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Brandeis University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1949 | Waltham, MA

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President Ronald Liebowitz reports on the Board of Trustees meeting

(12/05/17 11:00am)

At the most recent Board of Trustees meeting and retreat, the trustees discussed, among other topics, a retirement plan for tenured faculty and the draft principles on free expression, according to an email from University President Ron Liebowitz. The trustees will address the hot-button topic of fossil fuel divestment at the January board meeting, he wrote.

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/12/qya8xepqgdiwjsb

Recognize the important nature of stem cell research

(12/05/17 11:00am)

A recent study conducted by researchers from Lund University in Sweden revealed the future implications of amniotic fluids in stem cell research. During normal cesarean section procedures, the amniotic fluid is discarded as medical waste. However, recent evidence proves that amniotic fluids are a viable source of stem cells. Amniotic fluid contains Mesenchymal stem cells, a type of connective cell that has the ability to be converted into different types of cells for use in medical treatments. According to a Dec. 4 Science Daily article, research on the implication of MSCs in treating neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes and cardiovascular disease has proven to be successful in the past. However, MSCs are usually taken from adult human and animal sources, and they are, therefore, in limited supply. The researchers from Lund University have developed a novel technique for extracting MSCs from the amniotic fluid of patients undergoing scheduled C-sections. The procedure involved inserting a soft catheter into the amniotic membrane to collect the fluids shortly after the cesarean operation was performed, lengthening the procedural time only by only 90 seconds, according to the lead clinician, Andreas Herbst, in the same Dec. 4 Science Daily article. This is far from a new discovery; in 2007, it was first confirmed that amniotic fluid contains viable pluripotent stem cells, according to a Jan. 8, 2007 Washington Post article. Despite this scientific advancement and the knowledge of the potential uses of stem cells, there is still controversy surrounding the topic, more specifically that of embryonic stem cells. 

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/12/yfzgjez1ourruu8

Views on the News: Digital tracking in medication

(11/21/17 11:00am)

According to a Nov. 13 New York Times article, Japanese-based Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company recently received Food and Drug Administration approval for a psychiatric drug featuring a digital tracking device. The pill is designed with a sensor that is activated upon contact with stomach fluids. A signal is then sent to a patch on the skin that records the time before it is transferred to a mobile application that allows users to enter mood, amount of sleep and other data. Some have already expressed concern about this technology, calling it a "Biomedical Big Brother." What do you think of this invention and does it seem beneficial?

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/11/8626nkit8bvhwgz

Views on the News: Paris climate agreement

(11/14/17 11:00am)

 According to a Nov. 7 CNN article, Syria recently joined the Paris climate agreement, making the United States the only member of the United Nations to not have done so. President Donald Trump previously announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the agreement, stating, "We're getting out." Former President Barack Obama weighed in, stating that the decision would negatively impact American workers. What do you think of this development and how should the U.S. proceed?

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/11/ut6pxdm1bgfepx3

Students count fish in citizen science event

(11/14/17 11:00am)

Prof. Hitchcock (BIOL) is a proponent of public participation in science because it allows non-scientists the opportunity to increase scientific literacy and “learn by doing.” On Tuesday, her Ecology class hosted a “Virtual Herring Count Data Sprint” as the first of many ’Deis Does Citizen Science events, intended to involve the greater Brandeis community in science, advocacy and education. 

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/11/fish-citizen-science

Autism in America

(11/14/17 11:00am)

“My dad says that ‘Every rabbi has only one sermon, and they spend their entire lives trying to perfect it.’ So, this is my effort … to try and continue to perfect that sermon,” said Dr. David Mandell in his presentation titled “The Broken Links Between Policy and Practice in Autism Care.”

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/11/autism-in-america

Recognize need for seniors to have class selection priority

(11/07/17 11:00am)

This past week was class registration for the Spring 2018 semester. Every semester brings with it the issue of certain classes garnering a disproportionate amount of interest, resulting in more students seeking to take the class than there are available spots. This bars some students from enrolling in those classes. The second semester carries with it a unique burden for the majority of graduating seniors. Many still have requirements to complete, such as creative arts, science or even major requirements, and seniors need to get into classes that fulfill these University and major requirements in order to graduate in May. For these students, not getting into one class can be the difference between graduating on time and being forced to take a summer class — or even an additional semester — and this board urges the University to explore ways to avoid this.

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/11/lc1jugixmenrcda

Views on the News: New Passports

(11/07/17 11:00am)

According to a Nov. 2 New York Times article, Americans convicted of sex offenses against children will now have a passport to reflect their actions. Individuals in the Department of Homeland Security's database will be notified that their current passport will be revoked and replaced with the modified version. However, the Alliance for Constitutional Sex Offense Laws is against the decision, calling it a "slippery slope." Do you agree with this policy or is it violating individuals' rights?

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/11/views-on-the-news-new-passports

Flagel announces research leave

(10/31/17 10:00am)

In an Oct. 30 email to Brandeis students faculty and staff, University President Ron Liebowitz announced the forthcoming research leave of Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel. This leave will begin after Thanksgiving. “My research fellowship begins in the coming weeks and continues through the end of June 2018,” Flagel said in an email to the Justice.

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/10/flagel-announces-research-leave

Views on the News: JFK Files

(10/31/17 10:00am)

According to an Oct. 26 New York Times article, President Donald Trump ordered the release of over 2,800 documents related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. After the release of these documents, Trump stated that agencies should be extremely circumspect when requesting redactions because "the need for continued protection can only have grown weaker with the passage of time." CIA officials claim that releasing the records may be a threat to national security and intelligence gathering methods, contrary to the belief that more secrets are being protected. How do you feel about this and do you think that all of the documents should have been released?

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/10/views-on-the-news-jfk-files

Urge college students to adopt more collectivist practices

(10/31/17 10:00am)

In recent years, some clinical psychologists have debated the rise of narcissism in American college-age students. A May 2010 survey by researchers at the University of Michigan revealed that the level of empathy in college students has dropped 40 percent since 2000. In this context, empathy can be defined as a sensitivity or awareness of the thoughts and experiences of others.  Boston University research professor Peter Gray supports the findings of the 2010 survey in his 2014 article for Psychology Today. In his article, Gray blames what he calls “the self-esteem” movement of the 1980s. This refers to teaching practices based on positive affirmation and the idea that students respond much better to positive behavioral management practices than they do to negative ones. An Oct. 10 article by the Association of Psychological Science rebuts the rise of narcissism with a new study that reveals that college-age students are actually slightly less narcissistic than their counterparts were in the 1990s. This study rules that there is no compelling evidence that recent generations are more narcissistic than previous ones. Narcissism was understood as a point of view limited almost exclusively to one’s own needs, thoughts and experiences. The researchers identified specific aspects of narcissism, such as leadership, vanity and entitlement, and saw a similar downward trend in each of these traits between 1992 and 2015. Logically, narcissism and empathy have an inverse relationship: An increase in either leads to a reduction in the other. Individualism is not the same as  narcissism. Individualism relates to narcissism in that too much emphasis of the former can lead to the development of the latter. Hence, being individualist doesn’t necessarily mean one lacks empathy. 

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/10/urge-college-students-to-adopt-more-collectivist-practices

Acknowledge societal benefits of increased happiness

(10/31/17 10:00am)

Do we care about being happy anymore? According to an Oct. 27 New York Times opinion piece, we do. Ruth Whippman asserts that “good social relationships are the strongest, most consistent predictor there is of a happy life,” and also that “the average American spends barely more than half an hour a day on social communication.” So where’s the disconnect? The problem with happiness is that we simply don’t value it. We say we do, of course, because saying we don’t care would be blasphemous. But by the numbers, happiness is far down the societal priority list as income inequality and a competitive, numbers-driven society pressures us economically. 

https://www.thejustice.org/article/2017/10/acknowledge-societal-benefits-of-increased-happiness