(04/08/03 4:00am)
When a military conflict with Iraq was looming on the horizon, in a safe haven of a Brandeis classroom and abstract thought, Prof. Marion Smiley (PHIL) prepared her Ethics class (PHIL 114b) for war. "After break we will begin with war and morality," she said referring to the curriculum, "which might by then be a more pertinent issue than I had expected." "Hopefully, " she added, "it won't come to that."Playing dirtyWhen the war in Iraq began, students in PHIL 114b complemented dated readings of war crimes and tactics with the freshly reported examples from across the world. Having predominantly addressed the Mai Lai massacre as a prime example of military atrocity, Smiley devoted a lecture to more current examples: white-flag ambush, the use of non-military vehicles in combat and the humiliation of prisoners of war. The students analyzed these tactics on the part of the Iraqi military in the context of dignity, utility and morality. Although a large part of the class agreed that using such methods was "playing dirty," in the words of philosopher Thomas Nagel, this verdict was not reached with unanimity. Decisions and justificationsWhile philosophy students were coincidentally shaken out of the usual abstraction of their discussion, courses like Professor Seyom Brown's (POL) U.S. Foreign Policy since WWII (POL 168b) molded more naturally to current events. The goal of the course is to explore the changes in U.S's world role, and with only a slight break in the chronology of their curriculum, the class naturally shifted their eyes to Iraq and their reading materials to newspapers and the Web. On Thursday morning, Brown lectured on the differences between the current war and the Persian Gulf war of 1991. "George Bush Sr. had a more convincing justification," he told his class, "given that an aggression had taken place across an international boundary." "It was easier to put together an impressive coalition, of which even Egypt and Syria were a part. This time the threat is more ambiguous, and our objective - changing the regime - is usually not as acceptable."Brown interpreted the incorporation of the current war into lecture and classroom discussion as a significant contribution to the comprehension and decision-making powers of his students. "What we can do in a classroom is somewhat different than can be done in a rally or teach-in," he said. "That generates more enthuse or condemnation on the part of the crowd. (In class) we're trying to understand and to appreciate, and that doesn't mean to endorse."Before delving into current press-media, Brown fostered this appreciation in his students by assigning memoirs of influential political figures. By studying the minds of our politicians, Brown said he hopes students realize that "the people making these decisions are for the most part really wrestling with the issues." Having worked in the Department of Defense and Department of State, Brown says he feels he is capable of and obligated to expose his students to "the kind of serious thinking that goes on."Human rightsAn amalgam of philosophical and political issues was brought to the floor in another one of Brown's Politics courses - Human Rights and International Relations. Dividing their attention between the war on terrorism and that with Iraq, students of POL 163a analyzed the extent to which civil liberties have been put on the defensive by current imperatives. Brown's concern is the "great leeway to compromise human rights in the case of a national emergency." Various homeland defense initiatives, installment of surveillance devices and profiling were among the examples Brown referred to as infringements on basic human rights. The subsequent goal of the course is not only to map them out, but to speculate why "people are putting up with them."Approaching rampant war crimes from a more political perspective than PHIL 114b, Brown mused that the "adversaries seem more guilty than the U.S." However, he pointed out an irony in American efforts to brand Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his regime as war criminals, given our refusal to join the newly established International Criminal Court. It is this unilateral attitude that fatigues the coercion of support from our allies, Brown said.In additional to current military action, human rights factor into a retrospective calculation of the war's pros and cons. "There will be a tremendous dislocation of people's lives and ordinary means of survival - creating hunger, starvation and disease," Brown said. "And who will be the guardian of the victim's of Saddam's regime? It is not clear that once victorious - like in Kosovo and Afghanistan -- we will concern ourselves with human rights."Voices of EuropeDominating politics and daily conversation, current events in Iraq brought Professor Stephen Whitfield's (AMST) America in the World class to a similar junction to Smiley's and Brown's. Although AMST 156b is not designed to trace a military interaction but rather a primarily cultural one, "a course of a dozen students that was designed well in advance of the current crisis has somehow had to confront this in the curriculum," Whitfield said. To properly address the war, Whitfield invited two guest lecturers to address the topic of war. Prof. Richard Pells of the University of Texas -- author of "Not Like Us," a required reading for the course - came to discuss European fluctuation of love and hate toward America. Having just returned from Germany, he spoke of the nation's contemporary attitudes toward war and the U.S. Pells referred to Germany's experience with the horrors of war as a partial source of hostility to our foreign policy. Bassam Tibi, a professor of International Relations in Goettigen, Germany and an authority on Arab nationalism and Islamic Fundamentalism, spoke about the clash of civilizations of which "Operation Iraqi Freedom," as the war is known, is only one instance. As an Arab born in Syria and a faithful Muslim, Tibi is "deeply concerned about the need to establish democratic institutions in the Arab world and believes that failing to democratize (it) will intensify the conflict," Whitfield said.Unlike Brown, Whitfield does not feel the AMST 156b curriculum deserved more than a peripheral addition of war topics and material. "I'm hired to teach the material that students have signed up for," he said, "and there are plenty of opportunities outside of the classroom for serious engagement with contemporary events." Moreover, even though Whitfield's course has served as a venue for edification and discussion of the war, he does not feel it is his role as a teacher to direct such dialogue. "These are matters on which I have an opinion as a citizen," he said, "but I don't feel it is appropriate to either challenge or reinforce views in a setting in which I have some measure of authority but not scholarly expertise."Social awarenessWhile scholarly authority to teach the war may only be self-evident in the politics department, Professor Susan Kahn (ANTH) has also approached the topic in lecture and discussion. Coincidentally, during the week that war was declared, students of her course, (ANTH 118b), were assigned to read an ethnography of an Iraqi village. "So we couldn't help but talk about the ironies and implications for village (population)," Kahn said. Developing on the inadvertent incorporation of current events, Kahn devoted a class to the history of Iraq, in order to give her students an "understanding of the kind of micro level socio-processes in Islamic society - whether daily negotiations over marriage or modernity," Kahn said. Kahn says her goal as a professor is limited to exposing the peculiarities and social experiences of daily life, which in turn clarify students' attitudes toward the issues inherent in the war. "I'm very aware that this is an anthropology course," Kahn said, "And while you can't disentangle politics from culture, presenting the dilemmas of Middle East life humanizes the political conflict."Like Whitfeild and Brown, Kahn said she has no interest in propagandizing one political view over another and no desire of indoctrinating her students. But while she hosts pro/anti war discussion, Kahn hopes the "students are sensitized to the implication of war for families and individuals."From historical introspection to cultural analysis to a review of political strategy, teaching the war lends itself to a myriad of courses, no matter how indirect their relevance. Whether via opinion-laden discussion or objective instruction, the classroom is a unique resource for a student and a citizen. Jordana Singer '04 said the material covered in PHIL 114b has taught her "that all news sources and reasons for going to war are biased." "Unfortunately," she added, "rather than guide my opinion in one direction or another, it has contributed to a standstill."Mira Elias '06, a student in POL 168b is satisfied to be informed rather than guided by Brown. "I think in a class like American Foreign Policy the professor is absolutely obligated to talk about current events, because you're watching the subject you are studying come to life," she said. "The classroom is a great forum because you get a variety of ideas and debate, and you can ask questions that you might not otherwise get answered."And in using the classroom setting for imparting and analyzing current events, the material may straddle both practical and philosophical grounds. "It's necessary to have a good understanding of what's happening to look at the details in a philosophical context," Brown said, "but we must address the philosophical details with fidelity to what's happening on the ground.
(03/25/03 5:00am)
Preliminary elections for various positions in the Student Union government, including president and vice president, end today at noon. The second round of elections will be held tomorrow in order to determine students' final choices. Elections are held online at http://people.brandeis.edu/ stunion/election. Since there are over 20 people running for various positions in the Student Union, the Justice has chosen only to profile the presidential race. The three candidates are Josh Brandfon '05, Michael Corwin '05, and Josh Sugarman '05. Information about all other candidates is available online at the voting webpage.Josh BrandfonBrandfon, current Union treasurer, is very focused on bringing the student government together, reforming the Union Allocations Board (A-board), increasing diversity on campus, and working toward reforms that other members of the Union government may propose. "Instead of being completely consumed by my own agenda, I hope to work for every member of the Executive Board (E-board) and the senate to help them accomplish their own goals," he said. "As a more cohesive unit, your government will be able to push harder, succeed quicker and implement change and policy at a pace faster than if that had been everyone working alone." Brandfon would like to restructure the A-board by "reforming the micromanagement policies that exist and giving club leaders more freedom to run their events as they please. More trust to club leaders, less of a burden for all parties."He would like to see some change made to the University's physical plant. Brandfon said at the televised presidential debate on Wednesday, "We must assure that Usdan remains a student center," adding that he supports the idea that the area which currently lies vacant, the old bookstore, be used as a recreation center. He also sees some room for improvement in the newly constructed Shapiro Campus Center saying, "If we wanted a 24-hour library or a 24 hour student center, we would have asked for it ... Let's breathe some more life into this already vibrant student center," suggesting that the JavaCity caf remain open 24-hours and that vending machines be installed in the Campus Center. During his two years at Brandeis, Brandfon has served on the Union Judiciary and on the E-board of the Student Union as treasurer, on the Aboard and as a member of the Secured Allocation Fund Board. Outside of student government, he is a WBRS DJ, sits on the Executive Board of the Brandeis Reform Chavurah (Hillel's Reform Movement), and just finished his UTC/Hillel Theater Group debut as a member of the "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" production staff. "If I was going to describe myself in a word, it would be a professional," he said, pointing to his efficiency and the progress he has made for the office of the treasurer this year. This year he has helped to convert the Student Union's finances so that they can be organized on Quick Book and hired a full time bookkeeper. Several times during the debate, he referred to his experiences this year as treasurer as potentially helpful in his endeavors as president next year. To cast a vote for Brandfon is "to cast a vote for government accountability," he said.Michael CorwinCorwin, the current senator for the Class of 2005, is most focused on listening to the voices of all students, from the "hyper-involved" ones to the ones who are not usually as verbal about their concerns and increasing diversity. His concerns are "community, fun, and campus." At the televised debate on Wednesday, he said, "My goal as president is to keep my ears open at all times to all groups ... No student organization should ever feel that the Student Union does not listen to them ... I think that it's very important to listen to the voices of all students."Corwin would also like to work on bringing the students, the student government and administrators together. "Administrators are very distant from students," he said saying there is a need to close this gap. He wants to "make sure that we are all working together," to decrease he tension between the E-board and the senate.Corwin would also like to reform the food establishment and Aramark policies. He said, "Over and over and over, there are student complaints about Aramark." To this end, he would like to extend hours in the Usdan Caf, create a bigger Expressway with better weekend hours. As did Brandfon, Corwin indicated that more effort should be put into making the Shapiro Campus Center readily accessible for 24-hours a day.He also suggested that the Resident Advisor (RA) system is flawed and that it must be changed so that RAs are students that residents feel comfortable going to rather than police officers. He indicated the inherent contradiction there, in which an RA can hardly be a confidential source of information and mentor and a rule enforcer effectively at the same time.Also on his agenda is helping to create a game room in the old bookstore, building class and school spirit, having events end after 2:00 a.m. making sure that Modfest continues, and adding a wireless network to campus. He would like to increase school spirit by creating objects around campus that display aspects of Brandeis' history. During his two years at Brandeis, Corwin has been the Class of 2005 senator for both years, the undergraduate representative to the Usdan Reuse Committee, has served on the Dining Services Committee, and helped to coordinate the Midnight Buffet twice. He is also a member of Adagio and Waltham Group.Josh SugarmanSugarman, the current Student Union Advocate and founder of the Office for Judicial Advocacy, is focusing primarily on "real advocacy, true diversity and proven results." This statement, Sugarman's motto during this election, corresponds to three main points, "Real advocacy: It is time that the Student Union began advocating for individual students where students need it most -- academic policy disputes, housing and discipline. The creation of the Office for Judicial Advocacy was only a start. We intend to do much more for students with specific problems. True diversity: At Brandeis we have spent a lot of time talking and meeting about diversity," he said.Sugarman also put an emphasis on the need for increased openness and accessibility of the Student Union to students. He said, "The student government has traditionally been a very closed organization," saing that students should feel comfortable going to the Student Union for suggestions and for reform efforts. "No student, no issue will be overlooked," he said. He also indicated the A-board should be more involved with students and that more financial freedom should be put back into the hands of clubs themselves.Whereas Corwin and Brandfon wanted to work to unify the E-board and the senate, to decrease tension, Sugarman stated, "I love the tension ... it's a check ... it's for the benefit of the student body."Also on his agenda is the providing of funds for student businesses. "Along with the administration, we must provide funds to help students start on-campus businesses which provide services to the student body," he said. "By doing this we will start seeing more late night food service and better on campus entertainment."He would also like to see merit-based and community service-based scholarships awarded to upperclassmen. "The Union will call upon the administration to secure funds to establish upperclass scholarships. These scholarships will reward community service, encourage participation, commend outstanding scholars and ease the financial burden of higher education."Sugarman would also like to provide individual clubs with club vans, saying, "When polled last year, clubs said overwhelmingly that club vans would help them not only do what they do now better, but do more things."During his two years at Brandeis, Sugarman has served as the Student Union Advocate, a member of the E-board for both years, was the founder and is currently serving as the executive director of the Office for Judicial Advocacy and is currently captain of the Men's Rugby Team.
(03/18/03 5:00am)
If you were looking for a break from studying, a night off from endless piles of homework, or just an amusing evening, then the Hillel Theatre Group's production of "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum" was just what you needed. This show brought to life the trials and tribulations of being a slave in ancient Greece, untouchable love, separated lovers because of contracts and a very egotistical soldier. As we are all assured in the beginning song, this is not a think-piece.As the show opens, our main character leads the cast in a lively rendition of "Comedy Tonight," explaining that sometimes you need tragedy but that night you would get comedy. Next, we meet our other main characters and receive a brief description about each. The entire cast sang to a packed house, dressed in togas and then some. There were purple velvet hats, boas, leopard skirts, sequins, tassels and so much more. There was even a point in the show that included drag. Laughter filled the entire room.As the show began, the audience met the hero and the heroine, an only child of incredibly strict parents and a virgin courtesan, only to find out that their love can never be because she was sold to another person just days before. The main character, Pseudolus, played by Joshua Simmons '06, complains about being a slave while our other main character, Hero, played by Devin Carney '06, comments that "Better to be a slave than a slave to love." Yes, it's cheesy but cute at the same time. As the play continued, other interesting and amusing characters including head slave of the house, Hysterium, played by Matt Gertz '06 are introduced. Poor Hysterium runs around trying to keep everything in order without killing himself and dropping from exhaustion, which finally happens at the end of Act One. It should be noted that the actor who played Hysterium is actually recovering from a minor head injury that happened at the dress rehearsal before opening night and is doing fine. He played his part well, including dressing as a woman at the end to try to catch the soldiers' attention so that the two lovers can sneak away. What a courageous boy!Of course, with any comedy, the night will end on a happy note with the soldier and the courtesan realizing that they are siblings (with an "eww" from the rest of the cast), our lovers getting to marry, Pseudolus obtaining his freedom and Histerium receiving a break. Despite the director's belief that we will get nothing from the show besides amusement and a good laugh, you learn that love always wins and that if it is meant to be, it will happen. The cast, pit and crew together put on a terrific show with great music, singing, lighting, props, costumes and acting. Hillel Theatre Group certainly did a great job with the show, and it was a pleasure for all to watch.
(03/18/03 5:00am)
Brandeis' United We Stand (BBUWS), saying it was threatened with a hostile takeover, said it stands united against club filibustering, proposing amendments to its constitution and privatizing its mailing list. These measures were taken preemptively after club members became aware of an e-mail which "outlined in depth how to use our constitution against us to take over our club," BUWS President Mira Meyerovich '03 said in a forum discussion she created on my.brandeis.edu.The e-mail in question, sent by Daniel Mauer '06 to the Antiwar Planning list server, explained that, "you can become a member (of BUWS) by attending one meeting and that, following that, you can vote on proposed amendments to their constitution.""Let's just say I wouldn't be too terribly opposed to a hostile takeover (although I clearly would never support a hostile takeover)," Mauer's e-mail said.Meyerovich and her co-legionaries became aware of this e-mail after Mauer, North Quad senator and the sponsor of a proposed referendum declaiming U.S. military intervention in Iraq, unexpectedly joined the BUWS list server. Meyerovich claims she knew Mauer to be "a prominent anti-war activist," and "in the spirit of mutual information," she and other BUWS leaders proceeded to browse the archives of the Antiwar Planning list server, stumbling upon the e-mail.Mauer was subsequently excised from the BUWS mailing list.In response, Mauer sent responses to both the United We Stand and Antiwar Planning lists, apologizing and assuring that his proposals were made in jest."I have no intention of attempting to take over any club -- United We Stand or any other," Mauer wrote. "I can see after re-reading the e-mail I sent why people would not have seen that my comments were a joke. I apologize very much for that, as I sometimes forget that e-mail can't express the humorous tone that I intended."When asked to comment, Mauer reiterated these sentiments. "The e-mail was just intended to brighten everyone's spirits a little," he said. "I certainly don't want to take over any clubs."Nonetheless, this incident has provoked United We Stand to take action in protection of its sovereignty. Club leaders have decided alter their constitution to include a clause whereby "if someone joins the club to change the constitution, they can be kicked out," Meyerovich said. "It's basically designed to prevent anything like what was described in the e-mail from happening," she continued. "Although at this point, it's really unlikely that anything's going to happen."Also, the club's list server now requires the approval of the moderator in order to join.Meyerovich also created a discussion forum on the my.brandeis.edu Web site to decry what some people see as anti-conservative sentiment at Brandeis. The forum is entitled "persecution of conservatives on campus.""This is not an isolated incident," Meyerovich said in a Wednesday post. "The Republican club has lost its office with no explanation... BUWS fliers are being defaced. Conservative and patriotic student decorations on dorm doors are being vandalized...."Meyerovich and other BUWS members have refused to go on the record regarding dorm decoration vandalism. As for the defacement of BUWS fliers, club secretary and public relations officer Joshua Wiznitzer '03 explained the extent of the damage."One of the signs just had the word 'moo' written all over it. One of them just had the big yellow ribbon on it totally scribbled out," he said. "One of them had 'This can't happen at Brandeis' written on it. Sometimes there were just a bunch of peace signs."When asked about allegations of unfair treatment of conservatives on campus, Mauer said, "it is certainly possible that the conservative clubs are being discriminated against.""But it is also possible that things are just happening," he said. "I can certainly understand why things which are just everyday, normal occurrences can be interpreted as being discrimination. It's a touch issue, the whole thing."Tobias Harris '05, editor of the campus conservative-libertarian publication Concord Bridge, seemed to agree with Mauer's assessment of the situation."There may be individuals who missed the part about liberal democracy including free speech (all across the political spectrum)," he said, "but most people seem to respect others' opinions, if not agree with them, when the proponents argue in a calm, rational manner rather than engaging in ideological guerrilla warfare.""If we compare it to other universities, it's really not a bad place to be," he said.
(03/18/03 5:00am)
Six months after the Shapiro Campus Center opened its doors to the Brandeis community, the University has begun to plan the future of the Usdan Student Center, enlisting the aid of students in the process.On Thursday, Feb. 27, a newly established advisory committee met to discuss initial proposals for Usdan. Members of the committee including Executive Vice President Peter French, Senior Vice President Jean Eddy, Dean of Arts and Sciences Jessie Ann Owens, Daniel Feldman, chief of staff in the Office of the Executive Vice President, Student Union President Ben Brandzel '03, Class of 2005 Senator Michael Corwin '05, Rosenthal Senator Erica Lemansky '05 and Kimberly Frederick, member of Committee on Graduate Student Issues, among others.According to the Web site of the executive vice president, the University began in the spring of 2001 to assess empty space that had opened in Usdan after many offices had moved to Shapiro. They enlisted Chan Krieger & Associates, the University's consultant for the campus master plan, to examine the reuse of Usdan. The advisory committee's activities make up a second phase of this ongoing process, the conclusions from which will be presented as recommendations to University President Jehuda Reinharz.Feldman further detailed the current process. "We've structured a process where the architectural consultants who are working with us are meeting with a bunch of constituents -- a broad range of people -- and the goal of those meetings is really just to have initial conversations where ideas are put on the table and the architects and consultants are trying to understand the needs and desires of each of the different groups," he said."Ultimately, there will be an open forum as part of the process of the whole student body," he added.Corwin said he is pleased with the University's inclusion of students in the process "In one way it is frustrating because working with high level administrators and outside consultants is a slow process, but I'm glad to see that undergraduate interests are being well represented on the committee," he said.Even as plans move forward, however, the University remains cautious about funds available for the project, according to French. "I think it's sort of a critical element to this: What are the costs going to be and where is it coming from?" he asked rhetorically. "That's not entirely clear yet. We did put money into the Fiscal '02 budget and Fiscal '03 budget for some of the moves and planning related to Usdan. The capital costs on this could be very substantial.""We will be looking within the University's capital budget for some funding, although that budget has been reduced, which constrains our options," French added. "(Reinharz) is also looking for outside funding for this."Other factors may affect available funding as well. Although Usdan currently meets all fire code standards it needs to, if the building were substantially altered, the University would be required to bring it up to current standards, which are more stringent. "It's a big part of the expense that we need to look at," Feldman said.French, however, said this would not guide the University's planning: "I wouldn't want to approach this by putting some sort of artificial limit on what we're going to do," he said."If the available funding doesn't support (what we want to do), we need to look at a lower option, but the goal would be to do what we want to do," Feldman said.French, however, said the process remained in its initial stages "This will probably all unfold over a number of years ... We are very likely going to outline a process that will take three or four years to really fully materialize." The University has already found a few uses for Usdan it wishes to focus on, however, according to Feldman. "There seems to be a real consensus both from the students and certainly from Jean Eddy and from Jessie Ann Owens and University leadership about developing a one-stop center for all student services," he said."The primary focus is a student-center building and the one-stop service center is a part of that. Student leadership has made it a very high priority to have (a recreation center)," French added. "Student leadership has also suggested there is a need for additional space for student groups."Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said he is very excited by the prospect of a new game room being installed in Usdan, another aspect of proposals now being discussed. "This campus has always not had an adequate game room ... the one we had was way down in the bottom of Usdan, below the boulevard; no one could find it," he said. "It just really wasn't adequate at all.""There's enough square footage there that we could go much further beyond what someone might think of as a traditional collegiate game room and more towards a recreation center," Sawyer added.The new recreation center, proposed to be located in the former University Bookstore space, would include traditional games, but would also be a place where students interested in the outdoors could come to borrow equipment to go mountain biking and cross-country skiing, Sawyer said. "Too often people think of our student body as being kind of an urban, east coast, city dwelling, hermit-type of student. We disagree. We think we have a lot of students who would enjoy challenges beyond campus."There is also a proposal to make the Student Service Bureau a part of the new game-room space, to help move student needs into one convenient space, Sawyer said.The relationship the revamped student center will have with the new campus center has become an important part of the process. "All of us felt very strongly that we didn't want to jump into the Usdan plan activity until the community had an appropriate amount of time to develop its use patterns in the (Shapiro) Campus Center," French said."It's difficult to develop a synergy until you really understand what the one half of it is; then you can figure out what makes sense for the other half," Feldman added.Sawyer outlined one vision for a bipolar campus saying "I think this building as a complement to Usdan in its next form will have provided enough time and enough effort to really balance out both places. You'll have kind of an anchor at both ends of the campus."Corwin said whatever the outcome, Usdan will soon be a very different place. "One of the things we might have to get used to is Usdan being a different kind of student center," he said, "one focused on serving students and making their lives here easier instead of being a home for student activities and clubs.
(03/18/03 5:00am)
Based on feedback from club leaders, the Union Senate has proposed modifying the club-chartering bylaw passed in November. That bylaw raised the amount of signatures necessary to charter a club from 10 to 200.The amended bylaw, which will be voted on at Sunday's Senate meeting, lowers the signature requirement from 200 to 100. Ten signatories must be from potential members, while the other 90 are from students who support the club's chartering. This is in contrast to the November bylaw that required 20 signatures from potential members and 180 from supportive students.Another change in the amended bylaw is a publicity and meeting requirement. Each club must hold at least two meetings or events per semester and publicize the plans on my.brandeis.edu. Also, within three academic weeks of being chartered, a new club must send a campus-wide e-mail detailing an open meeting to join the club.The Senate Ways and Means Committee met several times following a January town hall meeting to discuss ways of amending the club chartering bylaw based on response from club leaders. At the town hall meeting, many club leaders said they believed the 200-signature requirement would be prohibitive."We thought that changing (the signature requirement) to 100 would not sacrifice any of our goals, but perhaps cut down the time of it, which was one of the biggest complaints from the student body," said Rosenthal Quad Senator Erica Lemansky '05, a co-author of the November bylaw.The amended bylaw also contains a clause expediting the chartering process for clubs that have already been recognized. After a club has been recognized for 13 weeks, leaders would be able to resubmit its constitution and purpose with a list of 35 signatures; ten from prospective members and 25 from students supporting the clubs chartering. The amended bylaw, however, reads, "In considering such a club by this expedited process, the Senate must consider whether the recognized club has had an active presence on campus."Sarah Karpman '06, co-founder of the Brandeis Greens, said she supports the clause making it easier for already-recognized clubs to become chartered organizations. "You've already proved yourself if you've been an active recognized club for 13 weeks," she said. "It's just like giving a break to people who've already done some work." She added that the requirement of holding two publicized meetings per semester is very reasonable.Club Resources Coordinator Nate Westheimer '05 said he is also pleased the Senate is working to amend the bylaw passed in November. But he said he was not consulted about the proposed changes. "The meeting to discuss these changes was made open to the E-board (Union Executive Board), however, no one explicitly asked for my thoughts to guidance." He added that the focus of club system changes should be on the funding process run by the Allocations Board rather than the Senate chartering process.According to Class of 2003 Senator Aziz Nekoukar, the Senate has chartered fewer clubs this semester under the November bylaw than it had in the past. "That's not the ultimate goal," he said. Lemansky said the Senate "realized some of the components of the bylaw may have been too stringent," necessitating the amended version.Joel Fried '03, founder of the Brandeis Official Readers Guild brought concerns about the November bylaw to the January town hall meeting. He had criticized the Senate for not publicizing the November bylaw before it was voted upon. Now, however, he said he believes the Senate is working harder to communicate with club leaders before bylaws are changed. "I'm glad to see the all-campus forums continue and the Senate trying to have more contact with the students directly," he said.The amended bylaw was presented at the March 16 Senate meeting and will be voted on at Sunday's meeting. Tonight, an open campus forum will be held at 8 p.m. in the Romper Room on the third floor of the Shapiro Campus Center to discuss the amended bylaw. "It's important to point out that the Senate is interested in getting feedback," said East Quad Senator Andrei Khots '05, a co-author of the amended bylaw. "I will definitely address any concerns there are about the bylaw.
(02/25/03 5:00am)
Brandeis Emergency Medical Core (BEMCo) placed fifth overall in a skills competition in a contest of most of the attending members of the 10th annual conference of the National Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF). In addition, Matt Harris '03 and Christopher DeRienzo '03 were awarded the Voumacher award for Student Speakers, after presenting a 50 minute presentation on BEMCo and facets of an emergency quick response system this weekend. At the conference, BEMCo attended a number of continuing medical education classes, as well as forums discussing the various approaches to collegiate emergency medica services taken by the 180 other University conference members who comprisethe foundation. In addition, BEMCo was presented with a plaque of recognition by NCEMSF President George Koenig, in honor of BEMCo's 20th anniversary. Harris reported that the conference was a huge success, as BEMCo has continued to be viewed as a highly respected agency in the nation.
(02/25/03 5:00am)
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(02/18/03 5:00am)
Society Organized Against Racism (SOAR) held a panel discussion on affirmative action Thursday, featuring Professors Steven Teles (POL), Richard Gaskins (LGS) and Sadhana Bery (SOC) and Director of Enrollment Deena Whitfield. Students Ebone Bishop '04, Jennifer Nelligan '06 and David Fryman '04 also spoke at the forum.According to SOAR Student Coordinator Noah Browne '03, the purpose of the discussion, which was attended by over 60 people, was to "move beyond what we hear in the media (about affirmative action).""The goal of the panel was to educate the campus community about some of the nuances and intricacies of affirmative action and how it is practiced (or not practiced) today," Browne said. "The debate is often cast in very simplistic and rhetorical terms -- from either side -- and we sought to provide a deeper analysis than what the media usually feeds us."Teles outlined the history of affirmative action from its implementation by President Richard Nixon to the present day. He said minority groups did not initially support affirmative action. One reason he gave for the creation of affirmative action was "administrative efficiency," serving colleges seeking to diversify.Teles said affirmative action's origins were political. "(Affirmative action's purpose was to) create conflict between the white ethnic union workers who controlled the construction trades and the African-Americans who were being inserted into the industry," he said. "Unions and blacks were core Democratic constituencies."He also said it is hard to measure the effectiveness of affirmative action. "Most minority students go to non-selective or effectively non-selective institutions. Affirmative action ... just doesn't touch most of the institutions that most racial minorities participate in," Teles said.Gaskins described the legal ramifications of affirmative action, set by the Supreme Court in the Bakke v. Board of Regents of University of California, Davis case. According to Gaskins, "four (out of nine) justices agreed that if (affirmative action) was meant to achieve diversity, it was constitutional," under the fourteenth amendment guaranteeing equal protection. Another four justices said there was no way it could be considered constitutional, even under the fourteenth amendment, Gaskins said. "(One) can't stare at the constitution and determine which interpretation is right," he said. Justice Powel carved a space in the middle, basically adopting an equivocal stance that supported both positions, Gaskins said.Gaskins also said, "(the most) jockeying will come on how to define Powel's stance," during arguments and cases regarding affirmative action. He also said one possible ruling in the upcoming case against the use of affirmative action in the University of Michigan law school "might be to narrow this middle ground," leaving less room to experiment with the system.Bery spoke next. She said she thought affirmative action should be analyzed "where it lies in the context of other movements that try to rectify the wrongs that have been committed against minority groups." She said many "governments have to redress the wrongs" committed against minorities under their watch.She also said the power to make these remunerations rests in the hands of the majority. "Minorities don't have the power or resources to determine if this should or should not happen," she said.Bery said the best system of affirmative action is the one that "creates equality in a way that allows it to work in the future."Whitfield spoke next about how important it is for Brandeis to have a diversified campus. She said it is important to create a "place where people are on the forefront of wanting diversity and creating diversity.""(It) increases the value of (classroom) discussions," she said.Diversifying campuses is market-driven as well, she said. According to Whitfield, a common request made by many potential students is "tell me about the diversity on campus." "(Potential students) don't want to go to a place where everyone looks exactly like them," she said, adding, "(the) role of admissions is to shape a community."To close the discussion, the three students on the panel talked about their backgrounds and what they thought about affirmative action. Browne said, "students were asked to serve on the panel to add some perspective. We all bring very different experiences to the table, and we wanted a forum in which students could relate their own experiences to the discussion on affirmative action." Bishop, the first of the student-speakers, said that when she got to Brandeis as a first-year, the "race card was in (her) face." Bishop, who is black, was also disappointed that many "people assumed that all the diversity on campus came from the Posse or similar programs," which bring underprivileged students to Brandeis.The next speaker was Nelligan, an Asian who was adopted by white parents in the United States. "(Diversity is) essential to breaking stereotypes," she said. Fryman spoke last. An orthodox Jew from Long Island, N.Y., he said the problem with affirmative action is it groups people according to their race. "Many people don't like the idea of being added to a group," he said."Saying that I'm white doesn't help to describe me," Fryman added. He said he thinks diversity can be accomplished on campus without focusing on the issue of race.The forum concluded with a period of questions from those in attendance.Union Secretary Ana Yoselin Bugallo '03, who attended the forum, said affirmative action is not an ideal means of achieving diversity on college campuses, but there is no other alternative. "Any policy that grades people on innate qualities is not perfect ... but it has to be given a chance," she said.Joseph Shmulewitz '06, another attendee, said he thinks affirmative action puts many talented students at a disadvantage. "Essentially, what affirmative action does is it gives a certain number of people admission to a university not because they are qualified academically but for other reasons," he said."These students take the place of other qualified students who unfortunately do not get admitted because they don't have the same credentials," he said. "It is hard to tackle an issue as controversial and emotional as affirmative action and not have it degenerate into a divisive or fractured discussion," Browne said. "But, I think that the panelists made well-informed and unique presentations while also fielding some challenging questions from students.
(02/18/03 5:00am)
Funding RequestsSMR #7-S03; Rick Recht Concert with Baruch was allocated $520 by the Senate. Their goal is to bring the Brandeis community together for an evening of Jewish and secular rock music. This is an attempt to expose Brandeis students to an "essential aspect of the Jewish culture."The Senate discussed how this request related to the money request they denied last week to the Junior/Senior semi-formal committee. Senators wanted to make sure that they are consistent with the message they send clubs in terms of allocations. The senate decided that this was not the forum to discuss their funding votes but rather to just concentrate on this request.Charters/De-chartersThe Senate recognized Brandeis Women's Retreat as a "recognized club."The Senate recognized a club called Rather Be Giraffes.Louis Magazine was dechartered due to its leadership failing to submit the necessary forms to remain a chartered organization.PetitionsThe Senate heard a petition by Daniel Mauer '06 for Brandeis students to take an official position on war with Iraq. Although he recieved the necessary 15 percent of the student vote to have a student body vote, Union Secretary Ana-Yoselin Bugallo '03 was unavailable prior to the meeting to validate the signitures. As a result, Mauer presented to the Senate out of the traditional constitutional order, which requires the Secretary to validate the signitures before a petition is presented to the senate. His presentation was tabled.-- Igor Pedan
(02/11/03 5:00am)
After completing a Union charter mandated financial review of how the Student Activities Fee is distributed, the Union government held a forum last Tuesday. Representatives displayed the results of the review and presented the student body with a constitutional amendment that will change the structure of Union finances.According to a presentation by Union Treasurer Josh Brandfon '05, the Union Government seeks to "ensure compliance in reporting (and) help create forms for reporting ... that are available for public review." According to presenters at the forum, Union government hopes that the proposed amendment will pass a two-thirds student body vote and come into effect around April 1. One of the changes proposed is making the name of the Allocations Board, the "Finance Board." Union President Ben Brandzel '03 called the new system a "mixture of socialism and capitalism," because there is a public "money pool," and private enterprise is nonetheless encouraged. The changes, he said, are badly needed, because of "years of bad accounting ... to a deplorable degree." The purpose of the forum, Brandzel said, was not only to direct public attention to the new changes. "This is only a first draft, (which) should in no way be regarded as etched in stone," he said. He also said that he strongly encourages any kind of feedback from students and club leaders regarding the proposed changes. One significant change that affects the student body at large is the addition of a professional accountant to manage bookkeeping for the Finance Board. The salary would be $40,000 per year. The Union Senate plans to propose a vote, open to all students, on how to pay this salary. One option is a budget cut "straight off the top," as Brandfon put it, meaning there would be $40,000 (or 5 percent) less each year for club money. The other option, nearly unanimously favored by those present at the forum, is to ask the university administration to add a $6 fee to the annual tuition of every student. Brandzel said this full-time professional would have "no policy authority," and that he or she would be fully "subservient to the Union government."The amendment, if passed, will distribute 37.97 percent of total funds to chartered clubs: 35.74 percent to secured organizations (of which Student Events receives 62.86 percent, Archon 23.35 percent, BEMCo 8.79 percent and the Waltham Group 5 percent), 16.92 percent to the "Secured Major Media" (WBRS 53 percent, The Justice 35.95 percent, and BTV65 11.05 percent) and 9.37 percent to the "Union Government Fund" for its own administrative purposes. The five Executive Board members opened the forum for discussion after Brandfon's presentation. During this question and answer period, some club leaders expressed concern that the tightened requirements for financial reporting, such as full public disclosure of all personal account statements relevant to club activity, might invade privacy and "punish clubs for (private) fundraising," as one club leader put it. According to the amendment, clubs funded by the Union, such as secured and chartered organizations, will be held increasingly accountable for their finances. Every funded club will be expected to designate one of their members as their "financial liaison," who would be responsible for all financial oversight. Mandatory training workshops will be held twice every semester, and the financial liaison is required to attend at least one per semester. The amendments further proposes to form a "Secured Organizations Board" with two voting representatives from each secured organization. This board is similar to the current "Secured Allocations Fund" board consisting of WBRS, the Justice, Archon, BTV65, Waltham Group and BeMCO. The board would be responsible for the distribution of allocated Union funds to secured organizations only. Other representatives of the Union government present at the forum included Ari Kahan '03, Allocations Board Chair, Kate Vogel '03, Senator at Large and Executive Senator and Colin Rowan '04, Ziv Quad Senator. Attendance at the forum was limited mostly to club leaders. BEMCo was represented there, as well as Hillel and other clubs. Alwina Bennett, Assistant Dean of Student Life, was also in the audience.
(02/11/03 5:00am)
In stark contrast to the investment boom of the 1990s, College endowments last year turned in their worst performance since 1974, according to the New York Times. This financial blow comes at a time when many public schools are losing state aid. While the endowments and contributions for public institutions continue to shrink in a sagging economy, the New York Times reported the nation's private colleges and universities are raising tuition for the next academic year more sharply than in recent years, in some cases, significantly so.These tuition increases, just now being reported, come after seven years of moderate tuition increases at generally twice the rate of inflation. Colleges are also scaling back on construction and hiring, after a span of flush years when institutions added buildings, increased faculty sizes and created academic programs."Tuition is definitely going to go up at a disproportionately higher rate than we have seen in recent years," said Larry Goldstein, a senior fellow at the National Association of College and University Business Officers. "Tuition rates have been remarkably stable because of the good economy. Now the economic pressure has increased, and they cannot keep tuition growth at this level anymore."While colleges are cutting back on their revenue from tuition, the Boston Globe reported endowments are down by at least 5 percent across the country. According to a survey of 654 institutions sponsored by the National Association of College and University Business Offices, the vast majority of colleges and universities lost money on their investments during the 2001/2002 academic year, with the average endowment falling by 6 percent. Some colleges suffered greatly, losing nearly 20 percent for the year. Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French said Brandeis, which relies on income from its endowment for much of its annual operating budget, experienced less damaging losses. The University endowment shrank by 2.5 percent in the last fiscal year -- between July 1, 2001 and June 30, 2002. This relatively small decline in the University's endowment puts Brandeis in the top quartile of the nation's universities in this respect. "The endowment today is around $363 million," said Jeffrey Solomon, University treasurer and chief investment officer. He described a reversal in market trends that raised the endowment from $353.9 million in September. "We've been participating in the rally," he said. Stock market losses in September led to a 7.5 percent decline in the endowment. But, Solomon said, "We performed better than 75 percent of endowments out there."Since most schools doubled and some even tripled, their endowments between 1996 and 2001, almost all have a cushion to fall back on, said higher education consultant Joe Cronin, of the Milton-based higher education consulting firm, Edvisors Inc. The news is worse for the least-wealthy institutions. Endowments of $100 million or less have posted negative returns on average, for three straight years. With the economy and the financial markets still shaky at the midpoint of the 2003 fiscal year, it is easy to envision a fourth straight year of negative returns for those institutions. With endowments suffering two and three straight years of negative returns, college budgets are now feeling the pinch. "We were stung by the rapid downturn in the equity markets," said Albert G. Horvath, vice president for business and finance at Caltech. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked the endowments of the nation's top 654 universities. Brandeis ranked 108th with an endowment of $384.34 million as of June 30, 2002, a 3.2 percent decrease from the preceding year. The University has announced another budget cut for fiscal year 2003. On Dec. 4, French, Ex-Provost Mel Bernstein and University President Jehuda Reinharz led a forum in Olin-Sang Auditorium, informing faculty of new reductions to the University's budget. French also led four meetings on the budget with academic and non-academic staff.This followed a Nov. 18 memorandum in which Reinharz announced that the University's operating expenditure base would be reduced by a further $1 million and that capital expenditures would be cut by as much as $1 million as well.This new reduction to operating expenditures for fiscal year 2003 follows an already announced reduction of $2.6 million, made on Aug. 30. This is the first time in the current financial crisis that capital expenditures have been cut.
(02/11/03 5:00am)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Robyn Cyr is a short woman with glasses and a wavy bob of black hair. A true believer, she stands at the front of the classroom with poise and confidence. The United States Government stands behind her. Facing a class of adults who tower over their tiny desks at Palmetto Elementary School, Cyr explained "life is like a puzzle. There are many pieces that need to fit together over a long period of time. Can you tell me right now what this puzzle will look like when it's all done?"Slowly, some members of the class shake their heads. A bit of hesitation is expected; most of them don't know English. That's why they're here -- to learn. In the meantime, Cyr's presentation must be translated into their native Spanish. The question is relayed en espaSol and soon the entire class chimes in with a resounding "no." "Of course you can't," she said. "You need to see the big picture -- to have instructions for how the pieces fit together." She pauses, then drops the bombshell: "Your child's sexuality is a piece of the puzzle, how does it fit?" Opening with pregnancy, Cyr seamlessly progressed the lecture onto sexually transmitted diseases: chlamydia, AIDS, genital herpes. Usually, this presentation is reserved for middle and high school-aged children, but a recent federal grant has allowed her group to reach out to other portions of the community, such as adult education classes. This class -- all women in their 30s and 40s, mostly immigrants from places like Cuba, Mexico and South America -- is astonished by the topic; for them, talking about sex is still taboo. Welcome to America."Most teenage boys believe that when they have an erection, they have to do something about it. What we need to teach them is self-control," Cyr says, beginning a tirade advocating abstinence -- and only abstinence. No condoms, no birth control pills, no diaphragms. To Be The One, the nonprofit group Cyr works for, there is no such thing as "safe sex."The U.S. Government agrees. In August, Be The One received a federal grant of $2.4 million to spread their message across southern Florida. But this money comes with some strings attached. The grant, part of $135 million budgeted annually to forward the teaching of abstinence-only education, was given jointly by the federal Department of Health and Human Services and the government's newly created Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. In order for a nonprofit or religious organization to receive a grant, they must "promote abstinence-only education" and "agree not to provide any other education regarding sexual conduct," as stipulated by the grant summary available at, among other places, the White House's website. Of course, for Be The One, which sprang from First Care and Crisis Pregnancy Centers, a non-denominational, faith-based anti-abortion counseling clinic established on the principles of the Christian Evangelical Society, meeting those criteria wasn't an issue. "We believe you should teach your children to wait until they're married to have sex," Cyr said.But, many other nonprofit groups employ other methods besides abstinence to try to hedge against rising trends of teen pregnancy and STDs. These groups, such as the educational wing of Planned Parenthood and even Student Sexuality Services (SSIS) here at Brandeis would be ineligible to receive funding.The federal government strictly delineates the eligibility requirements for groups to get their hands on grant money. The definition of an abstinence-only education is one that "teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the expected standard for all school-aged children," that "a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of sexual activity," and that "sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical consequences."In June 2002, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) took the state of Louisiana to court, claiming the misuse of federal funds earmarked for abstinence-only education. Instead of teaching Sex Ed, the ACLU said, organizations that received public funds were teaching Religious Ed.Federal funds in Louisiana paid for trips to abortion clinics to hold prayer vigils; for a roving troupe of abstinence-only advocates to call sex outside of marriage "offensive to God;" and for a "Passion 4 Purity" program that taught abstinence through "scriptural concepts." In addition, federally funded groups in the Bayou State blamed STDs on the claim that "we removed God from the classroom." The case ended in a settlement mandating that Louisiana's use of public funds for abstinence-only education be monitored more closely. Many critics say what happened in Louisiana is symptomatic of a larger, growing problem. In response to incidents in Louisiana, Boston Globe columnist Elaine Goodman wrote, "the problem with the abstinence-only classes isn't just that the groups receiving the dollars read like a Who's Who of the Religious Right. It's that programs ... teaching this are spreading fear, misinformation and disinformation."Be The One, however, holds that teaching other means of sexual safety in the same forum as abstinence education sends kids mixed messages -- that instructing adolescents on methods of contraception in tandem with the teaching of abstinence misleads youths and creates confusion. "The answer is not condoms," Cyr said, citing what she calls a "cumulative" condom failure rate of 16 percent, based on susceptibility to both pregnancy and STDs. "They are not the solution. We could pass them out for free -- it doesn't matter. We tell people not to entrust their safety to latex."The government requires groups that wish to obtain federal funding take this stance. If they are not disproving the effectiveness of condoms and other methods of sexual protection, they can't speak about them."I honestly don't believe that withholding information from people about sexual health options will decrease the amount of sexual activity that they engage in," Student Sexuality Information Services Coordinator Julie Szymczak '03 said. "By sheltering people from the facts, risks and options for sexual health, we are doing them more harm than good." The government money for abstinence programs sprang from the compromising needed to pass the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. As part of the dealmaking, Congress decided to set aside money for abstinence education, hoping that a reduction in unwed welfare mothers may follow.Brandeis Christian Fellowship Co-President Nicole Amarteifio calls the federal sponsorship of abstinence-only education "a great program." "All the resources out there now say 'sex sex sex' or, at least, they say 'safe sex,' which is not 100 percent safe. I feel like society is trying to move away from abstinence because they feel it's old-fashioned," Amarteifio said.Despite all the dissension between myriad positions along the political spectrum, one thing that can be agreed upon is that something must be done. According to the Center for Disease Control, in 1980 there were 31 reported cases of AIDS in the world. Last year, there were 40 million. Nearly 1 million teenage girls are impregnated annually in the United States. Cyr wasn't always an advocate for abstinence-only education. "I used to be an 'abstinence, but ...' person, thinking, 'we are all just animals.' But seeing 12-year-olds with herpes made me need something more -- a radical shift in approach."Now, abstinence is her war cry: "Our kids need to keep their clothes on," Cyr exclaims, bringing the presentation to a close. "Keep their clothes on and stay away from each other!" Statistics, however, make Cyr's battle an uphill one. With the Allan Guttmacher Institute reporting that 70 percent of American teens forfeit their virginity before graduating high school, it is not surprising that 82 percent of parents call for sexual education to cover contraception, as well as abstinence. But in Washington, their calls are falling on deaf ears.
(02/11/03 5:00am)
While many Brandeis students have been presented with an opportunity to either sign a petition against a possible war with Iraq or to attend many protests against it, not many are aware of a small group of students on campus attempting to start a pro-United States club which would support America no matter what President George Bush decides to do. The club has not yet been recognized by the Union Senate.According to a press release the club sent the Justice, the main goal of the club 'United We Stand' is to provide a non-partisan outlet for students to express their support for the united States."This is important because while there are lots of groups on campus that appear to be devoted to constantly protesting everything that America does (e.g. Anti-war groups), there is no club that explicitly supports America," the press-release said. "Especially now, when our nation is at war, Brandeis needs a patriotic club to rally students in support of America."According to Mira Meyerovich '03, the founding member of the club, the reason she started the club is to organize a pro-America demonstration to counter the walk-out anti-war protest."I was frustrated because the way the anti-war protest was construed, it would look like all Brandeis students either vehemently opposed the war or didn't care," she said. "I wanted a third option -- the option to support America."Meyerson said she decided to start the club when it became apparent to her that no group was going to come forward to counter the protests."I posted a message on a forum at my.brandeis.edu expressing my wish. Several people responded and we decided to start a pro-America club," she said.Currently the club consists of two more members besides Meyerson, one of whom refused to be identified. Joshua Wiznitzer '03 is currently the only other member."I feel that due to the apparent/perceived hostile liberal climate on campus, many students feel very apprehensive about expressing their true political beliefs, nor do they have an outlet to do so," Wiznitzer said. "And as such, I see this club as an opportunity for students to express their beliefs."Another purpose the club hopes to serve according to the press release is to "shatter" the stereotype that all students are extremely liberal and anti-American."By exposing the real diversity of opinion at Brandeis, we will make it possible for students of all political affiliations to express their true feelings without fear of censure," the press release stated. "In addition, a large demonstration of pro-American sentiment will improve the image of Brandeis and all other universities in the minds of our fellow Americans."At the moment, United We Stand is focusing on organizing a pro-America demonstration in the "likely" event of war with Iraq. On the day that the United States goes to war with Iraq, instead of "walking out on war" the club encourages students to "Study For America." "We want students to go to class, and while they listen to lecture, think about how that particular class would make them into a better citizen," the press release said. United We Stand also wants people to wear a yellow ribbon on either their jacket or backpack. The yellow ribbon, according to them, "symbolizes the desire for a swift American/allied victory in Iraq and the safe return of all our brave troops." The club will be handing out the yellow ribbons."United We Stand also has some long-term plans," the press release said. "Sometime in the near future, we plan to set up a booth where students can write letters of support to our troops.""We also would like to hold a pro-America rally on-campus," it said. "Finally, we are in the process of contacting pro-America student organizations around the country so that we can coordinate our efforts with theirs.
(02/04/03 5:00am)
Sitting with friends in the Usdan Cafe, Glenn Prives '06 ate a lunch consisting of a hamburger, fries, two cookies and water. "I wanted a hamburger, so I ate a hamburger," Prives said.According to the "intuitive eating approach" taught at a recent seminar held at Brandeis, Prives may have the right idea when it comes to practicing healthy eating habits.The emphasis on intuitive eating as a way to build and maintain physical health and a healthy body image will be discussed among Brandeis students through a series of workshops conducted by psychiatrist Rivka Simmons and co-sponsored by the Departament of Student Life, the Brandeis Health Center, Food for Thought and the Health Education Leadership Program (HELP). The first seminar was held Sunday. Simmons, a Boston area psychotherapist and teacher, is founder of the program entitled, "Have Your Cake and Eat it Too! A Gentle Approach to Food, Your Body, and Yourself." The program aids those who deal with eating disorders and issues, offering 8 - to - 10 week classes, individual and group counseling, support groups and workshops, among other services.According to Simmons, intuitive eating rejects dieting in favor of a more natural, less restrictive approach to eating in which one learns to recognize emotional hunger and respond to natural hunger signals and carvings. Such an approach deviates from the typical stress on diets and restrictions in the attempt to attain a certain body weight or standard often sought after by college students and others.In fact, according to the National Eating Disorders Association, 91 percent of women surveyed on college campuses had tried dieting, 22 percent of these women indicating that they dieted "often" or "always." Research on dieting practices has also shown that 95 percent of these women will regain any weight lost within one to five years. In addressing this concern about dieting, Simmons held two workshops at Brandeis last year, and due to the appeal and interest in her workshops, she was invited back in order to teach the series of workshops currently underway.Brandeis nutritionist Laura O'Gara said "we came up with this strategy of offering a series of workshops ... to teach a non-dieting approach to eating." She added she hopes "to teach people how to go back to the style of eating when they are paying attention to their bodies.""The premise is to help people have a healthier relationship with food," Simmons said.The problem, as expressed by Simmons at Sunday's workshop, is that factors such as rules, body shaping, and emotional eating interfere with one's ability to retain the natural relationship to food with which each person is born."People eat because it is time to eat or because the person they are eating with is eating (a particular item)," O'Gara said. They are "not necessarily matching their food choices based on what their body is saying it needs at that time of day, (which) gets into a situation where their eating is very chaotic." "All these things put us out of touch with our natural body signals. That pure relationship with food gets pretty mangled over our lifetime," Simmons said.The most recent workshop, in conjunction with the Feb. 9 and Feb. 23 workshops, is the first in a three-part mini-series of workshops under the heading of "Intuitive Eating." These workshops overlap with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, which will occur during the last week of February.Beginning with the first part of the section of workshops on intuitive eating, a group of seven Brandeis students met Sunday in an informal, open and interactive framework with Simmons as she communicated an appropriate relationship with food, why disparities from this relationship develop and how to resolve one's eating habits and adherence to rules in order to rebuild a healthier relationship with food. Attendees were advised to measure their hunger on a scale from one to ten, five being the neutral point at which one is neither hungry nor full.The students in this discussion-oriented forum expressed a number of concerns, including how to diminish the idea of certain foods, such as chocolate cake, being "illegal." In addition, the attendees were distressed over the college environment's role in making students increasingly susceptible to developing an unhealthy relationship with food. Such factors include the high stress and emotional aspects of college life, the chaotic scheduling of meals on campus and the cafeteria-style eating. Meanwhile, O'Gara indicated that "(students) can afford to have typical college food."Loretta Stein '06, one student who attended the past seminar, said, "I think that the college atmosphere is very different from what you have at home. You have to recognize how (college) changes your eating patterns."General coordinator of Food For Thought Rebecca Karp '03 sponsors the seminars and campus club that deal with issues such as body image, nutrition, stress, mental and physical health and balance. She said she too has found that college life can significantly contribute to issues with food."It's really widespread on so many college campuses," Karp said.In addition, Karp noted that statistics indicate that eating disorders are more prominent among people from more affluent backgrounds and among those who deal with a significant degree of pressure, both conditions with which members of the student body can identify.Outside of college campuses in particular, eating disorders occur at an alarming rate among adults and youth alike. According to the Harvard Eating Disorders Center, eating disorders affect more than five million people in the United States alone. In addition, three percent of adolescent and adult women and one percent of men currently experience anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or a binge-eating disorder.Karp recognized the importance of schools such as Brandeis dealing with this subject matter."I think that eating disorders and anything related is such a taboo subject," Karp said. "I think having a program like this with a gentle approach to eating and taking care of yourself ... is important for men and women on campus."Stein added that the seminar "was definitely informative and good for anybody who is interested in patterns they have always had."Both O'Gara and Simmons stressed that there is no requirement concerning the number of workshops a participating student must attend. The workshops are designed for any interested student, regardless of any prior personal or other experience with eating disorders. Simmons has geared the seminars to any student in the general Brandeis community who wishes to gain increased understanding of a healthy relationship with food.In this respect, Simmons said, the program is unparalled by any similar colleges or universities."I think it's unique to Brandeis," she said. "Other colleges might work with people with much more extreme eating disorders. This is much more broad. It's a much more open program to catch people in the beginning stages of disconnection with their bodies."O'Gara added that it is also unusual for universities to have a nutritionist on staff. Furthermore, nutritionist on other campuses are rarely hired by the university rather than the dining service, the former being the case at Brandeis. Appointments with O'Gara, Brandeis' nutritionist can be made free of charge by calling the Health Center.Simmons will be returning to Brandeis for the next seminar on Feb. 9. After the third seminar dealing specifically with intuitive eating on Feb. 23, there will be one seminar conducted each for the months of March, April and May dealing with the subjects of emotional hunger, negative body image and caring for one's body respectively.All seminars take place at 7 p.m. in Room 315 of the Shapiro Campus Center.
(02/04/03 5:00am)
Club de-charteringsThe following clubs were unanimously de-chartered because they did not comply with the senate mandate to submit required club forms: Americans In Search of Happiness, Animal Rights Klub (BARK), Anti-Defamation Alliance, Art of Self, Aspiring Rock Star Club, Belly Dancing Club, Boston Outreach, Brandeis Students Against the Death Penalty, Brandeis Surfing Club, Brandeis Theological Society, Brandeis Univ. Basketball Club, Brandeis Univ Vegan/Vegetarian Assoc., Building for Peace (club was recognized to make peace monument), Burma Action Movement, Chung do Kwan, Clube de Primera, Crouching Student, Hidden Camera, Economics Club, Embrace the Pavement- Skate Club, Eulers, Hellenic Society, Kickboxing Club, Lions for Yerushalayim, Model U.N. Club, Motorsports Club, Muggles United for Wizardry, Odyssey of the Mind Club, Peace and Justice Advocates, People Are Listening, Punk Rock Club, Risk Club, Running Club, Scrabble Club, Societie Chaotique Brandesienne, Student Artwork on Campus and Youth Student Network.The de-chartering of False Advertising, Guerilla Physics and Louis Magazine was deferred for one week. Club recognitionUnder The Influence Comedy Group was unanimously recognized by the senate. The club aims to provide stand-up comedy acts for the Brandeis community.The Brandeis Film Society was unanimously recognized. The society hopes to become a forum for the appreciation and discussion of classic film. Club charteringThe Brandeis Percussion Group was unanimously chartered. -- Stephen Heyman
(02/04/03 5:00am)
Mental Health Awareness week concluded Thursday night with the Mental Health Legal Forum, held in the Shapiro Campus Center. Several speakers, including State Senator Robert Antonioni, D-Leominster, addressed public policy issues. "(Antonioni) has been an outstanding advocate for the mentally ill in Massachusetts," said Brandeis Organization for Mental Health Awareness (BOMHA) Vice President Meghan Carter '05. "He shared with us a personal story that to some degree explains his reasons for working so diligently to protect the rights of the mentally-ill in Massachusetts."Carter said she worked with BOMHA President Sara Philips '04 to organize last week's events. Over the summer, Carter conceived the idea for a week to reflect on and educate about mental health issues. At the beginning of last semester she founded BOMHA."My goal was to provide an array of events encompassing political aspect, resources ... that would spark student interest," Philips said. "People became aware of issues that I think are important."The highlight of the week, Carter said, was Tuesday night when "Girl Interrupted" was screened, and author Susanna Kaysen,spoke. Kaysen discussed the book as well as her personal struggles (See related story, p. 27).Wednesday evening, Medical Director of the Massachusetts Mental Health Center James Feldman discussed the stigmas attached to mental health issues. Feldman spoke in place of Acting Commissioner for the Department of Mental Health Ken Duckworth, who was called to a meeting with Governor Mitt Romney.Feldman screened a film that illustrated the stereotypes about mental illness he says movies and television perpetuate. The film, "The Stigmas of Mental Health" was narrated by Duckworth and included excerpts from media geared both toward children and adults. Students attending said they recalled scenes from children's television and movies, including Disney's "Aladdin," and now looked at them in a new light. "We just assume anything other than the norm is crazy," one student said."The vast majority of people with mental illness are not violent," Feldman said, citing that the "insanity defense" is only used in 1 percent of criminal defenses and even then only succeeds one out of every four tries.Speaking after the lecture, Feldman touted an initiative to make housing available for homeless people, many of whom, he said, abuse substances. "It's so powerful to get someone in a house," he said. He lauded what he said is a "shift away from a paternal attitude in psychiatry where we would take care of all aspects of mentally ill toward realizing ... it's important for them to be in control of their lives."Feldman pointed to a success rate of 85 percent in New York City. "We're going to have to see what kind of success we can get here," he said.
(02/04/03 5:00am)
Dear editor at the Justice,This email to inform you of a new service that may be of interest to your readers.Below is a copy of a press release about www.OffCampusNetwork.com, a free service for students looking for apartments and rental housing off campus. Landlords can advertise their properties to students looking for housing near their college. Students can list their existing room for rent or sublease for free. I hope this is useful to you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.Regards,Don RomanekInfo@OffCampusNetwork.comOff Campus Network, LLC.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDon Romanek2 Wyckoff RoadWhitehouse Station, NJ 08889Phone: (908) 534-3286Web Site: www.OffCampusNetwork.comEmail: info@OffCampusNetwork.comOff Campus Network launches web site to assist landlords who rent to college students.Whitehouse Station, NJ -- February, 2003 -- Off Campus Network, LLC has launched a new web site (www.OffCampusNetwork.com) to help property owners in college towns, rent their properties to students. The site provides a simple way for landlords to list their properties on line, offers free resources such as sample forms, letters and articles, and includes a forum for landlords to get answers to their questions. To attract potential tenants, Off Campus Network.com offers free listings for students seeking to sublease their place or find a roommate. The company is also actively contacting colleges across the nation to assist with providing off campus housing services. Off Campus Network runs regular ads in college newspapers, completes direct marketing and uses on campus representatives.As enrollments in colleges and universities are soaring, the market for off campus housing is increasing dramatically. Off Campus Network has now made it easy and cost effective for property owners and managers to connect with this lucrative market. Listings on Off Campus Network can remain active for up to one year or can be deactivated once a property has been rented. Landlords can also add photos, property features, detailed descriptions, a map and directions. About Off Campus NetworkOff Campus Network, LLC is a leading provider of resources for landlords renting in the college market. Our web site (www.OffCampusNetwork.com) contains listings for rental housing, individual apartments and apartment communities. The site provides rich content for landlords renting properties in a college community. ###For Additional Information, Please Contact:info@OffCampusNetwork.com or Visit our web site at www.OffCampusNetwork.com
(01/28/03 5:00am)
Club recognitionThe Brandeis Percussion Club was unanimously recognized. The club's purpose is to establish a performance venue that combines elements of vocal percussion and physical percussion under the same performance auspices. The club's founders said they plan to seek chartered status in the future.Club de-charteringsThe Brandeis Theological Society was unanimously de-chartered.The Motorsports Club was unanimously de-chartered.The Odyssey of the Mind Club was unanimously de-chartered.Money allocationsThe Brandeis University Mock Trial Association requested $1,000 to help fund transportation and hotel fees for a regional competition. The request was amended, and $760 was allocated to the club.Senator reportsSenator for Racial Minorities Students Nicole Amarteifio '04 met with Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy to discuss diversity issues on campus, including admission rates, a diversity forum and diversity training.Ridgewood Quad Senator Nalini Bajaj '04 worked on compiling a list of the most popular study abroad programs. Bajaj plans to meet with Study Abroad Coordinator J. Scott Van Der Meid later in the week.Castle Quad Senator Pam Hoffman '03 met with Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Elaine Wong to discuss a student trip to New York to see the play "Tuesdays With Morrie." Wong agreed to co-sponsor the event and a forum or discussion about the play.-- Jamie Freed
(01/28/03 5:00am)
Below is a press release for www.matchstudents.com . MatchStudents would make a great story The Jusice, capturing the sensation that is college dating. Los Angeles (January 20, 2003) - Forget frat parties, invites, and exchanges! An internet revolution has begun and has spawned the creation of MatchStudents, the newest online college dating site. In its mere two month existence, MatchStudents has amassed thousands of members, and has facilitated several relationships. MatchStudents provides a forum for college students and alumni to meet and form relationships with others and the results have been stunning. MatchStudents.com receives many emails daily about relationships formed, girlfriends and boyfriends found. Users of MatchStudents are invited to take advantage of a free trial where they can scan the profiles of the existing members, and with a $5.00 subscription fee users gain unfettered access to all profiles of interest. MatchStudents distinguishes itself from its competitors because of its specific niche of college students. MatchStudents has established a strategic partnership with Kiwibox.com, one of the largest online teen portals placing MatchStudents as the exclusive personals provider for Kiwibox.com. Other similar partnerships are in their developmental stages with bellwethers in MatchStudents target market. Press Contact:Anand Murthy 818 625 8589anand@matchstudents.com
