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Views on the News: Paris climate agreement

 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?

Criticize the University for canceling ‘Buyer Beware’ production

When Brandeis is in the national news, the University has invariably succumbed to one of two extremes: either great pride, like Professors Michael Rosbash and Jeffrey Hall winning a Nobel Prize, or great shame, like the Ayaan Hirsi Ali fiasco a few years ago. 

Recognize the importance of critics

Critics are nobody’s favorite people in the arts community. Artists work hard for months or even years at a time only to be criticized in a few hundred words written by a third-party audience member with their own subjective preferences and interpretations. This, however, is what makes the critic’s circle so diverse. It’s not made up of generous opinions. We are all a part of a varied community. We muddle each others’ voices, thinking ours is more important and correct than our friends’. We are all alike in this way. This is the nature of criticism. Positive criticism prompts thought-provoking discussion and enjoyment. Negative criticism is fun to read and discuss because we all have a little schadenfreude in us. It is all an inescapable part of life.

Discourage voters from supporting sexual assailants

Roy Moore didn’t see this one coming. Moore, the leading candidate and lone Republican in Alabama’s Senate race decried multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct on minors as “a desperate attempt to stop [his] campaign” but did not outright deny dating teenagers while in his 30s, according to a Nov. 11 CNN article. Following the public downfalls of actor Kevin Spacey and comedian Louis “C.K.” Székely in the face of alleged sexual misconduct in just the past two weeks, it seems 2017 is bringing skeletons out of closets all across the American public consciousness. However, where Spacey and Székely have been publicly lambasted and forced to offer apologies of varying candor, Moore has fired back at accusers and pledged to supporters that he “Will never give up the fight,” according to a Nov. 11 Washington Post report. As Moore’s campaign rolls on, defended by Alabama voters, we must question why we hold entertainers to moral standards but let politicians off the hook. If we find sexual assault and misconduct universally detestable, don’t these crimes deserve universal condemnation?

Address issues in acquisition of prescription medication

Anyone who is regularly prescribed controlled substances has probably experienced many frustrations in the process of obtaining the drugs. For example, under the Controlled Substances Act, no prescription for a controlled substance in Schedule II, a class of drugs that have a high potential for abuse, may be refilled, requiring a patient to visit their prescriber for a written prescription every time they run out. In addition, according to a Sept. 17, 2013 article published in the journal Hospital Pharmacy, certain controlled substances such as Ritalin and other medications used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder must be prescribed in hard-copy written form and given to the pharmacist by hand — neither electronic copies nor faxes of the prescription will permit the pharmacist to dispense the medication to the patient.

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Reader Commentary: Acknowledge efforts to improve wireless reception

Recently, an editorial in the Justice discussed concerns related to IT infrastructure at Brandeis. The focus was on two areas in particular: cellular coverage on campus, notably in the Foster Mods, and Wi-Fi service in the Foster Mods.

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EDITORIAL: Commend the BCC for implementing new changes

In a recent interview, Dr. Joy von Steiger of the Brandeis Counseling Center revealed that several changes were made to improve efficiency and students’ overall experience. These changes came at the right time, as the BCC has seen a 90 percent increase in walk-in appointments and a 2,000 percent increase in after-hours emergencies this year. One of these changes is the addition of five new staff members to accommodate Brandeis students’ growing need, bringing the total number of therapists up to 24. 

EDITORIAL: Recognize University for addressing sexual assault concerns

Last Tuesday, Vice President of Student for Affairs Sheryl Sousa ’90 sent an email notifying the student body that the search committee for the position of Director of Sexual Assault Services and Prevention had selected three finalists for the position. The finalists visited campus on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 and will visit on Nov. 14 to present their evaluations of the current state of sexual misconduct on campus and their plans to address this critical issue. Each finalist will also take part in a Q&A session, and the University will take into consideration all feedback from attendees. This board applauds the University for its efforts to take actionable steps toward creating a safe environment on campus and including the student body in such a critical decision. 

Encourage students to remember the actual relevance of grades

Exam season is underway and with this comes the influx of students stressed and studying ardently to earn a good grade. This is a commendable action, but intense studying, coupled with the pressure to do well and the high expectations imposed upon students, makes it easy to become discouraged or overwhelmed. School is competitive and right now, outperforming peers can feel like the only thing that matters. This stress can be detrimental, and in order to prevent any disastrous outcomes, it is vital that students keep the truly important things in mind. Grades matter, but they are not everything. 

Criticize flawed free speech practices on the internet

Something is rotten in cyberspace. Internet platforms of all kinds have become cesspools of organized harassment and bigotry, with those supposedly in charge of maintaining civility and decency allowing it all under the mistaken banner of “free speech.” 

Criticize actor Kevin Spacey’s response to recent allegations

In 1988, England introduced Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act, which barred the so-called promotion of homosexuality in schools. In the 1970s, Senator John Briggs  came up with an initiative called California Proposition 6, which attempted to bar gays and lesbians from working in Californian schools. The initiative was set aside because of the lack of support from the public. In Russia, one salient homophobic group calls itself Occupy Pedophilia, claiming that they protect the rights of children by humiliating, assaulting or otherwise targeting gay people, according to a Feb. 6, 2014 article from Gawker. LGBTQ activists have fought hard to reject the mislabelling and portrayal of the queer community as pedophiles, but recent events are damaging the progress made. 

Explore benefits of the field of behavioral economics

Are simple experiments still relevant?

Recognize need for seniors to have class selection priority

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.

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EDITORIAL: Urge University to improve its emergency preparedness

The night of Oct. 29 saw countless frustrated students as a violent storm resulted in the loss of power to all four Charles River Apartments for nearly nine hours. According to an email sent out by Area Coordinator Amanda Drapcho at 7:04 p.m. that night, “the power outage was caused due to a faulty power line which caused damage to a tree and therefore, resulted in a power outage across all four Charles River apartments.”