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The Senate met for its last meeting of the semester on Sunday, where it elected members to various positions and discussed updating the attendance policy.
One year ago, a new movement was beginning to form on this campus, with people from many corners of the Brandeis community coming together. Students with and without disabilities were fed up with the structural ableism and inaccessibility at Brandeis, and after years of frustration, knew that they needed to take action. This action took the form of a letter to President Liebowitz, the Student Union, and both campus newspapers, along with an attached document of anonymous personal testimonies illustrating the discrimination and barriers that students with disabilities face at Brandeis. The planning and drafting of these documents took two months, with much collaboration from a large group of students, and conversations and edits across multiple social media platforms. But our final product was something we would learn to be powerful —- not just a strongly written document, but a new era for disability activism at Brandeis.
Club Support Committee Chair Joseph Coles ’22 is working on an expansion of the club consultant bylaw which would mandate all chartered clubs to have faculty or staff consultants.
At its weekly meeting on Sunday, the Senate swore in newly-elected Student Union Vice President Kendal Chapman ’22 and discussed controversy surrounding the special election of the racial minority senator. They also passed a Senate Money Resolution to purchase cooking equipment for Polaris Lounge.
The 2019 Campus Climate survey found that students with marginalized identities reported experiences with sexual violence and misconduct at higher rates than their peers. The report details students’ experiences with and attitudes toward sexual misconduct, reporting procedures and prevention resources on campus.
“None of us are free from unconscious bias,” Rachel Blau ’20 said. Blau is the former tournament director for the Brandeis Mock Trial team, and one of the brains behind the new anti-bias training that the team developed for their tournament judges and for judges around the country. Every year for the past 14 years, Brandeis has hosted a two-day, four-round Mock Trial tournament, planned and run entirely by students. Last year, when Blau and her co-director, Mayan Kleiman ’20, began planning the tournament, they realized they had the power to address this pervasive issue facing mock trial participants.
The University is in the beginning stages of developing its Request for Proposals for a new food services vendor and is seeking community feedback about its dining program.
The Student Union Senate held a short meeting on Sunday, where they discussed the upcoming special election, talked about Student Union President Simran Tatuskar’s ’21 public apology for the recent Judiciary case and voted on a new amendment about Senate committee requirements.
University President Ron Liebowitz announced in a community-wide email on Thursday that his $84.7 million “Springboard Funding Plan” is ready to go into effect. The proposal, originally valued at approximately $73 million, will “address gaps in University operations that must be filled before pursuing a major capital campaign,” according to a Jan. 22 Justice article.
Student Union Vice President Guillermo Caballero ’20 announced at the Oct. 27 Senate meeting that he would resign from his position, effective today. Caballero explained that he did not feel other Union leadership shared his values and visions for the Student Union, but reassured the Senate that he would remain an outside resource for those who need it. According to Caballero, Executive Senator Jake Rong ’21 will be interim vice president until the special election, which will be held in the next two to three weeks. Rong told the Justice on Sunday that he will not be running for vice president.
Brandeis’ mission statement claims that the University prepares students for “full participation in a changing society,” and with over 20 political and activist student organizations, a political event on campus is not a rare sight. Some of these groups and events laud specific candidates, while others focus on exchanging ideas. In the first part of this two-part exploration of politics on campus, the Justice spoke with representatives of Brandeis for Bernie and Brandeis for Warren about their organizing for the 2020 campaign.
At its weekly meeting Sunday, the Senate discussed a complaint against Union President Simran Tatuskar ’21 that will be heard by the Judiciary Committee, how Friday’s Pride Deis event went and updates to last year’s initiative to place free menstrual products in bathrooms across campus.
“Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong,” is a seven-word tweet that has caused one of the biggest controversies in National Basketball Association history since the implementation of the three-point line. This short tweet by the Houston Rockets’ General Manager, Daryl Morey, has caused the NBA world to explode. Millions to billions of dollars could be lost, countless jobs could be lost and the history of the league and possibly America could be altered forever. This article is going to be challenging for me to write, as I lack a political background, but it has shocked the sports world, and I have the relevant sports background.
At its meeting on Sunday, the Senate dechartered 23 clubs that failed to complete the necessary mandatory anti-hazing forms and passed two amendments to Senate office hours and attendance requirements.
After a months-long delay, the University will transition its financial management system for campus clubs from the Student Union Management Systems to Slate by the end of June 2020, Executive Senator Jake Rong ’21 reported during the Sept. 22 Senate meeting.
On Sept. 12, University President Ron Liebowitz sent an email to the Brandeis community requesting the community to submit nominations for honorary degree recipients to be celebrated at the 2020 commencement exercises. The President described an honorary degree as a great way to recognize and commend the achievements of figures who have been highly influential in academics, politics, the arts and through activism. In the past, the University has maintained a website through which anyone could submit a nomination for an honorary degree recipient, but this year’s decision to send an email ensures that the Brandeis community is aware of this opportunity.
The Senate convened for its weekly meeting on Sunday, during which members discussed the Board of Trustees and listened to IfNotNow’s presentation for probationary status.
The Senate convened on Sunday for its first meeting of the 2019-20 school year, during which they discussed Union logistics, swore in newly elected senators and confirmed Senate and Executive Board positions. Student Union Vice President Guillermo Caballero ’20 explained that after the roll call, the Senate would normally debate whether to charter new clubs or grant other club requests. However, he acknowledged that many senators were tired after going through hours of training at the Union retreat earlier that day. Caballero decided to push club-related business to next week’s meeting. He announced that next week, IfNotNow would present to the Senate for probationary status.
Last week, I received an email from a source that I will not name with a very interesting op-ed attached. As the Forum editor for the Justice, this happens quite often, as many individuals from both within and outside the Brandeis community want their voices and opinions heard.
Before kicking off her book tour, author Zadie Smith joined the Brandeis community on Sept. 12 to discuss her novel “Swing Time” with students and faculty. The event, part of the Helen and Philip Brecher New Student Forum, aims to provide an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of the book and get inspired by exploring the book’s themes. Smith’s visit involved a dinner with select faculty and a gathering in the International Lounge before a question-and-answer session in Spingold Theater Center.