The Justice Editorial Board would like to extend a warm welcome to the Class of 2025 as they begin their first year of college and the Class of 2024 as they begin their first year of in-person classes. This board has compiled a list of its favorite survival tips on the Brandeis campus for navigating these new and exciting times.
It is bittersweet saying goodbye to our seniors after a year of navigating school and student journalism in a pandemic — bitter because we’re saying goodbye, but sweet because we’re so incredibly proud of them for getting through this year and making the most of it. Each of our graduating seniors has made invaluable contributions to the Justice. We wouldn’t be where we are today without them. We as an editorial board want to take a moment to recognize each senior and celebrate their achievements.
On Tuesday, April 27, Brandeis’ campus systems went offline from approximately 9 to 10:30 a.m., disabling WiFi on campus and blocking access to Brandeis-hosted services, such as Gmail and LATTE. Among other interruptions, this prompted the Department of Community Living to postpone junior/senior housing selection until the following day.
This board would like to congratulate the Brandeis COVID-19 vaccination program on a largely successful first COVID-19 vaccination clinic. Brandeis offered approximately 1,200 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to students on April 22 and 23, and the clinic itself was well-run and efficient. However, there were some frustrating hiccups with the vaccine appointment sign-up process, and this board still has some concerns about the plans for the second vaccination clinic scheduled for May 13 and 14.
After over 15 years at Brandeis, Dean of Students Jamele Adams left his role Friday, April 9 to take on a new opportunity. As a board, we wanted to devote this week’s editorial to say thank you and goodbye to Adams, who did so much for the student body during his time at the University.
On March 1, The Department of Community Living unveiled plans for the fall 2021 housing selection process just as the University prepares to welcome students back for in-person classes. This board expresses concerns about the stress caused by the housing procedure changes, as well as confusion surrounding the lack of explanation for these changes. This board calls on the Department of Community Living to provide students, especially upperclassmen, with rough estimates of the type of housing that would be available for each given lottery number.
In response to the announcement that campus operations will ostensibly return to normal for the Fall 2021 semester, a petition has been circulated requesting that Commencement include in-person elements. The petition, which as of press time was signed by over 400 people including students, alumni and other community members, outlines two ideas for safe, in-person graduation ceremonies to be attended by current seniors only (no friends or family). This board understands and acknowledges that Commencement is an important part of many students’ college experiences and that it holds cultural and emotional significance. However, the board is of the opinion that holding an in-person graduation ceremony of any kind would be unwise.
In light of the Nov. 10 release of the University’s Draft Anti-Racism Plan, the Justice’s editorial board will be reviewing and providing feedback on prominent sections. We hope that these forthcoming editorials will serve as a resource for students to provide feedback to the administration. We also recognize, however, that our editorial board is predominantly composed of white students, and we will work to ensure that we are not taking space or attention away from the voices of the BIPOC students who are most directly affected by racism on campus. In line with this goal, we have grounded our analysis of the appendices in the demands put forward by the Black Action Plan. This editorial will focus on Appendix G: Heller School for Social Policy and Management and Appendix H: Brandeis International Business School. Two subsections of the University’s Draft Anti-Racism Plan, G and H, which concern the Heller School for Social Policy and Management and the Brandeis International Business School respectively, outline clear visions for the University’s attempts to remedy any discrimination within them, and diversify their student, faculty and staff base. However, this board believes that they could be improved through further accountability from the administration, as well as cooperation with the writers of the Black Action Plan.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the University adjusted spring 2021 semester calendar for public health purposes. To limit the amount of travel to and from campus, the start date of the semester was delayed to Feb. 1, and the usual two week-long breaks were reduced to five “no university exercise” days distributed throughout the semester. Although it makes sense to modify the schedule so that the safety of the campus will not be compromised by frequent traveling, the loss of the week-long breaks adds additional stress to students who are already dealing with hardships related to the pandemic. This board urges professors to consider these factors and adjust their courses accordingly, and we urge the administration to create a specific feedback system and enact requested changes if necessary.
And just like that, February is over, and we made it through the first month of the spring 2021 semester. We as a board wanted to pause, break from our usual style of editorial and take this opportunity to remind our fellow students that you are doing a fantastic job, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.
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