(11/19/12 5:00am)
Perhaps it is my unyielding na??vet?(c), but I firmly believe the humanities play an essential role in our society. Unfortunately, this opinion seems to be increasingly unpopular. According to a recent article in Liberal Education, a journal published by a consortium of over 1,000 institutions of higher education, there has been a significant decline in the number of institutions that have an overwhelming majority of students majoring in humanities over the last 20 years., Former Wesleyan University and Emory University President William Chace notes in The American Scholar journal that from 1970 to 2003 there was a precipitous decline in the number of students majoring in the humanities, from 30 percent to 16 percent. This trend-coupled with the incessant interrogation about what I will do with my humanities-based liberal arts degree in the "real world,"-has led me to the following refrain: I believe the humanities to be valuable beyond academia and esoterica, and I rail against those naysayers who attempt to dismantle the robust edifice of the humanities in order to assemble, however tenuously, the argument in favor of more "practical" degrees. The humanities engender a method of thinking, extending far beyond the borders of any specific topic studied in the classroom. It is not merely what is learned but rather how it is learned.
(11/19/12 5:00am)
In its last meeting before Thanksgiving break, the Senate recognized two new clubs and chartered the Brandeis chapter of the Harry Potter Alliance on its return trip to the Senate after being denied this status at the meeting two weeks ago. There were 16 senators present at the start of the meeting. To start out the meeting, Executive Senator Ricky Rosen '14 addressed the Senate on the progress of ongoing projects including the Turkey Shuttles and planning for Midnight Buffet. Rosen reported that many students were taking advantage of the shuttles, and he was hopeful that they would turn a profit. The Science Club for Girls was first up for recognition and passed by a margin of 14 in favor to two abstentions. According to leaders who presented at the meeting, the club seeks to provide positive experiences and mentoring to girls in grades K-12 to encourage them to get involved in science and science-related careers. The club is open to both male and female student mentors. The group did not request charter, as it is sponsored by a national parent organization. After much debate, the Senate also recognized, but denied charter to, the Brandeis Technical Traders Society. The club, which is interested in financial trading based on "technical analysis," is geared toward bringing experts in the field to speak on campus, as well as training students to take a technical analyst certification exam. Many senators were not convinced that the club did not have duality of purpose, citing similarities with umbrella groups such as Business Club and Economics Society. BTTS was ultimately recognized but not chartered. The Harry Potter Alliance, which was recognized two weeks ago and had returned to seek charter, was the final club to appear before the Senate this week. The club, which aims to further social justice projects through campaigns related to themes of the popular Harry Potter books, emphasized in its presentation that the founder of the national organization, Andrew Slack '02, "really wants [Brandeis] to have a chapter." The club leaders sought charter so that they could request money from the Finance Board for administrative costs for their events. In its initial vote, the Senate did not meet the quorum of eligible voters, as some senators had left the meeting and a few abstained from the vote. After considering inviting HPA vice president and Class of 2015 Senator Sneha Walia to be the deciding vote, the Senate ultimately held a revote and chartered the club. In other business, the Senate turned down a proposed Senate Money Resolution from North Quad Senator Alex Burger '16. The SMR would have allocated $59.50 for game supplies for Polaris Lounge. Senators were wary of setting precedent for funding minor Quad projects such as this. Earlier in the semester, the Senate also rejected an SMR to buy hammocks for Massell Quad. Club Support Committee chair and Senator at Large Charlotte Franco '15 reported that Club Support had met with Student Activities director Stephanie Grimes, club leaders, other senators and union members two weeks ago to discuss club and general organizational problems throughout the Union. Franco said she expects constitutional and procedural changes to follow. -Tate Herbert
(11/19/12 5:00am)
It's Middle Of Nowhere, America and Asher Krell, former Brandeis student and friends Sam Rosenbaum and Sam Rotenberg pull up to a gas station between destinations to refill their rickety Toyota Sienna that they affectionately named Ginger. The average traveler with reactions ranging from nostalgia to condescension, might assume them to be three best friends taking their inaugural post-adolescent road trip. They would be right of course, but this road trip has a twist. Krell, who intended to attend Columbia University's medical engineering program this fall, set out in early September on a 16-week journey to various cities across the country to explore the world of Jewish music along with two of his close friends from summer camp. "We've been on the road for 11 weeks and 25 states so far," said Krell. "One of the greatest things about this trip has been being in the car with them." The project is called Rock Shabbat, a title that originated from the project's Facebook description. The end date of the trip is Dec. 22-the supposed end of the Mayan Calendar. The original Rock Shabbat Facebook description said, "this isn't the end of the world, it's only Shabbat," the word rock meaning "only" in Hebrew. The trip is documented in the form of a 20-minute webisode released every Saturday night on their website www.rockshabbat.com. These episodes document the journey and include conversations and performances by Jewish musicians, as well as other interesting occurrences on their travels. Krell's involvement in the project started during the summer of 2012 when Rotenberg and Rosenbaum, fellow staff members at Camp Ramah Darom in Georgia, asked him if he would come along as their videographer and video editor. Krell had been head of the video and photography program at the camp and was getting positive feedback on the short clips of the camp activities that he had created there. "The first thing I told them was no," Krell admitted. He spent his first three years of undergraduate study at Brandeis as a Biology major and had planned on attending the Columbia University medical engineering program beginning this fall. "They continued to push. Three weeks later I got back to them and told them I could do it. How often in life do you get to do something like this?" said Krell. He explained, "The trip was a chance to learn about something that is very much a part of the Jewish community that I didn't know that much about coming into it." The media component of the project however, was nothing new for him, as Krell has always enjoyed sharing his experiences through social media. "What's really fun about this project is it's not like we're making a film where we're going to ask people to sit down for an hour and a half and go get a big picture of what we've done. It's very live, very real time. ... We put up [the episodes] as we go. It's an experience that we're having on the road, and we're trying to share that same experience," Krell said. He did similar videographer work at Brandeis, including working on the video "Sh*t Science Majors Don't Say," as well as holding the posts of photography editor and associate editor of the Justice. Krell's ability to be both a Biology major and be involved in journalism and film is, in his opinion, one of Brandeis' greatest strengths as a university. "What I really miss and love about Brandeis is the community. It is never like you're in this clique and you do this and you are this," Krell said. The inclusive nature of the Brandeis community is something Krell feels as he travels to meet with various Jewish musicians across the States. "We have stayed in a few hotels, but it's only been three times. Wherever we go, people are always very welcoming and offer us a place to stay," Krell said. The most recent of their adventures took place in Los Angeles, which Krell said has been his favorite stop thus far because he found himself immersed in a part of the L.A. community that did not fit his stereotypes of the city. "I always thought of L.A. as very Hollywood, and it ended up being a lot more outdoorsy and friendly," he said. L.A. also allowed him to meet a wide breadth of musicians-from Sam Glaser, one of the Moment Magazine's top 10 Jewish artists in the United States, to Craig Taubman, a Jewish singer/songwriter who has been featured on the Disney channel. Taubman's name is one that "most people who are involved in reform or conservative Judaism through summer camps have heard of," according to Krell. Other notable musicians included Mikey Pauker, an up-and-coming artist with a sound reminiscent of modern folk bands, as well as Michael Isaacson, a Jewish composer and originator of the Jewish Camp Song movement. Rosenbaum and Rotenburg, "the Sams," as Krell referred to them, spent over a year planning the project. They are both musicians with a passion for Jewish music and envisioned that the trip would be a "serious unifying factor for Jewish musicians," according to Rotenberg. Speaking about the vision that sets this road trip apart, Rosenbaum said, "I think the way [our trip] is different is that this project is about people. We're traveling the country to meet people and play music with them, hear what they do and hear why they're involved in making Jewish music. ... Physical structures are nice, but if you want to really feel a part of a town, you really need to meet the people in that community." Regarding Krell's contributions to the project, Rosenbaum and Rotenburg expressed, with a couple good-natured jokes at his expense, how invaluable Krell is to the project. "Asher is incredibly organized. He is a technical genius with a knack for visuals and knows what it takes to make a video look good both behind the camera and in front of a computer," said Rotenberg. "Asher knows how to capture the moment," added Rosenbaum. The trip will culminate in a Havdalah service, the service that marks the end of Shabbat, that will be held on Dec. 22. The group is asking that the musicians in all the cities they've visited each hold their own Havdalah service while keeping the entire American Jewish music community in mind. "We as American Jews are a large community around the country," said Krell. "Although we cannot all do Havdalah together, we can all be together in spirit as each of us does our own service around the country."
(11/13/12 5:00am)
The Electoral College was created as a buffer between the populous and the executive branch of government, while attempting to give a share of power to the smaller states. However, in last week's election, President Barack Obama scored 332 electoral votes, to Mitt Romney's 206, yet the president scored only 51 percent of the popular vote to Romney's 48 percent. Do you think the Electoral College is an effective means of electing our president? Is there another method? * Daniel Marks '14 Although the Electoral College is a major element of the American political system, its results do not accurately represent the view of the entire country and can reduce voter turnout. Eligible voters may stay home on election day because they believe their votes won't count when a state tends to sway toward the other political party. Furthermore, if a state is worth an insignificant amount of Electoral College votes, there isn't an incentive to vote. If the popular vote decided the election, a vote in Alaska would count just as much as one in every other state. This may result in many more active voters and an election in which the candidates would campaign in a greater variety of states, instead of just Ohio and Florida. Daniel Marks '14 is an undergraduate departmental representative for the Politics Department and the Ziv Quad senator in the Student Union. Clifton Masdea '15 While I understand that the Electoral College was intended to give all states a voice in determining who the next president will be, I do think more needs to be done to guarantee that all voters' voices are heard. The winner-take-all notion of the electoral votes per state not only narrows the campaigns to major swing states such as Ohio and Florida, but it also does not take into account voter suppression laws that unfairly target people of color, students and low-income individuals. It also does not leave room for third-party candidates whom many voters would vote for if the Electoral College were not biased toward the two-party system. While I am not against the Electoral College system itself, I do think more needs to be done to make sure that no voter feels marginalized. Clifton Masdea '15 is a member of Students for a Democratic Society. Ryan LaRochelle While some of the constitutional architects may have intended for the Electoral College to protect the interests of small states, contemporary political science research demonstrates that this is not the case. The Electoral College creates a system that encourages candidates to focus the bulk of their attention-advertising money, campaign visits and speeches-on competitive battleground states, regardless of size. Citizens in states that are deemed electorally non-competitive receive far less information about the candidates and their policy plans. I would propose that the states adopt a proportional plan whereby each state's electoral votes are allocated according to the popular vote in the state. However, every state would have to adopt this system for it to be effective. I believe that this system would better reflect the diversity of views among the American electorate and encourage citizens to vote for third party and independent candidates who may be more closely aligned with their individual political views. Ryan Larochelle is a Ph.D. student in Politics. Fred Berger '15 The Electoral College is an effective means of electing our president, even though it has undemocratic elements embedded within it. Firstly, the Electoral College allocates the amount of electoral votes a state receives on the basis of the number of people within a state. Therefore, more populous states receive more electoral votes. Secondly, in every election there are "battleground states," like Ohio and Florida, that aren't either firmly Democrat or Republican that can almost declare the outcome of an election. These states receive a disproportionate amount of campaign resources, whether through advertisements or the candidate visiting the state multiple times. While this increases voter turnout and civic engagement in the battleground states, voters in the non-battleground states can be drawn to feel isolated. In seeking to rectify the Electoral College, creating a system that increases voter involvement, voter turnout and makes all votes equally important is what we need to and should adopt. Fred Berger '15 is the public relations director of the Brandeis' College Democrats and the Live music coordinator for WBRS. * *
(11/13/12 5:00am)
The Electoral College was created as a buffer between the populous and the executive branch of government, while attempting to give a share of power to the smaller states. However, in last week's election, President Barack Obama scored 332 electoral votes, to Mitt Romney's 206, yet the president scored only 51 percent of the popular vote to Romney's 48 percent. Do you think the Electoral College is an effective means of electing our president? Is there another method? * Daniel Marks '14 Although the Electoral College is a major element of the American political system, its results do not accurately represent the view of the entire country and can reduce voter turnout. Eligible voters may stay home on election day because they believe their votes won't count when a state tends to sway toward the other political party. Furthermore, if a state is worth an insignificant amount of Electoral College votes, there isn't an incentive to vote. If the popular vote decided the election, a vote in Alaska would count just as much as one in every other state. This may result in many more active voters and an election in which the candidates would campaign in a greater variety of states, instead of just Ohio and Florida. Daniel Marks '14 is an undergraduate departmental representative for the Politics Department and the Ziv Quad senator in the Student Union. Clifton Masdea '15 While I understand that the Electoral College was intended to give all states a voice in determining who the next president will be, I do think more needs to be done to guarantee that all voters' voices are heard. The winner-take-all notion of the electoral votes per state not only narrows the campaigns to major swing states such as Ohio and Florida, but it also does not take into account voter suppression laws that unfairly target people of color, students and low-income individuals. It also does not leave room for third-party candidates whom many voters would vote for if the Electoral College were not biased toward the two-party system. While I am not against the Electoral College system itself, I do think more needs to be done to make sure that no voter feels marginalized. Clifton Masdea '15 is a member of Students for a Democratic Society. Ryan LaRochelle While some of the constitutional architects may have intended for the Electoral College to protect the interests of small states, contemporary political science research demonstrates that this is not the case. The Electoral College creates a system that encourages candidates to focus the bulk of their attention-advertising money, campaign visits and speeches-on competitive battleground states, regardless of size. Citizens in states that are deemed electorally non-competitive receive far less information about the candidates and their policy plans. I would propose that the states adopt a proportional plan whereby each state's electoral votes are allocated according to the popular vote in the state. However, every state would have to adopt this system for it to be effective. I believe that this system would better reflect the diversity of views among the American electorate and encourage citizens to vote for third party and independent candidates who may be more closely aligned with their individual political views. Ryan Larochelle is a Ph.D. student in Politics. Fred Berger '15 The Electoral College is an effective means of electing our president, even though it has undemocratic elements embedded within it. Firstly, the Electoral College allocates the amount of electoral votes a state receives on the basis of the number of people within a state. Therefore, more populous states receive more electoral votes. Secondly, in every election there are "battleground states," like Ohio and Florida, that aren't either firmly Democrat or Republican that can almost declare the outcome of an election. These states receive a disproportionate amount of campaign resources, whether through advertisements or the candidate visiting the state multiple times. While this increases voter turnout and civic engagement in the battleground states, voters in the non-battleground states can be drawn to feel isolated. In seeking to rectify the Electoral College, creating a system that increases voter involvement, voter turnout and makes all votes equally important is what we need to and should adopt. Fred Berger '15 is the public relations director of the Brandeis' College Democrats and the Live music coordinator for WBRS. * *
(11/13/12 5:00am)
Correction appended
(11/13/12 5:00am)
Prof. Gregory Petsko (BCHM), will be moving his research lab to New York City to join his wife, the dean of Weill Cornell Medical College, in early 2014. His wife, Laurie H. Glimcher, was appointed dean of the medical school in January and has been living in New York since then. "I don't have a choice," said Petsko in an interview with the Justice, explaining that Glimcher's appointment was expected to be relatively long-term, "I've made 70 trips to New York City since January, and that's not an exaggerated number." He went on to jokingly compare his predicament to the famous "offer you can't refuse," made by mafia don Vito Corleone in the movie The Godfather. "It's always a good sign when other schools want to hire our faculty, and a disappointment when it actually happens," wrote Provost Steve Goldstein '78 in an email to the Justice. "We are sorry to be losing Greg Petsko, even as we wish him well at Cornell Medical School." While the decision has been made, Petsko, the Gyula and Katica Tauber Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacodynamics, said he will continue to research and teach at Brandeis until 2014, when construction on the new research building he will work in in New York will be complete. The Petsko & Ringe Laboratories are located in 5,000 square feet on the sixth floor of the Rosenstiel Basic Medical Sciences Research Center, according to the lab's website. Petsko works there with the lab's other namesake, Prof. Dagmar Ringe (BCHM), the Harold and Bernice Davis Professor in Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease. Ringe did not respond to requests for comment. The majority of the research in the lab is dedicated to developing cures for Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease and Lou Gherig's Disease, according to Petsko. This research will continue in New York. The lab currently has a staff of about 20 students. Petsko estimated that six or seven are graduate students, about 12 are undergraduates and the rest are post-doctoral. He will aim to maintain the size of the lab's staff until his departure, hiring to make up for the usual turnover as students graduate or move on to other jobs. He anticipates that his new lab will be roughly the same size. However, one difference will be the loss of undergraduate students to work with and teach. Petsko will teach at the medical school, where only graduate students are enrolled. "We love having undergrads in the lab. ... They do really good work and they're a delight to have around," said Petsko, adding that it's also good training for his graduate and post-doctoral students to supervise the undergraduates. "I think [Brandeis is] the best place in the world to work in if you're a scientist who likes teaching. You couldn't ask for a better environment," he said, praising the faculty, students and University President Frederick Lawrence. "There's a million reasons why it would be wonderful to stay, but there's one big reason why I can't." Petsko said he hopes that, since he is vacating such a prominent position with a high salary, Brandeis will hire two associate professors of Biochemistry or Chemistry in his stead. "Bringing in vital, young people to the faculty is something that's very good to do," he said. Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren confirmed this in an email to the Justice, saying that the search is already underway for "a new [Biochemistry] faculty member who will carry out research defined by his or her own interest and expertise, and who will carry on Brandeis' tradition of excellence in Biochemical research and teaching." Goldstein agreed. "[T]he departure of a faculty member-even one as outstanding as Greg-does bring one compensation: the opportunity to hire someone new."
(11/12/12 5:00am)
"Siri, who created you?"
(11/07/12 5:00am)
The Justice asked members of the Brandeis community to predict the impact President Barack Obama's victory would have on the following key issues.
(11/06/12 5:00am)
Today students voting in Massachusetts will be deciding on the legality of medicinal marijuana. Currently, 17 states have legalized the sale of marijuana including New Jersey, Maine, Michigan and Connecticut, but some people still have reservations about the extent the government should regulate its use. How do you think Massachusetts residents should vote on the medical marijuana initiative this election year? * Prof. Cindy Parks Thomas (HELLER) The irony is that Massachusetts, a national leader in innovative solutions to health care and health policy, is far behind other states in recognizing this important medical issue. The scientific evidence is conclusive that marijuana can play an important therapeutic role in many diseases, by alleviating pain and major symptoms of cancer, Parkinson's, MS, HIV and glaucoma. We should be bold enough to shed the stigma of marijuana's history as a recreational drug, and see this as a simple access-to-care issue. As a health policy expert and former clinician, I say yes to medical marijuana, but it is not without reservation. Like any public policy, the devil is in the details of how it is implemented. Balanced regulations of licensing providers, and putting bounds around the diseases for which it may be prescribed, is imperative. This will avoid the dispensary mills on every block in certain parts of cities like my former home of Denver, and the ease with which pretty much anyone in the state could get a license to purchase at age 18. Professor Cindy Thomas, is an Associate Research Professor at the Brandeis University Schneider Institute for Health Policy. Jonathan Steinberg '13 I think people need to separate objectivity from subjectivity when they vote in this issue. Too often people will vote simply based on their opinion about smoking marijuana. There are legitimate therapeutical benefits of medicinal marijuana. The real challenge is making sure that legalizing medicinal marijuana doesn't lead to drug abuse. As long as it is effectively controlled, I think people should vote in favor of the bill. Jonathan Steinberg '13 is the Health: Science, Society, and Policy undergraduate departmental representative. * Julie Johnson State-level medical marijuana policies vary considerably on the legalization of non-FDA approved use, possession, cultivation and purchase of medical marijuana. Massachusetts policy as written has multiple loopholes and risks for exploitation, including: zoning regulations, no age limits, tax breaks and subsidies as a 'non-profit' industry, no prescription and thus, no tracking through prescription drug monitoring programs. In addition to the many unforeseen impacts this policy will have in Massachusetts given these loopholes, my and many others' concern is for youth. Legalizing marijuana may decrease perceived risk of harm, and increase social approval and access to marijuana. Marijuana use and abuse affects youth in many ways including both short-term effects e.g. cognitive dysfunction, increased risk of injuries, and long-term effects, e.g. cognitive impairment, brain and respiratory system effects, mental illness and negative impacts on educational outcomes. If Ballot 3 is passed on Nov. 6, it will be implemented on Jan. 1 making it paramount that we are ready for the consequences that will unfold, including increased protection for our youth. Julie Johnson is a Ph.D. student at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Hannah Goldberg '13 * Currently, many physicians understand that the cannabinoids contained in marijuana have a clinically beneficial role in neurotransmission, alleviating symptoms that accompany a number of medical conditions. I think that it is important for doctors to have access to any methods of treatment that they believe would most effectively treat his or her patient's ailment. My general laissez-faire attitude toward social policy influences my personal decision that residents of these states should vote to legalize medical marijuana. However, as a medical school applicant who studies neuroscience, I believe that it is important that medical marijuana is legalized to give doctors option to prescribe the drug to the patients whom it can benefit. Hannah Goldberg '13 is the undergraduate departmental representative for Neuroscience and a columnist for the Justice *
(11/05/12 5:00am)
The Justice's professor profile series aims to show Brandeis professors as people outside of the classroom. In the latest installment, justNews interviewed Prof. Peter Conrad (HSSP). Peter Conrad, Harry Coplan Professor of Social Sciences and Chair of the Health: Science, Society and Policy program, is more than just a medical sociologist. The New York native wasn't always interested in sociology, but in his sophomore year at SUNY Buffalo, he realized that his business major just wasn't his calling. At the time, Conrad had been taking "Intro to Sociology," and as he puts it, he "was saved." "I finally found a discipline that asked the kinds of question I was interested in. I went to the university bookstore and went to the sociology section and there were a bunch of books I wanted to read anyway." After getting his Bachelor of Arts at Buffalo, Conrad continued his sociology education at Northeastern University where he received his Masters degree, and he went on to obtain a Ph.D. at Boston University. When asked what he likes to do outside of work, Conrad responded, "I like to go to the movies. I work in my garden; I have a big garden at home, and I love my garden. I also ride my bike, and I like to travel." Conrad has taken two sabbatical years in his 33 years at Brandeis. His first sabbatical was from 1989 to 1990 in Indonesia. Conrad discussed that in his career as a medical sociologist, he studies aspects of health and illness. He went on to explain that to be broadly based in his own field, he has to do field research in a different culture and in a different country. Conrad's other sabbatical was in London, where twice a week he flew to Northern Ireland to consult and teach. He now returns to Ireland for one week each year. Libby, Conrad's wife, is an emergency room doctor and plays an important part in his life as a medical sociologist, he said. "We are interested in some of the same issues; she from a medical point of view, and me from a sociological point of view. We help to hone each other's views because of our two different perspectives." Conrad's "SOC 191A: Health, Community, and Society" class has been important at Brandeis and is one of the keystone courses for HSSP. Conrad finished the interview by talking about what he finds most valuable about being a professor. "I can do all of the things I like to do. I like being around young people, I like to write and research. I love teaching. There is also a certain amount of flexibility. I can be here three days a week, and go home the other two and do my research. If I get tired of a course, or get into a new area of interest, I can shape a course around it. It's really a great career." -Danielle Gross
(11/05/12 5:00am)
"You all have to bear the burden of carrying the discussion. Are you ready to do that?" Michael Sandel '75 challenged University students last Wednesday at the inaugural lecture of the JustBooks First-Year Seminar Program. Held in the Mandel Center for the Humanities, the Division of Humanities event, "Justice, Money, and Markets," focused on "the connections between the theories of justice on the one hand and the ... positions [people] take ... [on] pressing contemporary political and legal questions that matter" on the other. In the one-hour conversation with students, Sandel, a political philosopher, bestselling author and the University's first Rhodes Scholar, stimulated his audience as they reflected on tough questions concerning justice, defended their perspectives and ultimately determined what is fair and what is just in our society. Valarie Timms '16 was fascinated by Sandel's control of the dialogue: "Just how he could take command of the room and ... get so many people involved at once and get so many people to care about ... the topic of justice ... is something definitely a lot of professors try to do here but not in such a ... self-involved way." Sandel, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University and creator of the famous "Justice" course, opened the floor to debate after asking a divisive question: Is it fair for someone drafted during the Civil War to hire a substitute to fight in his place? Mandel G03 transformed into Sandel's classroom of actively engaged students, eager to answer why the 1862 system was objectionable or reasonable. Sandel compelled students to consider the moral dilemma of a man such as industrialist Andrew Carnegie paying a replacement $1,500: Do both parties fare better in this situation? Or is it unfair that only the wealthy can pay for substitutes? Does it then become a rich man's war and a poor man's fight? Those are some of the questions Sandel addressed in the ongoing exchange, advancing a larger discussion of what is right and wrong and how philosophy relates to the world-"between long traditions of thinking about justice ... and the hard, concrete choices that ... [people] wrestle with as citizens and ... human beings as [they] go about [their] lives." Sandel "successfully challenged a lot of notions that we have, pointed out an inconsistency in our thinking in that we think that it is bad for the Civil War era to sell out a place in the army of the draft whereas in this day and age, it's okay ... to hire essentially mercenaries from the American population," said Michael Sklaroff '13. But Sandel did not only challenge students' moral reasoning about the army; he encouraged them to think critically about organ sales-whether there should there be a free market for them; sweatshop labor-whether it is fair to be paid to work under sweatshop conditions; and jury duty-whether one should be able to hire a replacement. "In Michael Sandel, you have someone whose scholarship is thought-provoking in a way that has challenged people in how many different languages and how many different countries and has a depth and profundity that yet remains fresh," said University President Frederick Lawrence before Sandel spoke. In a style that mirrored his discourse at Harvard, Sandel inspired students to expand their thought processes-a feat that University faculty and staff hope to achieve with JustBooks, the result of a collaboration between the Office of the Provost, Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Birren and English Academic Administrator Lisa Pannella. "We wanted to do something Brandeisian in the spirit of what Michael has pioneered, and we ended up with small first-year seminars-each with its own topic-and all of them really bringing a deep, intellectual framework around questions of social justice," said Prof. Susan Lanser (ENG). According to Lanser, Sandel's "Justice" course, one of the most popular classes at Harvard, inspired Brandeis to develop equivalent seminars. The JustBooks program, which began this fall, merges texts from different disciplines with discussions, enabling students to "grapple over big ideas and hone their skills" in the classroom. "With the launch of the JustBooks program, we can be confident that the graduates of Brandeis University will continue to make a name for themselves as teachers and as seekers of justice," said Provost Steve Goldstein '78 after Lanser's introduction. As they encourage conversation on campus, Lanser said that she hopes there will be more of these seminars. While they are currently only open to first-years, if there is enough demand, they could be extended to other years. Sandel agreed with the merits of the program: "I feel that I got not only a terrific education but also ... a sense of engagement with the world, bringing academic questions into contact with the world," which is what JustBooks hopes to enhance.
(10/29/12 4:00am)
There's something indispensable about the romance of a handwritten cursive letter. Experts have made careers out of pouring over the significance of these curves and lines trying to quantify and qualify the arcs into a science. Given the sustained scientific and cultural significance of penmanship, we must still try to preserve the dying art of cursive handwriting.
(10/29/12 4:00am)
The Hadassah-Brandeis Institute welcomed renowned historian Dagmar Herzog this past Wednesday evening in Rapaporte Treasure Hall. In her lecture, "Post Holocaust Anti-Semitism and the Psychiatry of Trauma", Herzog discussed various arguments given by postwar West German psychiatrists to deny reparations to the traumatized survivors of Nazi persecution.
(10/29/12 4:00am)
Ari Boltax's '14 interest in veterinary medicine stems from her own experience with a childhood pet. After convincing her parents, she became the owner of a Maltese puppy when she was eight-wyears old. "We ended up only having it for about six days because she had a hypoglycemic attack, which is low blood sugar and it's treatable, but it just scared my parents, so we decided that it was best that we not have a dog," said Boltax. She admits that, while she was probably sad at the time, she vividly remembers "being more interested in 'Why did this happen to my dog, and why isn't it going away? Why can't I save it? What's the title of someone who saves animals because nobody else should have this happen to their dog?'" she said. Boltax, double-majoring in Chemistry and Biology, is also pre-vet. Because of the lack of a defined academic route for someone who wants to pursue veterinary studies at Brandeis, Boltax has found other ways to enrich her education on the subject. During the summer, she interned at New England Wildlife Center in South Weymouth, Mass., and she continues to work there this semester whenever she has free time. Her internship consisted of eight-hour shifts five days a week, and her work ranged from "anything from admitting patients to feedings, to cleanings to doing x-rays and analyzing radiographs to administering medications and injecting medications and wrapping broken wings on birds," said Boltax. She also prepared packages for rabies testing, did blood analyses and assisted with euthanizing animals that could not be saved. A main responsibility Boltax had at the center was making decisions about whether an animal should be released or euthanized. For one of these situations, the veterinarian was unusually quiet during his examination of a cardinal, and at the end of his exam, he simply asked if she thought the animal should be euthanized. After learning that the bird had a neurological problem, incurable by any veterinarian, she made the decision to euthanize it. "If it has three things wrong with it, then we usually euthanize because in the process of fixing one thing, we'll probably just hurt them more trying to fix the second," Boltax said. The technician suggested that the interns assist with the euthanasia administration on that particular day and told Boltax to choose an animal; she chose the cardinal she had seen earlier that day. "To see an animal go from start to finish completely in my hands and in my care was something ... exciting and it was interesting, and it's something that I knew that I could handle, dealing with a death and deciding on a death that was really important to me. And I think that kind of defines my internship, how important it was and what a crazy experience I had," Boltax said. The types of animals admitted by the center depends on the time of year. Toward the end of August and beginning of September, the center sees a lot of squirrels and baby birds after a rainstorm. Other animals Boltax cared for include possums, hawks, geese, turtles, snakes, porcupines, tree frogs and hedgehogs. She admits that Brandeis was not an ideal choice to study veterinary medicine because "there's actually a really important class that's required for most veterinary schools that Brandeis doesn't even offer." While she has had to supplement her love of animals and veterinary studies with her internship and volunteering at Northshore Animal League America, an animal shelter in New York, when she goes home, she's more than satisfied with her decision to be at Brandeis. "I had no idea that I would fit in so well, that the community here was so like-minded to me and that the connections that I would make would be so valuable," she said. Being at Brandeis has also given Boltax the opportunity to pursue her focus of veterinary medicine with her love of teaching. Boltax is a teaching assistant for "Organic Chemistry" and will be a TA next year for "Organic Chemistry," "Biology lab," as well as a practicum she is currently designing. Boltax is currently doing independent research for the Biology and Organic Chemistry Introduction Labs. "I'm basically trying to integrate the two curricula more and make it more cohesive for students who double up during their sophomore year. So, I designed an experiential learning practicum that's actually coming out next semester," she said. "I want to incorporate [teaching] into my career somehow, so I'd like to pursue a combined DVM, which is Doctorate Veterinary Medicine Ph.D. program. And I'm probably going to be applying to veterinary school straight out of college, but I really want to be able to use that Ph.D. to teach in the future," Boltax said. She is excited for this project because "students can enroll in the practicum and they get to have real tangible contributions to sciences. They design and develop and carry out their own unique experiment," according to Boltax. Eager to combine her love of teaching and animals, Boltax said that although she has always known what she wanted her focus to be, she has finally learned how to combine her passions.
(10/23/12 4:00am)
The integration of technology into the classroom has allowed students to learn, think and analyze in many different ways. More and more, universities such as Harvard University, Columbia University and Tufts University are allowing students to enroll in online courses instead of attending a traditional classroom. Do you think Brandeis should incorporate online courses into its current curriculum? Do you think there's merit in taking university courses online? Prof. Angela Gutchess (PSYC) Online learning offers a number of opportunities, particularly for distance learning. However, I think that online courses would not be a good substitute for live courses at Brandeis. The classroom setting supports discussion, lively demos, and interaction in a way that online forums do not. Particularly the small classes and seminars allow students to develop skills in oral communication and processing and in responding to ideas in "real time," which are not the same as skills emphasized in a written medium. Large live courses may have more of a challenge in engaging students and creating an active learning environment, but it can be done with the right tools and methods. Angela Gutchess is an assistant professor in the Psychology department. * Prof. Marya Levenson (ED) Technology can provide a great opportunity for students to learn in a different way, provided that we resist the glitz and keep asking ourselves how the particular form of technology enables us to ask critical questions, learn new skills and solve challenges. If Brandeis could be part of a university consortium that provided excellent opportunities to learn online, faculty and students would be able to think about how/ whether to make that part of a Brandeis experience. For example, being able to take one semester of online courses might enable more science students to have a semester abroad. Marya Levenson is the Harry S. Levitan Director of Teacher Education and Professor of the Practice of Education. * John Unsworth I came to Brandeis in February of 2012, from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois, and I spent the rest of the spring semester teaching my Illinois graduate course in digital humanities online. I was teaching online because GSLIS has been delivering its professional masters degree online since 1996, and currently teaches half its students in this way. In my experience, online courses can be high-quality, high-touch and high impact experiences for both faculty and students, if done right. Online instruction can also be done badly, but in my experience most courses benefit from the rethinking of the syllabus that is required for faculty to teach them online. Finally, both undergraduate and graduate students can benefit from access to guest speakers, new forms of interaction, new modes of expression and new methods for investigation that online courses can make available. I don't think online teaching will become a replacement of on-campus teaching of undergraduates at Brandeis, but I do think it could be a very useful supplement. John Unsworth is the vice provost for Library and Technology Services and chief information officer. * Rachel Downs '13 There is always possibility for significant gains, and significant losses, with an online approach to education and teaching. In some ways, I feel that Brandeis is limiting its students by not incorporating online classes in the curriculum, because it limits the variety of courses students can take for credit here and necessitates in-person instruction for all classes. On the other hand, as a teacher, I strongly believe that so much is gained by being a member of a class and learning in a mutual, engaged environment with a knowledgeable facilitator. That being said, I would be in favor of Brandeis incorporating some online courses into the curriculum as long as our undergraduate culture here maintained a majority in-class instruction and online classes did not have a significant impact on in-person class size and/or faculty and staff teaching positions. Rachel Downs '13 is an Undergraduate Departmental Representative for the Education Studies program. *
(10/23/12 4:00am)
Prof. Irving Epstein (CHEM) has been recognized as a Massachusetts Academy of Sciences Fellow for his professional achievements and his contributions to the science community. Each year the MAS awardees "constitute a select and prestigious community of scientists, engineers, research physicians, and others deeply concerned about science and science education," according to the Academy's website. According to the MAS website, the organization's mission is "to promote public understanding and appreciation of the sciences, to support scientific research and education in areas relevant to the needs of the state, and to provide consultative or advisory services on matters of science to the Governor, and to local, state, and federal agencies." Fellows are elected by the Board of Governors' and are nominated by a leading scientist or science educator in their field, the website states. Epstein was nominated by Prof. Eve Marder (BIOL), who is also a MAS fellow. "Irv Epstein has been ... an international leader in the field of oscillating chemical reactions for many, many years, and so his work has sort of led the whole field of oscillating chemical reactions, and it was exactly for that reason that I thought it was meritorious," Marder said in an interview with the Justice. According to his profile on the Life Sciences at Brandeis website, Epstein's research focuses on "oscillatory chemical reactions, spatial pattern formation, dynamical systems and neurobiology." In an interview with the Justice, Epstein said that he is joining an "interesting group of fellows," which includes five Nobel laureates; astronaut Catherine Coleman; and Dr. Bill Nye, host of television series Bill Nye the Science Guy. When looking ahead to working with the Academy, he expressed excitement about their "[initiative] ... to make science more accessible to the general public." Epstein joins three MAS fellows from Brandeis; in addition toMarder, previous awardees include Prof. Carolyn Cohen (BIOL) and Prof. Jeffrey Hall (BIOL). -Allyson Cartter
(10/23/12 4:00am)
As of about 10 p.m. last night, Dean Kaplan's '15 quest for the restitution of his Student Union Senate seat is over. He will not, as was the original goal of his claim against the Student Union, resume his position as off-campus senator, but instead will spearhead the creation of a University Committee that will focus on issues concerning Brandeis students living off-campus. Sunny Aidasani '14 will continue to serve as off-campus senator.
(10/23/12 4:00am)
Last night at 9 p.m., 15 days before election day, presidential candidates Gov. Mitt Romney, and President Barack Obama met in Boca Raton, Fla. for their final debate. The debate, which was moderated by long-time CBS news anchor Bob Schieffer, covered foreign policy, but also made temporary detours into domestic policy. The candidates' comments paid particular attention to Iran and Israel, and included a fiery repartee over China as well. The discussion began with a question concerning Libya and the Middle East. Romney acknowledged the accomplishment of the assassination of Osama bin Laden, but stressed that the foremost goal for his administration would be to stop extremism all over the Middle East by showing a stronger presence and providing for democratically leaning opposition parties in countries such as Egypt and Syria. Obama criticized Romney's foreign policy for being similar to that of the 1980s, stating that previously Romney said in a speech that Russia is the greatest geopolitical foe of the United States. Many of the plans Obama detailed for the future focused on advancing the country's place in the world in terms of math and science education, as well as advancing technology, while Romney suggested that the last four years have made the United States weaker and that he would protect military spending. Obama, however, countered: "We spend more on our military than the next 10 countries combined: China, Russia, France, the U.K., you name it, the next 10. What I did was work with our joint chiefs of staff to think about what are we going to need in the future to make sure that we are safe." When the subject of how to handle Iran's nuclear program arose, Romney ardently called for a series of "crippling sanctions." Obama said that his main objective is to prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon, but that he could not act without evidence. With Obama referring to Israel as the United States's "true friend and greatest ally in the region," both candidates were in agreement regarding Israel. Romney continued his firm criticism of Obama's supposed neglect of China's manipulation of currency. Obama responded by saying that the United States will need to continue to ensure that China is following the rules, but that they have been bringing cases against China's violations of trade rules. While both agreed that China is an important trade partner, Romney criticized China's blatant creation of trade imbalance. "I will get America working again and see rising take-home pay again, and I'll do it with five simple steps," said Romney on one of many economic tangents. He then went on to outline his plans to create 12 million jobs. One student felt uncomfortable with the degree to which the candidates strayed from the central theme. "They didn't talk about foreign policy issues today," said Navrun Jacob '15 in an interview with the Justice. "They were supposed to but they didn't. Most voters are interested in hearing about domestic politics." In his closing statement, Obama brought up a few subjects the candidates did not cover, proposing the return of manufacturing jobs to the United States and asking the wealthy "to do a little bit more." Romney said that with the way Obama has led the United States in the last four years, the nation will face a 20-trillion-dollar debt and an economy on its way to something resembling Greece's meltdown. "The debate tonight was really foreign policy heavy and that's one of the places where I'm most in contention with American government in general," said Malika Imhotep '15. "And while I do support President Obama, tonight was really interesting for me. While there were definitely some 'Hurrah, Obama' moments, there were some things that didn't sit well with me on either side. But I was glad that we got a little bit of feisty Obama tonight." -Sara Dejene contributed reporting.
(10/22/12 4:00am)
When was the last time you clapped at the end of a movie? For me, it was at the end of Ben Affleck's newest directorial feature, and one of the most exciting movies released this year, Argo. Argo is based on the declassified true story of six United States diplomats who escaped the American embassy in Iran before it was captured by Iranian civilians, an event which began the Iran Hostage Crisis that would last 444 days in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The six diplomats find their way from the embassy to the Canadian ambassador's house, where they can hide until they can leave the country safely. Here is where the movie picks up. CIA specialist Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) is charged by his boss (Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston) with the task of finding a way to get the hostages out of the extremely volatile (and anti-American) country. Mendez comes up with idea to have the six Americans pose as a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a science fiction movie called 'Argo.' From there, Mendez contacts make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin) in Hollywood to help make this fake film seem real. Hopefully, if this appears legitimate enough, the ruse will get the Americans back home. The movie, which runs at almost exactly two hours, starts off with a bang, showing the invasion of the American embassy in Iran in 1979, and it never slows down. The situation is tense right from the start, and the last 30 minutes of the movie are absolutely riveting. I won't spoil any plot details (though, as a true story, they are readily available online), but the movie easily keeps you on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what will happen next. The action isn't violent or shoot-em-up; rather, it is an uneasy feeling of not knowing what will happen to the six Americans, or those trying to save them, at any point. Affleck shows true prowess as a director with this film. He is so confident in his material that, during the credits, he compares his shots in the movie to actual pictures of the Iranian situation at that time. It certainly shows. The film is well-crafted in its pacing as well as in the shots that were used. The opening scene shows the rush of the Iranians into the embassy from an aerial view, and the effect is chilling as we see the Americans inside frantically try to burn or shred any document in sight. For extra effect, Affleck chooses to put in real news footage throughout the film to intensify the situation. This technique also effectively provides background and adds a sense of realism to the film. The acting in the film is also top notch. Affleck is rather impressive in his role as Mendez. He pulls it off and plays the determined and smart CIA agent convincingly. However, it is the supporting actors who truly steal the show. Alan Arkin is excellent as the sarcastic, bombastic movie producer who begins the fake movie process. He and John Goodman, who plays the make-up artist and Tony's main Hollywood contact, add depth and quite a bit of humor to the film. They are given all the best lines, such as when Arkin's character humorously quips "If I'm gonna make a fake movie, it's gonna be a fake hit." The movie takes some pride in poking fun at Hollywood and those who do business there. Bryan Cranston also shines as Mendez's boss at the CIA, and colorfully plays a character that could have easily been lost in the shuffle and tension of the movie. Without these three supporting actors, the movie would not have been nearly as good, as they add layers to the film. The screenplay, written by Chris Terrio, is intriguing and fast-paced. Though none of the characters are particularly appealing emotionally, the storyline and the situations are incredibly tension-filled. There were moments when I audibly gasped at events occurring on the screen, both a combination of impressive camera work (done by Academy Award nominee Rodrigo Prieto) and the effective screenplay. The last 30 minutes, which go back and forth between the hiding Americans and those back in the United States, are absolutely incredible, and some of the most exciting moments I've seen in film. The editing and directing there are superb. Overall, Argo is a smart, dramatic and thrilling movie. What makes it so effective is that it has a little bit of everything. The drama is intense because it is real. This story is too incredible to make up, and because of that, everything about the film is realistic and fascinating. The movie also has a significant amount of comedy to it, especially in the Hollywood scenes; this keeps the film on the lighter side when the events surrounding the situation are literally life and death. The action is exciting and fast-paced without a single gunshot fired. Again, because the situation concerns the lives of the six hiding Americans, the suspense builds and builds until the climax as they try to escape. At the end of Argo, the audience and I clapped. At a film, as there is no curtain call or live performers to hear the praise, it is quite the compliment to hear applause, and this film certainly deserved it. *
