The Justice Logo

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

What DeSantis’s Newton pit stop — and ensuing protests — tell us about the Massachusetts Family Institute’s growing influence

On the evening of Oct. 13, crowds of protesters gathered outside the Newton Marriott to stand against the Massachusetts Family Institute, a conservative nonprofit holding their annual fundraising banquet inside the hotel. Partway through, they were met with a surprise: Florida Governor and 2024 presidential hopeful for the GOP nomination Ron DeSantis was there on the scene to speak at the event. 


Veggie tales: Students talk about being vegetarian on campus

There is no greater relief for a vegetarian at Brandeis University than to see the little “V” symbol while scanning the television screen menus in the dining hall. Similarly, for vegans, the little carrot symbol may provide comfort and excitement when trying to find dining options on campus. Seeing the rising concern for the global climate crisis, many people have been changing their lifestyle choices to include less red meat or no meat at all; in pescatarian, vegetarian, or even vegan diets.


One student’s legacy: Alumna Alexandra Thomas returns to teach at alma mater

Alumna Alexandra Thomas ʼ18 is an adjunct professor in the African and African American Studies department for the fall 2023 semester. A scholar of cross-disciplinary expertise in African diasporic art, photography and new media, Black feminist thought, and queer theory, Thomas was invited by the AAAS department to teach the course “History of African American Art.”


October in Brandeis history

On Oct. 7, 1995, a researcher spilled Phosphorus 32 — a radioactive isotope with a 14.3 day half life — in a lab in Kalman Science Center. According to an Oct. 15 Justice article, it took two hours for the spill to be caught, at which point the researcher had tracked the phosphorus from their shoes into other parts of the building.


What’s the deal with college rankings?

Last Monday, University President Ron Liebowitz made an appearance in students’ inboxes, informing them of Brandeis’ substantial drop of sixteen spots in the 2024 U.S. News and World Report’s annual ranking of universities. 


Moody Street’s best bubble tea shop is run by a Brandeis junior

Angel Zhao ‘25 has a loaded schedule — she’s currently studying for the MCAT, completing a Biology major, working on an art history minor, and learning guitar and keyboard. But on top of her school workload, she’s also the owner and manager of Angel Tea, a beautiful, brightly-lit restaurant and tea shop on Moody and Taylor. 


From parking lot to market spot

The parking lot behind 234 Moody Street may, at first glance, appear completely ordinary. But on Saturdays, the empty lot takes on a life of its own, filled with a variety of hard-to-resist, homemade products representing cultures from all around the world — and all around Waltham. The event is known as the Waltham Farmers Market — a weekly, highly anticipated affair that has occurred every week from June to October since its founding in 1991. 


BranVan student workers fired amid campus transportation change

Brandeis’ shuttle service, colloquially referred to as the BranVan, has seen its fair share of modifications following last November’s devastating shuttle crash. Joseph’s Transportation is out, replaced by DPV Transportation, a New England ground transportation service. The student-run campus and Waltham shuttles, however, saw an even more drastic change at the beginning of the semester: they are no longer running. As a result, nearly all the shuttle service’s student employees — a reported total of 40 drivers, coordinators and supervisors, according to chief of Public Safety Matthew Rushton — found themselves out of a job. 


The real freshmen of the Shapiro basement

The walk down from the front doors to the basement floor of Shapiro Residence Hall is surprisingly typical of any dorm in Massell Quad — at least in comparison to the space it leads to. The basement isn’t home to killer clowns or secret passages, but it’s still a basement. In the dim light from the tiny windows that are few and far between, you’ll find blue walls, tile floors, a single bathroom fit for two, and 16 first-year boys lurking in the dark. 


“Dirt Shrine” brings martyrs down to Earth

Neither Astrid Schneider '23 nor Juliette Lillywhite '23 entered Brandeis as Studio Art majors — both found the program by means of pure exploration. “During my freshman year I took 'Drawing Under the Influence'. It was the only class I cared about,” said Schneider during an April 20 interview with the Justice in the Epstein art studios, as they prepared their work for their and Lillywhite’s upcoming exhibit “Dirt Shrine.”


See The Print Version

Follow @TheJustice