fire temple." However, contrary to what name and supposed needs may imply, The Floor is Lava isn't a club dedicated to coalwalking so much as it is Brandeis' newest comedy troupe. The FL first manifested in the minds of founder Matt Hope '09 and his fellow organizers Shaked Hoter '09 and Will Friedman '09 during their sophomore year, but the group has only recently begun putting on shows. This past year, the FL's members kicked off their first season and ever since have enjoyed "bringing many different people together in one space to relax, laugh, and enjoy themselves," Hope wrote in an e-mail.Hope-who has spent considerable time in several of Brandeis' other comedy groups and believes that "being in several comedy groups is not mutually exclusive at all"-had a distinctive sort of humor in mind when he formed the FL."The Floor is Lava is different from other comedy groups on campus for two reasons: We perform a [unique] style of comedy, and our structure is also [atypical]. We do sketch comedy which is different from the many wonderful improvisational groups on campus in that all of our jokes are written down into a script before the show. . We do long-form sketch, which is comedy written as an episode or mini-theater performance with plot to go along with the jokes," Hope said. Other aspects of FL that make the troupe unique are its aversion to the audition process and its inclusion of guest stars in every episode .However, although the FL doesn't conducting tryouts, those of you who would like to be a part of this clan should not be discouraged; the FL does take on new members, just sans the traditional screening process. Fashion Design ClubWhen Aimy Tsao '10 was six years old, her mother showed her how to sew on a button. Ever since, Tsao has been interested in needlework and fashion, collecting Neiman Marcus catalogs and designing her own clothing. And when Tsao met another student who shared her interest in fashion, Maya Siegel '10, she decided it was time to form a club dedicated to clothing design. "I wrote a constitution for a fashion design club over a year ago and didn't do anything with it until I met [Siegel], who wanted to start one too. We just thought that there was enough interest in such a club and there wasn't anything like it at Brandeis yet. . At Brandeis, I [felt] that opportunities for students interested in fashion design [were] limited to costume design for theater productions." However, with the Fashion Design Club, Tsao hopes to provide a haven for those "who share a common interest so that we can learn together and learn from each other. The club will be a resource for anyone who needs access to sewing machines and fashion design textbooks, which aren't easily available on campus." And one need not have previous experience with a needle to stop by one of the meetings; anyone is welcome to stop by. At present, Tsao says, meetings are primarily informal gatherings. "People can just stop by and work on their projects, and we'll probably have Project Runway playing in the background. I think members should feel free to suggest projects, so we'll work on whatever people are interested in. That could be anything from hand-sewing, dyeing, patternmaking, [to] fashion illustration."More elaborate outings are also being planned to supplement the FDC's meetings. For example, Tsao is currently arranging a field trip to the Natick Collection in order to view an exhibit by students from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design.In the future, Tsao and Siegel also hope to offer inexpensive tailoring services to students who can't (or won't) darn their own socks, hem their own jeans and the like. On a grander scale, Tsao would like the FDC to work with SEA during its eco-friendly fashion show and for the FDC to host its own fashion show in the spring. Film ClubAlthough there is a club dedicated to the production of movies, prior to the introduction of the Film Club there was no forum in which students could discuss this particular medium on a regular basis.Denisse Dubrovsky '10 has taken it upon herself to fill that void by launching the Film Club, an organization that is dedicated to uniting "film lovers and admirers on campus . [and providing] an excuse to watch films and find people who are similarly interested, discuss movements, theories, ideas, images, possibilities. Interested people should come-interest is the only [criterion]."A lover of the movie medium, Dubrovsky believes that one's interest in film is a clear reflection of one's personality and personal growth."Movies are inseparable from memories of childhood and Disney princesses-there is just one year when we grow up and realize movies are something to talk about, something to get excited about, something that can be intellectual. And then there's that age when your parents actually let you watch the good movies, and you get what the characters are talking about,"?Dubrovsky writes. She likens film to books, in that with both one "can escape into beautiful intricacies of dialogue." Dubrovsky isn't looking to produce her own movies ("I'd rather bide my time and simply enjoy what masters have achieved before me and wax poetic about their efforts"), and thus the purpose of her brainchild pertains more "to [increasing] awareness of theoretical and aesthetic aspects of film." "By exposing students to the world of film through philosophical, psychological and conceptual perspectives, the club hopes to increase awareness of the complexities and histories of the classics."Soka GakkaiThe Brandeis branch of Soka Gakkai International is part of the effort by Kathleen Fischman '10 and Miriam von Guggenberg '10 to bring Nichiren Buddhism to the campus' student body. Nichiren Buddhism, explains Fischman, is named for the 13th-century Buddhist monk Nichiren Daishonin. Daishonin studied the lessons of the Buddha and found that the Lotus Sutra held his essential teachings, as "this sutra declared that all people have the potential to attain enlightenment in this lifetime," Fischman says. "Nichiren established the practice of chanting 'Nam myoho renge kyo,' the title of the Lotus Sutra, in order to raise one's [quality of life] and attain enlightenment." Essentially, Nichiren Buddhists believe that by chanting and studying Buddhism they can cultivate wisdom and compassion, thus realizing their own potential for enlightenment and changing their karma while helping others to become happy.Fischman herself has personally practiced Buddhism for eight years and believes the practice has helped her achieve goals and overcome obstacles in addition to reshaping the way she sees her life and the world. "For example," Fischman says, "the [Buddhist concept] of turning poison into medicine has taught me not to avoid my problems but to challenge them and view them as an opportunity to learn from them and become stronger."With SG, Fischman and von Guggenberg hope to find other students with whom to study Buddhist texts and share daily struggles and victories and explore how they relate to Buddhism. Of course, SG also exists as a means by which to educate other students on the practices and various sects of Buddhism, and Fischman anticipates that film screenings and exhibits meant to expose more of the student body to Buddhism will be forthcoming. Brandeis HumanistsJoyce Wang '10 and Tom Charging Hawk '10 were inspired to start their own secular community after attending the New Humanist Conference at Harvard last year. The event, which was staged to celebrate the 30 years the Humanist Chaplaincy had existed at the university, produced the Brandeis Humanists, an organization dedicated "to offer[ing] an alternative point of view to students, besides that of religious organizations," Wang said. "Brandeis is quite diverse religiously, and we have plenty of organizations devoted to that, but before us, there was no group devoted to a secular way of life," says Wang. "The idea of a secular existence is very powerful to me, because it makes the life I have that much more valuable, knowing it is the only one I have. I think some people have this belief that atheism has to be this negative meaningless thing, and it doesn't. It just means that there's no inherent meaning in life; you have to create it."Wang and Charging Hawk have made great strides in introducing humanism to Brandeis even before bringing the BH to fruition as a resource; last year they brought to campus Greg Epstein, the current humanist chaplain of Harvard, as their first guest speaker. Epstein's lecture was followed by a visit from philosopher/novelist Rebecca Goldstein for the event "Morality Without God." Lori Lipman Brown, the only secular lobbyist for Congress, also came to campus at the behest of Wang and Charging Hawk.The BH hopes to continue the trend this year with more speakers and events, including, Wang hopes, a debate with the Chabad/Christian Fellowship in October.
(09/16/08 4:00am)
An article in News said Prof. Nagmeh Sohrabi (HIST) referred to the traditionalist's view of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in her speech, but she was actually talking about the view of people on the traditional right. (Sept. 2, p. 1)Due to an editing error, the Senate Log incorrectly reported on Students for Environmental Action's communication to the Senate. The representatives said that should the University enact a policy to reduce water bottles on campus, water bottles would still be available in key locations such as the P.O.D. Market. (Sept. 9, p.2)A letter to the editor in the Forum section spelled Prof. Mary Baine Campbell's name incorrectly. Campbell is also a faculty member in the English Department, not the Journalism Department. (Sept. 9, p. 11)An article in Sports misstated Patrick Metelus' '09 position on the roster of the men's soccer team. He has been playing midfield this season. (Sept 9, p. 16) An article in Sports misidentified the cause of Sofia Vallone's '11 leg injury, saying "the injury occurred when Vallone lost her balance." She actually suffered the injury after being tackled by a defender on the University of Massachusetts at Boston team (Sept. 9, p. 13) The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. E-mail abergman@brandeis.edu.
(09/16/08 4:00am)
Senator for the Class of 2010 Paul Balik said a Web-based service for bicycle rentals on campus looked promising. Senator for the Class of 2011 Lev Hirschhorn reported that the Queer Resource Center was urging the Social Justice Committee to look into recently reported delays in the implementation of gender-neutral housing. Senator for the Class of 2009 and chair of the Club Support Committee Sung Lo Yoon said he wanted to enforce a 10-week trial period for newly accredited clubs.Union President Jason Gray '10 reported that Union Director for Executive Affairs Jessica Blumberg '09 will supervise University committees to ensure they coordinate advocacy with the Senate and the Executive Board and meet regularly. The Senate confirmed all student representatives appointed to the committees. The Senate reconfirmed Laura Cohen '09 as director of the Student Union's Office of Student Conduct Advisors. Gray reported that he and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer would co-chair a committee to examine areas of campus life. Gray reported that tentative speakers for the Union's Election forum on economics and environmentalism would be Prof. Anita Hill (Heller), Dean of the Heller School Lisa Lynch and Dean of the International Business School Bruce Magid. He reported that he would be meeting this week with Etta King '09 to discuss creating an Activist Resource Center. In response to a question from Senator-at-Large Justin Sulsky '09, Gray said he appointed Dayna Basri '11 and Sofya Bronshvayg '11 to assist the E-Board in day-to-day affairs. The Senate recognized Students For Shulman. Dennis Shulman '72 is an alumnus of Brandeis who is running for United States Congress. The club intends to reach out to potential constituents through phone banking and other efforts. The Senate chartered the Gastronomy Society, which is dedicated to the art and science and fine dining. The Gastronomy Society wants to teach people how to appreciate food rather than how to prepare it.The Swimming Club was recognized but not chartered.
(09/09/08 4:00am)
It is "very likely" that there will be some form of gender-neutral housing at Brandeis next fall, according to Residence Life's Associate Director for Operations and Assignments Jeremy Leiferman.Last March, former Director of Residence Life Rich DeCapua stated that the Department of Residence Life aimed to implement a gender-neutral housing policy, which would allow for mixed-gender rooms after the first two weeks of the fall semester, which would have started this past Monday Sept. 8, the day the housing freeze ended. However, Leiferman said that after the housing freeze, a two-week period at the beginning of the year during which students cannot switch rooms, students will still not be able to switch into mixed-gender rooms. According to Leiferman, ResLife still needs to look at all aspects of this policy, including floor designations, room designations, bathrooms and the structures of the buildings, before it can draft a policy. Since Brandeis already allows for mixed-gender suites, the policy's "focus will be on our corridor-style areas, so places like the Village and East, I think, will be the likely targets for implementation," said Leiferman. ResLife has not yet determined what gender-neutral housing will specifically be like, but it will most likely not be open to first-year students, Leiferman continued."Brandeis has a unique mixed interest because there's as much interest in gender-neutral housing as there is in maintaining single-gender housing. In the last few years, we've actually added more single-gender floors at the request of students," said Leiferman, who added that ResLife aims to make students as comfortable as possible with regard to housing. This year, according to Leiferman, ResLife will work on educating the Brandeis community about gender-neutral housing. "At this point, we are at a place where we need to spend some time doing some education with the community . so that everyone kind of has a really good understanding of what the issues are, what the needs are, why this needs to happen," he said.According to Student Union President Jason Gray '10, "The Social Justice Committee pushed for it last year, and there's no real opposition to this policy. This semester, I'm on the same page as ResLife in that we both understand the importance of educating the community on any type of policy change." Gray added, "We're forming the Residence Life University committee within the next week, and one of the things they'll be doing is providing student feedback to ResLife on [gender-neutral housing] and other policies."Leiferman also said that ResLife will gather student input over the next few months by working with organizations like the GLBTQ alliance Triskelion, TransBrandeis and the Student Union Residence Life Committee, in addition to University administration and Community Advisors. ResLife will also conduct programs and forums with students and staff, he said. These programs will educate students, faculty and staff regarding gender-neutral housing and will gather input from the Brandeis community to help determine how best to implement the policy. "There's no longer a need to push the idea; the issue is how to best implement the policy and how to best educate the community about its implementation," Gray said. For now, "if there are students who have concerns that relate to their gender identity and housing, we would be more than happy to have conversations with them and see how we can be helpful to them," Leiferman said. "That's always been the policy," continued.
(09/02/08 4:00am)
CORRECTION: A new version of this story has been posted due to a factual error. The Justice regrets the error.Faculty members discussed their research on the Middle Eastern economy and Iran's political situation at the Crown Center for Middle Eastern Studies' forum "What's Going on in the Middle East?" last Thursday.Director of the Crown Center Prof. Shai Feldman (POL) said the Crown Center was founded to prove the possibility of conducting "balanced and dispassionate research of the Middle East," even when most activities in that region are "imbalanced and passionate." One topic of interest researched at the Center is Iran's political climate. Deputy Director of the Crown Center Prof. Naghmeh Sohrabi (HIST) discussed how Iran is "very much in the throes of election fever." Sohrabi discussed current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's status as an outsider to the system of family and clerical connections and what this means for the upcoming 2009 election, in which he will run. Sohrabi said Ahmadinejad ran as an anti-establishment candidate in the past, and his disconnect from the clerics limits his interest in maintaining the status quo. Sohrabi also acknowledged that potential support from Iranian leaders may change Ahmadejinad's revolutionary rhetoric. Iranian Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a statement recently in which he told Ahmadinejad to proceed as if he had four more years as president. While the statement could show signs of support, it could also be a push for Ahmadinejad to work hard in order to get re-elected, Sohrabi said.Prof. Nader Habibi (ECON) discussed his work on the history of economic developments in the Middle East after World War II.Habibi stressed that increasing oil revenue is a major factor in the recently improved economic situation in Middle Eastern countries.He said oil revenue has allowed countries to invest more and spend more money domestically. The increase in money has allowed for a cultural revolution in education with many more resources going toward higher education.Habibi said that some Gulf countries have started to use oil revenue to manufacture goods. While the region has experienced positive economic growth in the past five years, the future will only look good if oil prices stay high. Oil is a limited resource, so countries need to be careful with how they use it, Habibi said.Feldman closed the discussion with a synopsis of the Arab/Israeli conflict. He said the situation is "good" because a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, is "more or less holding" and a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is holding "in the narrow sense of the word." He said the situation is "not good" because the Bush administration is not pushing the involved parties hard enough to agree on negotiations and that "the bad guys are here to stay," referring to Islamic fundamentalist group Hezbollah's veto power in Lebanon and Hamas' control of Gaza. The forum also allowed for the professors to promote their classes.Prof. Larry Rubin (POL) discussed his fall course "Strategies of Islamic political activism in the Arab Middle East," which he said would focus on the political implications of various strategies groups pursue. In the original story Prof. Naghmeh Sohrabi was not identified as Deputy Director of the Crown Center. Sohrabi is a professor in the History department and is not affiliated with the NEJS department. She did not say that traditionalists see President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an agent of total destruction.
(08/26/08 4:00am)
There's a reason I snubbed every smug mug handing out Barack Obama pamphlets or inviting me to attend his talks. There's a reason I didn't jump on the Obama Obandwagon like most of my liberally-minded college compatriots. I am, at heart, a bitter skeptic. I don't believe in Santa Claus, I don't believe that all people are inherently good and, however much I really want to with every fiber of my being, I don't believe in Obama. I wanted to believe that he would stand his ground, defending his radically liberal ideas all the way to the White House. I wanted to see him rise above the petty squabbles and pandering, but watching Barack sitting with mega-church icon Pastor Rick Warren answering the question "What is your greatest moral failure?" I lost all hope. That seems an awful lot like pandering for someone who said he was going to rise above "old style politics."Yet my faith in Obama was shaken far before the Warren forum. It began with the Hillary-Obama slugfest that destroyed any faith I had left in the unity of the Democratic party. Then, in the time since Clinton's defeat, there have been shifts in his platform on issues like the Iraq War and oil drilling that lead me to doubt his commitment to change.Then there is the celebrity factor-the idea that Obama is winning on the strength of his persona. Republican nominee John McCain recently ran a tasteless and exaggerated ad comparing Obama to mainstream celebrities like Paris Hilton and was appropriately reprimanded by critics.Yet there is a disturbing grain of truth within that message. The American people are not known for their in-depth news examination. Too many citizens take what they hear and see on mainstream media outlets at face value. This plays right into Obama's strengths as a charismatic, well-rehearsed public speaker. The vast majority of people don't look far beyond this persona. I believe that if Obama is elected, it will not be testament to the merits of our political system, but rather to the power media holds over us. That's not to say that I support McCain. Far from it. Reasoning that having been a prisoner of war qualifies someone for office is like arguing that a Sept. 11 survivor is qualified to run an airline conglomerate. I will still cast my vote for Obama come election time, but it won't be because I believe in him; it will be because he isn't John McCain.
(08/26/08 4:00am)
When I was solicited to write an article for this issue's Forum section, I had no idea where to begin. Discussion of politics all too easily draws me into tired, inexpert rhetoric, and we've all had enough of the finer points of Barack Obama's appeal to the college student in any case. The latest scandal has yet to strike our campus, and I do not yet have a complaint with the administration that might provide some entertaining rant fodder. So, recursively, I put pen to paper on putting pen to paper.Since the end of last semester, I have been exchanging letters with friends-the first time in years that, unprompted by an essay exam, I have sat down to pen anything of length rather than simply dashing off an e-mail. And I have discovered-or, more accurately, rediscovered-an interesting quirk of the literally written word. When there is no "delete" key close at hand, when prose is splashed across the page in curls of ink in a person's own unique patterns, the process of recording thought gains a sort of indelible, organic truth that typing lacks.Even if a page is shredded and a letter restarted, the intemperate expression that perhaps prompted the abandonment of the first attempt remains in the evidence of the crumpled paper. Every slip of the pen, spelling error or lapse in logic persists, even after corrections have been implemented and final drafts drawn up.This, combined with the fact that any editing requires considerably more effort than the perfunctory tap of a backspace, encourages a deeper level of personal commitment than the typical word-processed document. Thoughts must be weighed more carefully before their recording on paper. They flow more honestly and freely to the page than when typed in a stilting staccato to appear on a computer screen.I kept a trip journal this summer in a location that lacked electricity, so, by necessity as well as inclination, I wrote with a pen. I noticed the same not-altogether-unpleasant uncertainty of letter-writing-constantly risking absurdity in a medium through which the self-conscious crossing-out of embarrassing errors and trite or too-true phrases remains glaringly and almost mockingly as evidence. I say this is not altogether unpleasant because when reading a journal entry or one of those letters written by a dear friend, the words possess a palpable humanity that all but the choicest e-mails lack.And so I write this article by hand, confronting in rewrites and strikethroughs in my third-grader's scrawl, my unconscious tendency to overuse alliteration and my knack for coming off as horribly pompous. This may well be the last sample of handwriting I execute for some time; e-mail is deliciously speedy and convenient, and nobody in his right mind would shy from directly typing papers in the midst of a deluge of classwork.But the aforementioned humanity of the handwritten is word too beguiling for me to give up writing letters. I will never attain the skill of a Sir Philip Sidney or a T.S. Eliot or any other author who has delighted us with a mastery of the personal missive.This is immaterial, though, because I do not need their unearthly talent to see the greater truth evident in a letter that contains mistakes, difficult-to-decipher words and a gush of ideas that, for better or worse, were committed to paper inexcisably through a pen warmed by the hand of a friend. Nor do you.
(08/26/08 4:00am)
Correction: A new version of this story has been posted due to a factual error. The Justice regrets the error.Daniel Ortner '10 is allowed back on campus for the fall semester and is awaiting disciplinary action after allegedly assaulting an Aramark employee at the C-store last May. Ortner was not permitted on campus over the summer.Ortner, a former Forum editor at the Justice, was neither charged nor arrested, but settled the case with Aramark Assistant Food Services Director Jessica Hill before a scheduled June 4 hearing in Waltham's district court. Hill pressed charges four days after the incident, Ortner's lawyer Sam Goldberg told the Justice in May.Ortner, Goldberg and Hill reached an agreement that "the matter had been blown out of proportion and that resolution without involving the criminal justice system was the most appropriate solution," Goldberg wrote in an e-mail to the Justice. The details of the settlement are confidential, Goldberg wrote. "I do not expect any further legal action taken toward [Ortner]," he continued. Although legal charges have been dropped, Ortner will face University disciplinary review at an as-yet undetermined date. Director of Student Development and Conduct Erika Lamarre would not comment specifically on Ortner's case but said, "Our [disciplinary] proceeding is independent of criminal proceedings." Section 19.1 of the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook says that students in violation of the handbook will be contacted to schedule a meeting with an administrator and will then receive written charges. "The student may accept responsibility and choose administrative action or may accept or deny responsibility and request a hearing before the University Board on Student Conduct," the handbook reads. If Ortner sits before the UBSC he will be permitted to appoint an adviser affiliated with the school. He is not permitted to have a lawyer present as there are no legal charges against him. Ortner is currently registered in the University and living on campus. "I missed out over the summer. I missed Brandeis," he said.Correction: The article originally stated that Ortner attended a June 4 hearing in Waltham's District Court. That hearing never took place.
(08/26/08 4:00am)
In preparation for the upcoming presidential election, the Student Union will collaborate with other campus departments and organizations on an initiative called Brandeis Votes, a nonpartisan voter registration drive and voting awareness project. According to Student Union President Jason Gray '10, the initiative aims "to make a community-wide effort to engage Brandeis in the electoral process" and to register all eligible students to vote.Students will be provided with voter registration forms and the necessary resources to obtain absentee ballots, Gray said.As part of Brandeis Votes, the Union plans to hold a competition among campus organizations that will encourage members to vote and help them register. Director of Athletics Sheryl Sousa said the Athletics department is willing to help with the drive by setting up registration tables at athletic events. The Department of Residence Life has agreed to participate as well, although the Student Union has not yet determined the details.The Student Union is currently discussing with Student Events the possibility of giving a publicity-generating concert close to the election date "to get people excited about voting," Gray said. The Office of Communications and the Union will work together to organize an educational forum on the election. "I hope that if this is successful, it will be implemented for future elections," Gray said.
(05/20/08 4:00am)
All Brandeis Public Safety officers will be armed by the time students return to campus in the fall, according to Chief of Public Safety Ed Callahan. Callahan said that the 11 or 12 Public Safety officers who have successfully completed the required tests will be armed by June 2. Officers will be expected to carry firearms during all of their shifts once they are armed. The firearms are the property of the University. When not in use they must be secured and then stowed in a separate locker, which is monitored by closed-circuit television. Concerns regarding the process of arming the police include the circumstances under which officers can use firearms, whether the officers will carry them all the time and whether the guns will intimidate students. In response to these concerns, the Firearms Policy Advisory Committee came up with a report, which was written by Senior Vice President of Communication Lorna Miles, detailing the required training and tests officers must undergo in order to carry firearms, as well as the conditions under which an officer may use his gun.The policy "outlines a continuum of force, which basically entails different steps and different processes [for dealing with situations that may entail the use of firearms]," said Callahan. The policy was developed after looking at similar policies at nearby institutions such, as Tufts University. The policy can now be found on the Public Safety Web site, along with a list of frequently asked questions regarding the use of firearms at Brandeis. "For most practices, that continuum of force works in escalation and de-escalation form," said Callahan, and "it's up to the officer to determine where he or she can start" in the continuum of responses.The first step in the process is verbalization, followed by physical strength and/or hand control. Next comes the use of a chemical substance such as oleoresin capsicum, a spray similar to pepper spray, which all Public Safety Officers carry. The next step is use of an impact weapon/defensive force, which entails a police baton, and lastly, the use of deadly force/firearms. "Deadly force can be employed ONLY when an officer reasonably believes that the action is in defense of human life," the policy reads. "Every means of employing the minimum amount of force [must] be exhausted before moving to a more severe application." "I think [the continuum of force] was one of the most important pieces of information for students to know . [because] it relieves concerns for students to know that process," said committee member and immediate past Student Union president Shreeya Sinha '09. According to Sinha, it was important for students "just to know that there would be verbal warnings" before officers would use a firearm, so that "students also know that this is a very carefully thought-out implementation process."The policy also discusses that officers must receive physical, psychological and sensitivity training. "All of the officers had to go through a medical testing process, . and they had to go through a group psychological test and individual psychological test," said Callahan. "It is the goal of the psychological evaluation process to ensure that only mature and well controlled police officers are equipped with weapons," said Callahan in an e-mail to the Justice. "All of the psychological evaluations inclusive of individual, group and written tests were initiated to determine if there were any mental health/emotional stability concerns as well as any aggressive/violent tendencies that would eliminate an officer from carrying a firearm," wrote Callahan. The policy says that in a seminar titled "Managing Cultural Diversity at Brandeis," officers learned how to deal with cultural differences and values, how to understand body language in communication and how to "work through actual conflict case resolution."According to Callahan, after completing the aforementioned training, officers completed an extensive two-week program with the Waltham police. Officers must be recertified to carry weapons every six months, said Callahan. According to Callahan, all Public Safety officers who carry firearms must possess a license to carry a firearm issued by the Waltham Police Department upon completion of training by Waltham Police firearms instructors certified by the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council. According to Miles, arming the campus police is the last piece of the University's Safety and Security Emergency Response, which includes the emergency broadcasting system that was implemented last semester and consists of sirens and Universitywide text messaging in case of emergency.Callahan said, "We have this wonderful abundance of technology where you can communicate to students that there is an emergency, ... [but] you still have the police showing up without the proper tools" to deal with the situation. He said that Public Safety officers know the Brandeis campus, buildings and culture of the school better than the Waltham police. The policy also stresses the importance of "straightforward, consistent and continued communication" in the implementation of the firearms policy. "There's going to be a committee formed in the fall," said Sinha. "Hopefully they can start looking at ways to bring students and Public Safety together" in an effort to increase communication. This effort is the Public Safety University Committee, which is currently being organized by Student Union President Jason Gray '10. "I hope that as the police are armed in this coming year we will be able to monitor the implementation, keep open the lines of communication and provide ways to ensure that students feel safe on this campus and then have the venue to express their concerns if they have one," said Gray, who organized a forum last semester to receive student input regarding the process of arming campus police. The Public Safety Web site says that Public Safety officers will carry Glock .40-caliber automatics. In addition, this process of arming, including training and equipment, will cost less than $100,000 and will not affect tuition.
(05/20/08 4:00am)
A university undergraduate is not permitted on campus after allegedly assaulting an Aramark employee at the C-store when the employee refused to let him enter the store after it had closed May 9, according to the student's lawyer.The student, Daniel Ortner '10, a former Forum editor at the Justice, was neither charged nor arrested, but is due in court after the Aramark employee decided to press charges four days after the incident, his lawyer, Sam Goldberg, said. A June 4 hearing in Waltham district court will determine whether the employee has probable cause to move forward, Goldberg said."It would seem to me that [the situation] is something that has been blown out of proportion, although Daniel obviously regrets any inconvenience that this may have caused anyone involved," Goldberg said. Witnesses said Ortner arrived at the C-store, the campus convenience store, five minutes after the store had closed. The employee, who Goldberg identified as Jessica Hill, assistant food service director, wouldn't let him in, but Ortner persisted, asking to buy a drink, witnesses said. Zachary Rubenstein '11, a witness Goldberg identified as listed on the incident report, said after Hill blocked the entrance to the store with her arms, Ortner "basically charged" and tried to push his way past her.Ortner then quickly left the scene, witnesses said.University police would not comment. Director of Student Development and Conduct Erika Lamarre would not comment specifically on Ortner's case. Multiple attempts to reach Hill for comment via e-mail, phone and through other dining officials, including Director of Dining Services Mike Newmark, were unsuccessful.Ortner voluntarily resigned as Forum editor of the Justice last Sunday. He declined to comment.Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said that in certain situations he can implement a short-term solution to settle a situation under Section 22.1 of the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.The University can put cases involving incidents that occur after the academic year has ended on hold until the fall because the University Board of Student Conduct isn't generally available during the summer months, according to Lamarre.Lamarre said that depending upon the severity of the student's offense as determined by the University, the University can take a number of actions, including a campus restraint or an emergency suspension. According to Section 19.13 of the University's Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, the Board will arrive at a finding of either not responsible, responsible based upon clear and convincing evidence and recommendation of the sanction or continuance of the case either to obtain additional information or for further consideration.In addition to action being taken by the University, Ortner has been summoned to appear in front of the clerk magistrate for a probable cause hearing on June 4 at the Waltham District Court. Both parties will be required to provide evidence at the time of the hearing and the magistrate will then decide if Hill has probable cause to issue a complaint, Goldberg said.According to Goldberg, Hill had initially stated that she would not press charges against Ortner. Goldberg also noted that Hill did not decide to take action against Ortner until four days after the alleged incident.Anya Bergman contributed reporting.
(05/20/08 4:00am)
The Student Bill of Rights and a constitutional amendment regarding finances passed in referendum in the Student Union election May 1.A total of 1084 students voted on the issue of passing the Bill of Rights and 89.02 percent voted in favor of the bill. The constitutional amendment for finances passed with a 90.2 percent majority, according to the Union Web site. The vote was intended to see "exactly how students felt about our articulation of student rights," Director of Community Development Ryan McElhaney '10 wrote in an e-mail to the Justice."While I did expect a majority of students to stand behind the [Bill of Rights], I didn't expect such an overwhelming majority and I think this speaks to the need for a document like this to be incorporated into University policy. . The vote totals will be very important when it comes to showing the administration how important this document is to the student body," said Union President Jason Gray '10. "I will be working to get the University to incorporate the Student Bill of Rights into the University's governing structure and to improve Rights and Responsibilities to accurately reflect the rights that students deserve," said Gray.According to McElhaney, forums, discussions and other events are planned for next semester to inform students about the Bill of Rights current progress and to allow students to clarify what they would like to see included in tthe bill, in order to further refine the bill. "One of the most important parts of this process that seems to be forgotten is how much of a community effort it was to create, disseminate, edit and pass this bill of rights," McElhaney said. He added, "I have worked closely with different grad students as well as undergrads so that it is understood that these rights should extend to all students, and thus all students need to be a part of the process."The other issue on the referendum, the constitutional amendment for finances, which, according to Gray, "will improve our financial system, by allowing clubs to access more money in a more efficient way," has several components. Student Union Treasurer Max Wallach '09 explained in an e-mail to the Justice that one component was "the removal of the current Capital Expenditures fund, a fund holding money in reserve for clubs which, prior to the amendment, stood at $150,000. This fund was extremely underutilized and merely contributed to the rollover issues the student union faced." Wallach wrote the CapEx was removed and replaced with a $25,000 reserve fund. This fund allows clubs access to Student Activites Fee funds that were previously unavailable. The Finance Board will be able to increase the reserve fund by about $25,000 if they deem this an appropriate measure.The second component of the amendment involves a one-year cap on the SAF. The SAF is generally an additional 1 percent of tuition, increasing with tuition every year. However, Wallach explained, in order to "catch up with rollover and ensure that there are no unspent funds, the [Student Union] decided it was necessary to cap the SAF for one year at the current value of $150,000 dollars." "At the end of the spring [2009] semester, we will be appealing to the administration and board of trustees to remove the SAF cap, assuming demand for SAF funds is sufficient," he wrote.The third component involved a succession plan for the Union treasurer to make sure that "club finances do not halt in the event a treasurer steps down or is removed from office," Wallach wrote. "This was necessary due to the high turnover rate of treasurers in recent years and the fact that club finances must operate efficiently on a day-to-day basis, or else the consequences for club life would be devastating," he wrote.Wallach also wrote that the Union has not yet decided how to implement the amendment next semester. "The capping of SAF in particular will require careful financial management, and also effective club spending to ensure that we will be able to convince the administration that SAF should be increasing each year,"?he wrote. Wallach added. "This can be demonstrated through a high demand for SAF funds from clubs throughout the Finance Board and the effective spending of the money allocated.
