Not many college students are avid C-SPAN viewers. This makes a lot of sense; even the quietest campus offers more exciting Friday night options than watching the nuts and bolts of our nation’s political process. But anyone who was watching C-SPAN from Sept. 4 to Sept. 7 would have seen the initial screening of the confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.
On Sept. 4, University President Ron Liebowitz sent an email to the Brandeis community with an update on the independent investigation into the abusive environment created within the University’s basketball program. While the initiatives the University has set out on to curtail the behavior that allowed for such gross misconduct are a good start, more should be done to make sure that this kind of abuse is not repeated.
On Sept. 12, the European Parliament, the elected legislature that represents all 28 member states of the European Union, passed a suite of laws under the name “Copyright Directive.” This new set of regulations and statutes pertains to the use of unique content in internet-related publications such as videos, news articles and, much to the discontent of young people, memes. Though this piece of legislation is quite wordy, as all laws tend to be, two sub-articles within this directive have attracted quite a bit of controversy.
At one point in time, no name generated quite as much enthusiasm and reverence in business or engineering as Elon Musk’s. The sharp-witted and eccentric founder and CEO of Paypal, Tesla, SpaceX and the Boring Company was the rock star of Silicon Valley, a spark of excitement amid a wave of Harvard dropouts in matching gray hoodies. Musk’s promised innovations were straight out of the Isaac Asimov novels that he once quoted regularly.
On Sept. 5, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the Stop BEZOS Act, a bill that would enact a tax on large corporations such as Amazon and Walmart equivalent to the federal benefits their low-income workers receive. Sanders and co-author Rep. Mo Khanna (D-CA) argue that the current system forces taxpayers to subsidize corporations that could easily pay their workers a living wage, while opponents argue that the bill would have little impact on large corporations but present grave consequences for small businesses. Is corporate overreliance on welfare an issue, and would legislation like the Stop BEZOS Act be a reasonable method of curbing it?
Because of the email’s timing, students intending to study in The Hague must now scramble to complete new applications while transitioning into the school year; on top of keeping up with their regular coursework, they must obtain new letters of recommendation and compose essays for their chosen replacement programs.
Of course, the Business program offers courses in financial accounting, managerial accounting and other related subjects. But for Business and non-Business majors alike, there is no single course about how to manage one’s personal finances.
So why have I been torturing myself for the past 100 days by delving into The_Donald? I wish I could say it was in preparation to write this article, but that’s not why. I wish I could say it was an anthropological mission to learn about Trump supporters as an insider in order to bridge the gap, but that isn’t why either. Nor can I say it was an attempt to break out of my personal echo chamber and see how the other half gets the news. The truth is, it’s like watching a car crash: I shouldn’t, but I just can’t turn away.
Responding to persistent student requests for an expansion to hours and resources, the Brandeis Counseling Center announced a number of changes and additions to their services for this upcoming semester. While this board has concerns about how the expanded program might affect future tuition and the cost of the Brandeis health care plan, we appreciate the necessary additions made to the BCC.
Persistently bedeviling world leaders since 1948 and contributing to a great deal of misery in the region itself, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict appears to be going nowhere.
History may remember Boston for its democratic fight against taxation without representation and its contribution to the American Revolution. Hopefully, it may also accredit Massachusetts to be the pioneering force behind the legalization of same-sex marriage. Therefore, it would be the greatest travesty if history records Massachusetts for its inaction against the greatest threat to humankind.
As the academic year comes to a close, it is time to say goodbye to the seniors who have graduated. All were essential parts of the office, and this board wants to take the time to appreciate their hard work and passionate personalities, both in and out of the office.
Just as one protects their home, protecting sensitive information online should be taken seriously, despite the false sense of security that Google or Amazon provide.
Congratulations to the graduating class of 2018! Looking back at your college experience, and your senior year specifically, what experiences and people stand out to you the most? In the course of your Brandeis experience, what moments will you look back on most fondly?
The more the conversation loses sight of this history and the manifold ways in which the past remains present, the easier it is to misinterpret or mischaracterize our letter. So allow me to end with a reminder of where Agatha Christie's novel first began: a racist nursery rhyme about the serial murder of 10 Black children. It should never be easy to look past that.
The economic debate about automation centers around whether it supplements or replaces labor. In Europe, the automation of goods sector jobs is replacing labor, demonstrated by rising youth unemployment and resistance toward accepting migrant workers. Low labor mobility leaves current laborers at risk of being replaced by machines, reducing opportunities for young people and displaced migrants in Europe. Industries and governments benefit from the reduction in labor costs and increase in production efficiency yet refuse to remedy the residual effects, such as displaced workers and high youth unemployment.
On March 30, tens of thousands of Palestinians began wide-scale protests at the border between Gaza and Israel in what they termed the “Great Return March,” as reported by the New York Times. Protest activity and Israeli military activity has remained constant since, with Palestinian activists planning a climatic mass demonstration on May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding. Supporters claim that Palestinians are peacefully protesting Israeli occupation of their land, while detractors claim the protests are unfounded and violent in nature. What should international observers make of this new movement, and how can further violence between Israelis and Palestinians be avoided?
The University has narrowed down its search for a new Dean of Arts and Sciences to three candidates: Dorothy Hodgson, Jeffrey Shoulson and Lynn Stein. Each individual brings with them a wealth of experience and while this Board commends that, it is more important that the candidate chosen is one who can best meet the needs of students. One such way to do this is to place an equal emphasis on both the arts and the sciences.
On Thursday, April 12, the Undergraduate Theatre Collective postponed its first performance of “And Then There Were None” only hours before it had been slated to open. The play is based on a 1939 Agatha Christie murder mystery novel adapted from a British nursery rhyme about murdering Africans, the title of which was “Ten Little N-----s.” This Board is disappointed by the last-minute nature of the decision and urges faculty members to voice their concerns more proactively in the future.
Students should be able to decide what art is and isn’t suitable for them. They should engage in liberal protest, such as turning away from the stage, holding signs outside, or – here’s an idea – not going to a play when they find it to be unsuitable. Twice in quick succession have students and most alarmingly faculty, deemed art unsafe for other students. We have set a dangerous precedent. In so doing, we are playing into the Right’s narrative about colleges. Universities have always been the bastion of free speech, as has the Left – and we are letting it be snatched from right under our noses.
The decline of eight-time race winner Daniel Ricciardo
Brandeis has been home to some influential individuals in the world of sports