(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
(01/21/03 5:00am)
Thursday, a mixed audience of approximately 70 students, club leaders, senators and administrators attended the Union Senate's first town hall forum of the semester, to discuss the new club chartering bylaw.The bylaw, passed in December, requires potential club leaders to obtain 200 signatures -- 20 from potential club members and 180 from students willing to support the club's existence -- rather than the previous standard of 10 signatures from potential members.Class of 2003 Senator Aziz Nekoukar moderated the forum. "The Senate is sponsoring this to help everyone understand the situation," he said. A panel of senators, including Jonathan Cohen '06, Erica Lemansky '05, Daniel Mauer '06, Colin Rowan '04 and Kate Vogel '03 responded to questions, comments and concerns from audience members. Lemansky, who co-authored the bylaw with Class of 2005 Senator Michael Corwin, said before its passage, some students felt "clubs were little more than an easy way for a social clique of friends to get money to hold a party." Similar clubs often competed for resources and members, she said. Lemansky added that further amendments to the bylaw and the general club chartering system may be necessary, but said she wishes to see the effects of the new bylaw during a trial period.Daniel Silverman '05, a developer of the myBrandeis website, suggested that clubs should be required to put their meetings and events on the online calendar, so the entire community can participate in club activities. The senators on the panel said they were receptive to this idea, and to making the bylaw texts more visible online. "I think the Senate does drag its feet electronically, but it is always being worked on," Nekoukar said.Several club leaders said they believe obtaining 200 signatures to be a difficult and unwieldy process. Cohen, however, responded that earlier in the day, four senators spent only one hour each gathering 200 signatures to start the hypothetical Brandeis Concert Club. Jonathan Sclarsic '03, student representative to the Board of Trustees said it is more difficult for first-years to approach students for signatures than for senators. "You're putting a serious roadblock in people's way," he said.Jessica Badiner '03 said she worries students will eventually tire of constantly being approached to sign a club's chartering petition. She said this could lead to more difficulties in obtaining signatures in the future.Vogel responded to Badiner's concerns. "I think that's why we need to give this bylaw some time," she said. "Bylaws can be changed."Sarah Karpman '06, who chartered the Brandeis Greens last semester, said she believes "200 signatures is such a powerful discouragement that people wouldn't even try" to start a club. Mauer, however, responded that "part of making clubs stronger and more visible ... is showing you are willing to make an attempt to get all these people in your club."Student Union President Ben Brandzel '03 shared his thoughts on the bylaw at the forum. "Nothing is wrong with cliques starting clubs," he said. He said he believes the new bylaw is "too paternalistic on the part of student government," and added, "this measure can and should be repealed." This last remark produced loud applause from the audience.Vogel, however, said the Senate is not eager to return to the old chartering system. "I don't think (repealing) is the first step," she said. "Today is a lot about listening and hearing where the concerns are."Club Resources Coordinator Nate Westheimer '05 said his committee of 16 students will be contacting the leaders of all 240 or so clubs this semester to meet with them individually to discuss club and funding issues.After listening to the senators' reasoning behind passing the initiative, some student and club leaders were still dissatisfied with the new bylaw. "I think this requires more public action and possibly a referendum," said Joel Fried '03, a founder of the Brandeis Official Reader's Guild. "I can promise you'll see some legislative action, either from the Senate or myself," Brandzel said.Senate panelists and audience members said they believe the forum was productive. "Everybody who wanted to got a chance to talk, which was very important," Karpman said. "It was a really good discussion. I don't know what they are going to do with it now, but hopefully they are going to take into account a lot of the things we said because a lot of people came here with a lot of passion, really meaning everything they said and really with a lot of conviction behind it."Vogel also said she agrees the forum was a success. She noted, however, that the audience was predominantly club-leader based. "I felt like I heard from a good diversity of opinions, but there are still segments of the campus that I haven't yet heard from," she said. "I would love any feedback. We all have contact information online, and I encourage people to contact their senators.
(01/21/03 5:00am)
Club ChartersThe Socialist Club, which plans to serve as a forum for discussion of socialist ideology in light of major political events, was chartered unanimously.Money AllocationsThe Brandeis Antiwar Coalition was unanimously allocated $245 in emergency funds for their "Day of Dialogue." The money was requested to pay for equipment.The Mock Trial Team's request of $1000 to cover traveling expenses for an upcoming competition was met with much debate from the Senate that eventually resulted in the proposal being tabled. Senators voiced concern over spending a tenth of their remaining funds during the first meeting of the semester. In addition, many senators took issue with the club's fundraising attempts that have only amounted to $115, while lauding the club's efforts to secure funds and its diligence in preparing for competition. Executive Officer ReportsStudent Union President Ben Brandzel '03 reported that he will attend a planning retreat with Triskelion General Coordinator Aaron Schwid '05 to help "re-envision" the organization. In addition, Brandzel reported that Associate Vice President for University Services Mark Collins finalized that Watch City Diner will now accept WhoCash. Brandzel also apologized for his handling of Senate relations during the first semester. He pledged to attend meetings and submit weekly reports more regularly. Club Resources Coordinator Nate Westheimer '05 reported that 69 clubs have not yet turned in their hazing forms and are at risk of being dechartered. He also said the club liaison committee will be meeting tonight.-- Stephen Heyman
(01/14/03 5:00am)
The University has announced another budget cut for fiscal year 2003. Dec. 4, Provost Mel Bernstein, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French 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. This budget cut will considerably affect an already diminished ability to improve existing campus facilities. "We have a very significant problem with the physical plant here," French said. "We have been spending about 50 percent of what we should be to keep the plant in steady-state condition."The University currently spends $6 million annually in capital expenditures to maintain and improve the physical plant, which consists of all the existing facilities on campus, such as academic buildings and dormitories. Reinharz's memorandum calls for a 16.7 percent cut to what French said is already only 50 percent of what the University should be spending.The memorandum points to various advances the University has made to secure its financial standing, but emphasizes that the financial markets are the continuing cause for Brandeis' financial woes. "The (financial) situation has not improved, and the third quarter of 2002, the period from July 1 through Sept. 30, was particularly depressing for financial markets," Reinharz said in his memorandum.In addition to budget cuts, Reinharz referenced new difficulties with the University's financial reserves, money set aside for difficult financial periods such as the current one. "We have also significantly improved our position with respect to financial reserves, though complex technical requirements imposed from outside the University require that we temporarily restrict portions of University reserves to make up for the reduced value of various endowment funds," Reinharz wrote.The wording does not directly state that certain regulations have required the University to set aside $4 million from reserves to cover the gap between the book value and the market value of certain investments. The book value is the original sum donated to the University, whereas the market value is the current sum as defined by the financial markets. "From fiscal year 1995 until fiscal year 2002, the market value exceeded the book value on endowment funds," French said. "Because we've had three years of a downturn in the financial markets, some funds dipped below the book value."The regulation requiring the University to set aside funds is Rule 124 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). "FASB sets accounting standards that apply to all not-for-profit institutions in the United States," Executive Assistant to the President John Hose said. French said reserve funds will not be consumed in this process, but simply restricted from use. "Just about every college and university ran into this problem in one way or another," he added. According to French, this occurs "when (a not-for-profit institution) gets an endowment gift in a down market."The University has acted to close the gap between book and market value of investments because if it does not, it will receive a qualified opinion from FASB. "They (the U.S. government and other foundations that produce grants) will not react in a positive way," French said. "We take that extremely seriously."Hose rejected any claim that the University's financial maneuvering represents a lack of foresight. "Far from there having been bad planning, ever since Dr. Reinharz has been president, the University has been setting aside funds for precisely this potential eventuality," Hose said."Reserves give (an institution) flexibility to deal with unforeseen circumstances," French said in response to the same claims.When asked why the student body has not been informed of any of the financial difficulties while the faculty and staff have been, French responded, "We have been approaching this in a way that will not affect students.""If we have choices to make (that will directly affect students)," he added, "we'll be right there (discussing them) with students.
(01/14/03 5:00am)
Thursday evening, the Union Senate is sponsoring a community forum to discuss a bylaw passed in December that has significantly revised the club chartering process. This comes after several club leaders complained the bylaw was not publicized or discussed enough among the Brandeis community before its passage.Previously, a group needed signatures from at least 10 students interested in being club members in order to charter a new club. Under the new bylaw, 200 student signatures are required to charter a club, and at least 20 of those signatories must commit to active involvement following chartering.The standard for being a recognized club that is ineligible for Allocations Board funding remains five student signatures. Recognized clubs, however, are eligible to appear before the Union Senate to request funds.Class of 2005 Senator Michael Corwin said the Union Senate felt more clubs were being chartered than the Allocation Board's limited funding could allow for.An online Justice article and e-mails to club leaders and the general Brandeis community from the Union Senate informed students of the new bylaw. Daniel Silverman '05, one of the developers of the myBrandeis website, created an online forum for students to discuss the new changes. He said the forum received 40 responses from 28 unique users over a three-day period.In addition, Silverman created an online poll for the myBrandeis website. The poll, which ran from Dec. 8 to Dec. 20 received 216 unique votes. He said 78.2 percent of the respondents believed the new policy was wrong, while 21.8 percent approved of the new changes. Silverman noted that even with 216 votes, the poll only attracted 16 more people than the 200 now required to charter a club.Club leaders have had mixed reactions to the new policy, but those posting on the online forum held predominantly negative views of the new bylaw. "Two hundred signatures is an outrageous number. That's fully half the amount needed for a student referendum. At this pace, why not just have a referendum on every club and have the students vote each time?" said Joel Fried '03, founder of the Brandeis Official Readers' Guild (BORG).Other club leaders support the motives behind the new bylaw. Matt DiCarlo '03, president of OTAKU Anime Club, said in the past, "it was pretty ridiculous to see how easy it is to get a club started on this campus." He, however, added that 200 is a very large number, and said he feels the signature requirement could be dropped to 50 or 60 students.Many club leaders also said they feel the new bylaw will not effectively alleviate the current lack of club funding. "The new club chartering guidelines will only stop new clubs from being formed, not from current clubs requesting too much money," Fried said. "One of the reasons that so much money is being requested is that the general consensus is that you need to request twice as much of anything as you want in order to get what you'd like. If everybody actually asked for what they really needed and wanted, the requests would be cut in half."The new bylaw does have a clause allowing prospective clubs having difficulty obtaining 200 signatures to submit a letter to the Executive Senator, explaining the situation. The club's chartering bid can then be placed on the Union Senate agenda at the Executive Senator's discretion."As long as the potential club is not associated with an unpopular political agenda, most people would sign the petition out of common courtesy," said Mira Meyerovich '03, one of BORG's founding members. "(But), if the club is associated with an unpopular agenda," she added, "those are the sorts of clubs Brandeis should be encouraging.Many club leaders said they believe the Union Senate could have done a better job of informing the community of the proposed changes before the bylaw was passed. "In theory, the Senate is always discussing laws and they hold forums on them every time in the form of the open Union Senate meetings," said Jeffrey Morrow '03, president of Boris' Kitchen and the Brandeis Ensemble Theatre. "But, the reality is that if the club leaders really had the time to sit in on every Senate meeting, we wouldn't really have time to be club leaders."Ian Adams '05, an active member of several clubs, said he feels the forum should have been held before the bylaw was passed rather than retroactively.A campus-wide e-mail signed by seven senators, however, said, "The bylaw was passed after a staggering number of hours debating, tweaking and polishing the wording. It was not a hasty decision." These senators also encouraged students to attend Union Senate meetings to discuss or respond to any concerns they may have.The forum will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. in the International Lounge in upstairs Usdan.
(01/14/03 5:00am)
Most of 2001 was all but forgotten in the aftermath of the events of September 11th of that year, and in many ways, 2002 was defined by the recovery from 2001. Students returned to campus last January to discover a laboratory in Kalman had been closed over winter break due to fears that anthrax from an experiment had contaminated the building. The city of Waltham investigated Brandeis in Sept. 2002 to determine if it was properly storing hazardous materials, such as anthrax. The University introduced a course on September 11th for the Spring 2002 semester -- the first of its kind at an American university. On the anniversary of the terrorist attacks, students participated in various events in between classes to memorialize the day.The near-closing of Deaconess-Waltham hospital, the closest hospital to the Brandeis campus, caused student concern, as it was to increase dramatically the time needed to transport a patient from Brandeis to a hospital. Students became active in supporting the hospital, but its closing seemed certain in January. By March, however, CareGroup, the owner of Deaconess-Waltham, had agreed to sell the hospital to the Coalition to Save Waltham Hospital, a non-profit group. The hospital was then renamed Waltham Hospital.Local politics affected Brandeis students in another way last year, as two Massachusetts gubernatorial candidates with strong Brandeis affiliations emerged. Robert Reich, a Heller School professor, and Steven Grossman, former chair of the Board of Trustees, both vied for the Democratic nomination. Grossman later dropped out and Reich finished second to Beacon Hill insider Shannon O'Brien in the Democratic primary.The most important on-campus political event of the year was the Union Senate's referendum to eliminate Kraft and other Phillip Morris-owned products from Dining Services. The election had an unusually large turnout of 1,549 voters. The referendum lost by a razor-thin margin of only 21 votes. "I found the vote disenheartening," 2001-02 Student Union President Josh Peck '02 said.A Union Judiciary (UJ) case decided Feb. 8 established that students may not run for Student Union positions while abroad. The UJ found unanimously that "appellants will not meet what we find to be the full-time students standard of inauguration." At the same time, rumblings of a large debate about the Student Activities Fund (SAF) began when the University took over the distribution of checks to SAF organizations from the Union Treasurer. In May, the University began a review process -- yet to be completed -- to revise the SAF system.By far the most compelling thing to occur in the ongoing SAF debate was the discovery in September of more than $100,000 in undistributed money that accumulated in an off-campus Senate account over several years. The senate had simply put extra "rollover" money in the account every year, a practice that many on campus called into question.In March, the Brandeis Debate Team attempted to gain SAF funding and join the Waltham Group, the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps, the Watch, Archon, the Justice and WBRS. They failed in their bid to become the newest campus group with secured funds. Nov. 22, however, another group, Brandeis Television (BTV), succeeded in gaining SAF funding. The television station managed to win a referendum to gain the Watch's portion of the SAF. The Watch was considered defunct but later reorganized.Acts of intolerance marred the campus on two occasions in 2002. In April, at the beginning of Christian Awareness Week, two of three crosses set up by the organizers of the week were taken down by unknown parties and were never returned. In late September, anti-Arab flyers were placed on the Rabb steps and anti-gay graffiti was discovered in East Quad.At a meeting of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee in April, a motion to raise the grade point average required for Dean's List honors to 3.67 was tabled. This discussion, however, sparked a new debate on campus about grade inflation. Professor Jacob Cohen (AMST) was not among those worried about the rising trend. "The same kids are here today as were here yesterday," he said. "They were a pleasure to teach and they still are."In early October, the Shapiro Campus Center, plagued by delays, officially opened in a gala ceremony. As soon as students arrived on campus in September, many nicknamed it "The Green Monster," due to its distinctive color. The building, though now in everyday use, remains incomplete. Construction of a new dormitory for upperclassmen near Ziv and Ridgewood Quads began in June. These large construction projects have occurred while the University faces difficult financial circumstances. In the past year, the University budget has already been cut twice. Students wishing to study abroad in the current semester were disappointed in November when an unprecedented number of students' petitions were rejected. The University said it was applying more stringent standards, but after both students and faculty complained that they had not been forewarned, the University reversed almost all of its rejections.Although the current semester just began, there are already many active plans. Over 350 students have signed a petition stating they are opposed to any forthcoming war with Iraq and will walk out of classes in protest following the first day of fighting. Changes have been made in the club chartering system, starting a debate. This has led to the first community forum of the semester being held this Thursday. The new dormitory will be open this fall, housing upperclassmen. And, of course, this is only the beginning.
(01/14/03 5:00am)
In a hasty move, the Union Senate drastically changed the club chartering process -- making it significantly more difficult for a club to become chartered. The unpopular new bylaw should be reconsidered not only because it was passed too quickly and without the knowledge of the students it affects, but because the legislation itself is deeply flawed. Only Castle Quad Senator Pamela Hoffman '03 had the wisdom to oppose the measure. We applaud her vocal dissent. The new procedure requires a club to collect 200 student signatures -- 20 of whom must pledge to actively participate in the club. This change marks a drastic increase from the 10 student signatures previously required. The new provision violates the spirit of individuality that makes this university's student life stand out. Brandeis has long been proud of the diversity of clubs and the ease with which unique clubs have been chartered. This new bylaw was passed by the Senate at their last meeting of the semester, allowing for virtually no student input on the issue. Despite the importance of the bylaw, even the Executive-board had "very little" involvement in the process, according to Vice President Alex Lo '03. Only after passing the bylaw and receiving many complaints did the Senate decide to hold a forum, to discuss these new changes with the students they represent. And, in a politically-savvy move, President Ben Brandzel '03 condemned the bylaw in his Dec. 6 State of the Union speech. But this action was too little, too late.The signature requirement may make it nearly impossible for some clubs to be chartered simply because they appeal only to a few individuals. Last semester, few if any of over 25-newly chartered clubs would have met the membership requirement. So, while the Senate may claim that requiring 200 signatures is just an "awareness-raising" clause, it will instead become a filter to prohibit the chartering of smaller, esoteric organizations. Student outcry prompted the Senate to defend itself in an all-campus e-mail that failed to adequately justify their action; a poll on myBrandeis.edu indicates that 78.2% percent of the 216 students polled opposed the bylaw. Given the backlash, we would like to see the Senate produce even 200 students who would support their bylaw.The new bylaw does allow for the executive senator to permit clubs to be presented to the Senate if extenuating circumstances exist for a club not meeting the signature provision. This gives arbitrary and potentially discriminatory power to one person, and in the future may prevent unpopular groups from being chartered. Pro-life, anti-gun control or anti-Zionist organizations may go against the values of most students, but because everyone contributes to the SAF, these groups still deserves to vie for these funds.While it is true that the Allocation Board (A-Board) gets requests for over three times the amount of money that it can allocate, the A-Board and Club Liaison Nathaniel Westheimer '05 were not consulted about the bylaw and for the most part have voiced disapproval. The bylaw does not check the number of clubs already in existence, and probably unforeseen by the Senate, will result in a greater number of recognized clubs vying for the money the Senate allocates to recognized groups. This new competition will make the already too-long Senate meetings even more encumbered by mundane details. The Duplicity of Purpose clause prevents the chartering of clubs with too similar purposes. It would be more valuable for the Senate to reevaluate existing clubs and continue to enforce the clause for potential new groups. In addition, the Ways and Means committee, responsible for the bylaw, was unknown to most students and its two meetings went on without any public notice. According to the Senate's e-mail "a staggering number of hours" went into debate and development of the bylaw, yet the measure was only put on the agenda on Nov. 24 and reappeared only once more, the day it was passed, Dec. 1. Given the importance of the measure and in light of the widely-publicized Kraft referendum, it is incumbent on the Senate to actively engage the student body through forums and e-mail priori to the vote.This bylaw is ineffective and we encourage the senate to repeal it and if they will not, students should take measures to repeal it themselves by proposing a constitutional amendment to go before the student body.
(11/26/02 5:00am)
Approximately one year after last fall's "Men's Room" incident, many members of the Brandeis community say that no widespread action has been successfully taken to promote diversity. The few lines spoken by the hosts of WBRS's the "Men's Room" rocked the students, faculty and administrators of the University for many weeks, and have left an impact that still resonates one year later. The anti-Asian and misogynistic remarks were interpreted by many as a sign of ignorance and intolerance on campus. Although immediate action and gradual administrative change were evidently enforced, the success of these measures remains a source of disagreement.The University reactsAside from energizing the campus with debate, the "Men's Room" incident led to immediate action by student-run organizations, including the Intercultural Center (ICC), Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR) and Students for a Just Society (SJS). These student-run groups held forums to build coalitions, increase diversity and promote tolerance on campus. One forum on stereotyping was given by Cindy Cohen, the current director of the Peace and Coexistence Program. Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett hosted another forum, live on WBRS during the "Men's Room" time slot. "After the (WBRS incident) happened, there was a discussion that we don't have many role models or people of color (in the faculty)," Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said.The administrative reaction came mainly in the form of a diversity task force, appointed by University President Jehuda Reinharz, that consisted of faculty, administrators and students. According to Sawyer, "the committee is educational but also reactive in nature. It's a committee to talk about what's happened and a place where people who are upset could have gone and given their responses and be given University advice with comprehensive abilities." Early this fall, the committee published a lengthy report on diversity titled, "The Brandeis Experience: Embracing Diversity." According to Student Union Communications Director Marci Surkes '03, the report has been made available in hard copy to students upon request at the Student Union office and library. Reinharz said he has"read the report carefully, made some decisions and (has) already implemented many recommendations."Surkes said the most "significant change that has come about as a result of the ... Diversity Report was the promotion of Rev. Nathaniel Mays to the position of Assistant Dean of Students and Diversity Coordinator. Another consequence of both the report and the WBRS incident has been the intensified "recruitment of a more diverse group of students," Reinharz said. In addition, most of the senior administration has been provided with diversity training, a practice that Reinharz said he hopes to extend to other parts of the University. Also, he said he will "move to appoint someone to manage the Intercultural Center." He said he desires to "add to the vitality and diversity of the campus by redoubling our effort, as we have always done, but hopefully with more success."According to WBRS general manager Mark Brescia '04, the radio station also implemented appropriate policy changes. He said that "the talk shows are monitored much more strictly," adding "there is no censorship ... people are just more aware of what they can say."Disagreement over success of implemented measuresDespite the numerous implemented changes, both students and administrators remain unsure that their effects have been significant. "I think where we are now isn't a direct response to what happened last year," Sawyer said. Addressing the Diversity Report, ICC co-chair Shalwah Evans '05 said, "It is a good start to remedying the problems we are facing concerning diversity on campus, but it is only a start."ICC co-chair Bryan Jung '04 expressed much stronger dissatisfaction with the University's measures. "I definitely find it unfortunate that the President doesn't do more than just publish reports," he said. "The University didn't become more caring ... and it is disheartening to admit that there isn't enough pro-activeness."Similarity, SJS core committee member Jocelyn Berger '03 said, "I'm not sure any difference has really been achieved. Although apparently this is the first year that the incoming class is not more that 50 percent Jewish, so that says something about an increasing interest in diversity."Reinharz said he feels the University approached the issue "quickly and aggressively. My feeling is that the administration is deeply concerned with this issue and will not tolerate any degradation of students on campus."A look at the Men's Room incident from withinLex Friedman '02, who was one of the hosts of the Men's Room, said he looks back on the incident with remorse for his words and sympathy for the offended members of the Brandeis community. "While my life's goal is to make people laugh, my legacy at Brandeis is as a guy who made people cry," Friedman said.The intense reaction to the Men's Room was prompted by an e-mail sent out by Jung from the Brandeis Asian American Student Association (BAASA) to Reinharz and later forwarded to a wide list of student recipients, Friedman said. Friedman said Jung quoted many words that had not been said on the air, but added he doesn't "think Bryan's e-mail exaggerated what happened maliciously. Bryan was hurt and angry and in a passion from the comments on our show. He misquotes extensively and that set the tone for how our remarks were perceived.""To my knowledge and to the extent of numerous people who heard the tapes, my e-mail was accurate," Jung said. He added, "Regardless of the way I framed my e-mail, it is without a doubt that these comments were offensive, racist and stereotypical."The subsequent reaction, according to Friedman, included campus wide e-mails about the incident, "an approved e-mail from a student group to urge administrators to expel us" and a "petition from two English professors whom I've never met and who've never met me, who hadn't listened to a tape of the show and hadn't spoken to anyone involved, signed by their students and calling for our expulsion." Within a week of the incident, Friedman said the hosts sent out an e-mail apology and addressed the students directly on the three-hour forum with Bennett. Friedman said apologizing was not a way to avoid further trouble, but a judgment on the nature of the comments. "Humor is about making people laugh. I know for a fact that people were amused who heard the show live ... but I also know just as well that at least one person was hurt by what we said. Humor doesn't have to hurt."In response a column, "Political Correctness in Brandeis," by Yana Litovsky, published in the Justice on April 30, 2002, which referred to the reaction to the incident as "a lot of hoopla over nothing," Friedman said he sympathized with the shocked reaction of the Brandeis community. "The hoopla was about a serious issue," Friedman said. But, "in a race to prove that we (the hosts) were wrong, there wasn't any emphasis placed on what was right. That's the 'nothing,' the sad fact about the hoopla. It achieved little other than headlines, in my view."According to Reinharz, "after listening to students who did the program, I think they truly believe they were being funny ... and didn't realize how much they were hurting other people. It was a case of poor judgment." Brandeis reflects on past and looks toward futureIn reaction to how the University responded to the incident, Reinharz said "I'm sure these things will happen from time to time, but we're better able to deal with them. We can't control every action and non-action on this campus." According to Reinharz, the anti-Arab and anti-homosexual flyers posted earlier this year are further examples of intolerant incidents. "It was alarming and inappropriate," Sawyer said, but added that things will fall into place once Mays officially fills his position.Jung said one result of the WBRS incident was an increase in ICC's pro-activeness. He said this is visible in the frequency of forums held on issues such as the anti-gay and anti-Arab flyers. For Berger, the Men's Room incident "was a wake up call as to the implicit racism so many of us contain, no matter how enlightened we consider ourselves." She said she urges Brandeis to "rise above political correctness and start confronting these very real and often painful issues."Looking to the future, Reinharz said he hopes to continue the University's measures for increasing tolerance and diversity. "New classes are coming in every year. We hope to educate on the culture of the campus," Reinharz said. He referred to the Mosaic program initiated during this year's orientation as an effort to expose the incoming class to diversity as a result of the issues of last spring, and added "there is still a lot to learn.
(11/26/02 5:00am)
As administrators promised last semester, the issue of grade inflation has resurfaced; joint student/faculty forums have addressed the issue. Yet, this "community discussion" has failed to delve much deeper into this issue than last semester's discussions, which revolved mostly around several proposed changes by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC). Both the Office of the Registrar and the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences have been tight-lipped about the subject, telling the Justice they prefer that some information not be published or pushing the responsibility onto other administrators.We know that the average GPA have risen nearly half a grade in 15 years, but it is not clear what grades looked like before 1987. With this information unavailable, we cannot be certain of how extreme the trend is. And, should grades continue to rise as they have for the past 15 years, a Brandeis degree may eventually lose some of its value. The University has historically compiled grade distribution data for every class, department and class year -- making this data available only to department heads. We recognize that perhaps making public grade distributions for individual classes may violate professors' privacy. Data by department, however, is not unreasonable. Students work hard to earn good grades and deserve to understand those marks in context. Moreover, if grades are no more inflated at Brandeis than at other elite universities, we have nothing to fear from a comprehensive inquiry.
(11/26/02 5:00am)
Members of the Brandeis Reform and Conservative Jewish communities have recently questioned the policies of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization (BOO). They were seeking to have non-Orthodox books included in BOO's Beit Midrash, or textual study room, located in the basement of the Shapiro residence hall. Their request was denied.While this was initially an internal BOO issue, the subject was opened to the entire Jewish community to allow a more thorough examination. The nine-member BOO board reviewed more than 130 written surveys, held an open forum on Nov. 4 and spent over 12 hours in board meetings and speaking individually with students. On Nov. 13, the BOO board decided these books, due to their non-Orthodox nature, could not be included in the official Beit Midrash collection. A statement from the BOO board was sent to students on all Hillel e-mail lists. "This decision is not meant to legitimize or delegitimize any of the books proposed," the board wrote. "They are simply not Orthodox books."The board added, however, that the Beit Midrash room contains a set of "personal shelves," where students can leave any books that they please, thus providing an alternative location for the disputed texts. Though this detail was not outlined in the board's official e-mail statement, several BOO members stressed this verbally.Rabbi Allan Lehmann, Brandeis' Jewish chaplain and director of Hillel, discussed the purpose of a Beit Midrash room. "The word 'Beit Midrash' may be unfamiliar to many," he said. "It's usually rendered as 'house of study,' but properly means something more like 'house of inquiry.'" The Brandeis Beit Midrash, located in the basement of the Shapiro residence hall, is currently in its 11th year of existence. The 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 BOO boards also faced concerns from the Reform and Conservative communities as they strove to create a comfortable learning environment with appropriate books. The issue resurged this year when Reuben Posner '05, education coordinator of the Hillel Student Executive Board, and Steven Exler '03, Beit Midrash coordinator, sought ways to welcome more students to the Beit Midrash. They hung a poster at the entrance, made a map of the room and organized a "starting point shelf" to direct new visitors. They also hoped to introduce Conservative and Reform Jewish texts onto the shelves.The books in question were the Conservative chumash, or bible and commentary, "Etz Chaim," the Reform chumash "Plaut" and the "Sim Shalom" and "Gates of Prayer" siddurim, or prayer books. Part of the BOO board's unease in allowing the Reform and Conservative books onto the main shelves of the Beit Midrash lies in the Hebrew to English translations. "You can't really have a translation that isn't a commentary," BOO President Devora Loike '04 said.Additionally, Loike said, the siddurim omit some parts of a traditional Orthodox service, and also add new elements. The chumashim contain commentary that challenges certain tenets of Orthodoxy, mainly the belief that the Torah is the direct word of God. The introduction to the Plaut chumash, which was cited by an Orthodox student during the forum, reads, "This commentary proceeds from the assumption that the Torah is a book which has its origins in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people."Many Reform and Conservative Jews said they were offended by the BOO board's decision. They said they felt the rejection of the books from the Beit Midrash was questioning the legitimacy of non-Orthodox beliefs. The BOO board said this was not their intention. "The decision is certainly not a judgment on beliefs, and definitely not a statement of aversion towards individuals," the BOO e-mail statement read. "This decision maintains what has been known all along: These texts are simply not Orthodox texts."While the final decision is still disputed by many, Associate Director of Hillel Ora Gladstone said she "is very proud of the whole process," adding she feels the issue was handled fairly and responsibly. At the open forum, Loike called upon students one at a time, giving each three minutes to speak. No one group dominated the discussion. Leah Berkowitz '03, coordinator of the Brandeis Reform Chavura (BaRuCH) said, "There were only individual standpoints, not an Orthodox standpoint, or a Reform, or a Conservative." "No one felt excluded from speaking," she added. Scott Selinger '03, a BOO member, said the board "really made sure to take into account everyone's opinion. It wasn't a rash decision in any way."In accordance with BOO policy, however, the ultimate decision was made by the board and not by students at the forum. BOO member Shoshana Cohen '03 said she would prefer to see "a more participatory democracy instead of the representative democracy" that is presently used in voting on such matters.The main argument in favor of including the new books emphasized the need for cohesion among all Brandeis Jews and the danger of alienating non-Orthodox students. Aron Klein '05, BaRuCH education coordinator, said he felt the introduction of more liberal texts would have helped provide "a space for everyone to feel comfortable engaging in Jewish learning." Seth Sclair '03, a member of BOO, originally felt that the books did not belong, but since attending the forum, said he has assigned priority to "keeping a good rapport with all the groups and keeping everything peaceful." "It was a touchy subject," he said. "I'd be more comfortable knowing that no one was turned off or turned the wrong way because of this decision."Cohen said the most important goal is to maintain a welcoming atmosphere in the Brandeis Jewish community. "I think it's sort of silly to have such strong divisions in the first place. I do believe in unity at most costs." She said she is nervous the BOO decision will be misinterpreted as a move to cut off Brandeis' less fundamentalist Jewish students. She added she also worries that the decision will be regarded as the stance of all Orthodox students, saying that is not the case. "People shouldn't be afraid of books. It's important to challenge yourself a little bit and not be threatened," Cohen said. "See what you think. Does it make your beliefs stronger? Does it make you question things?"Those opposed to the book's inclusion said an Orthodox-run and Orthodox-funded organization must first adhere to its Orthodox roots. They said they felt it improper to formally endorse texts that infringe upon halacha, or Orthodox Jewish law. "In a more perfect world everyone would have their own Beit Midrash, or there would be a Hillel Beit Midrash," Selinger said. "But, this is an Orthodox Beit Midrash. Decisions made by an Orthodox organization must be in line with halacha." "I wouldn't expect the Reform community to take the guitar out of their Friday night service or use a mehitza (barrier between men and women). This would alienate their own community," Selinger added. "Within the same regard, in our community, our philosophy, and our halacha, there are certain actions that are very borderline and can really alter the definition of our community and in the process, alienate people within our own community." Rabbi Todd Berman, an educator with the Jewish Learning Initiative and the BOO adviser, said the issue is "multi-faceted," and cannot be boiled down to two distinct sides. He added he hopes students can be tolerant of all the viewpoints expressed during the debate.The issue extended beyond the question of four books, stirring intense reflection throughout Brandeis' Jewish community. In a message to Reform Jews, Klein said "the discussions sparked amongst all Jews were truly for the best." Berkowitz described the forum as "one of the most amazing learning experiences" in her time at Brandeis.Loike said BOO now has a renewed focus on welcoming others into the Beit Midrash and the Orthodox community. Students on the BOO board have already met with leaders of the other Hillel religious groups. Alienation of non-Orthodox Jews, Loike said, "is the opposite of our goal."
(11/26/02 5:00am)
Friday, the Watch, one of Brandeis' magazines, published its first issue since fall 2001. The issue, titled, "The Watch Reborn: a magazine back from the brink," renews The Watch's presence on campus as Brandeis' open forum magazine. This issue's articles covered a diverse range of topics, from religion to the Soviet Union. "I am very excited to reintroduce the Watch magazine to Brandeis," Watch Co-Editor in Chief Benjamin Woodring '06 said. "The open forum publication is really quite distinctive on this campus and really has no parallel."Many people on campus told Watch editors they were surprised to see the Watch, as they thought it was it was no longer in print."Distributing this issue has been exciting as well as frustrating. Underclassmen said, 'what's the Watch?' while upperclassmen said 'I thought the Watch was dead,'" Co-Editor in Chief Jonathan Cetel '06 said. "So, I enjoy enlightening the campus about the existence of a publication that remains distinctly significant to the student body."Cetel said next semester, the Watch will release more issues. "Hopefully, next semester, students will no longer be unaware of the Watch; instead, they'll be looking forward to its arrival," Cetel said. "In the future, we hope to go into greater depth concerning many key issues, accounting for a diverse spectrum of opinions," Woodring said. "The Watch can be a channel for countless intellectual discussions and right now looks very promising."
(11/26/02 5:00am)
This year's Rent-A-Gent Bachelor Auction, which benefited the Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, made a conscious effort to encourage men to bid on other men. The fourth annual auction, held Thursday night in Levin Ballroom, auctioned off 63 bachelors and made about $6,000 for charity.While women bought most of the men up for bids, a few of the men auctioned off were bought by other men. The auction organizers, Mariel Meringolo '03 and Gabrielle Mayer '03, fully supported men bidding on other men, and emcee Morty Rosenbaum '03 got the ball rolling by bidding against Meringolo on Matt Preece (GRAD), who showed up in vinyl pants and a cowboy hat. "You want to get the crowd excited, and once Mariel started bidding, it worked, so I put in a bid too -- it upped the bid, and it let everyone know that anyone could bid on anyone," said Rosenbaum.Later on, Preece bid on Damien Scoditti '05. Rosenbaum also spontaneously auctioned himself off, was bid on by men and women, and was eventually bought for $150 by a man.In the past, the auction has primarily functioned as a platform for women to bid on men to go out on dates with them. After realizing this type of forum was exclusive and not encouraging to the gay community, Meringolo, Mayer and Rosenbaum worked on ways to make the auction more accessible to people of all sexual orientations. "Same-sex bidding is never anything we have prohibited in the past, however, it seemed to come to the forefront this year and we are happy the issue was raised because it illuminated the fact that we are not against same sex bidding and that in fact, we encourage it," Meringolo said.The organizers said they contacted many gay men who are comfortably "out" to encourage them to either be auctioned off or to vocally bid on other men. They even extended the deadline to add in some gay bachelors. The organizers said they realized that audience members may not take the initiative though, hence Rosenbaum's impromptu bid.The audience responded to the same sex bidding by clapping wildly when Rosenbaum won Preece. And, although there were men bidding on men throughout the evening, they just did not always end up winning. "Even if not a lot of bachelors were bought by men, there was a lot of male bidding going on, so there was definitely a presence there," Rosenbaum said. Meringolo said there have been no issues raised because of same-sex bidding, nor does she foresee any potential problems. Due to this year's success, Meringolo, Mayer and Rosenbaum said they hope larger steps can be made in the future. "I felt really happy with it, in terms of the progress it is working towards, as not being a mechanism of compulsory heterosexuality. With anything that's a bachelor auction, there will be problems, but it was a really great step," Rosenbaum said. "Hopefully, in the future, there will be gay men bidding at the auction, not only as a deliberate and necessary way of asserting there presence, but because they will know it is a legitimate place to find a date.
(11/26/02 5:00am)
This in not a letter to the editor. I just wanted to express to the writer of this article, Alexandra Perloe, that she did a wonderful job at presenting all sides to this potentially devisive and incindiery issue.Since I work myself in Jewish Education and outreach, I have seen many articles describing debates like this and almost always they are slanted to one side or the other. Her presentation was thorough, balanced and sensitive.I am also impressed with the Brandeis students, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox for the way they conducted this Forum and the respect that they showed for one another, despite andy ideological differances they may have. I am particulary impressed with how much all the students stressed Jewish Unity and inclusion, while at the same time holding divergent viewpoints.The larger Jewish Community across the Nation could learn a lot from these students.Chanukah Sameach,Rabbi Simcha Barnett
(11/19/02 5:00am)
Speaking at recent forums, students, faculty and administrators have disagreed on the significance of rising grades at Brandeis. Most have expressed reservation about reversing the trend, saying it may be implausible or compromise professors' autonomy.Professor Carol Osler (GSIEF), who spoke at a faculty/student forum yesterday, said there is inadequate incentive to curb the trend. "Even if there are net benefits to curbing grade inflation, it still won't happen, because no one has any incentive to speak up for curbing it, and a lot of people have incentive to speak up against it," she said.The average grade rose .16 on a 4.0 scale between Fall 1987 and Fall 2001, according to the Office of the Registrar. This growth corresponds to about half a grade, with current students averaging just under a B+. Grades are slightly higher in the spring than in the fall, a pattern that Registrar Mark Hewitt attributes to students taking heavier course loads in the fall semester. The issue of grade inflation surfaced nationwide last year when Harvard University announced that 91 percent of its graduates received honors in June 2001. Scrutiny of Brandeis' grading standards gained momentum in the spring when the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) held discussions about possibly raising the minimum GPA for Dean's List from a 3.5 to a 3.67. Negative feedback from students - especially in the sciences where the average GPA is about 3.15 - caused the UCC to withdraw the proposal, at least for the time being.Hewitt said that about half of grades at Brandeis are A's and A minuses, but that the number of D's and E's has remained steady.In May, Hewitt and Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Elaine Wong told the Justice that issues of grade inflation and grading in general would resurface this fall as the UCC considered what, if any, changes to propose. Hewitt said he felt a "community discussion" would be in order. There have been three meetings in the past few weeks about the issue, and students have been able to attend and participate in two. University administrators have been reluctant to release specific data about grades at Brandeis, and even figures shown at meetings go back only to 1987. Hewitt told the Justice Friday that he did not have access to figures before 1987, and said he would need to ask other administrators before releasing specific data about grade distribution and averages within departments and throughout Brandeis history. Professor Marya Levenson (EDUC) served on yesterday's panel. Grades, she said, should provide students with "feedback" on the knowledge they have acquired in a course. "Mastery should mean and could mean that we have more students at the higher end because we have more students who have mastered the material," Levenson said. She added, however, "effort does not always equate to mastery."A faculty meeting on Oct. 24 addressing the issue resulted in a mixture of perspectives, according to Wong. Faculty members, she said, offered a variety of suggestions on how to make grades and transcripts reflect both students' effort and knowledge. Some said that students benefit from understanding how grades are determined and what they reflect. Others, Wong said, felt that transcripts could include the average grade in a course, helping graduate and professional schools understand what individual grades mean. Many faculty said they were wary of the university mandating grade distribution - feeling too much regulation could hamper their academic freedom.Some faculty expressed concern that students avoid classes that they are interested in but in which will not be guaranteed a good mark, Wong said. Students speaking both yesterday and Thursday echoed this anxiety, and made their own suggestions to encourage students to study outside their major. Jeremy Hamburgh '04 and Class of 2005 Senator Michael Corwin served on yesterday's panel. Both told faculty that revamping the pass/fail system may encourage students to take more classes they are interested in but in which they feel they may receive a poor grade. A two-tier Dean's List has also been proposed to distinguish levels of achievement. Hewitt said Thursday that 46 percent of students were on the Dean's List last semester. Many students majoring in the School of Science, however, say that even at the current standard, achieving the Dean's List is unattainable. Creative arts classes receive the highest grades, followed by Humanities. Social sciences, in the past several years, have been comparable to the average GPA, and science classes have consistently produced the lowest grades.Evan Guggenheim '04, the Undergraduate Department Representative (UDR) for Chemistry, was in line with science majors who spoke at Thursday's forum. "Brandeis happens to be a school where, especially in the Chemistry department, it's hard to get good grades so it is probably more frustrating for people who are going to medical school and need to worry about their GPA a lot more," he said.Undergraduates seeking admission to medical or law schools expressed greater anxiety about grades than students looking to attend graduate schools. Nevertheless, some pre-medical students said they have not shied away from challenging or intriguing courses. "I'm still going to get into med school," Castle Quad Senator and math major Pam Hoffman '03 said. "I don't care about my grades." Brett Friedman '03, student representative to the UCC, said that feedback he has received indicated that students don't perceive grade inflation as a problem at Brandeis. In addition, Hewitt said that a rise in incoming students' SAT scores may suggest that Brandeis students are getting better."Most students would say these are earned A's and A minuses," Friedman, a UDR for the Politics Department, said. Sarah Light '04, student representative to the UCC, disagreed with Friedman. Calling grade inflation at Brandeis a "problem," Light said policies about what grades mean would be beneficial. "People are concerned because, while we have grade inflation, a 4.0 here is worth less than a 4.0 at another school," Light said. "If everyone at Brandeis gets either B's or A's how do you differentiate between a good student and a bad student?""I think the solution comes with having policies about what the grades mean and breaking away from the stigma that a B is a bad grade," Light added. "As long as we have that idea in our heads it's hard to admit that a B is a good grade.""I'm not sure we're doing the students any favors," Osler said at yesterday's lunch. "All of us who have been out in the real world know how important it is to get that kick in the pants sometimes.
