EDITORIAL: University should reconsider who pays for damages

by The Justice Editorial Board | 09/17/2019

 In the previous weeks, three illuminated exit signs on the third and fourth floors of Hassenfeld Residence Hall were damaged or stolen. On Sept. 9, the Department of Community Living sent an email to the residents of the first floor of Hassenfeld announcing that the cost of repairing the signs will be equally distributed among the residents of the building, as per  section 9.6 of Rights and Responsibilities. This board condemns any kind of action that may endanger the safety of the residents on campus — however, this board also encourages DCL to reconsider its decision to charge all residents of the building, as it doesn’t necessarily punish those who caused the damage  and won’t  prevent it from happening again. Moreover, such an action will burden students who may not have the financial resources to pay an unexpected fee and who were likely not at fault. 

Views on the News: Bolton gets the axe

  | 09/17/2019

 On Tuesday, President Trump announced that he fired National Security Advisor John Bolton. Bolton, who is known for his hawkish and militaristic foreign policy stances, stated that he had offered to resign the previous evening, citing harsh and irreconcilable differences between him and the president over numerous foreign policy issues. With Bolton no longer serving in his previous role, how do you think the foreign policy and national security strategies of the United States will be impacted? What do you think are the ethical implications of Trump vacating a highly influential and powerful national security position over an ideological disagreement? 

Views on the News: #StillConcernedStudents

  | 09/10/2019

  On May 1, the activist group #StillConcernedStudents voiced its concerns about persistent diversity, equity and inclusion issues at Brandeis despite Ford Hall 2015’s demands. Last week, University Provost Lisa Lynch sent out an email discussing numerous administrative efforts and reforms, such as to provide a holistic review of students’ mental health needs, improve the scheduling of room inspections, increase equitable access to transportation services, reform DCL and Public Safety policies and modify the regulation of protest banners on campus. What are your thoughts on these changes? Do you think that the administration is doing enough to address the demands of the #StillConcernedStudents? If you think more work needs to be done, what additional changes should be made? 

EDITORIAL: Workday improves campus, yet has issues

by The Justice Editorial Board | 09/10/2019

 Over the summer, the University transitioned to Workday, a portal that functions as a one-stop shop for students and other campus employees to log work hours, maintain a record of their financial transactions, view paychecks and have a seamless space for working multiple jobs. It can also be useful when requesting an absence, accessing work benefits and finding a job on campus. This board commends the University for its use of Workday and its attempt to provide employees and community members with a safe, reliable and easy-to-use interface for all things concerning on-campus jobs. However, Workday is plagued with numerous quality-of-life issues that make its use difficult and cumbersome to adjust to, especially for students who do not necessarily have time to devote to learning the nuances of the program.  

Campus landscaping is in desperate need of improvement

by Vandita Wilson | 09/10/2019

  I walk a lot. For the past few years, my average step count has hovered near 20,000 per day. When I started my MBA program at the Brandeis International Business School (IBS) last fall, I vowed that I would not change this good habit, and I prioritized it over many other things. Walking helps me with so many things, so I decided that taking walks would be the best way to familiarize myself with the campus as well. 

Artificial intelligence’s influence raises many ethical problems

by Tahir Abbas | 09/10/2019

 In 1942, Isaac Asimov formulated the Three Laws of Robotics. First, a robot must not harm a human being. Second, a robot must obey the orders that a human gives it. Third, a robot may protect its own existence, so long as this protection does not conflict with the first and second laws. Let us analyze how these laws apply to the current situation, when big data and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly prevalent and their misuse is gaining momentum.  

Views on the News: Amazon fire

  | 09/03/2019

Following catastrophic damage to the Amazon rainforest caused by an ongoing series of fires, the Brazillian government rejected $20 million pledged by the international community at the G7 Summit, alleging imperialistic ulterior motives on the part of French President Emmanuel Macron. However, Bolsonaro’s administration later stated that they would accept the aid, on the condition that the French President Emmanuel Macron apologize for his comments regarding Bolsonaro’s behavior and what appeared to be a disrespectful potshot at Macron’s wife. Furthermore, numerous environmental scientists and indigenous people have alleged that the cattle industry is starting the fires to clear land with Bolsonaro’s support, raising questions as to whether the President even cares about the rainforest and the people and wildlife living within it. Faced with this cataclysmic destruction, how should we view Brazil’s delayed response and this political back-and-forth between world leaders? What do you think these actions mean for the rainforest, and how might they affect global conservation and environmental protection movements? 

Cautious optimism on University promises

by The Justice Editorial Board | 09/03/2019

 Brandeis’ tradition of student protest continued last May when a group of #StillConcerned students—a callback to the Concerned Students 2015 group which led the Ford Hall sit-in—held a protest on the Rabb Steps, per a May 20, 2019 Justice article. These students argued that concerns relating to race on campus in 2015 had not been sufficiently addressed. Among other demands, they expressed a desire for collaboration between activists and offices such as Public Safety, the Department of Community Living, Escort Safety Services and the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, saying they “operate as policing forces that disproportionately impact the on-campus experiences” of marginalized students. 

Sensationalist ICE analogies are insensitive but defensible

by Leon Kraiem | 09/03/2019

 I spent a number of days this summer at protests — often branded “actions” — led often, but not always, by Jewish people, in response to the human rights abuses currently being committed by ICE and Customs and Border Patrol against immigrants and asylum seekers in detention facilities along our nation’s southern border. All of these demonstrations involved analogies to the Holocuast — usually centered around the expression “Never Again.” There’s been much discussion in Jewish circles about this analogy ever since it was seized on by the activist collective #NeverAgainAction earlier this year. I think it’s worth sorting through it.  

Greenland purchase tantrum reveals Trump’s cynical worldview

by Trevor Filseth | 09/03/2019

 By now, you might think that you’ve heard all possible  adjectives used to describe President Donald Trump’s foreign policy. Here’s a new one: amoral. 

Round two, night two: Democratic candidates continue to fight for memorable moments

by Mehmet Zorluoglu | 08/05/2019

As with the first night, I will grade how much the candidates’ performances contributed to their campaigns. 

Democratic debates round two: night one's recap and rankings

by Mehmet Zorluoglu | 08/03/2019

Continuing the series on candidate debate performance grades and analysis, I will provide my input as to how much the candidates contributed to their campaigns on the first night. 

Democratic debate reflection: each candidate's performance, graded

by Mehmet Zorluoglu | 07/08/2019

 With the first democratic primary debates behind us, each candidate will be pressing to spin their performance favorably, no matter how middling, lackluster or even self-evidently superb their performance may have been. Now that the campaign is underway and candidates are being scrutinized by voters and moderators alike, I will be sharing my own post-debate takeaways. The ranking system is based on who did the most to improve their chances and — especially for the lesser known candidates — get their name out. 

After 70 years, the Justice remains a ‘scolding conscience’

by Martin Lieberman ’96 | 05/31/2019

Reader Commentary: 4/16 Student Union Editorial

  | 05/20/2019

  Dear Justice editorial board, In response to your 04/16 editorial criticizing the Student Union, I’m writing to point out some things the press has not reported on: