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

Views on the News: Harvard Admissions Lawsuit

  | 10/23/2018

 On Oct. 15, the Supreme Court began to hear arguments in a case filed by advocacy group Students for Fair Admissions against Harvard University, in which SFFA alleges that Harvard’s current affirmative action practices discriminate against Asian and Asian American applicants. Supporters of SFFA’s case claim that Harvard’s “holistic” approach to admissions, which takes an applicant’s race and ethnicity into account, is designed to limit the number of Asian and Asian American students on campus. Opponents claim that SFFA’s case wrongly centers on affirmative action and ignores other discriminatory admissions practices such as legacy admissions and athletic scholarships. Does SFFA’s case have merit, and how could the court’s decision impact admissions policies in the future? 

Give independent filmmakers like Neil Breen a chance

by Kent Dinlenc | 10/23/2018

 Like Breen’s previous feature efforts, “Twisted Pair” is completely incomprehensible. I equate it to a child’s journal written in crayon; filled with poor sentence structure and sloppy handwriting page after page, but it is art nonetheless. The film has a convoluted plot. It has, by far, the worst visual effects I have ever seen. Its egregious actors don’t deserve any other acting roles. At the center of all of this is Neil Breen. He is the writer, director, cinematographer, producer, editor, visual effects artist, sound effects artist, casting head and even craft services provider.  

Cornerstore Caroline is the latest face of white racial paranoia

by Nia Lyn | 10/16/2018

 While speaking on the phone with what seems to be the police, both the accused nine-year-old boy and another child are shown crying and clinging to their mother. After hanging up the phone, she instructed Jason Littlejohn, the man recording the interaction, to “upload that to Worldstar” and told another woman, “You are a child. You are young enough to be my daughter,” when that woman confronted Klein for calling the police.  

University's librarians deserve a new, fairer contract

by Brandeis Labor Coalition | 10/16/2018

 Since June, the University’s librarians and their union, Service Employees International Union 888, have been negotiating for a new contract. The administration is not budging, they never do. The Brandeis administration and Human Resources department are notorious for not cooperating with on-campus unions, and often try to reduce benefits and pay, while covering it up from the students. The administration and their lawyers are banking on the students not paying attention to the negotiations and the idea that students don’t care about the workers on campus. Brandeis Labor Coalition is here to change that!  

Journalist Jamal Khashoggi's blood is on Saudi Arabia's Hands

by Trevor Filseth | 10/16/2018

  Last spring, Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia commonly known as MBS, came to visit the city of Palo Alto, California, where I grew up. During his six-day stay, which coincided with Brandeis’ spring break, he rented out East Palo Alto’s entire Four Seasons hotel for himself and his entourage. Naturally, curiosity got the better of me, and I passed by the Four Seasons several times, hoping to get a glimpse of him. I wasn’t the only one. Whenever I was there, there were groups of demonstrators at the gates — sometimes few, sometimes many, but all protesting MBS and his connection to war crimes in Yemen and human rights abuses at home.

It's well past time: Get rid of Columbus Day once and for all

by Judah Weinerman | 10/16/2018

 If you believe the federal government, the Monday respite that we receive in early October is known as Columbus Day, named for the Italian explorer and inexplicable American cultural icon. According to old horrible textbooks written by dead white people, brave hero Christopher Columbus risked everything  and discovered America. Leaving a decrepit Europe where simpletons thought the Earth was flat and that the edge of the world was hanging out somewhere in the Atlantic, Columbus and his steadfast crew found the New World and ushered in a new era of history.  

Supporting survivors while maintaining neutrality

by The Justice Editorial Board | 10/16/2018

 In the wake of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court and the resulting protests across the nation, University President Ron Liebowitz emailed the Brandeis community last Tuesday. The email focused on the importance of creating a “supportive environment” while stressing that the University would remain “non-partisan.” While this board recognizes Liebowitz’s attempt to acknowledge the impact of recent events and commit to keeping the University officially non-partisan, we believe that Liebowitz should have used this opportunity to send a stronger message of support to sexual violence survivors on campus.  

The North American Free Trade Agreement: In Memoriam

by Trevor Filseth | 10/09/2018

 After a 25-year lifespan in which is helped define the economic relationship between the United States, Canada and Mexico for the start of the 21st century, the North American Free Trade Agreement, better known as NAFTA, has finally been replaced. Its successor, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, contains most of NAFTA’s provisions, with a few updates that help bridge its shortcomings. President Donald Trump, who was sharply critical of the old agreement, helped to negotiate the USMCA, alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.  

Texas curriculum changes threaten to whitewash history

by Gabriel Frank | 10/09/2018

  Throughout nearly all of U.S. history, the state of Texas has generated its fair share of controversy. Recently, the state has come under a great degree of scrutiny due to numerous and significant changes implemented by the Texas Board of Education regarding the curriculum arrangement and standards of elementary, middle and high school U.S. history classes. 

Skyline construction highlights missed opportunities

by The Justice Editorial Board | 10/09/2018

 The University is evidently proud of Skyline, the new, environmentally-friendly replacement for Usen Castle. The Castle was no longer suitable for student living, and this Board supports the construction of additional on-campus housing. Unfortunately, the layout and cost of Skyline raise concerns about the University’s decision-making during the construction process, and this board cannot fully support the final product.  

Chaplain' Corner: The Importance of Change

by Chaplains' Corner | 10/09/2018

 This past semester, my third as a Brandeis chaplain, I have had the honor of teaching “First Year Experience: Spirit, Mind, and Body,” a class that supports first-year students as they begin their first semesters of college. In our second class session, this group of driven and thoughtful first-years shared with one another their experiences of transitioning to college. They talked about learning to share space with roommates, missing home, balancing their and their families’ expectations, the pressure to perform and, of course, how to do all this while getting their homework done! I was reminded during our conversation that this fall season, a season of endings and beginnings, is a chaotic one, not only for first-years, but for all students, and for staff and faculty as well.  

Views on the News: Texas History Changes

  | 10/02/2018

  On Sept. 14, the Dallas Morning News reported that the Texas Board of Education had enacted sweeping changes to the state’s history curriculum. Of particular note were the decisions to highlight America’s supposed “Christian heritage” and “civic leaders” like Rev. Billy Graham and Andrew Carnegie and to remove Hellen Keller and Hillary Clinton from the curriculum entirely. Supporters argue that the changes better reflect Texan values and priorities, while opponents argue that they serve to put Christianity and conservatism on a pedestal. Was the board correct in making these changes, and what effect could similar changes in other states have on national education? 

United States of Kekistan: The Alt-Right's Military Presence

by Roland Blanding | 10/02/2018

 A United States private military contractor stationed in Afghanistan was recently discharged for wearing white supremacist memorabilia on the battlefield, according to a Sept. 25 Huffington Post article. His version of white supremacy was a new brand, at least to me. Abdicating the organization’s hoods, tiki torches and chants of “blood and soil,” he instead brandished a green-colored ‘Kekistan’ flag for Pepe the Frog. A quick overview: Kekistan is a fictional country born in 4chan chat rooms and its flag is a symbol of unity for misogynists, white supremacists and many alt-right thinkers. Though this contractor did not act in a vacuum, his actions were an expression of a subversive culture within the U.S. which speaks to an underlying untruth in our characterization of the troops. 

Editorial: Mailroom Improvements

by The Justice Editorial Board | 10/02/2018

  When students arrived on campus at the start of the fall 2018 semester and began flocking to the mail room, they found that a new system had been put in place for package distribution. This board applauds the University for crafting a more efficient system for distributing mail, one that saves students — and those who work in the mailroom — both time and energy.

Louis CK: Bound and Gagged?

by Harrison Paek | 10/02/2018

 ne would be hard pressed to find a comedian as well-known and formerly beloved as Louis CK. The dark, raunchy, guilty-pleasure comedy that oozed out of every special Mr. CK delivered spoke to a dark pit in the collective imagination of the audience — it was exciting. In this sense, it is difficult to confront the fact that the crimes he was accused of had already been hiding in his comedy under the guise of benign humor. 

The Thin Greek Line: Pratfalls of Fraternity Life

by Maddox Kay | 10/02/2018

Fraternities aren’t for me, I thought, as bundles of blankets spilled out of my overstuffed Samsonite onto my first-year double. One orientation week and four perspiration-filled basement parties later, I sang a different tune and signed my bid, hands shaking. Through “brotherhood,” I have met some of my closest friends and grown into my own college skin, but I have also sometimes felt like I did not belong to the identity that it promulgated. First-years come to college seeking a group with which they can form a common identity. Fraternity life connects sociable people with high aspirations, and sparks fly. But sometimes, instead of sparking the creation of Facebook, what the New York Times called aggressive, hypersexualized “bro culture,” sexually attacks and harasses women, as Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter at Yale infamously did. Fraternities offer lessons in leadership and teamwork, but they limit themselves by not using their resources for nobler goals such as philanthropy and diversity. If fraternities want a house to live in, they need to stand for more than crushing beer cans and upholding the patriarchy.

Views on the News: FEMA Trouble

  | 09/25/2018

 Amid the relief efforts during Hurricane Florence, FEMA chief Brock Long is under criminal investigation for misuse of Homeland Security funds and equipment, as reported in a Sept. 18 Washington Post story. Despite spending most of his time fighting off investigation, Long continues to remain head of the relief operation, and the Trump administration shows no signs of replacing him. Should an official currently under investigation for misuse of funds be allowed to run an agency during a humanitarian crisis, and does Long’s conduct hamstring his agency's relief efforts in the Carolinas?  

70th Emmys descend further into white mediocrity

by Judah Weinerman | 09/25/2018

If you watched the Emmy Awards last weekend, congratulations! You probably don’t exist. The award show — perennially denied the coveted “least relevant” spot by the god-awful Grammys — limped into its 70th showing in typical fashion and was rewarded with the lowest Nielsen ratings in its history. Questionable choices abounded in hosting, nominations and award selection. 

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