The Justice Logo

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

The journey to embracing my natural curls

by Mirabell Rowland | 10/25/2022

From an early age, I always felt as if there was a right choice for my hair. I thought I had to choose between wearing my hair natural or straight; rocking braids, twists, or Bantu knots; or just being free and natural. A recent episode of Black-ish, “Season Six: Episode 11,”which explores Diane’s choice between straightening her hair or going natural, reminded me that within Black beauty standards, there is no such thing as a wrong choice when it comes to how you present yourself or your hair. Because as Rainbow Johnson, played by Tracee Ellis Ross, tells her daughter, “Despite what the world tells us, all Black hair is beautiful.”  

Thanking the Student Union for organizing much needed medication delivery service

by The Justice Editorial Board | 10/25/2022

 This editorial board commends the Student Union on its dedicated effort in ensuring that all students can have easy access to their necessary medications. There are many challenges that make obtaining prescriptions inaccessible and prevent students from making a trip out to a pharmacy –– such as mobility issues, a lack of transportation, or simply just a busy schedule.  

Why the actions by Harvest Table leadership are condemnable and unacceptable

by The Justice Editorial Board | 10/25/2022

 This board condemns Hargrove’s decision to call campus police when faced with peaceful student protestors. We struggle to understand the cowardice of an executive whose role requires interaction with the student body, and we denounce the violence of calling the police on students and workers, particularly those of color. Although BranPo, to their credit, did not interact with the protestors, Hargrove’s decision to call them was unnecessary and pathetic. 

I’m still learning, but I’m almost there

by Mina Rowland | 10/25/2022

 Writing a memoir, selling my art, and making a podcast have all been on my list of things to do in my life. I am happy to announce that I am really, really close to completing my list. I sold some of my art for the first time last semester at the Create@Brandeis Craft Market, and now this October I am releasing my very first podcast. After taking Prof. Adriana Lacy’s (JOUR) class on social journalism, my interest in different forms of journalism flourished. I grew up listening to NPR, the “Moth Radio Hour” and a variety of podcasts, but I realized that storytelling is the thread to everything I am passionate about. Film, animation, art, and now journalism all incorporate storytelling. I decided to make a podcast not only because it has been on my list, but because podcasting allows an audience to relate and  listen. I learned that through a podcast, you can turn research and numbers into human stories.  

Letter to the Editor: New Frontiers Party

by Stephen R. Gaughan | 10/03/2022

 We recognize and understand the concerns brought forward by Student Union President Peyton Gillespie and Director of Communications Noah Risley. The intention of NFP is not to inject factionalism into, nor assert any kind of supremacy over the affairs of the Student Union or body at large. NFP, as a rule of thumb, avoided establishing overarching policy in order to allow each candidate to assert themselves, and indeed, most did present written platforms in various formats on their Instagram pages ahead of the elections. In truth, the intention was not to bolster a “social club”, as suggested by Director Risley, but to promote and support student involvement early on in the year among people who would otherwise be disinclined to self-involve. We hoped, and continue to hope, to provide a framework to make it easier for those interested to navigate the campaign process. 

Burnout culture: a neurodivergent perspective on productivity

by Tibria Brown | 09/20/2022

 We’ve begun the fall semester of the 2022-23 school year! If you’re anything like me, an overzealous, career-driven maniac, you might be confused as to why you’re already burned out. You have all these plans for your future and the drive to get there, but you’re having trouble making concrete steps to achieve those goals.  

Regarding campus dining

by The Justice Editorial Board | 09/20/2022

 This editorial board recognizes that it might take some time for these suggested changes to be implemented and that Brandeis Hospitality remains open to receiving feedback from the student body. To Brandeis students, please be patient with the dining experience – the University is still in a transitional phase —and keep in mind that the dining workers are doing their best to serve us. 

Why Brandeis campus housing must change

by The Justice Editorial Board | 09/20/2022

 Although happy to welcome the class of 2026 to campus, this board believes that the University is accepting more students than it has the capacity to house safely and effectively. If current trends continue, this problem is unlikely to go away. It is in the best interest of first-year students in particular that the University figures out a way to accommodate these students, whether by admitting fewer or finding more acceptable housing options for the ones that they do admit.  

Reflections from New York Fashion Week, and the importance of inclusivity

by Lauryn Williams | 09/13/2022

 I had been to the city countless times, but when I arrived and walked into the Moynihan Train Hall, it felt different. People in neon pink feathers and heeled metal boots rushed past me on their way to shows. I made my way to Ninth avenue and into my hotel. I nervously waited for the morning when I too could join the spectacle of New York Fashion Week.  

University should carry pandemic-era accessibility lessons into the future

by The Justice Editorial Board | 08/30/2022

 Despite calls for the administration to maintain these policies, the University has instead reversed course, encouraging faculty to return to pre-pandemic policies. As much as we all want to put the pandemic behind us, to ignore valuable lessons from Brandeis’ COVID-19 era is irresponsible, and it could harm students who have benefited from the more accessible learning environment of the last two years. 

In dark times, have a little hope

by Gabriel Frank | 05/23/2022

 In the words of  Ernest Hemingway, expressing similar sentiments in “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” the protagonist, Robert Jordan, debating with himself if life is worth living in the face of such widespread atrocity and destruction in the Spanish Civil War, has a moment of clarity when he reflects, “If we win here we will win everywhere. The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for and I hate very much to leave it.” It is not the certainty of success that should predicate hope; rather, it is its possibility that things can go another way, and that even an individual can change it. Have a little hope.  

Dear President Liebowitz: put students first and prioritize campus climate, DEI, and accessibility

by Fox Baudelaire , Rabia Anjum , Anna Henkin and Esha Rakesh | 05/03/2022

We urge you, your colleagues, and all concerned members of the Brandeis community to put students first and to take concrete, decisive action on campus climate and the state of DEI, anti-racism, and accessibility at all levels within our institution. We repeat that we are living, breathing students suffering from very real problems to address. Let’s do something about them. 

See The Print Version

Follow @TheJustice