(04/29/14 4:00am)
Last night, Student Union President Ricky Rosen '14 recapped the University's and Union's major changes and accomplishments during his term as president during the biannual State of the Union address. Speaking to a crowd of students in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium, Rosen looked back on what he called the "most transformative" year for the University he has seen during his Brandeis career. Many of the major changes seen by the Brandeis community include changes to dining, transportation and budget transparency. Specifically, the University saw the arrival of Sodexo as the new dining services provider and the addition of several new dining locations. The University also saw the arrival of Joseph's Transportation as the new shuttle service provider, as well as both recent and anticipated changes to the mailroom, health center and bookstore. Changes in University administration and staff also marked this past year. Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins, Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer all left the University, while it welcomed Sheila McMahon as its first sexual assault services and prevention specialist and James W. Gray as the vice president for operations, as announced yesterday in an email to the Brandeis community from Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Manos. Regarding the numerous changes made to dining services over the past year, Rosen thanked those who were involved in those processes and relayed the feedback he has received from "satisfied" students. As for future changes, Rosen stated that plans to renovate the Stein into a sports bar will be fully implemented by the 2015 to 2016 academic year. Rosen also reflected on the upcoming meal plan changes, including plans to make them mandatory for all students living on campus starting the 2016 to 2017 academic year. Rosen stated that the Union and the Senate Dining Committee is advocating for an "affordable alternative" to the new options for students heavily supported by financial aid, which they hope to have ready by the time mandatory meal plans come into effect. Other changes include those made to transportation, including the expansion of Boston and Cambridge shuttle hours, the addition of weekend shuttle service to the Riverside Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority station, and the creation of an online BranVan reservation system and those made to the Student Union's constitution approved by 74 percent of the student body who voted, which were proposed by a Constitutional Review Task Force formed last semester. Throughout his speech, Rosen repeatedly affirmed the Student Union's commitment to voicing the concerns of the student body to the administration. One such concern was budget transparency, which Rosen said the Union made a "fundamental priority." Rosen recapped ways the Union provided opportunities for students to discuss these issues with senior administrators, such as last month's town hall meeting and roundtable discussion. While Rosen addressed many issues he had planned to take on at the beginning of his term, he also stated that he found himself working on an unexpected issue: parking. In collaboration with the Graduate Student Association and University administrators, the Union worked to look into student dissatisfaction with the amount of parking available and possible solutions. A task force formed came up with a "comprehensive proposal," which was submitted to the administration last week. The proposal calls for a long-term investigation into the construction of a parking lot, optimization of current spaces and the creation of a system with "rationed" and "premium" parking, that would charge students at different rates based on their proximity to certain lots. Rosen reported that the administration was "very receptive" to these recommendations and the Union will work to have some of these changes implemented within the next two years. Rosen also announced plans to form a gender and sexuality center and coordinator position, spearheaded by Junior Representative to the Board of Trustees Alex Thomson '15. Rosen thanked Thompson and members of the administration for their work bringing this project to reality. During the latter portion of his speech, Rosen reflected on annual Student Union initiatives, such as the Thanksgiving shuttles, the course evaluation guide, the "Take Your Professor Out to Lunch" vouchers, 'Deis Day and 'Deis Impact and thanked those involved. Before closing his portion, Rosen extended gratitude to current members of the senate and honored those graduating this year. After Rosen's speech, current Union Secretary and President-elect Sneha Walia '15 took a few moments to address the audience. During Walia's address, she expressed gratitude and excitement for her upcoming term and listed her major goals and initiatives. Among them, she announced plans to revise the petition process and create a documentation system for student concerns and feedback, working with student groups on diversity-related issues, and informing the student body about major initiatives at the beginning of the year. -Joshua Linton contributed reporting.
(04/29/14 4:00am)
In the first round of Student Union elections, Student Union Secretary Sneha Walia '15 was elected as the next Union president. Walia, who won 62 percent of the vote, wrote in an email to the Justice that she is "unbelievably excited." Walia wrote that she plans to focus on increasing transparency about "major Union initiatives" and work with student groups on campus on diversity related initiatives. The other presidential candidates, Terrell Gilkey '15 and Class of 2015 Senator Anna Bessendorf, received 12 and 19 percent of the votes, respectively. In a close race, Sofia Muhlmann '16, was elected Student Union vice president, winning over Senator-at-Large Naomi DePina '16, with 42 percent of the votes going to Muhlmann and 40 percent to DePina. "[O]ne of the first things that I believe we as the Student Union need to think about is setting goals at the beginning of our terms, making reasonable deadlines to accomplish these goals, keeping all undergraduates in the know, and informing our constituency about how it is we are collectively working to represent and support our undergraduate community," wrote Muhlmann in an email to the Justice. Muhlmann also wrote that she is "looking forward" to tackling issues such as improving residence halls and meal plans, "increasing awareness" arround sexual assault and its advocacy as well as pushing for increased transparency regarding the University's administrative and financial affairs. Current Union Vice President Charlotte Franco '15 was elected secretary with 56 percent of the votes. Franco wrote in an email to the Justice that her top priorities will be "the club system as a whole," as well as the structure of the Union. She wrote that she hopes to collaborate with Student Activities to examine and look for ways to improve the support and resources provided for clubs. Assistant Treasurer Andrew Miller '16, the sole candidate for the office of the treasurer, was elected with 70 percent of the vote. Miller could not be reached for comment by press time. Class of 2016 Senator and Director of Communications Jonathan Jacob, Judy Nam '16, Elad Ohayon '17 and Ari Ben-Elazar '17 were elected to the Allocations Board. Jacob wrote in an email to the Justice that he aims to work with the Senate to de-charter "defunct or inactive clubs" and look for ways to provide funding for performance clubs, which currently do not receive money from the Union. Nam wrote in an email to the Justice that she will work to increase transparency between the A-Board and club leaders. "Increasing transparency will help students be assured that their money is being put to use efficiently to benefit not just select members of the campus, but the Brandeis community as a whole," she added. Nam's other goals include helping clubs on campus find ways to maximize funding for their events, building communication between the A-Board and clubs leaders and "smoothing out some procedural kinks in the financial process." In an email to the Justice, Ben-Elazar wrote that he will work with clubs to focus on "smarter spending. "I see that there is potential to reform the allocations process and promote more sustainable spending so we can make the absolute best of the [Student Activities Fee]," he wrote. Xinyu Annie Li '17 was elected the racial minority representative to the Allocations Board. Li, the only candidate running for the seat, received 63 percent of the votes. Li could not be reached for comment by press time. Grady Ward '16, who was elected the junior representative to the Board of Trustees with 49 percent of the votes, wrote in an email to the Justice that his top priority will be getting a "better picture" of the University's finances. "I will be setting up meetings with administrators to better understand how the allocation process works and formulating plans as to how to insert student input into that process," he wrote. "At the same time, I am going to be contacting and organizing community leaders to begin strategizing about ways that we can bring our concerns to the administration," he added. Class of 2016 Senator Kathy Nguyen was elected the junior representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee with 41 percent of the votes. Nguyen could not be reached for comment by press time. The two seats for representative to the Brandeis Sustainability Fund remain unfilled, as no candidates ran for those positions.
(04/08/14 4:00am)
This Friday, students will vote in the first round of the Student Union's spring elections. Open positions include president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and seats on the Finance Board, representatives to the Board of Trustees, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board. President This year's Student Union presidential candidates are Student Union Secretary Sneha Walia '15, Class of 2015 Senator Anna Bessendorf and Terrell Gilkey '15. Walia said in an interview with the Justice that her platform is "student-focused." While it includes goals related to more specific issues such as dining and transportation, Walia said that she also wants to focus on "tangibly" achieving transparency between the Union and the student body, encouraging student participation in committees and supporting co-sponsorships of clubs and large campus events. In an email to the Justice, Gilkey wrote that he wants to "make sure that every student at Brandeis ... know[s] that someone cares enough about what matters to them to try to make sure that every one of their concerns with Brandeis has been addressed and hopefully resolved." In an interview with the Justice, Bessendorf said that she is "passionate about ... improving the day-to-day lives of students," including issues such as dorm renovations, meal plan prices, BranVan schedules and transparency on executive compensation. Vice President Senator-at-Large Naomi DePina '16 and Sofia Muhlmann '16 are running for the position of vice president. DePina said in an interview with the Justice that she wants to focus on clarifying the processes of club recognition and chartering, improving the quality of dining stations and showcasing diversity of the student body through clubs. In an interview with the Justice, Muhlmann, who has not had experience on the Student Union, described herself as a mediator and "intense problem solver." Muhlmann, a community advisor, said that she believes she can serve as a liaison between the Executive Board of the Union and the Senate. While Muhlmann's Facebook page outlines her specific goals, she said that she believes she would need to address the "broader" objectives of the position before focusing on more specific goals if she were elected. Secretary The candidates for secretary are Student Union Vice President Charlotte Franco '15 and Arlene Cordoves '17. In an email to the Justice, Franco wrote that she "wanted to be in a position where I could not only effect change on the University as a whole, but for the Union itself." Franco wrote that she wants to focus on providing additional materials in the Romper Room, a rental system for clubs to borrow equipment from the Union and a review of the club system and club recognition and chartering processes. "I will continue to be a voice for the students with administration and push for further transparency on decisions that are being made that affect all of campus," she wrote. Cordoves did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Treasurer The sole candidate for treasurer is current Assistant Treasurer Andrew Miller '16. In an interview with the Justice, Miller said that he wants to "clean up a lot of the treasury" by utilizing all its resources and improving organization, and expressed a desire to make the Romper Room more accessible to club treasurers. Finance Board There are 12 candidates running for the four seats on F-Board. In an interview with the Justice, Class of 2016 Senator and Director of Communications Jonathan Jacob said that while the University is home to several clubs, some clubs do not "receive the funding they need or the funding they deserve." Specifically, Jacob said that he wants to promote cohesion on F-Board, help performance clubs receive funding and educate smaller cultural clubs on how to obtain more funding. Several candidates are running on experience as club leaders. Elad Ohayon '17 wrote in an email to the Justice that as a board member of the Brandeis Orthodox Organization, he has found the allocation process to be "confusing and quite lengthy" and hopes to make that process "smoother." Judy Nam '16, who has been running for a position on F-Board since her first year, wrote in an email to the Justice that she would aim to make F-Board an "open, friendly resource for clubs." Specifically, she wrote that not only would she like to increase funding for clubs, but she also would want to educate clubs about alternative sources of funding. In an interview with the Justice, Andrew An '16 also expressed a willingness to be an approachable resource for clubs. A treasurer for the Brandeis Asian American Student Association, An wrote that he understands that a club treasurer's "work isn't easy." Ari Ben-Elazar '17 wrote in an email to the Justice that he "see[s] potential for change with respect to smarter spending," working with clubs to help them to take advantage of their funds and increase efficiency. "Rather than just allocating funds, I hope to connect with clubs and make their budget work for them, especially if it isn't already," he wrote. Jeffrey Cherkin '16 wrote in an email to the Justice that he would "maintain and increase the extracurricular opportunities on campus" for all students. "Every club on campus deserves to receive a fair portion of the Student Union budget to achieve its specific academic, athletic, or social goals," he wrote. Alex Mitchell '17, who is a current F-Board member, wrote in an email to the Justice that he originally ran because there were no first-years on the board and he feels that it is important to represent "all four classes" on the board. Mitchell wrote that he hopes to work with clubs on more "big-ticket capital items or major events," which "can affect the entire campus." The other candidates for the position, Andre Bourne '16, Evelyn Beard '17, Hanchen Zhao '16 and Evans Agbonsalo (TYP) did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Xinyu Annie Li '17, an executive board member of the Brandeis Chinese Culture Connection, is the only candidate running for the racial minority F-Board position. Li wrote in an email to the Justice that she would aim to be "highly involved in the financial cases of students' group." Board of Trustees There are three candidates for the one junior representative to the Board of Trustees position. In separate emails to the Justice, both Zachary Anziska '16 and Grady Ward '16 wrote that they would like to focus on increasing budget transparency and sexual assault prevention. The third candidate, Shaoleen Khaled '16 wrote that she would like to see more funding for renovations of residential and academic buildings, as well as improving meal plan and dining options. Undergraduate Curriculum Committee There are two candidates running for the position of junior representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Zack Weaver '16 wrote in an email to the Justice that as an Undergraduate Departmental Representative for the Physics department, he is aware of the difficulty of scheduling classes to meet various requirements. Weaver wrote that he would like to see the University expand its cross-registration network. Class of 2016 Senator Kathy Nguyen wrote in an email to the Justice that she would like to "bring a greater diversity of courses offered on campus to attract more interest in students." There are no candidates running for the two open seats for the representatives to the Brandeis Sustainability Fund Board. -Jessie Miller and Marissa Ditkowsky contributed reporting. Editor's Note: Zachary Anziska '16 is a Justice staff photographer.
(04/01/14 4:00am)
The results of a survey administered by the Justice to students in a large University Chemistry course over the past month indicated that women in the sample appeared to perceive their class performance in a poorer light than men did. Over half of men who responded estimated their current grade to be at an A+, A or A-, compared to 36 percent of women, while a larger percentage of women estimated their grade to be in the B+ to B- range than men. As of press time, 80 students had completed the survey. The respondents received the survey in an email from their professor. Out of those, 58 respondents identified as female, making up 62 percent of the sample. The remaining 35 respondents were male. Only four respondents identified as black or African-American, 33 as Asian or Asian-American, three as two or more races, 42 as white and three identified ethnically as Hispanic or Latino/a, making it difficult to draw conclusions about differences in confidence among racial groups. Confidence: Gender and Race A University event organized by the Women in Science Initiative during the fall 2013 semester drew attention to a newly-emerging phenomenon known as "imposter syndrome," in which students feel insecure and incompetent in their academic abilities despite often being quite successful and capable in their field of study. As the panel specifically focused on an imposter syndrome for women in the sciences, the Justice surveyed students in an undergraduate Chemistry lecture to determine how confident students were about their ability to succeed in a science course, particularly looking at historically underrepresented groups in the sciences: female students and students of color. The survey administered by the Justice inquired what grade the participants received in their previous semester of Chemistry. Those results did not point to any difference in competency in the subject between men and women, although women in the sample did appear to earn slightly lower grades than men. Nearly three-fourths of men in the sample reported that they did not at all feel less academically capable than their peers, compared to slightly under 50 percent of women. Additionally, a much smaller percentage of women than men in the sample indicated that they believed they were definitely smart enough to succeed in this course. Despite these results, women in the sample did not appear to be any less enthusiastic than men about continuing in the sciences. According to the survey results, women were actually slightly more likely than men to enroll in further science and math courses, major in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics field and write a thesis for that major, suggesting that they are committed to studying science despite current feelings of insecurity. As for race, given the very low number of respondents who identified as people of color, differences among racial groups were more difficult to interpret. However, in an interview with the Justice, Afzal Ullah '14, a science Posse scholar majoring in Biology and Psychology, said that while he feels that he is as capable as his classmates, he felt inadequately prepared academically entering college. Ullah, who identifies racially as Bengali, noted that many students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who are often students of color, face a gap compared to their wealthier, often white, classmates-which can impact their performance and confidence. A professor's perspective Three professors who sat for interviews with the Justice expressed differing views about the current issues that women face in science. Prof. Judith Herzfeld (CHEM), the only female full professor in the Chemistry department, expressed a belief that women today are equally active in science as men. "There are plenty of women who are energetically engaging in the classroom, so I don't see that problem," Herzfeld said in an interview with the Justice. ""In chemistry, the women are doing great straight through to the Ph.D. in proportionate numbers, and that's very different from the way it used to be," she added. Prof. Eve Marder '69 (BIOL), the head of the University's Division of Science, said that in the classes she teaches now, she sees overconfidence and lack of confidence in both men and women, though men, she noted, are somewhat more likely to raise hands to answer questions in class, regardless of whether or not their answers are correct. Prof. Ruth Charney '72 (MATH), the University's first tenured mathematics professor and the current president of the Association for Women in Mathematics, acknowledged that female students may feel like "imposters" but should remember that their mentors had similar experiences. "We all felt that way, but look, we kept going and we were successful and we felt just like you do," said Charney in an interview with the Justice. "So don't let that-don't just be scared away. Don't just assume just because you're unsure of yourself, because somebody else seems better than you, that you're no good. That's the wrong conclusion." Charney and Herzfeld both emphasized that they got through graduate school because they simply weren't very concerned with what others thought of them. Charney recalled that any gender discrimination that was present "went over our heads. We didn't see any of it and that's probably why we were successful. I'm not saying it wasn't there. We were blind. We were doing what we wanted to do." Similarly, Herzfeld noted that she "tended not to compare myself with other people very much." Faculty: Then and Now When Marder eventually returned to the University in 1978 as a faculty member, she was the fifth woman to join the Biology department faculty, which was unusual at the time. "Most of my peers were being hired into department as the first [woman]," she said. Today, Marder said there is relatively little trouble recruiting women for positions in the department. Charney, who returned to the University in 2003 after many years at Ohio State University, explained that the Math department has few opportunities to diversify its faculty. "We don't hire very often-we're a small department. Then there was the financial crash, you know, we haven't done much hiring in the last few years. When we have, we always have female candidates," she said. Charney mentioned that the department is currently hiring a female postdoctoral fellow, who would be at the University for three years. Herzfeld joined the University's Chemistry department in 1985 after teaching at Harvard Medical School and Amherst College, where she was the first female faculty member in the physical sciences. At Brandeis, Herzfeld joined Prof. Emerita Emily Dudek (CHEM), who retired in 2003, and was later joined by Prof. Christine Thomas (CHEM) in 2008, who was awarded tenure last year. The department also includes Prof. Claudia Novack (CHEM), who does not conduct research but regularly teaches the large lecture classes CHEM 11a: "General Chemistry I" and CHEM 11b: "General Chemistry II." Race Brandeis has taken note of the low numbers of minority groups in the sciences and, with support from Prof. Irving Epstein (CHEM), launched the first science program in the nation, bringing in its inaugural class in 2008. As for representation of people of color in faculty, Marder said, "the landscape for minorities and people of color has been very complicated." She said that students from disadvantaged backgrounds have often opted to pursue professional degrees rather than academic ones to achieve financial stability. "There was a real wave of trying to create options for people of color in professional schools and graduate schools. That first wave happened as a consequence of the '60s, so many of the people in that first wave came from relatively disadvantaged backgrounds and therefore they enriched into professional schools where they would be guaranteed financial opportunities," she explained. "So people went to law school. People went to medical school. People went to dental school. People went to engineering school. Relatively few of them had the luxury to just go into academics," she added. Ullah also said that the ability to choose a career based solely on interest is "a luxury." "You have to understand that that's already a statement of privilege," he said. "[People of color] have learned that, because we're of economically disadvantaged backgrounds, we can only achieve so much in life. We should only try to achieve so much for practical reasons," Ullah later added. For undergraduate students of color, race plays a significant role in their experiences at Brandeis. "I was the only black student in my Physics class, my second semester. In my first semester there was only one [other] girl and she dropped," said Bethlehem Seifu Belaineh '16, an International Wien scholar from Ethiopia who is a Biological Physics major, in an interview with the Justice. "I never really realized it until someone pointed it out and by the time I realized it I felt extremely self-conscious to the point where I started to question, 'Am I actually in the right major? Am I setting myself up for failure or something?'" "You don't feel isolated but you feel different, because you are different. You do look different. You have a different cultural background," Belaineh added later. "You just are different but that difference does not mean you are less. It just means you are a different kind of person, but it took me a while to recognize that." Nicholas Medina '14 made a similar point, acknowledging his position as one of a few Hispanic science students. "Because there are so few Hispanic students in the sciences, I feel like I more wholly represent my ethnicity in the sciences and Hispanic science students in general," he said. "It makes me feel like when I achieve higher grades, it's more of an accomplishment." However, said Marder, the number of students from underrepresented groups entering graduate school is now increasing, at Brandeis and across the country. For now, recruiting people of color to the department is a challenge, given how small the pool is, according to both Marder and Herzfeld. "Part of what makes it not easy is when the pool is small and all of us really want that diversity. The big, rich places win out in the recruiting," said Herzfeld. "It's not entirely satisfactory, but that's not for lack of trying or lack of interest," she later added. Conclusion Ullah said he believes that "there is a lack of conversation" about the issues students of color face and that the University should "become more comfortable" discussing them. "It's going to be very important for me to make sure that, whatever field I go into, to make the space more accessible and accommodating for people of color, regardless of their background and preparation," he said. "Once you provide the tools for people of color to actualize their full potential, they are just as likely to be very successful in any career as anyone else," he added. Despite the fact that female students in the sample of the survey seemed to feel less confident in science classes than their peers, they nonetheless showed a commitment to pursuing an education in science. Such an enthusiasm fits well with Charney's goal: "I think the message we need to be getting out there is to tell people that careers in science are great for women. Do it!"
(03/18/14 4:00am)
Correction appended. A committee comprised of Student Union members and one alumnus, which was formed to review the Student Union's Constitution, announced in an email to the Justice that it has come up with a sizable list of proposed changes, about half of which pertain to the Union's finances. The Constitutional Review Task Force was formed last fall after an amendment to create a constitutional review system, which calls for an independent review of the constitution every four years, was approved by 82 percent of the student body in a vote. Members of the Constitutional Review Task Force include Student Union President Ricky Rosen '14, Vice President Charlotte Franco '15, Chief of Staff David Clements '14, Class of 2014 Senator Andre Tran, North Quad Senator Brian Hough '17 and former senator Ben Beutel '12. The task force originally planned to present its proposal to the Senate during its March 16 meeting but postponed it until March 23 in order to first discuss it with the Finance Board. If approved by the Senate, the proposals will go to the student body for a vote. Out of the nine potential changes, five regard how the Union will distribute its money. According to the proposal, the Capital Expenditures & Emergency Fund, "reserved for predominantly finance emergencies or capital expenditure projects," will be expanded to also fund projects proposed by any member of the student body. CapEx would be renamed the Community Enhancement and Emergency Fund. A maximum of $200,000 would be allotted to the projects for which students can apply, while a set amount of $50,000 would be reserved for time-sensitive projects that "would warrant an emergency status" or in cases in which the potential $200,000 may not serve as enough to fund all the projects, Rosen explained in a follow-up email to the Justice. In an interview with the Justice, Rosen, who argued in favor of the amendment to create a review system and sits on the task force, explained that the potential $100,000 being added to the fund would come from the Union's surplus and unused "rollover" funds. If those funds exceed the maximum of an amount of $200,000, then any extra money will roll over into the next semester or year for F-Board to reallocate. Several of the finance-related proposals concern the F-Board specifically. In one proposed amendment, the F-Board would be renamed the Allocations Board. According to the proposal, the name change would make the board's function "clearer" to students and avoid confusion of its role with that of the Treasury. According the Student Union's website, the F-Board makes decisions on how funds are distributed to clubs, while the Treasury is responsible for verifying and processing club transactions. Two changes would increase the Senate's involvement with F-Board. According to one of them, at the beginning of the year, the Senate would choose a member to sit on the Board to act as "a liaison in the allocations process" in addition to their standard responsibilities as a senate member. According to Rosen, this member would receive the same training as regular board members and would ultimately make the F-Board "more representative of students" by providing a route for members of the student body to voice their questions and concerns to the F-Board. "Students can vote and elect an F-Board member, but we think that the face of the Union, the closest link that students have to the Union is through their senator," said Rosen. "[With this change], students can bring their concerns to their senator and the senator would relay them to the F-Board representative on the Senate, who will have their voices heard in the F-Board process," he explained. The Senate would also be able to "confirm the Allocations Board's decisions." Along with that change, the Student Union president's current ability to veto F-Board's decisions would be eliminated. According to Rosen, the Senate would confirm F-Board's allocation decisions as a whole at the end of the marathon period. "Our goal ... here is making the branches more balanced, is having a better system of checks and balances," Rosen said. Rosen also explained that the president's current capacity to veto F-Board allocation decisions is "almost never invoked." "Giving the Senate responsibility to approve F-Board allocations in whole, that's almost a positive step to add to the process," he said. In an email to the Justice, F-Board Chair Mohamed Ali '14 wrote that the F-Board will discuss the proposed changes this week. In another proposal, the amount of funding for a secured club would be defined as a percentage of the Student Activities fee, rather than a set amount. This would remove the need to update those amounts every year. As for non-finance related changes, one proposal would include the addition of intra-union meetings, a policy already implemented by Rosen to increase "collaboration between Union branches." Changes to the language of the constitution consist of the addition of the definition of recognized, secured and chartered clubs to the constitution. These edits are not just limited to the bylaws; there is also a removal of a section regarding petitions and simplifying the language of the constitution overall. According to Rosen, the removal of the petitions section is the least significant change. According to the text of the proposal, the removal of this section would not prohibit petitions. Because of its "ambiguous" language, Rosen said that the task force decided it would be better to remove the section. Other changes discussed by the task force that did not make the list of provisions to re-consider were the formation of club associations overseen by councils and altering the structure of the Senate to a bicameral, or two-chamber, system. In March 2013, a committee unveiled a proposal to group the University's 275 clubs into 12 associations based on their missions and interests, while still maintaining each club's individual existence. Each association would be overseen by a council of seven members, elected from the clubs within the association and a faculty or staff member would be appointed to work with each association. While the proposal received feedback over that semester, Rosen said that the task force chose not to include it in its list of changes, Yet, he stated that other senators or task force members might tackle the issue next academic year. * The article initially referred to Ricky Rosen '14 as the Student Union vice president. He is, in fact, the president.
(03/11/14 4:00am)
Dean of Students Jamele Adams announced in an email to the Department of Student Life that Director of Student Activities Stephanie Grimes and Director of the Intercultural Center Monique Pillow-Gnanaratnam will be promoted to the positions of assistant deans. According to Adams in the email, two assistant deans have become "part of our design in the Office of the Dean of Students." "These positions are part of a reorganizing of departments to best serve our students and meet goals of the strategic plan," explained Adams in an email to the Justice. According to Adams, Grimes and Pillow-Gnanaratnam will continue to fulfill all their duties as directors while assuming new responsibilities in their roles as assistant deans. In an email to the Justice, Grimes wrote that she will now oversee New Student Orientation and "join the Dean's Office team in assisting with the daily management of issues that challenge our student body as well as assisting in crisis situations. "Students should also see increased collaboration between Student Activities and Admissions which creates the opportunity to create synergy between our recruitment and retention efforts," she wrote. Pillow-Gnanaratnam was not able to respond to the Justice by press time. According to Adams' email to the Office of Student Life, Grimes has worked at Brandeis for 16 years, and was previously in Community Living as a quad director before working in Student Activities. Before directing the ICC, Pillow-Gnanaratnam worked at Northeastern University as its director for off-campus student services and later as assistant director for orientation. Grimes said she has already begun assuming her new responsibilities and is being "integrated into the Dean's Office." Grimes wrote that she is "very excited" about her new role. "It will expand my knowledge base on campus," she wrote. "Hopefully I can make a larger impact on student life at Brandeis, and I can use the my 16 years of experience at Brandeis to learn from the past to create a [sic.]impact in the future," Grimes continued. "[T]hese promotions are exciting for our students and community," wrote Adams in his email to the Justice. "Brandeis will continue to appreciate the experience, wisdom, energy and love Stephanie and Monique have for our students, student development and student success." This change to the Office of Student Life follows changes to its leadership within the past year. Adams was appointed as Dean of Students over the summer, after University President Frederick Lawrence announced that Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer would be leaving Brandeis after 32 years.
(03/04/14 5:00am)
About 15 students convened outside the Bernstein-Marcus Administration Center to protest high tuition costs and the University's compensation practices on Thursday, Feb. 13. Amid winter storm conditions, protesters held signs saying "Blatant Inequality," "Education minus Capitalism is Equality" and "Where's the 'social justice' in Jehuda's 4.9 Million," while shouting chants like "Fair Pay Today" and "Freeze Tuition." Last November, an article in the Boston Globe highlighting University President Emeritus Jehuda Reinharz's salary and benefits sparked concern and outrage over administrative compensation at Brandeis. Reinharz, who served as University president from 1994 to 2011, has received $4.1 million in deferred compensation and $811,000 in untaken sabbatical payments as of Jan. 2, according to a Jan. 23 BrandeisNOW press release. Reinharz, who earned about $300,000 annually in 2012 and 2013, will hold the title of president emeritus through June and earn $160,000 for that position. After June, he will serve as a half-time professor and make $180,000 a year. In response to student concern, the University also announced that the Board of Trustees unanimously agreed to release information about senior administrative compensation and accept feedback about executive compensation in the future. "We were motivated to organize the protest because after the 'budget transparency' was released by the administration, we felt as though not enough was being done in terms of speaking out against the executive pay," wrote Aaren Weiner '16, one of the organizers of the protest, in an email to the Justice. "It is one thing for students to complain but it is another for them to feel empowered and act upon those feelings." Elaine Mancini '16, another protest organizer, wrote in an email to the Justice that "there were grievences [sic] against the feeling that Reinharz and [University President Frederick]Lawrence are essentially 'stealing our money,' and of the injustice regarding what the lowest paid worker on campus receives versus executive pay. "There were many cries for Brandeis to provide the lowest paid worker with a real living wage," wrote Mancini. "And of course there were comments on Reinharz's long awaited text on donkeys." According to Weiner, she and Mancini met with Dean of Students Jamele Adams before the protest to discuss the nature of it The Rights and Responsibilities Handbook states that anyone who plans to organize a protest or demonstration must notify the "Senior Student Affairs Officer or designee," who "may instruct organizers regarding the guidelines for such activity." "[Adams] gave us the administration's full support, showed us where the protest was to happen specifically, and let us know that we could talk to him if we needed anything," Weiner wrote. According to both Mancini and Weiner, the response to the protest has been mostly positive, particularly from other students. "We received encouragement from most passersby who verbally responded. A few students came over and said that they would like to attend if another protest was organized in the future," wrote Mancini. "I only recall one person with a negative reaction, but their comment didn't seem very well thought out, and therefore I won't bother trying to repeat it." According to Weiner, the administration has not been in contact with the group of students who organized the protest since it occurred. In an email the Justice, Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid wrote that the administration and Student Union are planning a forum "where concerns can be heard." The Student Union Senate announced a tentative date of March 13 at 5 p.m. at a location that has yet to be determined. "I can tell you that the administration supports students' right to protest. The culture of Brandeis University encourages debate, discussion and a frank exchange of conflicting views," wrote de Graffenreid in her email. "Student protests have been an important part of the University's commitment to free speech and expression since Brandeis' founding." According to Weiner, more demonstrations will be held in the future, though "nothing specific has been planned as of yet." -Rachel Hughes contributed reporting
(02/04/14 5:00am)
A car accident on South Street Sunday night sent three students to the hospital with serious injuries. The students, an 18-year-old male, an 18-year-old female and a 22-year-old female were crossing the street at 6:24 p.m. at the crosswalk by the Foster Mods when they were hit by a car headed northbound, according to a Feb. 2 press release from the Waltham Police Department. The victims, all undergraduate students, were taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center with serious injuries. In an interview with the Justice, Stephanie Guyotte, a spokesperson for the Middlesex District Attorney's Office, said that two of the victims have since been released from the hospital and the third is in stable condition as of 4:30 p.m. yesterday. According to the statement, the driver of the vehicle was a 42-year-old resident of Belmont, Mass. He was not found to be impaired by any substances at the time of the accident. According to Guyotte, the investigation is still ongoing. The press release stated that "charges against the operator will be determined after the investigation is complete." Elan Kane '16 was walking from East Quad to the Foster Mods and was near the Stoneman Building when he heard the collision. "The crash almost sounded like snow being shoveled," he said in an interview with the Justice. Kane said he heard someone yelling "I'm going to die, I'm going to die" and another person reassuring them that they would not. He recalled seeing one person on the ground and another on the sidewalk, but did not know who was yelling. According to Kane, another driver got out of his car to help the person on the ground. Kane said he did not see whether the lights at the crosswalk were blinking. South Street has a history of accidents involving pedestrians. In 2005, a student crossing the road was struck by a car driven by an elderly woman and suffered minor injuries. According to Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan in a Nov. 8, 2005 article in the Justice, a pedestrian crossing South Street was also hit in November 2000 and another in November 2002. In 2006, the city of Waltham installed two button-activated blinking yellow traffic lights at the crosswalk. The $20,000 project was initially requested by students living in the Foster Mods three years prior. In a Sept. 26, 2006 Justice article, Waltham Transportation Director Franklin Ching expressed concern that the lights would give pedestrians a "false sense of security," as the law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in the street, but not necessarily for those waiting to cross. According to Ching, many pedestrians walk into the street anyway. In 2007, a first-year student was hit while crossing South Street in front of the main gate, suffering minor injuries. In 2008, the University stationed a police officer at the crosswalk during random times to ensure that students used the blinking lights when crossing South Street. In a Sept. 23, 2008 Justice article, Waltham Ward 7 Councilor Joseph Giordano, who represents Brandeis in the City Council, said he was concerned that many students were not using the crosswalk lights. A Nov. 6, 2009 police log entry in the Justice stated that University Police "received several calls about a pedestrian struck by a car in the crosswalk at South Street and the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center." In 2010, Waltham police officers were again stationed at the South Street crosswalk to both make sure students were using the lights and to issue citations for cars that were speeding or not stopping for pedestrians, according to Callahan. In the article, Callahan said that Waltham police officers have given 20 to 40 citations per day to drivers for speeding on South Street and that the addition of police officers helped to slow down cars. When asked if any safety measures will be adopted in the near future, Callahan, in an email to the Justice, referred to an email he sent to the student body yesterday urging students to take precautions when crossing and driving along South Street. -Marissa Ditkowsky and Andrew Wingens contributed reporting. Editor's Note: Elan Kane '16 is on the Justice Sports staff.
(01/28/14 5:00am)
Students and scholars came together to tackle the conversation about issues facing Israel and its future at the second annual Brandeis Visions for Israel in an Evolving World Conference this past Sunday. While a variety of issues were raised and discussed during panels, speeches and breakout discussions, both the opening and closing keynote speakers focused on conversations regarding Zionism.
(01/14/14 5:00am)
University President Frederick Lawrence is in talks with members of the administration at Al-Quds University to discuss re-establishing the partnership between the two schools, according to Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid. De Graffenreid wrote in an email to the Justice that Lawrence and members of Al-Quds' administration are currently looking at possible "next steps" with the "ultimate goal of re-establishing a partnership." Lawrence announced the decision to suspend the partnership in November, following the release of a Nov. 17 letter from Al-Quds University President Sari Nusseibeh addressing a demonstration on its campus earlier that month, during which participants allegedly donned black military garb and fake weapons while making Nazi-style gestures. According to Lawrence in a Nov. 18, 2013 BrandeisNOW press release, Nusseibeh's letter responding to the rally was "unacceptable and inflammatory." Nusseibeh was also suspended from the advisory board of the Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life. However, a resolution from the advisory board released on Dec. 9, 2013, called for both Brandeis and Al-Quds to take steps to reinstate the partnership and lift Nusseibeh's suspension from the board. According to de Graffenreid, "there is no specific timetable" for re-establishing the partnership. "[T]hese processes often require a high degree of flexibility in terms of providing adequate time for discussion," she wrote. On Dec. 9, 2013, Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life Daniel Terris and Profs. Susan Lanser (ENG) and Daniel Kryder (POL) released a report examining the demonstration itself and Al-Quds' response. The professors were asked by the administration to investigate the situation at Al-Quds during a trip that had been scheduled before the demonstration took place. Their report concluded that Al-Quds acted quickly and appropriately in response to the rally and that the University should work to restore its relationship with Al-Quds. Though Lawrence was traveling in India at the time of the report's release, he has since read the report and has been in "regular contact" with the authors, according to de Graffenreid. "He is grateful for their firsthand perspective and for the significant effort that they have put into the writing and sharing of the report," she wrote. In an email to the Justice, Terris wrote that the report will be discussed at the next faculty meeting but declined to comment on the current status of the University's discussions with Al-Quds until then. De Graffenreid echoed a similar sentiment. "The University plans to keep the lines of communication open and to continue to exchange information with Al-Quds University's administration," she wrote. "These are sensitive issues that need to be discussed between the two institutions and not in the public media." *
(12/10/13 5:00am)
The University's Computer Science department has experienced a boom in undergraduate course enrollment in the past six years.
(11/26/13 5:00am)
Since University President Frederick Lawrence's decision to halt its academic partnership with Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem, Al-Quds President Sari Nusseibeh has also been suspended from the International Advisory Board of Brandeis' International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life while a report on the recent events at Al-Quds is currently being compiled by Brandeis faculty who visited Al-Quds last week. Meanwhile, Syracuse University announced it would also be suspending its partnership while Bard College decided it would not. In a statement released this past Friday, Lawrence affirmed that he is committed to "keeping the lines of communication open" between Brandeis and Al-Quds. Al-Quds reportedly had asked the University to reconsider its decision to suspend the relationship, according to a Nov. 20 article from the Associated Press. Nusseibeh later criticized Lawrence in a Nov. 22 article in the Times of Israel, saying that the University president had "gone overboard" in his decision to suspend the partnership. Director of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life Daniel Terris, along with Prof. Susan Lanser (ENG) and Prof. Daniel Kryder (POL), had originally traveled to Al-Quds last week to explore ways to develop the partnership between the two schools. According to a Nov. 21 post on Terris' blog, Lawrence asked them to gather information after news of the events that took place on the Al-Quds campus broke. According to Lanser in an email to the Justice, they are currently writing the report and expect to release it sometime next week. "The issues on the ground at Al-Quds University are much more complex than has been reported on blogs and in the press," Terris wrote on his blog. "These issues deserve careful consideration and conversation." Terris wrote later in the post that "at this point ... nothing that we have learned during this period has changed our conviction ... that Sari Nusseibeh and the Al-Quds University leadership are genuinely committed to peace and mutual respect." Syracuse decided to suspend the relationship between Al-Quds and its Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism three days after Brandeis' decision, according to a Nov. 22 article from the Jerusalem Post, which reported Nov. 24 that Bard would continue its relationship. In an email to the Justice, Prof. Jytte Klausen (POL) expressed criticism of the decision. "My concern is that by withdrawing we have given the extremists what they wanted, and allowed then [sic] to cut off moderate Palestinians from participating in exchanges with the outside world," she wrote. "I wish President Lawrence had waited to make a decision until the faculty fact-finding group returned and provided a rapport." The academic partnership was halted in response to what Brandeis called an "unacceptable and inflammatory" statement released by Nusseibeh regarding controversial demonstrations that took place on Al-Quds' campus earlier this month, where participants donning "black military gear" and "fake automatic weapons ... marched while waving flags and raising the traditional Nazi salute," according to a Nov. 18 BrandeisNOW press release. In the Nov. 22 Times of Israel article, Nusseibeh explained that he had originally condemned the demonstrations on the campus in a statement "saying such manifestations of militarism are unacceptable" and called for an investigation into the incident. According to Nusseibeh, Lawrence had then contacted him "expressing anger, and calling for a condemnation of Nazi-style militarism." Though Nusseibeh agreed to wait for a draft statement from Lawrence, he said that he felt it "expressed more [Lawrence's] immediate needs than my needs as a university president having to handle a culture rather than a one-time event" and chose to write his own statement addressing the "matter," "limits" and "values" of free speech. Brandeis' Nov. 18 press release stated that "While Brandeis has an unwavering commitment to open dialogue on difficult issues, we are also obliged to recognize intolerance when we see it, and we cannot-and will not-turn a blind eye to intolerance." The statement released by Al-Quds opened by saying that the "university is often subjected to vilification campaigns by Jewish extremists" and that it had been misrepresented as "promoting inhumane, anti-Semitic, fascist and Nazi ideologies." While the BrandeisNOW press release described the demonstrators as "raising the traditional Nazi salute," a spokesman for the political branch of Islamic Jihad quoted by the Associated Press explained that the symbol represents a "desire to reach holy Jerusalem, currently under Israeli control." Lawrence addressed Nusseibeh's comments in his Nov. 22 statement. "Al-Quds University President Sari Nusseibeh has made a number of remarks and serious accusations to the media that have not been conveyed to me personally or through my staff," Lawrence wrote. "I am reaching out to President Nusseibeh today and hope that he will be open to that discussion." Lawrence concluded the press release by stating that he "will not respond to specific issues raised in the public media." -Jessie Miller contributed reporting.
(11/19/13 5:00am)
The Lerman-Neubauer Fellowship Program, which serves "to recognize students with exceptional scholastic records," is reaching the end of its set run as no more students after the Class of 2016 have been selected as fellows, according to Elizabeth Teurlay, the adviser for the program, in an interview with the Justice.
(11/05/13 5:00am)
The University's Office of Admissions will see major organizational changes immediately, including a redistribution of responsibilities, new hires and the promotion of Jennifer Walker, the office's current director, to executive director. Walker will head the office while some of the office's responsibilities have been delegated to other departments, according to an email from Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel to the division of Students and Enrollment Monday evening. "There are many, many other administrative tasks that this office handles. ... Those things take quite a lot of time and effort to be done well," said Walker in an interview with the Justice. The Office of Student Activities will now help organize "major" on-campus events held by Admissions, such as the two preview days and Admitted Students Day in the spring, and the Hiatt Career Center will aid in "managing and recruiting alumni and parent volunteers." According to the email sent by Flagel, these changes will allow Admissions to focus on expanding recruitment efforts. "We want folks to maximize time on the road," said Flagel in an interview with the Justice. According to the press release, Admissions has increased recruitment travel and is aiming to conduct almost twice as many high school visits and college fair appearances. According to Walker, a staff member from Student Activities will be designated as a "point person" to manage the shared responsibilities between Admissions and Student Activities. Meanwhile, Admissions and the Hiatt Career Center are currently working together to hire a new parent and volunteer coordinator. Walker is also leading the hiring processes for both a senior associate director, which will replace Walker's former position of director, and a multi-cultural and transfer recruitment director, an existing position that is currently unfilled. Walker said that in her new position, she would be "leading the new vision" of the office. "A lot of the day-to-day big projects that I run will largely stay the same," said Walker. Until this past May, the office operated under former Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer, who left to become the director of college advising at Deerfield Academy, a four-year college preparatory school. When asked how Walker's responsibilities as executive director will compare to Spencer's as dean, Flagel responded, "I think that for Brandeis at the size institution we are and the set of goals that we're managing, [Walker's] set of expertise in being executive director is a great match for what we're trying to accomplish." According to Flagel's email, Walker joined the University in 2007 as the associate director of Admissions, later rising to senior associate and then director. Before coming to Brandeis, she worked in the information technology department at Sarah Lawrence College and later moved to Regis College to serve as a special assistant to the vice president for enrollment. "I think [Walker] had a great deal of leadership within the office already and I'm very glad that she'll be able to take on this role," Flagel said. "I'm really looking forward to my new role," said Walker. "I have a fantastic team here in Admissions that does really, really great work. I'm excited to continue in a leadership role here in the admissions office." -Tate Herbert contributed reporting.
(10/22/13 4:00am)
According to Student Union President Ricky Rosen '14, the issue of parking availability on campus is a growing concern for students and other members of the Brandeis community. In a Senate meeting earlier this month, he reported that Public Safety issued between 75 and 100 tickets and towed about 10 cars in North Quad in one crackdown earlier this year. In an interview with the Justice, Rosen said he plans to evaluate the University's parking system and find ways for it to "better suit student needs." So far, he has formed a "working group of Student Union members" who will draft and send out a survey to gauge student opinions on the issue. Rosen said that the number of people in need of parking permits has consistently risen over the past few years. "Years ago, it used to be that every single student at Brandeis could park," he said. "Now it's just juniors and seniors that can park." Part of the problem is also a large number of unregistered parkers. "[Director of Public Safety] Ed Callahan estimated that 10 percent of the parkers on campus are unregistered, and those are the majority of people who are being ticketed," Rosen explained. "So part of the solution from a Union perspective is to educate people on how to apply for a pass, and the consequences of not applying for a pass." Callahan was unavailable for comment. Still, Rosen acknowledged that the number of limited parking spots on campus is an issue in and of itself. In 2011, the University restricted undergraduate parking permit registration to only juniors and seniors. According to Callahan in a Febuary 2012 Justice article, the University issued 3,450 parking permits, exceeding the 2,299 parking spots on campus. Rosen said that he has met with Callahan, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel and Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins to discuss both short and long-term solutions. More immediate solutions included acquiring an off-campus lot from which students could be shuttled to campus, further limiting parking access to only seniors or clearing nearby land to build another campus lot. However, those options are not viable at this point, according to Rosen, as there is not enough space in Waltham to provide more off or on-campus parking and that further limiting parking "would not be in the best interests of students." Rosen said that after reviewing the options, they decided that the University will have to invest in a parking garage, but acknowledged that this will be a long-term project. There are several factors and consequences to consider, such as the temporary loss of some parking areas during the construction period and an increase in parking registration fees. "Instead of students paying $120 a year, it might be five, 10 times that," said Rosen. "We don't know." According to a Feb. 2012 email to the Justice from Callahan, the University had looked into building a parking garage about five years earlier and had found the cost to be about $18 thousand to $29 thousand per space. For now, Rosen said he will begin the process by gathering opinions and researching similar colleges and universities' parking systems. "This is something that within the next decade, we're hoping students, trustees and administrators are going to put at the top of their agenda," Rosen said. -Tate Herbert contributed reporting
(09/03/13 4:00am)
Since the University announced Sodexo would be taking over as the University's food service provider, the company has wasted no time moving into campus, as most dining locations have seen significant alterations. The Hoot Market, formerly known as the Provisions on Demand Market, now offers produce from Russo's Market. Starbucks coffee is served in Farber Library and food trucks will be rolled out on weekend nights from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Another change for some locations includes hours of operations. Sherman Dining Hall now offers continuous service from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays in addition to its service between 7 to 10 a.m., adding an extra hour of service during dinner hours. Quiznos is now open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight. The Stein, which was previously only open from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, will now also be open for lunch on those days, while maintaining late night hours until 3 a.m. on the weekends. Einstein's Bagel Bros. was one of the only locations to have its hours reduced with the new provider. The 24-hour service during the week was eliminated, open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 2 a.m. According to Einstein's employee Darrell Hosford '16, who consistently worked the 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. shift during the 2012-2013 academic year, the change in hours is not detrimental. "No one really came after like [midnight], so I would just stand there and get paid for it. It was really boring because nobody came," he said in an interview with the Justice. "You did [see people coming by after 2 a.m.], but it was ... still a ghost town." In an email to the Justice, Resident District Manager for Sodexo Jay DeGioia explained that Sodexo changed its hours based on research conducted among students. "Throughout the [request for proposal] process ... Sodexo observed operations and communicated with the college. After collecting information and further conversations, hours were set," wrote Senior Director of Operations for Sodexo at Brandeis Randi Kates-Peirce in an email to the Justice. "As with all of the locations we will evaluate the hours. We encourage feedback as well." According to DeGioia, some changes are still on the way. The Guy Fieri's on-campus restaurant "is in the architect's hands and should move forward quickly," DeGioia wrote. The Dunkin' Donuts that will replace the Village Provisions on Demand Market is scheduled to open by early October, and plans to renovate Sherman Dining Hall as well as Usdan Cafe and Boulevard are scheduled for next summer. Sodexo is also looking into potentially adding more dining locations. DeGioia also outlined plans to further utilize student feedback. "One tool we will roll out soon is Staff Ranker, which is an online tool to give students the ability to leave compliments and concerns on their experience," wrote DeGioia. "We will also open with a great program that will allow students to text comments, concerns and compliments using their smart phones allowing our team to respond quickly, track trends, and solve issues in a timely manner." Sodexo also plans on gathering input via "two formal surveys." In addition, DeGioia wrote that Sodexo is planning to work with student groups such as the Dining Committee and hire two student marketing coordinators and a sustainability coordinator. These students will be responsible for organizing a grassroots marketing campaign and sustainability efforts, respectively. In addition to its partnership with Russo's Market to provide local food, DeGioia wrote that Sodexo is also working to serve cage-free eggs. Currently, they are served in Sherman and will also be available at other locations. DeGioia wrote that he is "pleased" with Sodexo's reception on campus so far. "We are presently getting to know our team, and are excited to see the knowledge and passion amongst all our union and student workers. We have received a lot of positive feedback on the changes we have made so far." He later wrote, "Brandeis is a great institution and we are thrilled to help improve the student experience." To see what students think of the campus dining changes, see the Brandeis Talks column. -Marissa Ditkowsky contributed reporting.
(09/03/13 4:00am)
Since the University announced Sodexo would be taking over as the University's food service provider, the company has wasted no time moving into campus, as most dining locations have seen significant alterations. The Hoot Market, formerly known as the Provisions on Demand Market, now offers produce from Russo's Market. Starbucks coffee is served in Farber Library and food trucks will be rolled out on weekend nights from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Another change for some locations includes hours of operations. Sherman Dining Hall now offers continuous service from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays in addition to its service between 7 to 10 a.m., adding an extra hour of service during dinner hours. Quiznos is now open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight. The Stein, which was previously only open from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, will now also be open for lunch on those days, while maintaining late night hours until 3 a.m. on the weekends. Einstein's Bagel Bros. was one of the only locations to have its hours reduced with the new provider. The 24-hour service during the week was eliminated, open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 2 a.m. According to Einstein's employee Darrell Hosford '16, who consistently worked the 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. shift during the 2012-2013 academic year, the change in hours is not detrimental. "No one really came after like [midnight], so I would just stand there and get paid for it. It was really boring because nobody came," he said in an interview with the Justice. "You did [see people coming by after 2 a.m.], but it was ... still a ghost town." In an email to the Justice, Resident District Manager for Sodexo Jay DeGioia explained that Sodexo changed its hours based on research conducted among students. "Throughout the [request for proposal] process ... Sodexo observed operations and communicated with the college. After collecting information and further conversations, hours were set," wrote Senior Director of Operations for Sodexo at Brandeis Randi Kates-Peirce in an email to the Justice. "As with all of the locations we will evaluate the hours. We encourage feedback as well." According to DeGioia, some changes are still on the way. The Guy Fieri's on-campus restaurant "is in the architect's hands and should move forward quickly," DeGioia wrote. The Dunkin' Donuts that will replace the Village Provisions on Demand Market is scheduled to open by early October, and plans to renovate Sherman Dining Hall as well as Usdan Cafe and Boulevard are scheduled for next summer. Sodexo is also looking into potentially adding more dining locations. DeGioia also outlined plans to further utilize student feedback. "One tool we will roll out soon is Staff Ranker, which is an online tool to give students the ability to leave compliments and concerns on their experience," wrote DeGioia. "We will also open with a great program that will allow students to text comments, concerns and compliments using their smart phones allowing our team to respond quickly, track trends, and solve issues in a timely manner." Sodexo also plans on gathering input via "two formal surveys." In addition, DeGioia wrote that Sodexo is planning to work with student groups such as the Dining Committee and hire two student marketing coordinators and a sustainability coordinator. These students will be responsible for organizing a grassroots marketing campaign and sustainability efforts, respectively. In addition to its partnership with Russo's Market to provide local food, DeGioia wrote that Sodexo is also working to serve cage-free eggs. Currently, they are served in Sherman and will also be available at other locations. DeGioia wrote that he is "pleased" with Sodexo's reception on campus so far. "We are presently getting to know our team, and are excited to see the knowledge and passion amongst all our union and student workers. We have received a lot of positive feedback on the changes we have made so far." He later wrote, "Brandeis is a great institution and we are thrilled to help improve the student experience." To see what students think of the campus dining changes, see the Brandeis Talks column. -Marissa Ditkowsky contributed reporting.
(05/20/13 4:00am)
Rabbi David Pardo and his wife Ariel Pardo will be joining Brandeis as co-directors of the Orthodox Union's Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus this August, according to an email announcement from Executive Director of Hillel at Brandeis Larry Sternberg to members of the Hillel community. According to its website, JLIC aims to provide advising and counsel to Orthodox Jewish students attending secular universities by placing Rabbinic couples on campuses to serve as mentors. Currently, JLIC serves 15 colleges and universities, including Brandeis. The Pardos, who both attended the University of California at Los Angeles as undergraduates, were student leaders at the JLIC program there, they said in an interview with the Justice. David said he felt "excited" and "really fortunate" to come to Brandeis. According to Sternberg's announcement, David received his semikhah, or rabbinical ordination, from Yeshiva University and was also educated at the Isralight Institute and Yeshiva University's Center for the Jewish Future. He has done community work in several cities, most recently in Toronto, where he is the director of education and community engagement at The House, a center which provides "inspiring and relevant Jewish education" according to its website. After UCLA, Ariel attended the Nishmat's Alisa Flatow program, which "offers a unique opportunity" for women to "study Jewish texts in a warm and intellectually stimulating environment," and later received a certificate from Machon Puah's Women's Health Training. According to Sternberg in an interview with the Justice, the process of selecting a rabbinic couple began when the Orthodox Union suggested rabbinic couples, whom he then interviewed. Later four of the couples were brought to campus to meet with more members of the Jewish community. "It was a long two days. We interviewed almost everybody on campus, and their mother," joked David when he was asked about the interview process. When asked why the Pardos were selected, Sternberg answered that the couple exhibited strong interpersonal skills and an ability to relate to the Brandeis community and individuals. In addition, he said that they will be able to relate to all students, not just Orthodox Jewish students. "One of the beauties of having a couple who are different from one another a bit ... with different background and exposures is that they will invariably have a greater impact than just on Orthodox community," said Sternberg. As co-directors of JLIC, David said that he and Ariel would want to help the community "foster an incredible Jewish experience" during their time at Brandeis. "That includes learning and social events and everything in between," said Ariel. She went on to explain they will have to become more familiar with the Brandeis community before they make any specific plans, but would like to try ideas that were successful at UCLA. The couple will be succeeding Rabbi Eliot and Toby Kaplowitz, who announced last December that they would be leaving Brandeis at the end of this academic year to pursue other opportunities.
(04/30/13 4:00am)
In the latest two rounds of Student Union elections, the student body had the opportunity to vote on three non-election issues, namely divestment, an amendment concerning the Union Constitution by-laws and the securement of the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society. In the second round of Student Union elections last Thursday, 79.03 percent of students who voted were in favor of a petition advocating for the divestment of the University's endowment from fossil fuels, not including abstentions. About 340 students responded, with 897 voting in favor, 238 voting against and 207 abstaining. In the third round of voting yesterday, only 53.06 percent of students who participated voted to approve BADASS as a secured club. A proposal needs at least 66.67 percent in order to pass, so BADASS will not become a secured club. Proposed amendments to the Union Constitution that would formally define the definition of by-laws by Union Chief of Staff Jesse Manning '13 were approved with 83.88 percent of students voting in favor of the amendment. Manning proposed the amendments at an April 21 Senate meeting. The proposal received 10 signatures from the Senate. Students for a Just and Stable Future, in partnership with Students for Environmental Action and Brandeis Democrats, spearheaded the efforts to get a question on divestment on the ballot. This was part of a semester-long campaign to urge the University to divest from fossil fuels companies. "I'm really excited about it," said Jamie Garuti '15 in an interview with the Justice. Garuti led the effort to put the question on the ballot. "Seventy-nine percent is really great. ... It really shows that the student body really supports what we're doing," said Garuti. According to SJSF member Martin Hamilton '16 in an interview with the Justice, four students and one alumnus working on the divestment campaign attended a meeting last Friday with Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel, Associate Provost for Assessment and Innovation Prof. Dan Perlman (BIOL), Senior Vice President for Communications Ellen de Graffenreid, Chief Investment Officer Nick Warren and Chief of Staff David Bunis. Hamilton said that the students and administrators discussed plans for "moving forward" on the discussion surrounding divestment, including further investigating the financial impact it would have on the University's endowment. According to Hamilton, it is "difficult for anyone to know" how Brandeis' endowment will be affected by divestment. "Studies have been done about [the effects on] general school endowments," said Hamilton. "It will be different for every school. Nobody really knows at this point." According to Garuti, the group's next steps are to "put pressure" on the administration, and plans to meet with University President Frederick Lawrence and the Board of Trustees. "We're going to focus more on the administration," said Garuti. BADASS' failure to achieve secured status during this election set a precedent for the University and clubs that wish to achieve secured status in the future. According to BADASS president David Altman '15, the club is disappointed that it was not secured. However, according to Altman, BADASS will continue to work with the student body and other clubs to organize events to achieve its mission. "Even though we failed to reach the needed 2/3's votes to get secured, the large number of votes (52 percent) that we did receive has solidified our resolve and demonstrated the major role that we have to play in this community into the future," wrote Altman in an email to the Justice.
(04/16/13 4:00am)
In its latest divestment campaign efforts, Students for a Just and Stable Future has partnered with Brandeis Democrats and Students for Environmental Action to include student voices on the University's position on divestment by adding the issue to the ballot this election season. According to the petition being circulated by SJSF, students would be able to vote April 25 on whether they would support the University divesting its endowment from fossil fuel companies "in order to avert further environmental and human rights crises as a result of climate change." In an interview with the Justice, SJSF member Jamie Garuti '15, who spearheaded the referendum efforts, stated that the petition has gathered 750 signatures so far, well over the required 16 percent of the student body, which amounts to about 525 students. Garuti said that SJSF members began drafting the petition "a month or two ago" and collected all their signatures over the past two weeks. SJSF has also been working with other student groups like SEA, an umbrella organization that includes SJSF, and Brandeis Democrats to gather support for the ballot question. In an email to the Justice, Brandeis Democrats Campaign Coordinator Russell Leibowitz '14 wrote that Brandeis Democrats decided to officially endorse SJSF's campaign "towards the end of March." "We believe climate change is particularly pernicious because its primary effects are on people who can never consent to our use of fossil fuels," wrote Leibowitz. Leibowitz also wrote that the Brandeis Democrats have also assisted SJSF in increasing awareness of the divestment movement on campus by hosting educational events such as a public debate. "A few people think that there will be harms that accrue from it, so we've just been working to dispel those concerns and make sure people know that divestment is a sustainable and useful tactic," wrote Leibowitz. Garuti said that SJSF's partnership with the Brandeis Democrats was helpful for expanding the issue of divestment from an environmental one to one also focused on social justice. According to Leibowitz, the ballot question is part of SJSF's campaign to urge the University to divest from the fossil fuel industry. "We want to make sure that the Brandeis student body's voice is heard loud and clear and this is the opportunity to make sure that happens," wrote Leibowitz. SJSF began its efforts this semester with a kick-off meeting this past January to inform students about the issue and the goals of its campaign. Ultimately, the group aims for the University "to immediately freeze any new investments" in the fossil fuel industry and to divest from "direct ownership and from any commingled funds that include fossil fuels" within five years. Since then, the group has also organized protest events such as a mock refugee camp and a march to raise awareness. According to SJSF Faculty Coordinator Tali Smookler '13, the next step for SJSF will be expanding its focus to administrators, the Board of Trustees, faculty, alumni and graduate students. "We have had a few preliminary, informal meetings with members of the administration already this semester and hope to continue to work with them even more closely next semester as this movement grows and gains support," wrote Smookler. As SJSF begins to secure student support and shift its focus to the administration next semester, Garuti said that she is hopeful for the future of the divestment campaign. Editor's note: SJSF Faculty Coordinator Tali Smookler '13 is an Associate Editor of the Justice.
