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EDITORIAL: Support Hannah Brown ’19 for Student Union President

Though Hannah Brown ’19 is running unopposed in the 2018 Student Union presidential election, her wealth of experience in the Union, comprehensive platform and knowledge of how to bring her visions to reality make her a natural choice. As such, this board chooses to endorse her as the next Union president.

Views on the News: YouTube

On March 3, the New York Times reported that YouTube had launched a large-scale crackdown on misleading and inflammatory content, with thousands of conspiracy and far-right videos being removed from the website. Dealing with deceptive content has become a pressing issue for companies like Facebook and Google, whose services have been widely used as a platform for spreading misinformation and organizing hate groups. Should tech companies take steps to curb malicious content on their platforms, or should free speech remain paramount?  

EDITORIAL: Call for transparency in housing accommodation process

With housing lottery numbers to be released soon, this board urges the University to re-evaluate this year’s process in order to make it more transparent for students, specifically regarding special housing accommodations.

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Promote awareness of harassment in the food industry

 Across the country, servers and bartenders are speaking out with stories of crude comments, groping and other unacceptable behaviors by customers. Over the past year, much attention has been placed on sexual harassment and inappropriate treatment of employees in the workplace. However, one of the largest industries in the country is being overlooked: the restaurant industry, which has some of the most vulnerable employees of any occupation, according to a March 12 New York Times article. A  Jan. 18 Harvard Business Review article reported that 90 percent of women and 70 percent of men experience some sort of sexual or professional harassment in the restaurant business, which saw more harassment claims filed than any other industry. As stated in the same New York Times article, “A ‘customer is always right’ ethos often tilts the equation — creating the kind of power imbalance that has become front and center in a broader conversation about sex and gender in the workplace.” Servers and bartenders around the country face a dilemma every single day: When relying on tips as a significant part of their income, how should servers go about creating boundaries with customers? Many have learned to ignore inappropriate comments made by customers in order to get that extra tip which might help pay for basic necessities like groceries or rent. This puts these employees at greater risk of sexual harassment, as they are forced to push any mistreatment under the rug when their income depends on it. 

Condemn Iran's hypocritical repression of its female population

In late February 2018, Maryam Shariatmadari stood atop a utility box in the streets of Tehran and took off her hijab, waving it like a flag with her hair flowing behind her, according to the Center for Human Rights in Iran. Peacefully protesting Iran’s compulsory hijab law, she was met with violence by state authority. A policeman violently pushed Shariatmadari to the ground, forcing her to require urgent surgery. Before she could reach the hospital, the 32-year-old computer science student was stopped by police and jailed without access to a lawyer or medical treatment for violating a law against encouraging immorality or prostitution. If convicted, she may face up to ten years in jail.

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Foster bipartisan consensus on gun violence debate

In the wake of the carnage in Parkland, Florida, students at Brandeis have expressed their fear and anger about the lack of reasonable gun regulation in America. A walk-out planned for March 14 is evidence that the trauma of these events can have a catalyzing effect on progressive students. After every mass shooting, we try to convince ourselves that this incident will be the tipping point, that this shooting is so horrendous it will move legislators across the aisle to act. Yet, seemingly without end, the vicious cycle continues. It is enormously difficult not to be overcome by feelings of disappointment and hopelessness as these mass shootings continue to occur again and again. 

Caution against wasteful practices in fast-fashion industry

Consumer fashion is consuming the climate. Fashion in America is a large outlet of behavior that is dangerous for the climate. It is not what we wear; it is how long we wear it. As the early spring clothing sales begin, take a look into America’s closets and America’s landfills. According to a Sept. 1, 2016 Newsweek article, annual American clothing waste the prior year produced an equivalent amount of emissions to driving 7.3 million cars for a year.

Acknowledge MakerLab’s contributions to the University

This past week, the Brandeis MakerLab raised $6,000 through a crowdfunding campaign. Created in 2014, the MakerLab is central to much of Brandeis’ pursuit of new and emerging technologies, and is responsible for advances in the field of 3D printing, robotics and drones. This board recognizes the importance of the MakerLab and commends the Brandeis community members involved in this innovative campus resource. 

Commend the University for holding active shooter drill

On March 21, the University will conduct an emergency preparedness drill on campus simulating an active shooter in the Brandeis Library. Through interactive role-play, this drill will test the University’s level of readiness should a real crisis of this nature unfold on campus. In light of similar shooter threats that have recently taken place both at Brandeis and at other educational institutions across the nation, this board commends the University’s proactive approach in fostering a safer and more protected community. 

Views on the News: Firearm Purchases

President Donald Trump's apparent support for raising the minimum age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21 and a more rigorous system of background checks for all firearm purchases left many Republican lawmakers stunned, according to a Feb. 28 New York Times article. Gun control advocates say that these regulations are a first step in combating gun violence, while detractors allege they would fail to stop guns from getting in the hands of criminals. Are additional regulations the right step to take in order to reduce gun violence? 

Caution against investment in suspicious companies

Jia Yueting, the co-founder and head of Le Holdings Co Ltd. (also known as LeEco and formerly as LeTV), unveiled a concept smart car in April 2016, according to an April 20, 2016 Reuters article. Critics offered praise, calling the car, “Chinese Tesla.” Surprisingly, the concept smart car never went into production. Earlier this year, Le Holdings grabbed widespread attention among Chinese stock investors for the dramatic plunge of its stock price after it resumed trading following a nine-month suspension. 

Demand bipartisan solution to pervasive gun violence

I know very little about guns. However, I understand that something is wrong in America when there is gun violence — particularly in schools — that far exceeds that of many other countries. A study by the Academy for Critical Incident Analysis detailed in the Washington Post addressed this discrepancy. It examined school violence in 36 countries and concluded that approximately half of all occurrences with at least two victims happened in the United States from 2000 to 2010, and the vast majority of these incidents involved guns. Those 36 countries totaled to 3.8 billion residents in 2010, while the U.S. population accounts for less than one-tenth of this number at that time. America clearly has a unique problem. 

Consider benefits of medical breakthroughs in reproductive health

According to a March 3 article in Time, this February, a woman from the United States gave birth to a baby after a successful uterine transplant — making her the second in the country to do so. The woman, who wished to withhold her identity, is part of an ongoing clinical trial at the Baylor University Medical Center to treat women with absolute uterine factor infertility, meaning that they have either a nonfunctional or nonexistent uterus. The first successful surgery was performed in 1999 by a team of doctors at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Since then, eight children have been born from women who had undergone a uterine transplant, according to the university’s website. 

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