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

What the heck is in the woods behind ‘Grad’? An architectural mystery, solved

by Cayenn Landau | 03/08/2022

While looking at a map will tell you that the wooded area just beyond the southeast edge of campus is Fox Park, most Brandeis students probably know it as simply the woods by “Grad,” the colloquial name for Charles River Apartment student residences. The woods — a two-minute walk from “Grad” and a twenty-minute walk from central campus — contain about a half-mile worth of public trails. With swampy inlets surrounding the forest on one side and campus housing on the other, the forest is mostly contained to a small strip of land that extends out from Mt. Feake cemetery. The woods are small, but the mysteries within them are anything but.

Work-Study, but no work?

by Mirabell Rowland | 02/15/2022

When she first arrived on campus after the break, Assia Hamana ’25 hoped to have employment in the new year. However, to her surprise, most employers had fulfilled their quota. “Everyone else was getting jobs and it felt like I was getting left behind,” she told the Justice on Feb. 11. Hamana explained that in high school, she wasn’t planning on working in college. She wanted to enjoy her time, especially as a first-year, exploring her interests in various activities. It was not until her senior year of high school that she learned about Work-Study.  

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”

by Meshulam Ungar | 02/08/2022

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 to this complex situation. 

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

by Ariella Weiss | 02/08/2022

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

by Natalie F. Kahn | 02/01/2022

When Nicholas Ong ’23 started his first year at Brandeis, it didn’t take long for him to find LGBTQ+ 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.  

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

by Juliana Giacone | 12/07/2021

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

by Cayenn Landau | 12/07/2021

Remember the Dearly Departed took place during Transgender Awareness Week on Nov. 16, four days before the National Transgender Day of Remembrance. Organized by the Gender and Sexuality Center and the Brandeis Latinx Student Organization, the event was held in honor of TDOR as well as Day of the Dead. 

From Zoom to the choir room

by Isabel Roseth | 11/16/2021

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

by Leah Breakstone | 11/09/2021

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.  

Gillian Flynn on Thinking, Writing and Amorality

by Cayenn Landau | 10/19/2021

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

by Zev Carlyle | 10/19/2021

In the latest episode of Voyager Talks, my self-produced podcast sharing the journey, insight and wisdom of premier business and political leaders, I sat down with Kris Engskov. He has a fascinating career in the public and private sectors, including serving as the personal aide to President Bill Clinton for nearly four years and later as a top executive at Starbucks and Aegis Living. 

A sport from the wizarding world comes to campus

by Isabel Roseth | 10/12/2021

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

by Natalie F. Kahn | 10/12/2021

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

by Isabel Roseth , Juliana Giacone , Cayenn Landau and Leah Breakstone | 10/05/2021

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.

A Family Night to remember

by Juliana Giacone and Lynn Han | 09/28/2021

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.

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

by Natalie F. Kahn | 09/28/2021

At the inaugural meeting of the Brandeis chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) on Sept. 19, magic mushrooms, cannabis, MDMA, alcohol, 2C-B, speed and other mind-altering substances were all up for grabs in the form of informational cards. Attendees also picked from piles of brightly colored stickers displaying phrases such as “The War on Drugs is a War on Us.”

The ICC is back to IRL

by Athena Li | 09/21/2021

After a year of Zoom meetings and quarantine, the Intercultural Center decided to host the cookout to kick off and welcome students to the new school year. The event featured fun activities for students to partake in. Attendees also had the opportunity to play a game of cornhole and sign up for the listservs of any of the ICC-affiliated cultural clubs. 

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