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Work-Study, but no work?

Brandeis professors explain the situation in Ukraine: “The people of Ukraine have a right to self-determination that doesn't get to simply be run over with Russian tanks”

According to the New York Times, senior Biden administration officials last week told Congress that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has assembled everything he would need to undertake … the largest military operation on land in Europe since 1945.” The Justice spoke with two Brandeis faculty members, Gary Samore (POL) via email and Steven Wilson (POL) in person, to provide some insight into this complex situation. 

Contamination without communication? University leaves students and staff out of the loop about high lead levels and water fountain closures

On Sept. 22, 2021, chemistry and biochemistry students and professors received an email with the subject line “IMPORTANT! Do NOT consume water from the faucets in Edison-Lecks” from Meghan Hennelly, a Chemistry department administrator and manager of space and buildings for the division of Science at the University. Sent via a listserv titled “chemall-group,” those on the email blast were some of the first students to receive official word about lead levels in various buildings around campus. 

For queer students of color, community on campus is vital — and hard to find

When Nicholas Ong ’23 started his first year at Brandeis, it didn’t take long for him to find LGBTQIA+ communities on campus and meet other queer students. But something was always missing. “I always found myself in white queer spaces,” he told the Justice in November 2021. Ong is Cambodian and grew up in a culturally diverse area in Providence, Rhode Island. At Brandeis, however, he struggled to find other students who were both queer and people of color. Ong explained that while he always appreciates and feels validated by being around other LGBTQIA+ people, the experience of being the only POC in a room of white people — even when those people are queer — is something that Ong says is profoundly alienating: “Even though we [can] relate to the queerness aspect of it, it just isn’t the same.”

Journalism at Brandeis: an evolving program designed to keep up with the 21st century

The Journalism program at Brandeis has gone through many changes since the July 2020 arrival of Neil Swidey, director of the program and professor of the practice. Swidey, an award-winning magazine writer and bestselling author, has been working at the Boston Globe since 1999 and is the Editor at Large of the Boston Globe Magazine. Over the past few years, Swidey has worked to expand and improve Brandeis’ Journalism program, cultivating his vision for the program along the way. 

Despite progress towards equity in the sciences, there’s still a long way to go

This semester, Brandeis Pre-Health Advising launched several initiatives that incorporated student contributions and institutional collaboration in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work for the department. These initiatives included releasing an anti-racism statement in addition to an amendable Black Action Plan (both of which were based on student feedback) and forming a discussion group on social justice in healthcare in collaboration with the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students.

A Night of Remembrance and Resilience

From Zoom to the choir room

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. and the complete shutdown that followed, universities and their students have been forced to continuously adapt to a non-stop string of changes. Clubs and extracurriculars were hit especially hard and many were forced to find new ways to participate in their old activities. For choirs, it has been particularly difficult, as Alyssa Knudsen ’24 explained to the Justice over Zoom on Nov. 13. 

Deis Affirmations: satirical posts made for your IG feed

The popular Instagram account @afffirmations, which currently has over 839,000 followers, took social media by storm in January of 2021. The account posts satirical self-affirmations, which they advertise as “global self hypnosis.” Parody accounts of this style became popular soon after the creation of the affirmations page, including Brandeis’ own affirmations account — @Deisaffirmations. 

Study abroad: more places you’ll go!

According to the Brandeis Office of Study Abroad, 19 Brandeis students studied abroad this summer, 60 Brandeis students are studying in 19 countries this fall and by this spring, more than 100 Brandeis students are expected to study abroad. Special thanks to Study Abroad Advisor, Ari Massefski and the Office of Study Abroad for their assistance in contacting students currently studying abroad for this article and for providing demographic information.  

Study abroad: oh, the places you’ll go!

According to the Brandeis Office of Study Abroad, 19 Brandeis students studied abroad this summer, 60 Brandeis students are studying in 19 countries this fall and by this spring, more than 100 Brandeis students are expected to study abroad. Special thanks to Study Abroad Advisor, Ari Massefski and the Office of Study Abroad for their assistance in contacting students currently studying abroad for this article and for providing demographic information.

Gillian Flynn on Thinking, Writing and Amorality

Like her infamous protagonist Amy Dunne, Gillian Flynn knows how to grip a crowd. Flynn, the journalist-turned-novelist of “Gone Girl,” “Sharp Objects” and “Dark Places,” visited Brandeis on Oct. 12 in conversation with Prof. Josh Wolk (JOUR). Wolk, like Flynn, has also worked as a journalist — he found success at Vulture, among other magazines and news sites.

Leadership with empathy, listening and a servant mindset

“Clinton became President in January, [my college friend and I] graduated in May and we just loaded up our cars and drove to Washington.”

A sport from the wizarding world comes to campus

It may come as a surprise, but Brandeis has a Quidditch team. Yes, you heard that right — the sport is no longer reserved for the wizarding world of “Harry Potter.” While lacking in witchcraft and wizardry, the University’s team is very real and a welcoming space for anyone who wishes to join. Founded in 2010, The Judges’ Quidditch team is one of many club sports, which are independent and student-run at Brandeis. They play against other universities in the college division of US Quidditch and have previously gone to nationals. Brandeis Quidditch, however, is about more than just playing a sport. It’s about inclusivity, teamwork and — when it comes down to it — having a good time. 

For transgender student-athletes, new policy is more than just rules and guidelines

As captain of two varsity teams, track and cross country, and a double major at Brandeis, Jac Guerra ’22, who identifies as a man with transgender experience, is no stranger to taking on challenges that others might find daunting. But even for him, navigating the National Collegiate Athletic Association guidelines while taking steps in his personal transition was not a simple task. 

Dorm disasters spark criticisms from students

$9,060 for the price of on-campus housing (2020) at Brandeis — which contributes to the University’s cost of campus living being higher than the national average by about $3,600 — would appear to be enough to cover safe and sanitary living expenses. But according to the stories of students living on campus, this is not always the case. With Brandeis’ recent push toward a series of sustainability goals, a commitment to maintaining or replacing current infrastructure to sustain a healthy environment for their students seems overlooked based on some students’ recent on-campus housing experiences. A multitude of issues that have arisen within the last month involving students’ safety, health and well-being in the dorms have suggested a campus-wide problem with regards to communication and efficiency between students and various Brandeis departments that deal with residential life, suggesting an inattentive resolve to quell these issues. In most instances, students we spoke to were left frustrated and resorted to taking matters into their own hands.

DARE to resist the war on drugs: New club focuses on decriminalization, education and harm reduction on- and off-campus

Students flipped through a stack of 4x6 cards, examining the different designs on each one and picking one or two out of the pile before passing the stack along. At first glance, it would be easy to mistake the trippy designs on glossy cardstock as nothing more than an opportunity to add some color to a blank dorm wall. 

A Family Night to remember

The Brandeis Asian American Students Association held their annual Family Night in Levin Ballroom on Friday, Sept. 24. With an excited crowd and a long line out the door, the event was a smashing success, nearly running out of food within 30 minutes of its start.

The ICC is back to IRL

There was a vibrant atmosphere on the patio of the Brandeis Intercultural Center, across from East Quad, the afternoon of Sept. 15. Lively music was playing from the speakers, and students were filling up and down the stairs looking for a bite to eat. Blue Ribbon BBQ, a barbeque chain restaurant in Massachusetts, serviced much of the catering at the ICC Cookout event that ran from noon to 2 p.m. Dishes included barbeque chicken, ribs, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, corn, homemade pickles and baked beans. Besides the main courses, there was also a plate of cookies, bottles of barbeque sauce and hot sauce and a freezer filled with a variety of soft drinks. 

Minor responds to “student interest and the Brandeis mission — ‘justice’”