(10/31/03 5:00am)
These words are possible because a group of Brandeis students refused to say no, refused to lie down, refused to compromise and refused to accept anything short of success...On Oct. 21, many members of the Brandeis community felt betrayed by their school newspaper when the "N-word" was used in a sports column. The "N-word" is undoubtedly the most hateful word in American history, and it has absolutely no place in a university newspaper. For those who have never been called it or have never experienced racism, you cannot begin to imagine the pain nor determine what is or what isn't a "reasonable" solution. For that reason, members of Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO) approached the decision makers of the Justice with a list of demands that would allow the Justice to correct its gross error and begin to mend its relationship with the minority community. These demands included the resignation of those responsible for the article and an apology and response from us on the front page of the next issue. Unfortunately, we were met with resistance and the Justice refused to meet our demands. Their unwillingness to comply was a sign of disrespect and further action had to be taken.We staged a walkout on Thursday to make it very clear to the Justice and the entire campus that the forum was unacceptable and it was imperative that our demands were taken seriously. On Saturday, we attended a Justice Alumni event during Parents' Weekend and participated in a discussion with a professional reporter about "ethical journalism." We were happy to find that she condemned the irresponsibility of the Justice and shared many of our sentiments. Over the next couple of days, members of BBSO and the Editorial Board met several times and, although some of the demands were eventually met there was still conflict. On two occasions, we were under the impression that an agreement had been reached only to have the Justice renege on their end of the deal. Late Monday night however, it ended. After finding out that the Justicedecided to ignore our demand - which called for a front-page response - by printing Tuesday instead of Friday, we held a demonstration outside of their office. For six hours, nearly fifty students rallied together to protest the printing of the Justice. At around 6 a.m., our voices were finally heard and our demands were finally met. When it was all said and done, the editor-in-chief, sports editor and columnist all resigned and we received our front-page apology and response.Now it's time that we begin the healing process. We have to come together and start to seriously combat the problem of racism on our campus. We plan to work along side the Justice to accomplish this goal. They will be enlisting a professional and independent adviser to give editors and writers the necessary training and guidance to handle their responsibility. They will also revamp their editorial process in order to increase efficiency and reduce mistakes. We will also work with and challenge the administration to take strong preventative measures and look out for the interests of the minority community. We are requesting that a mandatory University requirement be implemented that will force every Brandeis student to take a class about race relations and cultural sensitivity. In the near future many panels, forums and discussions will be held with the rest of the Brandeis community to increase awareness and actively attack the issues that have divided us for far too long. Apathy will no longer be tolerated. Racism affects us all and everyone must look within him or herself and do everything in his or her power to start making changes.Last Tuesday, the Justice fell asleep and allowed this disaster to occur. By today, everyone woke up. The editorial board woke up and realized that they must take their job more seriously and put in a conscious effort to maintain the highest level of journalistic integrity. The Brandeis administrators finally woke up. They now understand that it is not students' responsibility, but rather the administrators' responsibility to protect the minority community. They also know that if they fail to protect us, we will turn this university upside down. The greater Brandeis community woke up. Whether they agree or disagree with our cause, they cannot deny that we have a voice - a very powerful and undeniable voice. But most importantly, we woke up. We realized that it's not that actions speak louder than words, but actions are the only things that speak. We pushed ourselves to limits beyond what we ever thought possible and refused to stop until our demands were met. We are truly UNBREAKABLE.If this were to happen again at Brandeis, to any community, always remember the words that rang out at 2:30 in the morning and will forever echo throughout the halls of the Shapiro Campus Center... A People United, Will Never Be Defeated.Peace.Justin Moore '04, BBSO & Our Supporters
(10/31/03 5:00am)
A controversial column printed in the Oct. 21 edition of the Justice sparked an uproar on campus last week, ultimately resulting in the resignation of three editors. According to a campus-wide e-mail University President Jehuda Reinharz sent on Oct. 22, the column contained, "what can only be interpreted as insensitive and racist remarks."Former columnist Daniel Passner '06, who declined to comment for this article, wrote the column in question, "Dusty Baker Exposed," in which he quoted a reference to Baker, manager of the Chicago Cubs baseball team, using derogatory language. "The only thing Baker has a Ph.D. in is something that starts with an N and rhymes with Tigger, the cheerful scamp who stole all of our hearts in the Winnie the Pooh series," the quote read.Passner attributed this quote to Joseph Shmulewitz '06. Passner's previous columns have cited Shmulewitz on other occasions.Shmulewitz said that he had not been interviewed for the Oct. 21 column, nor had he been interviewed by Passner for any previous article."My initial response was the same as everyone else's - surprise, shock," Shmulewitz said. "I was just as shocked to see those comments but even more so because my name was near them. I was shocked because my name preceded the quote."According to Student Union Executive Officer Adam Herman '04, the Union government first received word of the incident late last Tuesday evening after a prescheduled meeting with the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO), held for an entirely separate reason. Shortly thereafter, at a regularly scheduled Union Executive Board meeting, Herman said that the Union "decided to get in touch with Dan (Passner) and to continue dialogue with the BBSO." At the time Passner was a Union senator representing Rosenthal Quad.Herman said Passner resigned from his position as Rosenthal Quad Senator at approximately 3:40 a.m. Wednesday after consulting with members of the Union government. By Wednesday evening, Passner had also resigned from his capacity as a columnist at the Justice.Over the course of the week, individuals, officials and members representing various Brandeis groups and organizations conducted a number of discussions and communications concerning the appropriate course of action. A post on the Student Union Web site dated Oct. 24 stated: "Throughout the past 72 hours, members of the Student Union Executive Office have engaged in dialogue with many concerned student groups, the Brandeis Black Students Organization, the Intercultural Center organizations, the Justice, Senior Vice President Jean Eddy, Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer and the student representatives to the Board of Trustees."Reinharz's response to the incident on Wednesday afternoon came in the form of a community wide e-mail. "I expect the highest level of student journalism and commentary from our paper," Reinharz wrote, "and knowing that at least three student editors found no concern with the offensive lines presented by the author stuns me."Justice Editor-in-Chief Stephen Heyman '06 said he deeply regretted the "tragic error" of the editorial board in failing to recognize the inappropriate content of Passner's column. Heyman said he would resign as editor-in-chief with the completion of this issue.Heyman traced the events of Oct. 20, during which the newspaper was produced electronically for the following day."The sports editor received a column by Dan Passner late Monday night. He neglected to read it," Heyman said. "He put it into layout. He printed out a proof which was then given to a copy editor-in-training. The copy editor-in-training then identified the inflammatory comments in the column ... but he neglected to inform either the sports editor or the editor-in-chief about it, and he handed the proof back to the sports editor, (who) gave it to his assistant, who overlooked the note (the copy editor-in-training) made, and it went to press."Heyman said that he himself did not read the column in question.Rob Siegel '04, who had been sports editor, submitted a letter of resignation to the Justice last Saturday. Siegel, too, said he felt remorse for the incident and its consequences at a public forum organized by the paper's editorial board last Thursday night.Siegel spoke before the several hundred in attendance. "What happened on Monday night was a tragedy," he said. "It was horrible ... it was insensitive. It was racist. I'm sorry, it was a horrible mistake."At the time of the forum, Siegel said he would not resign from his position.Later, in an interview, Siegel offered an explanation for the printing of the column in its entirety."That Monday night we had eight to nine articles in the sports section," Siegel said. "Dan (Passner) sent his article in late and it wasn't read till about 10 or 11. It was the last one to be read of the sports articles and I remember reading at least half of it."The point I want to make is that I didn't consciously want to leave it in," Siegel added. "It went to the copy editor and all the comments made were given to my assistant because at that point, my role was kind of finished. Maybe because Dan has written for so long or because it wasn't made a big deal of when my assistant read it."Passner's quotation was identified as inflammatory by the paper's copy editor-in-training, Ben Freed '06. Freed said his role in the editorial system is to read articles and submissions after they have been read by the section editors and Heyman. In his review of articles and columns, Freed said he edited for grammar, punctuation, style, form and clarity, and would at times make layout notes. After reading Passner's column, Freed said he "immediately realized the potential gravity of (Passner's comments), circled the column, and wrote a note to Rob Siegel ... I had no idea that he or his assistant or that eventually Steve (Heyman) would miss my comment.""I've been kicking myself all week for not being more vocal ... about Passner's comment," Freed added. "I realize I should have said something."BBSO DEMANDS FOR THE JUSTICEBBSO made a list of demands with which it said the editorial staff was to comply in order to confirm the Justice's accountability for its actions.Heyman said the demands consisted of Passner and Siegel either resigning or being fired, the printing of a front-page apology from the Justice and a front-page response letter from BBSO in the issue directly following Oct. 21. According to a representative from BBSO at last Sunday's regularly scheduled senate meeting, BBSO set a deadline of Oct. 22 at 8:00 p.m. for the meeting of these demands. The Justice did not meet any of BBSO's demands by the deadline. After the initial deadline had passed, BBSO additionally demanded the resignation of Heyman as editor-in-chief.Concerning Heyman and the other editors' resignations, Alana Hamlett, president of BBSO, said, "The people in the Justice were irresponsible for what was published, and these are people who I don't feel should be running our school newspaper because they don't represent us."Heyman and the editorial board initially resisted the demand for Heyman's resignation, stating publicly Heyman was the best-qualified student for the position and that there had been no other student willing to pursue his role. At last Sunday night's senate meeting, Andrew Meyerson '04, co-photography editor of the Justice, defended the editorial board's desire for Heyman to retain his position, fearing the future of the newspaper otherwise."Because this was done with no malicious intent whatsoever, it should not be taken further," Meyerson said. "It's counterproductive."The editorial board additionally stated that it would extend the deadline for BBSO letter submission to Thursday if BBSO would drop its demand for Heyman to step down.Heyman and Siegel met with Reinharz last Friday to discuss the situation at hand and possible courses of action. Heyman said Reinharz encouraged them both to resign at that point."The president was very understanding, and he urged us to do what was best for the community," Heyman said. He stressed that the Justice is an independent student newspaper and that he had no control over what we did, that he's not going to attempt to implement any of our decisions as to what we thought the appropriate response was."Heyman resigned from his position as editor-in-chief at approximately 9:00 p.m. Thursday evening, to go into effect immediately following the publication of today's issue. "I resigned only to appease the forces in the community that were besieging the Justice," Heyman said. "Hopefully with my resignation, the community will begin to heal." "I think people are angry not because these reprehensible sentiments were printed by mistake in the Justice but because they exist in our community," Heyman said just prior to his resignation. "And while the Justice can atone for screwing up and printing something that should have never been printed, we should not be held accountable for any kind of greater racial tension in the University."As no agreement had been reached, the editorial board began preparing to go to press last Monday night to print on Tuesday. At approximately 1 a.m, BBSO staged a demonstration outside the Justice's office. Representatives of the group said they took this action because the production date had not been changed, and their statement would not have been included."I was proud of the fact that students came together to get what they want," Hamlett said. "We didn't want the newspaper printed until Friday."The COMMUNITY'S REACTIONPassner's column sparked debates and protests all over campus, and people began pointing fingers at who was to blame.Shmulewitz was enraged by the column's appearance in the Justice. "I am upset ... at Passner and shocked at his bastardization of a line taken completely out of context," Shmulewitz said. "Being interviewed is part of journalistic integrity, and I was never interviewed ... I am really sorry that this whole thing happened and I am very sorry that people were hurt. I honestly didn't want to hurt anyone by having been badly misquoted like this.""I am not a racist in the slightest," Shmulewitz added. "To see this quote butchered and misquoted so inaccurately in what is a big issue is completely shocking."The editorial board held a panel on Oct. 23 in order for the Brandeis community to communicate its questions and concerns regarding the incident, according to various editorial board members."We have to realize that a forum like this is meant to bring the campus together," Paul Kandel '06 said at the forum.As a statement of protest, when Siegel stood up to speak, members of BBSO and their supporters staged a walkout.In light of this action, Class of 2007 senator Mark Sandburg '07 said, "I ask that the Brandeis community recognize that there is a large enough rift that these four rows of people felt the need to walk out tonight.""There was a severe breach in the trust that is put into our school newspaper, and that caused a group of students to walk out because they were uncomfortable," said Union President Joshua Brandfon '05. "I want the students to feel like they can comfortably engage in dialogue.""I think these forums should continue on a regular basis and there has to be a lot more self-initiative on both sides," Jocelyn Berger '04 said. "This has to go beyond tokenism. This has to be a legitimate change."This incident was not the first time students complained of racist speech in campus media. Two years ago, "The Men's Room," a show on WBRS, offended many on campus. A controversy erupted when the hosts of the show sang an "Ode to Asian Strippers" on air."It's an interesting pattern that the biggest hate incidents have been through the campus media, so something structurally has to be done," Berger said.Passner himself has a long history of including racist remarks in his columns. A case in point is his column in the Sept. 16 issue of the Justice, titled "The Art of Selig Bashing," in which, according to Professor Jacob Cohen (AMST), "he used the same language as the Nazis did when they referred to Jews in terms of diseases as a way of describing Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who himself is a Jew." In that issue, Passner continued further to say that "if the Third Reich were making Der Sturmer today, there is no doubt that Allen 'Bud' Selig would be on the cover." He followed this comment in the next paragraph by comparing Selig to Yasser Arafat."Upon reading the article and after reading a letter of apology to community members, in which the writer told what his intentions were not, I am left wondering what his intentions were," Professor Georgiary McElveen (MUS) said. "And that is the crux of my reaction to the column - questions about intentionality. This column leaves me wondering what I am to make of the intentions of the writer, the newspaper and, by extension, the University. What am I being asked to swallow in the name of community at Brandeis? Without a doubt, every member of this community is being asked to swallow a lot.""This article went beyond bad taste and entered the territory of politicized prejudice," Professor Ibrahim Sundiata (HIST) said. "I am glad that the administration, the student government and the Justice have taken action."JUSTICE ALUMNI EVENTThe Brandeis University Justice Alumni Organization held an event Saturday that served as a second forum for students to speak about the column. The keynote speaker for the Fall Fest Justice Reunion was Merry Firschein '87, a Brandeis alumna and former Justice staff member. Firschein, who has served in numerous journalistic editorial and reporting capacities since her graduation, currently resides in New Jersey and writes features for The Record, a newspaper based in Hackensack, N.J.Firschein spoke about "Ethics in Journalism" to an audience of more than 100 students, parents and other community members.Many members of BBSO attended the event and occupied much of the first few rows.One student commented on how the failure to identify and prevent the use of language such as what was employed in Passner's column results in a complete loss of faith and trust in the Justice as a newspaper.In terms of how similar situations would be approached in the professional arena, Firschein said, "I can't imagine that happening at a newspaper. I really can't. There are words that don't go in newspapers, and that is one of them."Firschein added, "(The editor-in-chief is) the one who has to take responsibility. If I make a mistake ... he would have to take the fall."STUDENT GOVERNMENT RESPONDSAs soon as its leaders had received word of the inflammatory comments printed in the Justice, the Union government got involved in the situation.Following the forum coordinated by the Justice last Thursday, the senate held a special five-hour meeting in order to draft a resolution that would be presented and approved at its regular meeting on Sunday. After nearly five hours of "Communications" on Sunday, during which members of BBSO, the Justice editorial board, senators, concerned representatives of other groups and individuals spoke out about the proper approach to remedying the situation and addressing racism on campus. Much of the debate revolved around what steps the Justice should take in order to satisfy the needs of BBSO and the entire community."It is important to have a student newspaper that represents all groups and people on campus," Hamlett said. "There must be a new bridge built between the Justice and the ICC."According to representatives from BBSO, a compromise was nearly reached between the former organization and former Justice senior editor Matthew Bettinger '05, who resigned for personal reasons later Sunday nightThe compromise would have allowed for the resigning of Heyman for the duration of one year, after which he would be able to return as editor-in-chief. BBSO would then resume fostering a working relationship with the Justice. Bettinger said he ultimately did not have the authority to make this kind of decision, while others said the failure of possible compromise jeopardized renewed possibility for trust and cooperation with the Justice.Following a closed executive session, the senate passed its resolution by a vote of 15 to 6 in favor. The resolution acknowledged the insensitivity and wrongfulness of the column's remarks, recognizing them as "a direct attack upon the black community at Brandeis University" and as an "indirect attack on all racial minority students, the Intercultural Center, and the general student body, and recognizes the full right of students to react." It also acknowledged the measures members of the Justice said the organization was prepared to take in order to improve its editorial process and resolve the situation.Among a number of recommendations, the resolution resolved that the senate request the resignation of editorial board members responsible for the situation and additionally advocate actions taken to "regain a high level of journalistic integrity." It also encouraged the establishment of a "liaison" and the fostering of a strong relationship between the Justice and the ICC. It also cited parts of the "Rights and Responsibilities" handbook that pertained to the issue.Class of 2005 Senator Mitchel Balsam participated in the original drafting of the resolution, yet voted against it in its finality because of the resignation clause."Stephen (Heyman) is just a guy who was at the wrong place at the wrong time," Balsam said.Class of 2007 Senator Chris Allison '07 voted in favor of the resolution. "The Justice editorial staff, they screwed up," Allison said. "When they are put in charge of a paper read by 3,100 undergraduate students ... that's a great responsibility, and when something goes wrong, there should be a show of responsibility."THE FUTURE OF THE JUSTICEVarious groups and individuals on campus said they foresee different solutions to what the community has recently encountered. Changes proposed are those of hierarchical proportions as well as structural changes in the Justice's editorial process.Students addressed possible solutions to the situation at the Sunday's senate meeting. Some suggested that measures be taken to taper funding for the Justice through constitutional amendments. Others recommended that outside advisers oversee the actions of the Justice's editorial board on a regular basis.Alan Tannenwald '05 said the Justice should hire a professional external adviser. He also recommended that there be several editors reviewing the articles so that in the end, each article would be read. Tannenwald's said also that the editorial board should "undergo serious training for all your editors and staff members."Justice Associate Editor Jeremy Hamburgh '04 enumerated the following steps that the Justice will consider as a means of reform. First, he announced the coming "codification of the chain of command" in which each article would be read six times before it went into print. It would go before the section editor, the copy editor, the editor-in-chief, and a second time in the same sequence.Second, the Justice would implement office hours following every editor's last class on Monday.Third, the Justice would appoint an ombudsman to act as a "liaison" between the student body and the newspaper.Fourth, if a writer misses a deadline, the writer's article would be cut from that week's issue.According to Hamburgh, these possible measures would begin to repair the relationship between the students and their newspaper as well as a means to prevent oversights from happening again.Former Union president Ben Brandzel '03 attended Sunday's senate meeting. "The issue here is that there has been a phenomenal breach of trust that has been experienced deeply and personally as a betrayal," he said. "So no resolution will ever be sufficient until all parties believe or see that it will be sufficient.
(10/31/03 5:00am)
Be it a witch-hunt or neo-McCarthyism, over the past ten days the Justice has been victimized at the hands of heated students and a political administration. Anger, hurt and disbelief have intensified the emotionally charged response to last week's racist article far beyond intelligent, sensible and civil behavior. While the consequences of the article were dreadful, they were grossly disproportionate to the culpability of the editors involved. As an editorial board, we have rooted out the source of our error, repented for our breach of trust and responsibility and envisioned potent and long-lasting reparations to both ourselves as a newspaper and the community we represent. As student journalists our responsibilities end here. We, however, have not been treated as journalists, but rather as muses for social justice. In addition to our anger at ourselves and at the issue at hand - not a journalistic error, but racism - we have absorbed and internalized the anger of our peers, and we have been forced to concede to demands far beyond our call of duty. Insofar as the demands have contorted our journalistic standards and duties, we have let the student body step on our necks to reach new heights of social action. But forcing the resignation of our editor-in-chief has broken that neck and perverted the integrity of the Justice as an independent medium for all Brandeis students. Sacrificing the editor-in-chief is a punitive measure, devoid of reason and potency. By sabotaging the Justice as a vital disseminator of student opinion, it is a gratuitous, ineffective and detrimental gesture, not unlike the Brandeis Black Student Organization's forum walkout. Far more importantly, it is pragmatically absurd, as the shattered trust and respect for the Justice does not reflect the editor's incompetence. As I see it, the Justice had rightly lost its credibility, but now it will lose its spine. By offering ourselves as a whipping post for racism, a parasite which we allowed to infect our pages and consequently the whole school, we have become the enemy and the main target of demands, threats and personal insults. When the Justice was all but held hostage by an all-night hostile protest, the victimized party had become the aggressor, and the administration intervened as their main advocate. Those who have used us as a trigger for a social agenda, be it laudable and unanimously shared, have drained me of my desire to repent and have shaken my faith in the existence of lucid and rational thought that should guide even the most justifiable emotion. The editor-in-chief is resigning as a response to insurmountable and unrelenting animosity that we feel has wildly exceeded the appropriate punitive measures. I am resigning because I cannot represent a community where such animosity exists. - Yana Litovsky '05
(10/31/03 5:00am)
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of listening to an educated, intelligent and well-respected man speak about modern society. I was excited at the beginning of the talk when he called for people to wake up to reality and realize how much we have advanced. But a sudden change in rhetoric slapped me squarely in the face. I sat up in my chair, shocked at what I was hearing. This man, who I thought was going to speak about society's progression to a better existence, instead fell into the badly beaten rut of condemning our generation.This man was neither subtle nor creative. He spoke about the gruesome violence on television, today's horrible video games, the foul language used in music, the revealing clothes today's youth wear - he went down the list of any and every issue people have ever had with our generation. As he continued to rant, I became increasingly frustrated with what I was hearing. I could feel the respect draining from my body as I listened to him more. How someone could be so blind boggled my mind.I do not believe that our society is perfect and I am not claiming that we do not live in troubled times; society could stand many improvements. At the same time, I feel it is very easy for people to condemn everything they see because their minds are locked by stagnant values. One can listen to the music on the radio and discount it all as garbage - a deluge of curse words, slang and sexual references. Ignoring the fact that only a small portion of music falls into such a category, it's important to realize something greater: The fact that such music exists is a tribute to how much our society has progressed. Freedom of speech has empowered people who had no previous way to express themselves. More importantly, the fact that it is acceptable to discuss such issues in public forums (such as music) is an indication that society has advanced, not receded. If anything, such progress should be promoted and fostered, not quieted and condemned.The issue arises when one is unable to thresh the chaff from the grain. Such people take an issue, beat it to the ground and throw out everything, both the good and the bad. Because they were raised on "old fashion, American values," they assume anything other than meatloaf, potatoes and "Leave it to Beaver" is proof of society's decay.This terrifies me. I'm afraid because society is not meant to stagnate, rather it is meant to develop, branch and blossom. Sometimes it yields delicious fruit; other times, we are left with withered husks. But it is impossible to order values to halt and to command civilization to remain constant. Humanity cannot be held at the status quo. Our task is to, as objectively as possible, evaluate where we now stand. We must look at how we've changed both for better and for worse. It is too easy to respond with the knee-jerk reaction and lash out against a group with which we can't identify. We see a group as alien, so we pigeonhole it, stereotyping it to fit preconceived images and notions. It is this automated response against which we must struggle. We have the daunting task of showing the world that their first impressions are incorrect. This is not an easy task, and perhaps that's why I was so frustrated with the speaker. We were not given the benefit of the doubt. In his speech, all people between the ages of 15 and 25 were delinquents contributing to society's decline. I understand, however, that it is human nature to lump people together. I can forgive the systematism of our peer group. It was his solution that sent me over the edge.The speaker called for parents to, "take a stand to their kids," and not to be afraid to say "no." While I agree this is good parenting advice, I am pained that this is his answer to society's faults. I agree that parents' roles are to impart to their children knowledge and values. But the values a parent professes should be solid ones, ones that are grounded on strong principles and beliefs. If a parent truly believes that societal standards are wrong, then I understand why a parent would want to impart those values onto a child. But if a parent also values other ideals, such as liberty, individuality, free thought or self-determination, then I would strongly advise the parent to imbue those principles instead. Teach your children morals; show them what's right and wrong, how to live decently and be a good person. But then realize that they are at that age where they are nearly adults. Soon the parents won't have any control over their children, and the child will only have his wits and knowledge to save him in the real world. The child would be far better suited if he could think for himself and make good decisions than if he can only recall what is permissible and what is taboo. The answer is not harsher judgment, not swifter consequence, but stronger, better reason.
(10/31/03 5:00am)
Brandeis students have a well-worn routine: an uphill struggle with work and errands during the week, a Friday night release, a Saturday climax of festivities and a well-earned Sunday morning in bed. In fact, pre-brunch Sunday might be their one source of refuge and energizing before waking to the jarring buzz, beep, blast or bell of the alarm clock again on Monday. But one small group of Brandeis undergraduates is not saved from the bell. About 45 Brandeis students break the routine, waking up early Sunday morning to go to class. Only this time, you won't hear them complaining, as their role has been reversed from student to teacher. These students work for the Brandeis Jewish Education Program (BJEP), a program for families with children in grades one through seven. Independent from the University and self-financed, BJEP rents space from Brandeis and along with other programs, provides a Sunday school for primarily unaffiliated Jewish children in the area. In fact, about 95 percent of the school's more than 200 students are unaffiliated Jews from many different backgrounds. Amy Sands, the religious school's director, said, "In many cases, (BJEP) is their first Jewish educational experience."The program was founded more than 35 years ago by Rabbi Axelrad - a Brandeis Jewish chaplain at the time - and was designed originally for the children of Brandeis academics, according to Sands.BJEP has evolved significantly since this original conception. Before, children came straight from the Brandeis community, out of the hands of one group of teachers (Brandeis faculty) directly into the hands of another - the BJEP religious school teacher. Now, they come not from Brandeis but from miles beyond its front gates. In fact, some parents drive 40 minutes each way just to get their children to BJEP.There are a number of religious schools in areas throughout Massachusetts. So what is it exactly that motivates these parents to wake up early on a Sunday morning to drive their children to a distant college campus?Julie Dobrow, a parent of three children enrolled at BJEP and chairperson of its educational board, said that the quality of BJEP teachers sets the program apart from others. "We've found that BJEP is really a wonderful experience for our kids, and one of our greatest assets at BJEP is our teachers," Dobrow said. "They bring an energy and enthusiasm (to teaching) that I think is really unparalleled."Almost all of the approximately 45 teachers and aides at BJEP are Brandeis undergraduate students. In addition, many other Brandeis students contribute to the program as tutors or substitutes and in other capacities. Teachers for each grade have separate curriculums, each going into the particular areas of focus in depth. The quality attributed to the teaching at Brandeis derives substantially from small details of the work. For instance, Sands said that every teacher writes a lesson plan each week, in addition to sending a letter home to every child's parents concerning what is being taught in class. Classroom topics include biblical Jewish texts and history, Israel, holidays, life cycles and the Holocaust. In addition, all students have Hebrew, art and music programs."The curriculum is very untraditional," Sands said. "It's experiential. It's interactive. We operate on the premise that children are going to learn based on what they experience, (and) kids for the most part are very happy being here, which is unusual for a Sunday school."The depth of study in each curriculum area, particularly the Hebrew program, is unique. In addition to learning the words and tunes of prayers, Sands said that BJEP aims to provide every child with a real understanding of the meanings behind them."In the greater Boston area, there are three or four other (unaffiliated) programs, but they don't teach Hebrew. It's very singular," Sands said. At the end of their studies, about 90 percent of BJEP students are able to read Torah for the Jewish coming-of-age ceremony, a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, according to Sands. Between a third and a half of every graduating class also proceeds to study at a prominent afternoon Hebrew high school for about 750 Boston-area children - an especially meaningful statistic considering most of the students' prior religious background.Sands said, "We have a very heterogeneous group. We have interracial families. We have mixed marriages and adopted children from Asia, South America ... and families that come from over a dozen communities."Amy Schneider '04 is in her second year teaching at BJEP. Her class consists of third grade children who, like the others attending BJEP, come from many different kinds of families."You get a great cross section of kids. Because it's not affiliated with some specific group, you get kids from all kinds of backgrounds. And it's interesting because there are so many backgrounds," Shneider said.The diversity which makes BJEP stand apart can also create significant challenges for BJEP staff and faculty. Teachers must deal not only with the differing degrees of knowledge among students, but also with the parents' various degrees of knowledge and the differing priority that parents place on their children's religious school education. Adena Kemper '06, who teaches another third grade class, said, "We get a whole range of students and so sometimes it's really frustrating because ... (they can get) rowdy and sometimes one of the parents may not want their child to be there."In addressing this issue, Sands noted that there are many programs geared toward the education of the whole family, including parents. Some days, parents attend Sunday school with their children so that "the parents and children learn something together," as Sands said.Each parent is obligated to help out with certain projects throughout the year, said Rachel Present '06, who teaches first grade at BJEP. "The commitment level of parents is a lot higher than it was for the parents at home," she added. Even so, the lack of a synagogue tied to the program creates obstacles for BJEP."It's the most supportive environment I've ever worked in, but at the same time, we don't have a synagogue to back us up or a congregation, so it's hard. We're trying to be the sort of nondenominational Judaism (program) and we have a lot of resources, but it's difficult because we're lacking a lot of resources that a regular synagogue would have," Kemper said.Nonetheless, the BJEP curriculum and educators manage with their available courses, and most people involved agree that their experiences at BJEP have been overwhelmingly positive.According to Sands, most Brandeis students become interested in BJEP through word of mouth. Many teachers started out as substitutes for the program. Others, like Kemper, learned about it through the Hillel office or other sources. Sands mentioned that BJEP is also welcome to graduate students who could provide administrative support or act as assistant directors.For many Brandeis student teachers, graduation does not mark the end of their teaching careers. Dobrow has seen a trend over the years of many Brandeis students continuing to take up teaching roles, whether at BJEP, in Jewish education or in other forums.Schneider plans on becoming an English teacher after graduating with her B.A. in English this spring.Kemper, working toward a degree in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, plans on becoming a rabbi.Present, a philosophy major, said she might pursue a career in Jewish education, but is not yet sure.Regardless of future plans, both teachers and students at BJEP will continue to learn and benefit from the educational programs BJEP offers.
(10/31/03 5:00am)
A protest organized by the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO) to postpone Tuesday's regular release of the Justice until Friday began outside of the Justice office in the Shapiro Campus Center at approximately 1 a.m. and continued until around 6 a.m. Tuesday morning.The protesters, some of whom were also Intercultural Center (ICC) members, wanted more time to respond to last issue's racist remark by former sports columnist Dan Passner '06. "BBSO's issue with the Justice coming out was that we would not be able to get our statement in on time," one of the co-presidents of BBSO Alana Hamlett '06 said. The Justice Editorial Board eventually complied with the demand to postpone Tuesday's issue until today and allowed BBSO's response to be placed on the front page."We were under the impression that if we didn't comply, there would be steps taken by the administration to stop press," Justice Forum Editor Samantha Slater '05 said. The Justice Editorial Board said they were saddened by the protest."It started as just chanting. They were calling for Steve," Arts Editor Sara Tenenbaum '06 said.Tenenbaum said protesters banged on the windows and walls, screaming taunts and hitting pot lids together. The window banging did not stop until Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett intervened at around 2 a.m. "We had a peaceful protest," Hamlett said. She declined to elaborate further on what occurred. "They were teasing Steve (editor-in-chief) in very hostile ways," Features Editor Yana Litovsky '05 said. "Any time the door opened there was a torrent of screams." "I think the hate was what scared me the most out there," Slater said. "The pure hate directed at us was very scary. I was upset that they pinned us all as racists when they don't even know us as individuals. They grouped us together just as they don't like to be grouped." The Justice Editorial Board said they did not believe the protesters would resort to violence. But editors said they felt somewhat threatened."I knew rationally that I would not be hurt," Litovsky said. "Their point was to intimidate us as people, not as a newspaper, and there is no way to do that without threatening your person." Director of the ICC Suzie Talukdar wrote an e-mail to the ICC expressing pride for the students who protested."From my understanding, some BBSO members and concerned students chose to protest because they wanted to stop printing of the Justice so they could include a statement on the next issue's front cover," Talukdar said. "They believed earlier in the day that the paper was not planned to be printed that night, and then found out otherwise later." "We always told them that they could write their op-ed," Tenenbaum said. "We were just not sure if it could go on the front page." Litovsky said the placement of editorials on the front page does not comply with typical journalistic standards, leading the Editorial Board to have reservations about placing BBSO's statement on the front page. Justice Editorial Board members said they had told BBSO they would comply and allow their editorial to be printed on the front page. But when Heyman '06 chose not to comply to BBSO's demand that he resign, Litovsky said BBSO terminated communication with the Justice."If they gave us the letter, we would wait until Friday," Litovsky said. "When they found out that Steve was resigning, we gave them the next ten hours (to write the editorial). They were at full capacity to write the editorial that they were protesting for. It was all or nothing for them. They were still waiting for their regularly scheduled meeting." Hamlett said the Justice Editorial board told BBSO that they could place a statement on the front page on Sunday night. Hamlett said BBSO would not have been able to write an accurate statement including the opinions of all concerned members by Monday night because BBSO meetings are on Wednesdays. "We had told them several times that we would not be able to get the statement to them by then," Hamlett said. "We wanted any BBSO members to be able to tell what they had to say within the statement." While Litovsky said the Justice would wait until Friday to print the newspaper if BBSO chose to write the response for Tuesday's release, Hamlett said the Justice chose to proceed with production without BBSO's statement. The protest ended around 6:00 a.m.when Senior Vice President of Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy convinced the Justice Editorial Board to postpone publication until Friday. "Jean Eddy coerced us into not printing. She said that it's the best for the Brandeis community," Associate Editor Igor Pedan '05 said. "She wanted to appease BBSO so that Brandeis' image in supporting diversity doesn't falter. She said that they were the injured party so we should succumb to them." Members of the Justice Editorial said BBSO is being perceived as the only injured party. "However hurt any student was (by the racial slur printed in the Justice), I guarantee that the editors on this editorial board are ten times as hurt by their fellow students at the protest," Heyman said. Each member of the Justice editorial board expressed a sense of sadness, feeling as though their journalistic integrity has been sacrificed. This has caused many of the members of the board to resign. "I no longer believe that the Justice is a student newspaper," Pedan said. When the administration can force and choose the members of your board, you are no longer independent. When they can force you not to print, you are no longer independent. The administration has made us violate every single journalistic ideal that we have. This is why I am resigning." Other editors have chosen to resign for similar reasons, including Litovsky. But Heyman says he had no choice but to resign. "I was forced to resign," Heyman said. "It was made very clear to me by members of the administration that there would be no more, that the president (of the university) had an expectation that not another Justice would print with me as editor-in-chief and he would take whatever steps necessary to see to that. To preserve a 54-year-old publication - that means more than any one person on the editorial board." Despite lingering emotions, Hamlett says she has hope for the future."I want to see that there be better ties between the Justice and the ICC in terms or representing students who are in the ICC and in terms of better coverage of events," Hamlett said.
(10/31/03 5:00am)
While it is understandable that people's opinions on the racist comments in the Oct. 21 issue of the Justice and the aftermath to it will differ, some of the comments in the Oct. 31 letters section of the Justice didn't result from differing opinions, but rather came from a stunningly thoughtless mindset.Paul Kandel '06 says that, in an open forum held in the Intercultural Center, "Other students made blatantly bigoted comments, saying they 'wish the whole school looked like the ICC room'." This comment was made in reference to the fact that there were both many students of color and many white students in the same room, both working toward confronting the issue of racism on the Brandeis campus. Given the context of the quote, it is completely inconceivable that Mr. Kandel could have reasonably interpreted the comment in any other way, and, thus, his claim that the comment was "blatantly bigoted" is both disingenuous and offensive.Even more shocking is Martin Lieberman '96's claim that the column in question would have been "fine" had the last paragraph not been included. In the eighth paragraph of the article, Dusty Baker, the black manager of the Chicago Cubs, and Kenny Lofton, the Cubs' centerfielder, who is also black, are compared to Amos and Andy. "Amos & Andy" was an incredibly offensive minstrel radio and television show depicting white actors in "blackface" as nonsensical fools. Comparing two men to Amos and Andy is extremely insulting--there is nothing "fine" about it. --Daniel Mauer '06
(10/21/03 4:00am)
On Oct. 16, the Beehive Collective- a political grassroots organization based out of the small-town of Machias, Maine- made a stop at Brandeis University on their cross-country tour to campaign against war, colonialism and globalization. Several Brandeis clubs including the Radical Student Alliance invited the Beehive Collective to this campus to educate the students about the Beehive Collective's political views.The two hour presentation took place in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium, and the two centerpieces were sixteen foot cloth banners printed with representational art entitled "Plan Colombia" and "Free Trade of the Americas." Plan Colombia is the United States' $1.3 billion package of assistance to help Colombians overcome their national drug problem, human rights violations and ailing economy. The other banner was "Free Trade Area of the Americas," which is an attempt started in 1994 at the Summit of the Americas to unite all the economies of the Americas in trade without barriers.The Beehive Collective uses anthropomorphic collages to express their views. "The Free Trade of the Americas" banner's focal point was the world totally covered by three mechanical industrial spiders representing development, militarization, and corporation. The development spider had chainsaw fangs and oil drilling legs, the militarization spider was covered in hypodermic needles, and the corporation spider had television eyes and corporate logo skin. Among their victims was a howler monkey, both entangled in the general web of the spiders and sewing machine threads which represented the plight of the sweat-shop workers, and also gas-mask wearing monarch butterflies.The "Plan Colombia" banner was based on interviews with South Americans. They stressed that America's involvement in their country had its roots in European colonization. At the top of the banner loomed a wasp nest shaped like Europe, out of which burst another nest shaped like the United States, imitating the principal in nature that when a wasp nest gets too heavy, a second one grows out of it. The American nest contained complacent wasps (a visual pun on the rich American WASP class) watching televisions, all the while oblivious to the plight of the South American ants below.Underneath the nests were airplanes spraying cocoa fields, because one facet of Plan Colombia is to abolish the cocaine problem. The Beehive Collective states that since the American airplanes spray the fields so inaccurately civilians 100 miles away are affected by the poisonous fumes. The South Americans interviewed thought that this was an American strategy to displace citizens.These fields were attached to an earth which was split into a "nightmare" side and a "life" side. One example of this juxtaposition was on the "life" side there were South American minor ants unionizing, and on the "nightmare" side there were American ants training at the School of the Americas about how to destabilize unions.Since there was a limited amount of time, and the Beehive Collective didn't have one central theme, they were not able to speak in depth about any one topic. The presentation was rushed because the presenters simultaneously tried to educate the audience, engage the audience in discussion and explain their elaborate banners in only two hours. Because they tried to cover too much, their messages were reduced to statistics and anecdotes with little time for analysis or discussion.Still, the presenters encouraged discussion and debate, although the seating arrangement was not conducive to it. With 40 people in the audience sitting in rows, if someone in the back row wanted to rebut a statement of someone in the front row, the presenters were running back and forth with their microphones. The logistics of getting each participant enough volume to be heard was more noticeable than what was being said. By combining art and information, the Beehive Collective provided an interesting and fun forum for students to familiarize themselves with topics that are at the center of many political debates. With the next presidential election approaching, presentations such as this are important as students begin to investigate and form their own political beliefs.
(10/21/03 4:00am)
Evan edited it and sent back this:To the Editor:The current situation going on with The Justice and the racist remark in the sports section strikes a chord of tremendous dismay.It is shocking that such a remark could ever appear in the pages of the newspaper. How is it possible that a student at as enlightened a school as Brandeis could make such a comment? How could a columnist ever think it was OK to put that in his article? How could any editor let that comment into the paper? Hell, how is it possible that he didn't on the spot fire anyone who wrote such a thing or anyone who knew about it?Any editor at The Justice who either saw that comment or who should have seen it, and didn't get furious that such a thing could ever even make it as far as onto a computer screen in the Bowels of Usdan should resign from The Justice immediately, no questions asked. At a minimum, this means the Sports Editor and Editor In Chief.Lack of experience is no excuse. If you weren't horrified by the statement, then you shouldn't be on the newspaper.That said, some perspective as to the history of The Justice may be in order.Over the years, The Justice has been one of the primary tools towards bettering racial harmony and helping racial minorities feel more comfortable at Brandeis. In the early 1990s, the newspaper's op/ed section was a primary tool used to urge a boycott of the school bookstore for racial profiling, ultimately leading to a change in management at the store. It also took a strong stand in favor of the multicultural center. And this was in the apathetic early 1990s. Go back more years and see how the newspaper was involved in the shantytown protests, or how the newspaper publicized the death sentence given to a Brandeis alumnae who was one of the leaders of the Grenada revolution.In the early 90's, we fought hard (admittedly with only some success) to bring a more diverse staff onto the newspaper, and we made a point to cover more issues related to minority students on campus.Whether or not the current Justice staff has been proactive in encouraging diversity on the newspaper, it would be a mistake to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Only those directly responsible shouldresign their positions. Please consider how important The Justice is to every walk of Brandeis life, and how it can be used to heal those wounds it has now inflicted. The newspaper has too much positive history to tear it down.Any individual who truly cares about the future direction of the newspaper should join it. The newspaper's coverage and tone can best reflect the diversity of the campus only when the entire campus joins its ranks. The colors of the faces at the newspaper can only change if the colors of the faces willing to join the newspaper change. Don't let the actions of one columnist and the mind-bogglingly irresponsible editors lead to an end to a good institution.Reuben Kantor '92, Forum Editor, 1990-91Evan Berland '92, Editor-in-Chief 1990-92
(10/21/03 4:00am)
To the Editors of the Justice- I will keep this letter brief, as I'm sure you are utterly swamped in responses to the offensive article, and also to the forum held in the Shapiro Center on Thursday. I attended the forum and stayed for the entire two hour event, and a few things stood out to me that I felt the need to respond to. Firstly, a great many people in our community seem to think that Brandeis as a whole and the Justice specifically would best be served by a change in leadership at the Justice, in order to guarantee that this kind of terrible mistake never happens again. To those people, I would say this: Who better to lead the Justice than the current board of editors who have just gone through this experience? Is there anyone on our campus who is now more keenly aware of the need for more editorial oversight than they are? I think that, having just been brought face to face with the results of their own error, the current editorial board is ideally suited to provide the kind of vigilance and leadership we want to see from the people who run our newspaper. Secondly, there are also a great many people out there who feel that the Justice does not represent them, or cover items of interest to them. This sentiment was expressed time and time again during the forum, by people whose credo seems to be this: Complain, but don't take action. If you feel that the Justice doesn't represent you, join the Justice. It is an open student organization that regularly reminds us through ads and recruitment nights that it can always use more enthusiastic, talented writers. If you don't think the Justice properly represents your view of life at Brandeis, contribute your view to the Justice. Write articles, get a column, get involved. The only way you are going to be represented is if you take the action to ensure it, and the only reason the current staff of the Justice has the opportunity to share their views with us every week is because they have done exactly that. Lastly, a sentiment I heard expressed many times last night was the need for "someone to be held accountable." Certainly, this is a reasonable request, but I felt that the subtext last night was less about accountability and more about blame; This is a natural human reaction, to look for someone to blame, for someone to be angry at, for a scapegoat, but this is an urge we must resist. What good would it do the Brandeis community and the Justice to run the editor-in-chief or sports editor out of town on a rail? One of them is quite new to his job, the other has served the Justice well for a very long time, and taking one, the other, or both as a blood offering to appease the injured parties here will do nothing but ruin two people whose error was one of oversight, not malice, and replace them with people who are not intimately familiar with the consequences of a mistake like this, as the current E-board of the justice undoubtably are.
(10/14/03 4:00am)
Watch out! The Justice is out to get you! It would like nothing more than to make each and everyone of you look bad. Its goal is to constantly get facts wrong, slander you in every possible way and misrepresent everything that happens on campus. Our mission is to be as offensive as possible. In fact, news reporters are instructed to only portray one side of each story and to openly express their views while writing their stories - making their opinions vivid in everything they write. The writers deliberately attempt, although not always successfully, to misquote their sources, mix up their facts and lie to the Brandeis community (in the most Fair and Balanced way possible of course!)Our bias doesn't stop with our writers. The editorial board is actively placing self-interest ahead of journalistic principals. If there is a cause that the Justice supports, the articles are purposely edited to reflect that view. If there are no hot news stories for the week, the Justice invents scandals, sees villains where none exist and makes good people look bad and smart people sound dumb. It sincerely hopes to accomplish those goals, each and every issue. And justInCase you have been unaffected by this, don't worry, we will target you next!To this effect, justRecently, the board even voted to no longer hide its not-so-secret agenda and to change the name of the news section to justPropaganda and the forum section to justShutUp. (We are also phasing in our new letter to the editor writing policy as some of you have noticed justGetLost).If you really think any of that is true, than not only are you more paranoid than Tom Ridge and John Ashcroft put together, but you are also very wrong.In the newspaper business it is a given that someone will always be unhappy with the coverage. No matter how hard the paper works at maintaining neutrality, keeping bias out of articles, double-checking its information, verifying quotes, getting all sides of the story and editing its articles, there will always be people who are upset. During my term as News Editor (which by the way ends with this issue), it has become evident that most of the complaints can be grouped into relatively few categories.The biggest criticism that people have is that the Justice gets facts wrong or just shouldn't have written the article based on the information provided. However, most of the time, the people complaining are the ones at fault. A recent example is a group's leader telling its members not to talk to the Justice in an effort to squelch an article. What ended up happening was the Justice published the article with only one side of the story making the silent group appear unfavorably. They were not very pleased and complained that we shouldn't have printed without their side of the story-yet maintaining that they still won't provide it. Here is a quick rule of thumb: Not giving us information usually doesn't help making a story more accurate or favorable toward you. The second most prevalent complaint is that the Justice is biased. Most people who say this, though, are usually upset because the Justice included the opinion of not just their side but of the opposition as well. My e-mail is often clogged up with people asking how I could let someone give his opinion in a particular news article. These people are usually self-interested demagogues who don't care about journalism, but only care about spreading their propaganda and portraying it in the most favorable light possible. It's not our job to actively promote any one cause. Instead, the Justice's role is to cover all sides of an issue, provided it's relevant to the community and is actively making news.Finally, there are those who get upset when their own personal cause, political event, or cultural awareness event is not on the front page. Considering it is impossible to place every event as front page news, it's up to the editors to decide whether a story is important to the Brandeis community and what impact it bears on our readership. Our goal is to portray as accurately and fairly as possible what goes on. And granted we don't always get things right. But we try hard - with editors spending nearly 40 hours per week in the newsroom.And if you really dislike the way we do things, maybe its time you stop complaining and come write for us yourself. Only after you do the job for yourself - instead of just participating in Brandeis' favorite pastime of complaining or crying foul about everything - are you truly qualified to play toilet-can critic and criticize the paper. In the meantime, instead of griping about what we do wrong, as an alternative try suggesting how we can improve in a productive manner. You'll be surprised how open everyone is to suggestions.In the end, I have enjoyed the honor of being News Editor for the past year, but I am glad to be getting my life back. Maybe with the 40 or so hours per week back I will now have free time, I can finally do some homework, get some sleep and finally find out where my friends live.
(10/14/03 4:00am)
The club Scandalous was recognized. The mission of Scandalous is to bring choreographed hip hop dance performances to the Brandeis Community to experience and enjoy hip hop dance.The Club Brandeis for Dean was chartered. The purpose of Brandeis for Dean is to provide a forum for discussion about the current national and international events as well as to serve as a meeting place for students interested in the politics of presidential candidate Howard Dean.After heavy debate about whether Chabad should be recognized, the executive board discovered Chabad was never de-chartered. The mission of the Chabad of Brandeis Club is to teach, learn and increase awareness of a philosophy which guides a person to refine and govern his and her every act and feeling through wisdom, comprehension and knowledge.The Brandeis University Student Union Senate granted up to $300 toward the creation of the Mark Chopelas Memorial Tree Site in front of the Village. Chopelas was killed building the village.The Korean Student Association requested $350 for a traditional garb used for "Sa Mool Nol Ree," a Korean drum performance group founded recently by a Korean Student Association member. The group performed at last year's Asian Awareness Month Closing Ceremony and the Culture X Spectacle. The request was tabled until next week.The Activist Resource Center said they will be hosting an event sponsored by the National Labor Committee and the Coalition to Abolish Sweatshops to bring two fired women maquila workers from Honduras and union leader Fabia Gutierrez to speak at Brandeis. The Activist Resource Center requested $750 from the Union Senate to sponsor these speakers to stop at Brandeis during their tour of the United States. Students Talking About Relationships (STAR) was granted $603 to complete a training in accordance with the Massachusetts peer-counseling mandated requirement, STAR counselors complete a 35-hour training.- Compiled by David Cutler and Igor Pedan
(10/14/03 4:00am)
A new wave of discussion has hit the Brandeis campus with stunning effects. The fall of 2002 marked the beginning for a group on campus that hopes to continue "as long as Brandeis is here." Founded by Ali Nabi, Mohammed Ashraf, and Omar Haq, the India-Pakistani Dialogue Group boasts approximately 65 members and holds meetings every Monday night at 8 p.m.During the summer of 2002 the idea was hatched for a new group, similar to the Arab-Jewish Dialogue Group, that would provide Indian and Pakistani students a forum for discussion. Haq explained, "We were friends who felt that some sort of dialogue group would be a really interesting idea. We met over that summer and planned it out under the direction of the Ethics Center. We were the founding members of this dialogue group."According to the purpose stated on the club's Web site, the India-Pakistani group provides "a comfortable environment to discuss sensitive issues related to India and Pakistan." These include topics such as women in South Asia, Hindu-Muslim relations, Kashmir, stereotypes, gender relations, and conflict between the countries. Offering students a chance to meet others with similar ethnic backgrounds, this discussion group attempts to "strengthen relationships between members of the group."In its founding year, the Dialogue Group organized several monumental events on campus. Haq summarized the club's successful year when he stated, "in three short semesters, we made our mark on campus." The largest event by far was the organization of a free peace concert starring the internationally acclaimed rock group from Junoon. This single event raised $1600 for charity and had an attendance of over six hundred people. In addition to inviting Junoon to perform at Brandeis, the club cosponsored the award-winning documentary "Promises" with the Arab-Jewish Dialogue Group. Following the film showing was a panel discussion from members of the group and a presentation by one of the main figures in the movie - Faraj Faraj from West Bank. The group also invited acclaimed Indian documentary film director Summa Josson to campus for a screening of her controversial film, "Gujarat: A Laboratory of Hindu Rastra." The inaugural year of the India-Pakistani Dialogue Group provided the campus with some huge events.As a recognized club on campus, the group's purpose states that it increases "co-existence and tolerance between members of the Brandeis community." Following a long-standing tradition of exploring ethnic diversity on campus, the India-Pakistani Dialogue Group adds to Brandeis's development of diverse cultures. When asked about the future of the club, Haq responded, "Every semester, we have a new group and dynamics so we have to work out and include the new members so that they feel comfortable enough." With an optimistic future, the India-Pakistani Dialogue Group is guaranteed to succeed in its goal to "learn to appreciate and understand positions and sensitivities of both groups.
(10/14/03 4:00am)
Due to "constant and unending" Windows security vulnerabilities Computer Operators Group (COG) has decided to shut down Boogle, an indexing engine students use to locate files on the Brandeis computer network. Boogle's website now tells studens that file-sharing leaves anyone who shares files or uses any type of incoming network services vulnerable to "remote exploit and system compramise.""We recommend that any non-essential services are kept turned off, computers are kept off at night, and theWindows personal firewall is turned on for users of Windows XP," the COG statement read.Recently UNet Systems Administrator Rich Graves posted on a myBrandeis.edu forum that at least three students had their computers comprimissed and used by the Russian mafia to launder money and trade child pornography.Graves told the Justice that viruses usually infect campus computers in one of three ways: as spam-related links and attachments, as viral files or programs downloaded by the user, usually from peer to peer programs such as Kazaa, and from exploited security holes in Windows and Internet Explorer software. The first problem Graves said he is relatively confident of dealing with conclusively, as UNet filters block approximately 90% of incoming spam. Even so, it is unavoidable that some spam will find a way around this filtering process, and users are strictly cautioned to not even open such suspect e-mail. The other two possibilities are a far more pressing concern, according to Graves. Aside from routine scans, there is really no way to identify illicit files users willingly download, due to the inherent possibility of monitoring so much network activity, and active and up-to-date virus protection is the only effective remedy, something, Graves said, is completely out of his hands. For the sake of your computer and all the other 3000+ computers connected directly to it, Graves said students should strictly keep their virus protection active and up to date. Graves said he cautions users to not use such peer-to-peer software at all. He pointed out that one such program, called Earthstation 5, even contains malicious codes that gives it administrative access to computers that use it, allowing it to delete files on these computers as the people who control it wish. The reasons for this are unknown, but they highlight the inherent dangers of such software. This is, of course, in addition to the well-known legal ramifications of such programs.The third avenue of viral contamination, holes in Windows product security, is by far the most threatening problem, Graves contends. There is, Graves warns, a documented but as yet to be resolved hole in IE's coding that allows hostile programming to alter the address registry of victim computers, allowing hackers to rout affected systems to whatever websites they wish.According to Graves, the ultimate aim of the vast majority of viruses is to seize control of your computer and use it as an intermediary to take control of more computers, to manufacture spam, or even to surreptitiously host websites, usually pornographic in nature. There is even a black market for such controlled computers, Graves added, with prices around one dollar per compromised PC.Erez Dayan, '06 was one of the students whose computer the Russian Mafia used. According to Dayan, "The computer was always running something," and it "started opening random programs when I loaded AIM." In addition to the initial hassle of the virus, he said hehad to go through a lengthy process to regain his network connection that included reinstalling Windows, which took over a week to complete. Dayan said he suspects he got the virus through an e-mail attachment or a false music file he downloaded.Viruses can be more than merely inconvenient Graves said. On Jan. 25, Graves cited an instance of a kind of virus that infected Microsoft-based web servers, spread rapidly, and for a time, managed to shut down the entire internet by clogging it up with trash data. It is possible to wreak all kind of havoc on networks of any kind, and all the hackers need is one opening and one careless user, Graves said. "Keeping your computer secure is a national security issue, as the combination of human error and human malice on the Internet can be hugely disastrous," Graves said.
(09/23/03 4:00am)
After discovering $122,000 in rolled-over Student Union funds last September, little progress has been made toward spending this money on student-initiated projects. In spite of the fact that the Student Union is technically in control of the money, the University administration has acted to limit for which projects the money can be used.This year's Executive Board (E-Board) has pledged to continue working to have the money spent on student projects but has had a difficult time."This year's E-board is very dedicated to freeing up the money and allocating it to a project for student enjoyment," said Union Director of Public Affairs and Communications Nicole Karlebach '04.Once the money was found last year, the then Executive Board members took on the responsibility of collecting student ideas for ways to spend the money.That Executive Board collected ideas in a number of town hall style forums. After an April town hall meeting last spring, the E-Board compiled nine different plans to spend the money."Last year, we held a number of town hall meetings to gauge student opinion on a number of capital improvement projects," said Union President Joshua Brandfon '05, who served last year as Union Treasurer.According to Brandfon, after the plans were compiled, the Executive Board planned on holding a campus-wide vote to choose one of the nine plans.This fall, after meeting with Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy, the E-Board was told that a number of the original proposals would not be viable while a number would be acceptable options."I met with Vice President Eddy and went through each of the proposals; she informed me of which ones we would be able to present and told me which were not financially or logically feasible," Brandfon said.Karlebach added, "We were waiting for approval of the proposals from the Administration. There was a delay because Peter French had a medical issue and so the proposals were tied up for a longer time than expected."Vice President for Students and Enrollment Brian Walton clarified the Administration's decision: "Some of the proposals that were put through - the true cost was higher than proposed because of issues with upkeep that is unfunded."One of the capital projects approved by the administration is a proposal to install a rock gym in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. According to an E-Board press release, Jesse Salk '04, Matthew Travis '05 and the Brandeis Outdoor and Mountaineering Club proposed that "as part of a conversion of the squash courts, the five current courts would become three International Courts, and the remaining space would go to building an artificial rock wall for climbing and bouldering."The other approved plan is for a game room in the space left vacant when the bookstore relocated to the Shapiro Campus Center.The game room proposal, as outlined by Jasmine Vallejo '03 and the Fun@Brandeis Group in February 2003, calls for the creation of "a space for students that is relaxing and fun."According to the proposal, the game room would include storage space for clubs (in the old game room space), video game stations, a plasma screen displaying my.brandeis.edu announcements, pool tables, ping-pong table, dartboards, air hockey, an "instant" photo booth and a juke box/karaoke area.The game room proposal also called for the Student Services Bureau to manage the new space and to have outdoor equipment such as sleeping bags, tents, snowshoes, skates, and lawn games.Currently, the E-Board plans to hold a referendum where the full student body will vote on which administration-approved plan they prefer."We are going to have a referendum in late October," said Karlebach.Brandfon echoed this sentiment."Senior Vice President Eddy has said that it is her responsibility to push (the allocation of the funds) forward as fast as possible. We would expect it to happen soon after the referendum."According to Karlebach, the referendum will give students three different plans to choose from, structured in two separate votes.First, students will choose between the two plans approved by the administration by voting either for the game room proposal or for the climbing-wall proposal. Then, in a separate vote, students will vote on whether they believe $15,000 of the total should be allocated to a monument remembering Ford Hall.The Ford Hall proposal, initially submitted by Nicole Amerteifio '04, Andrei Khots '05 and Daniel Mauer '06, has since been picked up by Class of 2006 Senator Edgar Ndjatou '06. The plan calls for a monument to be constructed in or near the campus center.According to Ndjatou '06, this monument is sorely needed."What these students did, it affected me as a freshman and it's something dear in my heart. It should not be forgotten because of all the great initiatives which came out of (the Ford Hall takeover)."Ndjatou '06 also expressed concerns about the size and placement of the memorial, as he feels that the current tribute is not prominent enough."We're hoping to have a monument that will stand out, not just a plaque." One of the options rejected by the administration was BEMCo's plan to purchase an ambulance.According to Karlebach, this proposal was rejected because it would have imposed a recurring maintenance cost on the University.According to the press release, the plan was requesting $40,000 that would cover "equipment, training, insurance and maintenance."The plan included "finding a donor for the actual ambulance, saving the University between $60,000 and $120,000."Another plan submitted to the E-Board that was rejected by the Administration was a plan to, according to the E-Board's press release, "study possibilities to phase out the use of Social Security numbers on campus."The legal status of the money has been a consideration throughout the process, though the Union government has remained in control of the money throughout."The rollover fund has been isolated and is not currently something the treasurer and president touch. No Student Union president or treasurer has touched that money in 15 months," said Walton.
(09/09/03 4:00am)
Josh Blechner '04 told Student Senate members that "no explanation was given" regarding the recent change in guest meal policy. Before the current semester, students were allowed to accumulate up to 15 guest meals. With the new policy, only five guest meals are given per semester. Students proposed that the Brandeis University Field Hockey Club be chartered. According to the club's constitution, members of the Field Hockey Club will "learn the rules of the sport as well as the skills required to play...they will implement these skills while playing games against other college field hockey clubs." The club was chartered after with 14 yays and 0 nays. The Middle East Forum at Brandeis (MEFAB) requested to be recognized as a campus club. The organization's mission, as stated in their constitution, is to "define and promote American interests in the Middle East...to explore issues related to the Middle East as seen through the prism and presented within the context of America's present and future national interests." Other goals of the club include addressing the following issues: "U.S. ties with Turkey, Israel and other democracies as they emerge in the region; human rights throughout the region; the importance of securing a stable supply and low price of oil; the peaceful resolution of regional and international disputes." After two yays and two abstentions, MEFAB was officially recognized. Two community advisers of Ridgewood and one from The Village requested $1,000 for Ridgewood @ Night, a social event open to the entire campus. The event will take place on Sept. 20 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Ridgewood Quad. Several senators asked that the CAs request more money from the Department of Residence Life and Student Events. To eliminate the cost of music, the CAs were told to use WBRS for music, rather than hiring Student Events. An amendment was made to the request; a $350 emergency money grant was approved. Senators also discussed the need for a Muslim Students Association (MSA) chaplin. -- Compiled by Vered Blonstein
(09/09/03 4:00am)
It's been two weeks since the UNet staff began a large-scale effort to protect the university's computer network from Internet-born viruses, and members of the student-run service and the entire Brandeis community can breathe a bit easier. According to UNet sources, the worst of the security risk is over, and the vast majority of students whose computers were affected or vulnerable to viruses have been assisted and are functioning properly."We've had somewhere between 100 and 150 cases of the viruses," said Nat Budin '05, a member of the UNet staff. "We've gone through almost all of them." Since the panic of the first few days, the volume of calls and visits to the Unet headquarters in Shapiro campus center has gradually decreased. "It looks like everything's died down," UNet staff member Dmitry Gimzelberg '06 said. As students arrived on campus on August 24, UNet's staff of 16 was scrambling to ensure that all computers were protected from viruses and immune to security risks within Microsoft Windows XP. CDs containing antivirus software, paper handouts with step-by-step procedures, and detailed online instructions amounted to a bold first stand in a technological battle that now seems to be tipping in UNet's favor. On Aug. 26 and 27 and then again on Aug. 31, the staff ran organized "blitzes," with half of the staff patrolling the residence halls in North Quad and the other half manning Massell Quad. Students were offered in-room assistance with their computers."It was pretty hectic the first weekend when all the freshmen came up," said staff member Ye Tian '06. "I was running through Massell-I was there for 10 hours during the blitzes. But in all it wasn't bad. We've gone through lots of people." The online forums at my.brandeis.edu continue to serve as an alternative to using the phone or visiting the UNet help desk in Shapiro. Students with computer trouble can post a message and will usually receive an answer within twelve hours of the posting. "The forums are preferable for me," explained UNet staff member Jon Sagotsky '05, "because if I don't have an answer, I have time to look one up, and in theory I only have to answer a question once since it's available for others to read. Most basic questions have already been answered there."As pleased as they are with their own response to the crisis, many UNet staff members have been impressed with the student reaction as well. "I've worked at tech jobs before," says Budin, " and usually people are screaming mad over the phone. But I'm really impressed with how level-headed Brandeis students are - It's quite a pleasant shock." Team Leader Omar Haq '04 credited the first year students, whom he described as being "very helpful." Haq, however, was less enthused with the university's advertising effort. "Last Sunday's blitz, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., we fixed approximately four computers. That's preposterous. It hasn't been advertised as much as it should be." He added, though, that "the Tuesday and Wednesday blitzes were very successful. I personally fixed about 25 computers."Though the worst of the storm has been weathered, UNet is still hard at work. "When on blitzes," explained Sagotsky, "we have to ignore the tricky problems because solving one of them takes as long as connecting ten people with minor problems. Naturally we connect ten people and save the one tricky one for later. Now its later, so troubleshooting has gotten infinitely more difficult." Regarding the volume of phone calls during UNet shifts, Sagotsky explained, "These days, I never stop talking. That's not abnormal for the beginning of the semester, though.
(08/26/03 4:00am)
This year, hearing the title of resident advisor will no longer be commonplace in the halls of Brandeis dormitories. With the term community advisor serving as a replacement, former resident advisors and students will have to consider the significance of the change.The subject came to the forefront of the Department of Residence Life's agenda last year, after fears of students' false perceptions of resident advisor duties arose. Residence Life held numerous open forums to discuss potential change and to "reflect" on the title and its implications, according to Michael LaFarr, Associate Director of Residence Life. "We were worried about people's preconceived notions of resident advisors because of the way they are portrayed in media and the title's negative connotations," LaFarr said. "But we're not interested in being policemen or women ... we are different than other universities."Before the community adviser title was coined, "community advocate" was a potential new title. The arguments of several students, however, proved that the term didn't show much potential. "There were some concerns voiced by returning RAs -- myself included - that the initial choice -- community advocate - was not an appropriate one, and I'm glad to say that the Department was admirably responsive to these concerns and went with the much better choice," said Kevin Grinberg '04, a community adviser. "Community advocate makes it sound more like they're there to argue on our behalf," Yoni Samlan '05 said. The winning title is favored by former resident adviser and current community adviser Melissa Gersin '04, who called the change "positive." "A lot of people view resident advisers as always on the prowl to get people in trouble ... Unfortunately, that belief couldn't be further from the truth," Gersin said. Grinberg agreed that the change is constructive. "The word 'community' is a more inclusive term that better highlights the true role of the position: to build community," Grinberg said. "I feel that the name 'community adviser' better reflects the nature of our position than community advocate or resident adviser since we do much more than just advocate and we should be building communities, rather than just working with residents," former resident adviser and current community adviser Adam Batkin '04 said. Former resident adviser Alison Warren '04 said that the title change "marks a paradigm shift for Residence Life at Brandeis.""Hopefully the switch to community adviser signals a broader shift for how the University treats students," Warren added. Not everyone supported the change. "It seems kind of pointless to call them community advisers since they really are resident advisers. Everyone in a dorm gets a specific resident adviser," Samlan said. Josh Levine '06 finds the change to be "appalling." "They've searched for a title that fits something that can very easily stay the same and not hurt anyone. Why change something that's a standard in every single university in the world?" Levine said. But, LaFarr insisted that the change isn't "simply cosmetic." "We want the change to reflect what we're doing," LaFarr said.
(05/20/03 4:00am)
"Hi! It's Jamie, from the Justice." This chirpy statement was the beginning of the majority of my phone conversations this year. Sad, but true. Like "Jenny from the block," over the course of the year I morphed from Jamie Freed, normal Brandeis senior, to "Jamie from the Justice."My college career didn't start out this way. I was Jamie from California or Jamie from Reitman/Rosenthal/Ziv/the Mods. If that wasn't descriptive enough, I was also Jamie, the short Jewish girl with brown hair. At one point, I was Jamie from Boris' Kitchen. Or perhaps, to you, I was simply Jamie, that really obnoxious girl in one of your classes.But after spending 40 hours per week inside the Shapiro Center (fortunately less green than the outside), I somehow became "Jamie from the Justice." It was a slow transition. It actually began last March, when I unadvisedly took the position of forum editor, despite being a junior who was taking five classes, acting in one show and producing another. By November, I became the paper's interim news editor, also known as the Union Senate whipping-girl. Eventually, I returned to the forum section, content with writing egotistical, tasteless columns about decidedly trivial issues.Dropping the self-deprecating sarcasm for a moment, I did learn a lot this year -- about journalism and about life. Staying at the Justice office one night per week - often until 9 a.m. - taught me some valuable lessons that could not be otherwise gained from within the hallowed halls of Rabb. And for my final column, I've decided to share some of this so-called wisdom. I've learned - to my great dismay - that no matter how hard you try, perfection is often regrettably unattainable. Nobody's perfect, and therefore neither are the newspapers people produce, including the Justice. But I did learn that if you do put in a strong effort, it almost always pays off. Did I expect that an eyewitness to university shootings in Melbourne, Australia would actually answer my e-mail requesting an interview? No, of course not. But did this professor get back to me almost immediately and greatly improve my story on campus shootings? Surprisingly, yes.Cold-calling suspected drug users for an article about opium use on campus was another daring proposition. Even without printing names, I didn't know if people would speak to me or not. And some didn't. I honestly don't know if I would have spoken to a reporter if faced with the same difficult questions. But I kept trying, and in the end - due to the assistance of those willing to speak out about the issue - the story was printed.Through my approximately 50 articles this year, I've received a wide range of comments from students, faculty and administrators. Some have been friendly, funny remarks about my "fluffy" columns on Googling or saying hi to people on campus. Others have been extremely negative, wondering why I would dare write a news article about the Israeli divestment debate not being discussed at Brandeis. I could never publicly address such concerns while I was actively editing the newspaper, but I will now. I wrote about divestment because every other major university was discussing the issue, and I, for one, wanted to know why Brandeis was not. I wrote about Brandeis cutting its NPR advertisements because it was a political stance the University took without informing the students whom the administration represents. I wrote about Provost Bernstein's departure because while the University made a general announcement, the entire campus was left confused by his sudden leave. I wrote about the bomb threats on campus because classes were displaced and police would not tell students more than the fact that a threat had been made.I wrote to inform the community of the actions occurring in our midst. Perhaps I am more curious than most, leading to my interest in journalism. But I wanted to know what goes on behind the scenes at Brandeis, and I wished for everyone else to have access to this information as well. That is why I have chosen to be a reporter, both at Brandeis and beyond, after I graduate from Northwestern's journalism school next year.Certainly, being utterly associated with a single activity did have its disadvantages -- I could often not escape the flurry of e-mail and voicemail from students, faculty and administrators wanting just one more event covered or one extra photo to appear in the paper, no matter how hard I tried. Yet despite the stress-induced weight loss and late-night hits of Red Bull, being "Jamie from the Justice" was worth the hard work. Yes, it overwhelmed my social, academic and extracurricular career. But I also found my niche at Brandeis in the process, after three years of trying.Take a hint from this: Even if you have just completed your junior year, you still have time. If you feel you don't quite fit in, take a chance on a new activity or course of study. If I hadn't, I'd be attending law school this fall like so many other undecided students in this gloomy economy.Instead, I'm happily pursuing journalism. And to quote from my new namesake, Jennifer Lopez: "(I) used to have a little - now I have a lot."- Jamie Freed '03 has submitted her final column to the Justice.
(04/29/03 4:00am)
The Justice bids farewell to five editors who have given all of themselves to the newspaper. We wish them the best of luck in all they do, and we are confident they will be successful in all they undertake.Jamie Freed '03 is our resident workhorse. She served the newspaper well as forum editor and news editor, and sometimes both at the same time. On top of reminding us that our duties are comparatively easy, she also brought a non-East Coast flair to the board, whether that flair is Californian or Australian. She will be leaving Brandeis to attend the school of journalism at Northwestern University this June. Jackie Hendries '04 is an expert at many jobs. She began her climb through the ranks as an Arts editor, taking over for two editors with big shoes: Michaela May and Caroline Litwack. After successfully completing her term at Arts, she became our managing editor. And although she was a great manager, she will be remembered best for her mastery of sciences that no one else could comprehend.Anna Ichikawa '03 is widely acknowledged as being "really sweet." She took over Arts on short notice and performed her job with minimal assistance. She was not a career Justice-ite, but was integral to the paper during her tenure. The editor in chief particularly thanks her for completing her section on time.Caroline Litwack '03 can best be described as a Justice "old timer." She was here back in the day, and her approach to the newspaper reflects her experience. Caroline joined the Justice as an Arts editor and her section was just as fresh and vivid as her pink hair. Nobody can quantify how much happiness she brought to the boardroom with her giggling and her stories. Her parties were OK too. Caroline brought out the best in us, as she will for those who will benefit from the English literacy programs she develops for Italian children.Michaela May '03 is the Justice. She began her career as an Arts editor, working alongside Caroline. Then she took the plunge into the sea called editor in chief. Though the sea was rough when she dove in, Michaela calmed the waves. She was a calming and inspiring influence on all of us. She was simultaneously strong and gentle, knowledgeable and humble, willful and pragmatic. As could be expected from a journalist of her caliber, she will be moving to Washington to find a job in the field. She will undoubtedly bring as much professionalism to her future employer as she did to our newspaper.
