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On Sunday, Feb. 8, the Student Union Senate hosted its weekly meeting. They discussed chartering the Brandeis Mountain Club, changing the Guitar and Bass Club’s name to JAM Club, and passing Senate Resolution One, which calls for the Brandeis University Administration to publicly oppose the Compact for Academic Excellence and Higher Education.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
After more than a year of planning and revisions, Brandeis has approved $25,500 in funding for a student-run bike share program that will be launching its pilot phase this April with 12 bikes. In a Jan. 23 interview with The Justice, the student organizers for this project, Ruben Seaman ’29 and Allan Feldman ’26 shared that they planed to expand the program to 20 bikes by the time the program “hard launch[es]" in the fall semester. The funding for this program came from the The Community Emergency and Enhancement Fund and the Campus Sustainability Fund following a revised proposal that addressed logistical and sustainability concerns that were raised in the previous application cycle. Seaman and Feldman said that the updated proposal focused on long-term continuity, cost efficiency and broader student participation. The initiative was first reported by The Justice in October 2024, when they outlined early plans for a campus bike share program but had yet to secure funding.
On the cold morning of Dec. 16, Prof. Sabine von Mering (WGS/CEGS), Fred Small, Eric Segal and Roger Rosen arrived at Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s New England Regional Headquarters in Burlington with the intent to deliver aid to individuals detained inside. Within hours, the group found themselves in handcuffs, facing two civil court charges: trespassing and disturbing the peace.
On Friday, Jan. 30 at 2:30 p.m., a group of about 30 individuals convened in the Shapiro Campus Center atrium to protest the escalating actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts. The event was preceded by another protest the previous week on Tuesday, Jan. 20, in what was called a “Free America Walkout.” This was part of a larger nationwide initiative led by the organizers of the Women’s March, which inspired Professor Sabine von Mering (WGS/CGES) to organize on campus.
From Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, Brandeis students participated in the annual weekend-long social justice hackathon, DeisHacks. Students of all experience levels from different majors worked to find solutions for problems facing local nonprofits, including the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation, Community Day Center of Waltham, and The Haven Project. Teams pitched projects that would help the nonprofits they select and compete for prizes. The event was sponsored by the Brandeis School of Business and Economics.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, students and staff were issued a Brandeis Alert concerning “ongoing fire activity” in the Sherman-Hassenfeld building. The email, with the subject line “HazMat/Fire/Gas Leak,” instructed community members to stay away from the area surrounding Sherman-Hassenfeld and to adhere to the detours Public Safety has administered. Those leaving campus were instructed to use the Cedarwood gate or the Tower Lot. Both Brandeis Facilities and Public Services did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
Artificial Intelligence chatbots have become a convenient option over the last three years for many individuals in search of an emotional outlet. In an age where immediacy counts, what exactly happens to the value of human relationships when a faster, more effortless alternative to emotional responses exists? On Thursday, Jan. 22, the psychology department hosted speaker Anat Perry, Ph.D., at the Rapaporte Treasure Hall. In the lecture, Perry compared different perceptions of human and AI-generated empathetic responses according to her research as an advanced fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute.
An electrical fire in the Berlin Chapel on the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 5 sent smoke through the building and prompted a swift response from students who rushed to rescue seven Torah scrolls from the historic prayer space. The damage from the incident was limited to the basement level women's bathroom but forced the temporary closure of the chapel and relocation of Friday evening and Saturday morning Shabbat services.
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
Brightly colored posters with messages such as “Is your friend always on sports betting apps?” have become mainstays at bulletin boards and shuttle stations on campus since the start of the academic year. Displayed in their bottom right corner is the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s seal, and just beside it is a logo for its “Let’s Get Real About Gambling” initiative. A document promoting the initiative claims, “We don’t just want to help individuals dealing with problem gambling; we want to mitigate harms associated with problem gambling in Massachusetts.” Meanwhile, on the bottom left corner of all posters, a quick response code links to the department’s “Problem Gambling” page.
On the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 11, Brandeis University’s Jewish on Campus Chapter President, Samantha Przybisiki ’27, in collaboration with other university students — Abby Spitzer ’27, Vice President of Programming; Hannah Churwin ’27, Treasurer; Emma Solini ’27, Communications — presented “Comedy and Conversations: A night with Mikey Greenblatt” in a stand-up comedy event. Jewish on Campus’ core principle and mission is to actively advocate and combat antisemitism in a modern way. Their website explains, “Since our founding, Jewish on Campus has led the next generation of Jewish advocacy, giving voice to Jewish students online and on social media. Now, we’re bringing our movement directly to your campus.” The group wanted to host an event rooted in advocacy but also get many people involved. Pryzbiski first encountered Mikey Greenblatt on social media. When she later found out that he was close with Vice President of Programming Abby Spitzer, they officially went through his agent to book him.
Nov. 16 marked the second annual installation of “Bandapalooza” in the Levin Ballroom. Brought together by the Music and Dance Band, Top Score, Klezmer Band, Brandeis Radio Service Student Music Committee and Jam Club, the event showcased eight Brandeis-born bands and one independent musician. The night was marked by community engagement and a passion to make music interactive for all who attended the event.
On Friday, Nov. 14, the University concluded its annual celebration of Kindness Week with a club and service fair in the Shapiro Campus Center 's Atrium. Hosted in a prominent and well-trafficked hub for campus life, the event allowed students to interact with the fair as they desired.
On Saturday, Nov. 15, students from more than 10 colleges in the Greater Boston Area gathered in the Back Bay Fens to urge universities to stand up to the Trump administration and protect their students. Organized by the Educational Freedom Project, the rally featured speeches from activists, student organizers, state representatives and prominent federal workers. The speakers covered a wide variety of topics, from the Trump administration's immigration crackdown to universities transitioning from diversity equity and inclusion initiatives and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits being cut. In addition to the speakers, there was a live band and many local student activist organizations tabled in the park.