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

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Students plan to create microforest near Slosberg Music Center

(04/16/24 10:00am)

Microforests are becoming an increasingly popular method to introduce native greenery into urban spaces. Brandeis Microforest members Audrey de Garmo ’26, Arryn Clanaugh ’26, Katy Tanzer ’25, Maya Haubrich ’24 and Lily McCarthy ’25 aim to make this project a reality. In an April 11 interview with The Justice, De Garmo, Clanaugh and Tanzer discussed their microforest project on the Brandeis campus. 



Three basketball players earn CSC Academic All-District Honors and 92 Judges receive UAA All-Academic Honors

(04/09/24 10:00am)

Three players on the Brandeis basketball teams were named to the College Sports Communication (CSC) Academic All-District Team for the 2023-2024 season. On the men’s side, Ryan Power ’24 was honored, and on the women’s team, Francesca Marchese M’25 and Katherine Vaughan ’26 both took home the award.


Brandeis enjoys partial solar eclipse

(04/09/24 10:00am)

On April 8, the Brandeis community watched a near total eclipse elapse in the sky between 2:15 p.m. and 4:39 p.m., reaching peak coverage at 3:29 p.m. Community members mainly congregated on Fellows Garden, Chapels Field and the Carl J. Shapiro Science Center’s deck to get a glimpse of the phenomenon. Since the eclipse’s path of totality traveled over Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, Waltham and the rest of western Massachusetts saw the eclipse at 93 percent totality.



“They Haven’t Done Their Homework.”

(04/02/24 10:00am)

A little over four miles away from Brandeis University, in Waltham, Massachusetts, sits the 180+ acre campus of the Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center. Originally established in 1848 as the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded by Samuel Gridley Howe in South Boston, the center’s inception marked a pivotal moment in the history of disability care in the United States. 



Brandeis’ financial state remains uncertain, amid budget cuts

(04/02/24 10:00am)

On Thursday, March 14, students received an email from University President Ronald Liebowitz which detailed the recent financial situation that Brandeis has found itself in. Liebowitz, along with Provost Carol Fierke and Vice President of Finance and Administration Stew Uretsky wrote that Brandeis is facing short and long term financial shortfall, so they must address the unanticipated budget cuts. The University is making four specific changes: temporarily increasing spending from Brandeis’ endowment, delaying merit increases until Fall 2024, pausing Science 2A construction to build a new dormitory, and more carefully considering filling staff and faculty positions that are not externally funded. Deans and Vice Presidents are making their academic decisions based on the financial updates.


Brandeis hires new Director of Athletics

(04/02/24 10:00am)

Last week, Brandeis Athletics and Andrea Dine, Brandeis Vice President of Student Affairs, announced the new Director of Athletics, Jessica Chapin ’10. Chapin is currently the Director of Athletics at American International College and will leave the institution after a successful 10-year career with the Yellowjackets. She comes to Brandeis with extensive experience and success in fundraising, National Collegiate Athletic Association committee work, and winning records.




‘Dialogue & Action’: War, Law and Civilians

(03/26/24 10:00am)

What role does international law play in how states conduct themselves in times of war? Is international law respected or even an authentic reflection of human morality? Questions like these were discussed in the fourth installment of the Dialogue & Action series, titled War, Law, and Civilians. The talk was hosted by Northeastern University and took place virtually on March 13. Dialogue & Action is a series made to model constructive dialogue and is a collaboration between nine universities including Brandeis. 



Crown Seminar: Narges Bajoghli and Vali Nasr discuss book

(03/19/24 10:00am)

Sanctions have become “the tool of choice” for the United States in the 21st century regarding foreign policy. The U.S. government first imposed sanctions, defined as commercial and financial restrictions applied against states, groups or individuals, on Iran in the early 1980s after the country was designated as a state sponsor of international terrorism. The U.S. has increased sanction usage worldwide by 900% in the last 24 years. Narges Bajoghli and Vali Nasr’s new book, “How Sanctions Work: Iran and the Impact of Economic Warfare,” published by the Stanford University Press in February., explains how these sanctions have “permanently changed” Iran. In an online seminar on Wednesday, March 13 hosted by Prof. Naghmeh Sohrabi (HIST), director for research at the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and the Charles Goodman Professor of Middle East History at Brandeis, the co-authors took attendees on a deep dive into how sanctions have historically affected Iran and how they will continue to shape Iranian policy. 


‘Dialogue & Action in an Age of Divides’: Beyond our differences

(03/05/24 11:00am)

On Feb. 13, scholars from Massachusetts-based universities convened online for the second installment of the recently developed discussion series titled “Dialogue and Action in an Age of Divides.” The first session, which took place on Jan. 29, featured panelists from the University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston College Law School and Boston University School of Law, and delved into the contentious topics of hate speech and the boundaries of free expression. Moderated by Layli Maparyan — the executive director of the Wellesley Centers for Women and professor of Africana studies at Wellesley College — the second session, titled “Coming Together Across Difference,” emphasized a crucial message: despite differences and disagreements, individuals are fundamentally interconnected, and true progress stems from unity rather than division. Panelists provided insight drawn from research and personal experience and shared ways for audience members to work toward bridging together differences. 


From Brandeis to ‘Jeopardy!’: Alum shares trivia success strategy

(03/05/24 11:00am)

Children and adults alike sit in front of the television nightly to watch the entertainment program that has been running for 60 years: “Jeopardy!”. Dr. Andrew Tirrell ’02 has been a contestant on “Jeopardy!” four times and grew up watching it with his mom. In a Feb. 19 interview with The Justice, Tirrell stated that being on the show was “always something [he] thought [would be] an amazing thing to do, but honestly didn’t really imagine that [he] would have the chance.” The selection process for the has changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing Tirrell to apply. Previously, the required testing to secure a position was held in person and required travel and advanced planning. The new online format has a more accessible and convenient application process.


Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, 2024 Richman Distinguished Fellow in Public Life, delivers address

(03/05/24 11:00am)

Famous for her synthesis of scientific knowledge and Indigenous wisdom, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer stands at the forefront of modern ecology. She holds a doctoral degree in plant biology and currently works as a State University of New York Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology. Kimmerer is also the author of “Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Moss” and “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.” In recent years, “Braiding Sweetgrass” has become well-known for elevating the use of Indigenous teachings alongside traditional scientific knowledge. The overarching metaphor in the book compares the three strands of braided sweetgrass to three essential elements of understanding the natural world: scientific knowledge, Indigenous knowledge and knowledge of the plants themselves. Her writing has given over 300,000 readers access to a new understanding of how they can better understand the world around them. 


Artificial Intelligence, Real Consequences: The use of Artificial Intelligence platforms in higher-education

(03/05/24 11:00am)

Before I began to write this article, one of my professors had given me the suggestion to use ChatGPT to create a title for this piece. I did not do that, and will be very offended if you think I did. However, I did decide to give ChatGPT a chance and typed, “Can you please create a title for a school newspaper article which features three interviews with professors at Brandeis University discussing the potential benefits and drawback of ChatGPT in their respective fields of study and the classrooms in which they teach in?” In response, I got:



Peizhao Li Ph.D. ’24 receives fellowship from the National Institute of Justice

(02/13/24 11:00am)

In the last couple of years, the discussion surrounding the use of artificial intelligence in academic settings has been a point of contention. For some students, AI has been a source to generate ideas and act as personal editors, while professors have mixed feelings of its usage. While many have embraced the convenience that AI offers, Peizhao Li Ph.D. ’24 was recently awarded the $55,000 Graduate Research Fellowship Program from the National Institute of Justice for his research to better understand bias in artificial intelligence and machine learning and to better regulate its potential discriminatory impact.