Search Results

Policies questioned in wake of alleged assault

A Brandeis Hoot article published on April 27 has prompted widespread discussion on campus about the implementation of the University's sexual assault policies. According to the Hoot article, an anonymous undergraduate student who is currently on medical leave alleged she was raped by an anonymous Heller School for Social Policy and Management student in their off-campus apartment nearly a dozen times from October 2010 to January 2011. The case went before the Student Conduct Board last May, and the alleged assailant was found guilty of nine of 11 code violations in the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, including section 3.1, which prohibits sexual contact without explicit and clearly communicated consent, according to the Hoot.  The article chronicles the story of the female student who felt the University was inadequately responsive to her grievances and questions the University's full compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 policies concerning sexual harassment, stating, "a case file in the office of student rights and community standards contained no evidence of a university police investigation, a Title IX requirement." The Justice could not independently verify the facts of the case. University officials declined to comment to the Justice on details of the specific case due to federal privacy laws. The article does not present the male party's information. In April of last year, the Obama administration announced a new set of guidelines for colleges and universities to address sexual assault violations. "A school that knows, or should reasonably know, about possible harassment must promptly investigate to determine what occurred. ... Title IX investigation is different from any law enforcement investigation, and a law enforcement investigation does not relieve the school of its independent Title IX obligation to investigate the conduct," according to the "Dear Colleagues" letter from Vice President Joe Biden that clarified policies under Title IX. The Hoot article also states that the Student Conduct Board used a "clear and convincing" standard of evidence in this case, as opposed to the lower "preponderance of evidence" standard required by Title IX. The University student handbook outlines the Rights and Responsibilities of victims of sexual assault. The handbook states that "the Department of Public Safety has full police powers and the staff is trained to provide accurate information on preserving evidence and the options for criminal prosecution, campus disciplinary proceedings, or both." The handbook, however, does not elaborate on what this training entails, including what information is taught and when the training is received. The Brandeis University Class of 2015 Facebook group currently has 42 comments in response to the article and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance hosted an open forum yesterday to discuss sexual assault and harassment on campus and create a "decisive" plan for change. FMLA has been examining the University's sexual harassment policy and FMLA President Amalia Bob-Waksberg '14 said in an interview with the Justice that "we found that there were a lot of issues in the policy ... and issues with things within the policy not being enacted." She added, "So many students have told us that they were sexually assaulted and they didn't feel safe telling Public Safety about it, and now they have to see the person who assaulted them on campus, and they didn't know their resources." Bob-Waksberg describes the administration as being generally silent about sexual assault. She says the administration cites a low incidence rate of sexual assault on campus, when in reality, sexual assault is being grossly underreported. Bob-Waksberg and other FMLA members are involved in the planning of a silent protest of these circumstances, which will take place in the Goldfarb Library tomorrow from noon to 4 p.m. Prof. Anita Hill (Heller) wrote in an email to the Justice, "Sexual assault[s] on college campuses, as in general, are under-reported.  Brandeis is reviewing its sexual assault policies and procedures so that we can guard against the threat of sexual assault. However, when they occur, we want to make sure individuals can come forward without fear, raise charges and be heard, and be treated fairly during and after the complaint process." Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel informed the Justice about one new policy the University is planning to enact to combat sexual assault on campus. "One of the opportunities that we're exploring is the creation of a [staff] position specifically [addressing the issue of sexual assault]. We're likely crafting this out of an opening we have at the counseling center. My hope is that we'll be able to find resources to have a full-time position in this role," said Flagel. Students were generally upset by the implications of the Hoot article, and also expressed some skepticism. "It's problematic that the administration didn't prosecute this case to the fullest extent," said Dillon Harvey '14. "The administration should be creating a safe environment." "My concern is how the University can be so negligent to take care of students," said Alina Cheema '15. "They were inconsiderate of the student's safety." Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12 said that he wants to learn more facts of the case. "Students want to know what they can do about it," he said. "I want to understand the legal barriers and what's stopping us from doing something about it." "I have just a ton of questions about it," said Daniel Goulden '14. -Shafaq Hasan and Tess Raser contributed reporting 

Lauded diva Houston dies

Despite an upbeat reunion performance from The Beach Boys; a techno collaboration from Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and David Guetta; and an opening performance from Bruce Springsteen, a somber mood hung over the 54th Grammy awards. Talk of Whitney Houston's death overshadowed the most fashionable celebrities' dresses, and host LL Cool J skipped the typical opening monologue in favor of a prayer. Cool J said: "Heavenly father, we thank you for sharing our sister Whitney with us. … We remain truly blessed to have been touched by her beautiful spirit, and to have had her lasting legacy of music to cherish and share forever." In the audience, larger-than-life celebrities, including Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, bowed their heads in homage. Super pop diva Whitney Houston was pronounced dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room at 3:55 p.m. this past Saturday, sending massive ripples throughout the pop world. Houston's death prompted countless montages in her memory and fueled a slew of articles speculating about the scope and importance of her legacy. The singer was only 48 years old. Daughter of entertainment executive John Russell Houston and gospel singer Cissy Houston, the New Jersey native began performing in her church's gospel choir at a young age. Growing up, she was influenced by her notable gospel singer cousins Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick and her godmother, Aretha Franklin. In her teens, Houston sang backup vocals for notable singers such as Chaka Khan and Jermaine Jackson. At the same time, she began modeling and became the first woman of color to grace the cover of Seventeen. While she was offered a record contract at the age of 14, she declined the offer, opting to finish school instead. Several years later at the age of 20, Houston signed with Arista Records and released a self-titled debut album in 1985. Whitney Houston spawned a string of hits, including "You Give Good Love," "Saving All My Love For You," "The Greatest Love of All" and "How Will I Know." In the years that followed, she racked up several awards, more hit singles and recognition as one of the music industry's most sought after and well-respected vocalists. By 1994, she solidified her status as a pop icon with her lead role in the movie The Bodyguard, which was complemented by a hit soundtrack featuring her song, "I Will Always Love You." The song is currently the best-selling single of all time by any female artist. While in recent years Houston's career faltered as a result of substance abuse and personal issues, at the peak of her career, Houston represented what most musical artists aspire to someday reach. She did not box herself into any category or gimmick and was seen simply for her talent. She was considered beautiful, but Houston never had to capitalize on her sex appeal in order to sell records or gain attention. While Houston was a black artist, she did not appeal to only black audiences. Her voice transcended color lines. She was a universal artist. It could be argued for hours where Houston's true legacy lies. However, I think the scope of her importance can really be seen in the reaction of those most profoundly influenced by music—the artists themselves. One has to look no further than Sunday night's Grammy awards, where tears swelled up in Jennifer Hudson's eyes while she performed a Houston tribute, and as Stevie Wonder proclaimed, "I love you, Whitney," to know that Houston's music and influence will not be forgotten.  

Accessorizing with art

Sarah Epstein '12 has long admired her mother Tina Epstein's elaborately colorful oil paintings. As a child, she would watch her mother spend long days painting in their Dallas home and give input on what she did and did not like. Throughout the years, the artwork marked Sarah's own development through life, and as she grew up, her mother's artwork changed and evolved with her.

VIDEO: Rose Art Museum Opening

BTV without TV

In 2002, Brandeis Television, better known as BTV, won a successful bid to gain status as a secured club from the Student Union. As a result, the club, which was described in a November 2002 Justice article as a "24-hour cable television network available only to the Brandeis campus," acquired an annual budget of $14,500, using the money to purchase camera equipment, expand broadcasting of the channel's two original series and further ensure that the channel provides an "optimal rate of production and entertainment and service to the community," said former BTV president Nate Westheimer '05 in a 2002 interview with the Justice.

From Brandeis to the big screen

Growing up as a teenager in Newton, Mass., David Ian Salter's A.C.E. '88 movie habits were what he describes as "obsessive." On Friday, when the school bell rang and class was over, the film editor says he would head over to the local movie theater and watch that week's new releases. On Saturday, he would head over to the repertory houses and watch older films, exploring the genre of French New Wave that had invaded American cinema. On his way home, he would stop at the video store so that his Sunday could also be spent in front of the television screen, immersing himself in plotlines and characters. 

VIDEO: Sept. 11, 2001

WORLDVIEW: A country of celebration

It is currently 11:14 p.m. on a Monday night in Maastricht in the Netherlands. With my door slightly ajar, I see an Irish man wearing a lady's dress and heels, and I can hear my Spanish-speaking neighbors walking down the hall after just having finished their dinner, making out words in their conversation like musica and fiesta as the smell of cheap beer floats in and out of my room. It is the night of a cross-dressing party at the Highlander, a local bar, and as per usual, all of my fellow exchange students in my dorm are finding reasons to celebrate despite a weekend spent traveling and an 8:30 a.m. class tomorrow.Two themes have defined my time in the Netherlands thus far: intercultural understanding and celebration. The Netherlands are well known for tolerant policies and the people's open-minded global outlook-it seems as though everyone knows at least three languages, making me feel grossly inadequate.   In fact, the university I attend here, Maastricht University, sells itself on being a "global" university, and I have never had more than a few Dutch students in any one of my classes. My comparative government class allows me to debate the benefits and drawbacks of various governmental structures with German, Belgian and Australian students.   I have never encountered a Dutch citizen who resented me for my lack of fluency in his or her language, and throughout this small country most things come with translations for English, French and German speakers.   As far as celebration goes, the Dutch have broadened my understanding of what it means to party. In the weeks leading up to Carnival, the festival before the Christian season of Lent, there are parades with brass bands and costume-clad children every few days. A particularly Catholic city, Maastricht is a popular destination for the 3-day festival, during which all students have off from school.   The bars stay open for 24 hours during Carnival, and everyone from infants to grandparents dance in the streets from dusk till dawn. In fact, what strikes me about partying in Maastricht in particular is its lack of age discrimination. In this student-filled town, it is the middle-aged and older people who monopolize the bar scene, as I see most bars swarming with parents at every hour of every day.   It often feels as though my dormitory, aptly named "the Guesthouse" as it is solely filled with exchange students, has taken on those characteristics unique to the region, acting as a microcosm of the Netherlands as a whole. I live side-by-side with four other Americans, five Spaniards, three Australians, two Italians, two Indians, one Mexican, one French person and one Colombian.   By sharing a communal kitchen, I have been enlightened regarding how to make a Spanish omelet, why authentic Mexican tacos really are supreme and why vegemite isn't so bad. At dinnertime, with the Americans eating the earliest and Spaniards eating the latest, the smells of authentic Italian pasta, Indian curry and simple American-style sandwiches share one small, common space.   In our corridor of 20, we have each needed to confront the preconceived notions our neighbors had of us based on our respective nationalities. "Just because I'm Spanish does not mean I'm lazy." "Just because I'm American does not mean that I am messy." I have also been reminded of what it feels like to be a minority, a feeling I so often forgot existed as a Jewish student at Brandeis. Here, I have been greeted with looks of shock when I mention my religion: "We don't have those in Europe, although I did used to watch that American show The O.C., and they were Jewish," I heard one day. But on the whole, people don't refer to or ask about the vast differences in each other's lives caused by the oceans between us. We are all students, we share a dorm, we respect each other, and we are friends.   Drawing from the relaxed, jubilant atmosphere of Maastricht, the Guesthouse has become a place of constant celebrations. Here, even the little things can be reason for festivities. On days where it is particularly sunny or warm, the world stops as everyone gathers on the lawn outside our dorm. Music blasts. People dance. Why? Because it is a nice day. Why not?   There isn't a night that goes by when I am not awakened by the sounds of students walking back in the middle of the night and into the morning. What strikes me the most is that they are constantly singing. How often in America do you hear students singing out loud for the pure and simple joy of it? And most of all, there is no excuse here not to be celebrating. So many times I have engaged in the same conversation with Spanish, Australian and Latin American students as I list excuses for why I cannot go out on any given night. They tell me, "You have an early class? You have homework? No. You are in Maastricht, you will have fun."   Editor's note: Rebecca Klein '12 is a former Features editor for the Justice.

New beats at B-deis

When he was nine, Abdul Aziz Dieng '14 penned his first song, called "I'm A Slave." The song, which has undergone several revisions and is currently featured on his most recent mixtape, Point of You, talks about race relations and is told through the eyes of a young slave boy. Dieng raps, "Hundreds of years ago is when the bulls--t started / fury between races/ couldn't be chartered."For Dieng, a rapper whose stage name is simply Aziz, telling such stories is what his music is all about. He says, "I rap about real-life things that are going on around me, things I see other people having; it's not just my story." Now, 11 years after Dieng first sat down to write his first rap, the New Hampshire native has put out a mixtape and shot two music videos, which have over 45,000 views on YouTube combined. He has a sponsorship from the clothing line vitaminTHICK, has opened for the rapper Curren$y and also has performed at a Kid Cudi after party. On Dec. 11, he will be performing in Springfield, Mass. at his biggest show to date, opening for the rapper J.Cole, a member of Jay-Z's record label, Roc Nation. In fact, Dieng says he has not spent a single weekend of his first semester at Brandeis on campus. Instead, he has spent his weekends performing at countless colleges, and working in the studio on his next mixtape, Leave Me Az Iz which will be released Dec. 13. To top it all off, the 20-year-old says he's just getting started.Dieng was first introduced to rap by his older brother. He started rapping in poetry form without beats at 9 years old, and by the age of 13 he was rapping over beats and had recorded 16 songs. In junior high school, he performed at parties, and although he says, "Everybody was like, 'Why is there a 13-year-old here?'" he eventually got people to take him seriously based on his creative rhymes. In college preparatory school, which he attended for 2 years after high school, he formed a rap group with two other members that was called Most Anticipated Crew, or M.A.C., of which he is still a member. Dieng, who was born to a Senegalese father and a German mother, says that starting from a young age, he drew inspiration for his raps from his surroundings. "In middle school and high school, being the only black kid in homeroom and that kind of stuff, the racism ... seeing a lot of adversity through my home, that was a lot of subject matter for a lot of my songs I wrote early on," says Dieng, who speaks with such a natural flow and command of words that if put over a beat, any one of his sentences could be turned into a song. "There were a lot of things growing up that I didn't have to see that I saw; things you may not expect. ... A lot of evils found their way around my way. [I had to be able] to turn certain things away, see peoples' mistakes and be wise enough to not make them. This was all fuel for writing." Now, Dieng says the main message of his music is honesty. "Be yourself, be creative," he says. In terms of how I portray myself, it's just how I am. The wittiness, the punch line, the world play, telling stories that people can relate to, and can get people through a day."Dieng eventually came to Brandeis as he was recruited by the men's basketball team, of which he is still a member, and because he was impressed by the quality of Brandeis academics. Soon after Dieng arrived at school he met Maxwell Zotz '11, who would become his manager. The pair bonded over their favorite rap album, Illmatic, by Nas. Zotz says he is now contracted through June to "book shows, market Aziz and to do all the logistics outside of creating the music." However, he adds, "Aziz helps with everything [and] has hands in everything."Music has become a full-time job for both Zotz and Dieng. On top of being a student and a varsity athlete, Dieng spends a lot of his time working on his music. Even when he goes to parties, Dieng says his main goal is to promote his music and network. He brings his iPod and CD wherever he goes.Zotz has extensive experience in promotion and was the concert coordinator for Student Events last year. He says that one of his and Dieng's main hopes is to get the Brandeis community behind Dieng's music."For Mike Posner with Duke [University] and Sam Adams with Trinity [College], their popularity stemmed from the pride that other students had in the music. My hope is that students will take pride in Aziz's music, as we're fellow students and we're trying to make Aziz's music on a national scale," says Zotz. Zotz and Dieng say they're working hard to perfect the business aspect of Dieng's music, and in conversation with Zotz and Dieng, it is clear that they certainly take the business side of Dieng's music seriously. The two choose their words carefully, as if they have been interviewed hundreds of times before. They give off an air of expertise far beyond their years. "You gotta have all the tools. You must be able to present yourself right, not lose a step, present yourself professionally, relate to everyone and your music has got to be right," Dieng says. One aspect of business that Zotz acknowledges as crucial to Dieng's success is social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter. He also recognizes the importance of music blogs, which he says have already shown support for Dieng. In sum, Zotz says, "The music industry is online now, it's a totally different game." However, Dieng and Zotz recognize that in order to be successful, Dieng needs to distinguish himself from other rappers. Zotz says what makes Dieng unique is that he "is an athlete, a student [who] goes to [a] great school, and he's charismatic. That's what's making the difference. Once you meet Aziz, he sells you."Zotz says he also hopes that Dieng will inspire others to pursue their goals. He wants Dieng to show the Brandeis community "that this is possible. You don't have to stop what you're doing to pursue something else: going to class, being a musician, playing basketball, all go hand in hand."Dieng says that while he is at Brandeis, he would like to "study Business as either a major or minor." However, upon graduation he may like to go to Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Zotz adds, "[Dieng] aspires to be more than just a musician. He speaks about owning a business, his own clothing line or being an actor, more than just rapping on stage. There's a career there."However, Dieng's immediate goal is to perfect his craft. "My goal is to bring the music to the highest length it can go, with no limit. There's no reason my full potential can't be realized," Dieng said.

Athlete of the Week: Lee Russo '13

Last Wednesday, Lee Russo '13 scored four goals in the first half of the men's soccer team's game against the Albertus Magnus College Falcons, leading the team to a 5-0 victory.Russo, who also tallied an assist in the squad's other goal in the match, added a fifth goal for the week in the championship game during the team's 4-2 victory over Western New England College, which helped the Judges win the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III New England Tournament.In total, Russo scored five goals and added an assist for 11 total points on the week. The showing vaulted him to first on the team in both points, with 24, and goals, with 10.Though he mostly played outside forward this season, Russo found himself playing the center striker position against the Falcons. He said that all four of his goals during the game "were very similar in that they were shot from the same part of the field and went to the same part of the net." The four goals came within just over 30 minutes of each other.In discussing how the team played this year, Russo recognized that the Judges had a successful season but said that some of the games that the team lost should have had a different result."We're a team that deserves to be much better than our record shows. . We're [12-7-1], but I can only think of two or three teams that I think we should have lost to. . I wouldn't say it was a disappointing season, but we could've been much better."On an individual level, Russo said that he was satisfied with his own performance, particularly during the team's playoff run."I like the positions I was put in; I had a good time. It's what I expected [of myself] from this season.

Endeavors of an entrepreneur

Jeremy Elkins' '12 business career started with a fateful trip to the restroom. While taking a bathroom break from his class "Paradigms of Biological Investigation" and scanning the business advertisements hanging on the stalls of the Carl J. Shapiro Science Center bathroom, Elkins suddenly had an idea. For weeks, he had been contemplating where he should store his things during the summer months without finding a reasonably priced option. On that April day, the Science Center bathroom provided Elkins with the inspiration he needed. Instead of storing his things with an overpriced company, he realized he could start his own storage business. One month, 14 customers and 76 storage boxes later, Elkins had successfully started Jeremy's Storage Service, which allowed students to stock their things in a storage space Elkins had rented out. Now, Elkins is in the midst of starting his second business for Brandeis students, Jeremy's Split-A-Cab Service.Elkins, a Business and Sociology double major, says he has always been interested in business. At the age of 8, he started his first unofficial business, called Cool Clay Creations, which entailed him selling the clay from his driveway to sympathetic neighbors. He says his interest also manifested itself in the way he strategically traded his Pokémon cards and made a hobby out of finding things in his house to sell on eBay and Craigslist. However, he says that Jeremy's Storage Service truly gave him a sense of what it takes to succeed in the business world. When putting together Jeremy's Storage Service, Elkins learned the intricacies of business through advertising, negotiating with the employees he rented the storage space from and dealing with customers. Such experience has proved necessary for his new, more-complicated business venture.Jeremy's Split-A-Cab Service is intended to provide students who are taking a cab to the Logan International Airport or South Station with a resource that connects them to other students taking cabs to the airport or train station at that time. Once connected, those students can split the cab and thereby split the cost. In order to participate in the Split-A-Cab Service, students must e-mail Elkins with the time they need to take a cab in advance. If another student has e-mailed Elkins saying they also need a cab at that time, he will connect the two students for a $5 fee. Elkins summarizes the design of the business and says, "The idea is you have a flight at 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon, and you're like, 'Oh snap, none of my friends are flying [at that time], I wish I could contact everyone at Brandeis and see if they're flying.' We have no way of doing that, because there's not one [central] resource. I want to be that resource." Elkins, who is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and has a contagious positive energy, says he had the idea for the business last year when he had to take a 4 a.m. cab to the airport. He says that on the way to the airport, his cab picked up another Brandeis student who lived off campus. However, because he and the other student weren't technically taking the cab "together," they both had to pay "almost full price." As a result of the incident, Elkins says he "figured I'd just make my own business" to remedy what he saw as an "absurd system."Elkins got started planning the service this October. He officially launched the business 2 weeks ago and has promoted it by putting flyers up in North, East and Ziv quads. He also advertised for the business in the Student Union announcements. Six students have already contacted Elkins about using the service. In the future, he plans on putting flyers up in all the campus dorms and working more with Stephanie Grimes, director of Student Activities, to make the service a "legitimate Brandeis business." This means he hopes the Office of Admissions and Student Services will eventually advertise his service to prospective students and parents to promote the transportation services offered by the University. He also hopes to make a website for the service.Elkins, who is an undergraduate Departmental representative for the Business major, feels as though his involvement in business has positively affected his experience at Brandeis. "It's a lot of fun because I get questions [about my businesses] all the time. [The questions] help me ... make connections with people and think about the way they see my businesses and how I can make them better. ... Through business, you get to know more people, and meeting people through business is unbelievable," says Elkins.Elkins, who is going abroad to London next semester, hopes to continue his businesses when he is away. He is considering having a Jeremy's Storage Service at the end of first semester for students going abroad, although he is not sure that market is big enough to make the business worthwhile. He also says he has several younger friends who have expressed interest in taking over Jeremy's Storage Service next semester, and he may pass down the reins and teach a younger student how to run the business. However, he will most likely continue his work with Jeremy's Split-A-Cab Service while overseas since most of his interaction with customers is done over e-mail. Upon graduation, Elkins would like to continue his involvement in business by getting "every piece of the business world." For example, last semester he interned at a marketing agency, and this semester he is interning at a start-up business. While in London next semester, Elkins will be interning at an advertising agency. With a big smile on his face, Elkins explains, "After college, when I continue doing business, I want to get experience everywhere. I want it to be like the Brandeis education; a broad spectrum like liberal arts, but liberal business.

Theodore Sorensen, 82, dies of major stroke

Theodore C. Sorensen, counselor and speechwriter for President John F. Kennedy and the founding board chair of the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life, died on Sunday at the age of 82 from complications of a stroke he suffered a week ago, according to an Oct. 31 New York Times article.According to an Oct. 31 ABC News article, Sorensen was a key aide to Kennedy during his 1960 presidential campaign and his counsel and speechwriter from 1960 to 1963. Sorensen is closely associated with helping to coin the phrase, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country," in Kennedy's 1961 Presidential address, according to The New York Times. Sorensen helped collaborate with Kennedy on his 1956 book, Profiles in Courage, which won Kennedy a Pulitzer Prize, according to The New York Times. Following Kennedy's assassination, Sorensen practiced law and politics. During the final decade of his life, Sorensen became strongly involved with the Ethics Center at Brandeis.Sorensen is the center's founding board chair, and served as chair of the center's advisory board until 2009, according to an Ethics Center press release on Nov. 1. In 2009, the center renamed its flagship undergraduate fellowship the Sorensen Fellowship when he stepped down as the board chair. According to the press release, "Naming the fellowship for Ted Sorensen was meant to be a permanent tribute to a man who was passionately committed to the ideal of public service." The Sorensen Fellowship helps provide financial support for students who want to work overseas for organizations "committed to issues of peace, justice, human rights, sustainable development, and democracy," according to the press release. According to the press release, "In the past two years, Sorensen Fellows have worked in such venues as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, Spirit of Youth Association for Environmental Service in Cairo, Egypt, and Experimental Theatre Foundation in Mumbai, India."In an interview with the Justice, Director of the Ethics Center, Dan Terris said that his death of Sorensen will not affect the Sorensen fellowship, as it is an ongoing program of the center."His death will only affect [the fellowship] as he is no longer living to meet with the fellowship as he has in the past," said Terris.Sorensen came to speak at Brandeis many times. Most recently, he spoke in 2009 in a talk about presidential inaugural addresses prior to United States President Barack Obama's inaugural address in January 2009. In 2008 he spoke at Brandeis after the publication of his autobiography, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History.After Sorensen's death, University President Jehuda Reinharz praised Sorensen for inciting youth involvement in public service. "Sorensen inspired generations of young people to pursue their ideals and embrace public service," said Reinharz. He continued to write that "We are grateful that during the last 10 years of his life he chose to bring his wisdom, his experience, and his passionate quest for justice to Brandeis University as chair of the advisory board of the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life," In the press release, Terris referred to Sorensen as "a source of guidance and inspiration for all of us at the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life. He was also a personal mentor and friend who made his mark on my life with gentle prodding and generous support."Terris said that Sorensen will be missed by the Ethics Center and that although he stepped down as the board's chair in 2009, he has remained an active member of the board."We will certainly miss him for his wisdom based on his experience and for his extensive network of talented people around the world who he has help bring to the centers activities, and we will miss him personally for his warmth," said Terris.

Kaos on Campus

Sean Norton '12 never saw himself as much of a dancer. In high school, he was involved in activities like fencing and music, and although he would sometimes try break dancing with his friends, he says he wasn't very good. When Norton started college, the Philosophy major and Business minor had no plans of getting involved with dance. He was quick to join a fraternity and get involved with church activities, but he did not think of joining Adagio. Two years later, Norton is one of the founders of Brandeis' first hip-hop dance group, Kaos Kids. He is the group's off-campus coordinator and has taught a dance class at Brown University. Norton now cites dance as one of the biggest parts of his college experience even though his involvement came somewhat unexpectedly.The turning point came in the second semester of Norton's first year. Will Bedor '10, one of Norton's fraternity brothers, was getting a group of guys together for Adagio's spring show. He asked Norton to join the group."I kind of thought it would be a lot of fun to do; there was not much more incentive other than that," says Norton.Norton says he loved his first dance show in Adagio, and it inspired him to want to get better. "I [thought] it was just really, really fun. We just had a really good time dancing together, and I wanted to keep doing it," says Norton.During Norton's sophomore year, Bedor approached him again, this time to start a hip-hop dance crew. The crew started off casually and was what Norton describes as a "small, tight-knit family." However, as time went on, the group started holding auditions for the group, and Norton, along with Bedor, Samanthan Cortez '13, Kayla Sotomil '10, Ben Harel '12, Yuri Gloumakov '13, Rebecca Schlangel '10 and Shaquan Perkins '13 founded what would become Kaos Kids. Kaos Kids now has 17 members and has performed at various Adagio shows, the Fall Fest Variety Show and October's Sustainability Rocks benefit concert.Last summer, Norton continued to get more involved with dance, as he "took a lot of classes with Project D in New Jersey." Norton eventually auditioned for the dance company and was accepted. Norton says that Project D "improved my dancing style and mentality when it comes to running a dance company and crew."His involvement with Project D introduced him to a dancer who gave him an opportunity to teach a student dance class at Brown University."A guy from Project D is a grad student at Brown right now, and he approached me toward the end of the summer and asked me if I'd like to come teach a class at Brown. He hooked me up with that, so that was my first time really teaching a dance class ever. I'd love to do it again," Norton says. Norton says that dance is greatly influencing his college experience by "giving [him] something to look forward to" and that Kaos Kids is helping to fill a dance niche on campus. "There's so many groups on campus, we have religious coexistence groups ... and culture groups. ... I think that one of the things that wasn't here before was a real hip-hop dance group, and hopefully we're adding to the culture at Brandeis," Norton says .In the future, Kaos Kids will be performing at events including Dance Fest with Adagio, Mela and a student's senior project, just to name a few. Norton also hopes the group will be able to perform at Brown and other off-campus events. Norton hopes that even after he graduates the legacy of Kaos Kids will continue."I would love to see everyone grow together as dancers. I want us to move together well [and] learn different styles, not just hip hop but dance as a whole, [and] be able to go out and compete with other schools such as Boston College [and] BU Fusion. Even if it's after I graduate, I would love for Kaos Kids to eventually be able to compete at the college level," Norton says.On the personal level, Norton would also like to continue his involvement with dance after he graduates. However, while Norton says he would love to dance professionally, he is unsure if it is an economically feasible option."If there was a way where I could have a comfortable life and not necessarily have to worry about income and keep dancing, I would love to keep doing it," he says.Shaquan Perkins '13 is one of the founders of Kaos Kids and also the group's logistics coordinator. Perkins, who has been involved with dance since high school, describes Kaos Kids as a "family," as does Norton, and says that the group's atmosphere is "magnificent."Perkin says that he feels that the group is helping to bring awareness of hip hop to campus and that his favorite part of Kaos Kids is "seeing my Jewish kids get down." Still, he has high ambitions for the group and says that he hopes "that the group brings hip hop to Brandeis and allows Brandeis to just accept hip hop to the campus. [I hope it] helps bring awareness to the genre and other parts of dance and I hope the group gets to perform every chance we get.

A day with President Reinharz

Tess9 a.m.: When I arrive at University President Jehuda Reinharz's office, his assistant, Joanna Gould, has just brought him coffee. He tells me I can call him by his first name."I'm not very formal," Reinharz says. He says that this is because he finds that meeting in a less-formal setting is better for work and helps him form closer bonds with students, administration and faculty. During his early-morning office hours, the day feels as if it will be sleepy. The president's desk is covered with large neon-colored notecards, each a note of one of his many daily tasks."It's a very effective system for me," he says.However, the president's day started long before my arrival. "My day starts every day at 5, meaning everyday that I'm in town. From 5 to 7 [a.m.] I write," Reinharz says, as he points at his numerous published books on the shelf behind his desk. "See all these books? All these books are my books."Before heading to campus, in addition to writing, he also exercises and reads The New York Times daily. Even though he has a desktop's worth of colored task reminder notes and has already accomplished more in his day at this point than most students here, he is interested in my life; He asks what my major is, what my family's background is and what languages I speak. He informs me that he speaks French, German, Hebrew, Yiddish and English. Our conversations are broken up by Gould coming in and out of the office exchanging file folders with the president, phone calls from members of the Board of Trustees and the president's requests for various lists and itineraries. One of his requests is for a list of names of alumni who are going with him to Vietnam on a trip for the next 2 weeks. He takes a group of alumni and donors once a year on trips outside the country."The purpose of the trip is to really cement relations with them and the University. It's an opportunity for me to get to know them," Reinharz says. 9:30 a.m.: John Hose, executive assistant to the president and assistant secretary of the corporation, comes in briefly to discuss a letter Hose is writing. Reinharz's meetings are casual and brief to make tasks run smoothly.On this dreary Monday, no students have come to office hours, but the president says that this is common in the midst of midterms. 10 a.m.: Reinharz answers phones about every 10 to 15 minutes while simultaneously signing documents and working at his computer. "Most of what I do here in the office is [make] phone calls. People call, I call to get things done, and I make some calls to donors," he explains. At one point in a break from phone calls, he asks if I need a nap. Apparently, one year, a student won the chance to spend the day with the president. Around 2 p.m., the student asked if he could take a nap. Because of this, the president believed all students needed midday naps. He, on the contrary, never naps on a workday. 10:30 a.m.: After having been sitting for a while, Reinharz gets up for a break and invites me to do the same. The art on his walls is very diverse. To the left of his door, he has an enormous sketch of a landscape overlooking apartment buildings and clotheslines. A former Brandeis student whom the president mentored drew the work overlooking his neighborhood where he grew up in Israel. After explaining this, Reinharz directs me to another work in the room: a photograph of a sunset over an iceberg. Another student had taken the photo and given it to him. Among all his art displayed in the spacious office, the president values these works the most."These are the more meaningful things for me. ... Part of it is gratitude, and part of it is relationships with students," he says. 11 a.m.: Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe comes in to discuss administrative problems and graduate program rankings. As Jaffe explains his research, Reinharz asks about the significance of figures and discusses how the University can improve the weaker programs. Jaffe leaves almost as abruptly as he arrives. On his way out, he tells me what he thinks of administrative jobs."It's a lot of meetings." 12 p.m.: The humorous Mark Collins, senior vice president for administration, is the last person the president meets with during my morning and says he is there to discuss all the things students complain about. After joking around for a bit, the two discuss problems in public safety and seem to always bring up what would be best for the students first. Collins explains that he always had known that Reinharz was the one for the job of university president because of Reinharz's guiding principle that students come first. "It's a very simple philosophy. We wouldn't be here if it weren't for [the students]," Reinharz says. Rebecca3:00 p.m.: When I walk into the president's office, he is in the middle of a meeting with Provost Marty Krauss. Krauss explains to me that the two of them often meet to discuss various things and says jokingly that their meetings are Reinharz's favorite part of his day. Over the course of their meeting, they discuss finding more office space for faculty and the upcoming faculty meeting. Krauss and Reinharz's meeting is cordial, although it retains a strong focus and Krauss takes notes throughout. It is clear that Krauss and Reinharz have been working closely together for years. They appear to have a strong understanding of each other in every matter they discuss-the type of mutual understanding that is only possible with time.Krauss and Reinharz ask me several questions when I arrive. They are interested in my academic experience, and my involvement with the Justice. Their friendly demeanors relax me into what I expected to be a particularly intimidating afternoon.3:40 p.m.: When Krauss leaves, Reinharz has a break until 4:15, when he has a meeting with Tzipi Livni, leader of the opposition in the Israeli Knesset. He takes this time to check his e-mail, eat a snack and speak to Gould, as well as several other members of his staff who shuffle in and out of his office. This break gives me and Reinharz some time to speak. I ask him about his work with donors and what it was like becoming so involved with development after a lifetime in academia. On this subject, Reinharz is beaming with pride. During his 16 years as president, he has expanded the University's donor base tremendously and successfully raised billions of dollars. He says he enjoys fundraising because of its challenging and goal-oriented nature. I also ask Reinharz about what he sees as his greatest accomplishment as president. He says the only way to explain what he has accomplished is to see how different the University was when he became president in 1994. Since that time, he says, there has been a raise in the University's "stature and in morale."4:15 p.m.: Livni arrives in President Reinharz's office with Prof. Ilan Troen (NEJS), the Stoll family chair in Israel Studies and director of the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, followed by a slew of security. While initially Reinharz and Livni speak to each other in Hebrew, they switch to English once they realize that I cannot understand what they're saying. Livni is tall and blonde, and because of her direct way of speaking, she appears instinctively confident. During all of Reinharz's interactions, his demeanor does not shift, whether he is communicating with his staff or, in this case, Livni. I find it interesting to see when his constant demeanor does not shift when meeting with another important public figure such as her. He responds to Livni's lack of guile with comparable frankness. Reinharz and Livni talk about her goal to create a more open dialogue on the subject of Israel, her hopes for a successful peace process and her concerns about the "delegitimization" of Israel among the international community and especially among America's Jewish youth. The two Israelis voice their concerns about their homeland's future, and at one point, Reinharz points with delight to a map of Haifa-the city in Israel where he was born-that is hanging on his wall. The pair speak until 5 p.m., when they shuffle up to Hassenfeld Conference Center, where Livni is speaking in front of a crowd of hundreds.Tess and Rebecca7 p.m.: We arrive at Reinharz's house in Newton to have dinner with Livni; Reinharz's wife, Prof. Shulamit Reinharz (SOC); President-elect Frederick Lawrence, Editor in Chief of the New Republic Marty Peretz '59; several faculty members, including Shai Feldman (POL); members of the administration including senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement Nancy Winship; and various prominent Jewish leaders of the community. We are the first to arrive and are immediately greeted by Shula Reinharz, who shuffles us into the living room to munch on appetizers while we wait for the others to arrive. As the guests come and congregate in the living room, a discussion on the ways in which Jewish youth are connecting themselves to Israel immediately ensues. We laugh to ourselves, realizing that instead of asking us about young peoples connection to Israel, the other guest's instead discuss abstract empirical studies. We feel overlooked as a pair of students among a crowd of academics. Over dinner, which is catered and feeds approximately 20 people, Reinharz mediates a discussion among the guests and Livni. After several courses, and heated-but thought-provoking-discourse, Reinharz calls an end to dinner and his long day. Tonight he is sleeping in Boston, but tomorrow night he will be sleeping in Los Angeles before starting off on his 2-week trip to Vietnam.

Campus worship spaces rededicated

Correction appendedOn Monday, Sept. 13, Catholic Chaplain and Coordinator of the Interfaith Chaplaincy Rev. Walter Cuenin, Jewish Cchaplain Rabbi Elyse Winick, Muslim Chaplain Dr. Imam Talal Eid and Protestant Chaplain Alexander Kern held a rededication ceremony for the three chapels and Muslim prayer space.The ceremony, which celebrated the renovations in the different places of worship and religious pluralism at Brandeis, started in the Muslim Prayer Space and then moved to the Harlan, Bethlehem and Berlin Chapels. Renovations on the Protestant Harlan and Catholic Bethlehem chapels started last October while renovations on the Muslim Prayer Space and Jewish Berlin Chapel started after Fall 2009 semester. All four prayer spaces were reopened last January. Eid expressed his gratitude for the renovated prayer space, which is the largest Muslim worship place for any university in the area, according to Eid. "I can speak long about the greatness of Brandeis, where we can all come together under one roof," said Eid.The ceremony continued in Harlan Chapel, where Kern spoke about the Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan, for whom the chapel was named. He said that Harlan, who was the sole dissenter in the famous Plessy v. Ferguson trial, is a hero in the Protestant community, much like Justice Louis Brandeis is a hero in the Jewish community. Next, Cuenin spoke in the Bethlehem Chapel about the religious symbols in the chapel. He said that the crucifix hanging in the chapel has one arm raised up as a sign of welcome. According to a program handed out by Cuenin, "The figure of Jesus is not a suffering image but one with his hands outstretched embracing all people."In the Berlin Chapel, Winick talked about the significance of the campus spaces of worship and said, "All of these chapels have an incredible amount of emotional and spiritual resonance for everyone who has passed through the University."She also spoke about the lack of a Muslim chapel on campus. She said that she believes this absence is due to the small number of Muslim students at the time of the University's founding. However, she said she feels "quite a strong sense of confidence in my heart that had there been a population at the University's founding, there would have been a chapel. The University sought not to discriminate but to involve everyone."Manginah, the co-ed Jewish a cappella group, performed two songs after Winick spoke.The ceremony concluded with Winick affixing a new mezuzah to Berlin Chapel.Sara Miller '11 thought that the ceremony was a great display of religious pluralism on campus."I think it's a really cool opportunity; not only for people on campus to see the different worship spaces and experience them in a comfortable way but a great way to show that spiritual life at Brandeis doesn't just mean one thing," Miller said.Ethan Goldberg '12 also agreed that the ceremony displayed the strength of the religious spirit on campus."I think the Brandeis religious community is at its best. [The event had] a lot of ... focus on justice. It really showed the best of what the Brandeis community has to offer," said Goldberg.Correction: The article originally misstated the given name of a student. The student is Sara Miller, not Sam Miller.

The drowning of a pool

By the end of 1967, all students at Brandeis had taken a swim in the Linsey pool. In fact, they were required to do it. For 28 years until 1995, swimming was considered such an important and necessary part of a Brandeis student's education that in order to graduate, every student had to pass a mandatory swim test.Currently, a majority of Brandeis students have never even seen the Linsey pool, let alone taken a swim in it. Closed in October 2008 because of heating and ventilation problems, the Linsey pool has sat decaying in its own disrepair for nearly two years. While the facility was once an integral part of the Brandeis and greater Waltham community, it will soon become a memory. There are no official plans for its renovation, and by next year, not a single class at Brandeis will remember a time when the pool was anything more than a budgetary and political issue.The Linsey pool opened in 1966 as a result of donations from organized-crime-giant-turned-philanthropist Joseph Linsey, according to the Brandeis University Archives and Special Collections. While Linsey was once a notorious bootlegger, toward the end of his life he donated millions to the University. That year, the University added a swim test as one of its mandatory requirements based on a prototype established by Harvard University and other surrounding universities, according to swim team coach Jim Zotz. There are also rumors that the swim test was designed to be congruous with the University's Jewish values based on a quote in the Talmud that lists a father's obligations to his son: "Some say, to teach him to swim, too."Two years later, in 1968, the varsity swim team was started. Over the course of its 42-year run, it became a team that could boast 71 NCAA Division III National Championship qualifying performances, 30 All-University Athletic Association performers and 15 NCAA Division III All-American performances. Zotz coached the Brandeis swim team for 33 years until it was officially suspended at the end of the 2009-2010 season. For much of that time, the pool was ridden with heating and ventilation problems. Although throughout the years there were several plans to renovate the pool, none of those plans ever came to fruition. "The pool had slowly been going into a state of disrepair," says Zotz. "My feeling was, based on the responses [I would get] when I would make recommendations, that the University administrators felt it didn't make sense to put money into the pool because, in the future, they would be building a new one. So they were more selective about what they would be taking care of."The initial plan for repair was in 1988, when the University began arranging a full renovation of the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center. However, when the University got to its final stages of planning, it pushed back repairing the pool to a later date for financial reasons. "Well, there was a point in time where initially, when they were putting together plans for the Gosman center, the pool was part of that," says Zotz. "When they were getting near the final stage of planning, looking at how much money they had, there was a discussion of a 'phase two' and pushing [renovation of] the pool back. ... At that point, the pool was only 20 years old, so it made sense. ... I said "You're right, we're not pressed right now."Still, when those"phase two" renovations began, the pool was left untouched, once again due to lack of funding. Around this time, the required swim test was also eliminated for budgetary reasons."I think back, and I think, boy, the worst thing was probably dropping that swim test, because it didn't give the kind of urgency that we wanted in getting this thing fixed," says Zotz. Soon it began to be clear that the pool would need major repairs in the near future. Sheryl Sousa '90, director of Athletics, began approaching the Board of Trustees with descriptions of the pool's problems around 2004, according to Zotz. While discussions about repairs were continually pushed off, Zotz believes that the breakdown of the pool could not have come at a worse time.In October 2008, the pool's heating and ventilation problems had become so severe that it was deemed unusable by both the swim team and the administration: the University was suffering from the harsh effects of the economic downturn."I believe that had the pool broken 6 to 8 months earlier, ... the University would have immediately started working on it," says Zotz. Estimates of how much money is necessary to fix the pool vary. According to an e-mail to the Justice from Senior Vice President for Communications Andrew Gully, "To repair the pool and and reopen the facility for recreational use ... would cost an estimated $2.4 million. ... To complete the repairs described above but adding a fuller renovation of the pool ... is estimated at $10 million- $12 million."Additionally, "To raze the existing facility and build a new, NCAA-compliant facility is estimated at $24 million to $30 million," writes Gully.Renovations aside, operating the pool costs $500,000 "in annual pool carrying costs," such as heat (air and water), utilities, supplies, on-going maintenance and janitorial services, etc," writes Gully.However, there was a time when the swim team generated revenue for the University. During the '80s, the University would rent out the Linsey pool to neighboring club swim teams, which Zotz estimates would cost $30,000 per team in one year. The University ended this program in the '90s in order to extend free swim hours for students. Gully describes this revenue as "modest especially when measured against our annual carrying costs." However, he says that if they were to renovate the pool in the future, reinstating the program is something they would consider.Zotz speculates about whether certain sources of money specifically designated for pool repairs have been overlooked. He says he knows of documents from pool donors Lou and Lutza Smith that promise to "donate money that would go toward renovations or be used toward the building of a new pool," according to a Justice article from Nov. 18, 2009. He also believes that Linsey's will has a clause promising money for the pool. Zotz says he "will believe [that the documents exist] and the people who told me [of the documents] until the day I die. Unfortunately the people who were involved [with the documents] are no longer here."Thelma Linsey, Joseph Linsey's widow, denies that her late husband promised any money to the pool in his will. "He absolutely did not leave anything for the pool. I wish he did," says Linsey. "He really didn't leave anything to any institutions. I wish there was something they could do. I know it's a big loss to the University."Although nearly $30,000 has been raised by the former swim team for the pool through an alumni weekend and silent auction, according to Gully, "The status of the pool is unchanged." Zotz remains eternally optimistic for the future of the pool and swim team and makes sure not to fault the administration for what has happened. He says there have been "all good intents throughout this whole process, but the University did drag its feet and unfortunately the wort-case scenario happened.

Trading bishops for books

During the months before he started at Brandeis, Samuel Shankland '14 did not fill his summer with a mindless job, lazy days at the beach or soaking up the fleeting luxuries of living at home with parents. Shankland, a California native who took a gap year before entering college, spent his time preparing for the United States junior chess championship in July, at which he became the newly crowned U.S. junior chess champion. Shankland has been playing chess since he was seven years old, a hobby that colored much of his young life with accomplishments and sacrifices. He entered his first chess tournament when he was 10, and only six years later had became the youngest adult state champion in California, according to his personal website. Now, after 11 years of playing and a United States championship title later, he says he plans on quitting the game upon entering college.When asked what motivated Shankland to become so involved with chess, he casually said, "I like to win. I was always a decent athlete but never amazing. But then I found this game and started killing everyone instantly and moving up the ranks."According to his personal website, Shankland came in fourth place at the kindergarten-sixth grade California state championship soon after he began playing in tournaments. Three years later, he became a national master, a title created by the United States Chess Federation, which means that on a scale of 0-3000, he had a rating of at least 2,200. In 2008, at the age of 17, he tied for first place to become the 2008 world under-18 co-champion in Vietnam.For the past year, Shankland has been living in an apartment with three friends, working as a "full time chess professional" with two of his roommates. According to his website, he spent his days playing, teaching, giving lectures, and writing articles about chess. In July, he traveled to St. Louis to participate in his latest and final tournament, the U.S. Junior Chess Championship. While Shankland was victorious at the championship and subsequently qualified for the World Junior Championship in Poland, he decided not to go, telling The New York Times, "I'm not turning my life upside down on such short notice." Further, upon his successes in St. Louis, he has decided to quit his life in professional chess altogether. The 18-year-old whose website boasts that he has one of the "steepest learning curves in American chess history," says he is quitting because of "a lot of political problems, essentially." Although Shankland is currently an international master, various technicalities, which Shankland describes as "ludicrous," have kept him from becoming a grandmaster, the highest title a chess player can achieve. On failing to become a grandmaster, Shankland told The New York Times, "Everybody says it is not supposed to be easy, which is fine by me. But it is supposed to be fair." Shankland says that he hopes to have a "typical college experience" at Brandeis, although he does plan on playing for the New England chess league. When he was playing professionaly, he says he "only met older people [and] didn't get a sense of what it was like to be a teen.""I want to have a good time, meet a lot of interesting people [and] take a lot of classes," Shankland says. Shankland says that he has had to make sacrifices in order to succeed as a chess professional. In high school, Shankland says teachers were often unsympathetic to the time and dedication required to perform in chess tournaments. "It was tough," says Shankland. "I missed two weeks of school in 2007, and teachers [were] not very understanding." He adds jokingly, "Next year in 2008 [for the World] under 18 [championship] I took first...so they were a little bit more appreciative then." Like any athletic sport, chess tournaments are physically strenuous and require much preparation. Shankland says that in order to prepare for a tournament he must "exercise and keep in shape," and says it's important to "be in form." He describes a tournament in 2008 in which he lost 8 pounds over the course of a week. Max Enkin '11, a chemistry major who also dedicated much of his young life to chess, says that he also made sacrifices in order to participate in chess tournaments. "When I was younger,... I spent a large period of my time playing chess. I really didn't do anything else; I went to tournaments every weekend, and had multiple chess coaches," says Enkin. Enkin says he had to study a lot of chess moves before going to tournaments. Such studying, he says, helped him to prepare for life as a college student. "It really shaped the way I study in school,"says Enkin. "It's a very logical and mechanical game and sparked my interest in math and sciences. It has a lot of memorization with learning new openings and right moves in certain positions. ... If I didn't have chess in my life, I would probably have different interests." Shankland is unsure about how his interest in chess will affect his college academic experience. For now, Shankland says he "[hopes] to take a whole wide range of classes and hopefully find something that inspires me.

The strength of signatures

From April 19 through April 23, Allyson Goldsmith '10, the former executive director of Positive Foundations, eagerly approached various groups of people in the Usdan Student Center and asked them, "Would you like to help end world poverty? If so, then please sign this petition to demonstrate your support for the Millennium Development Goals as part of the Commit in September Campaign." By the end of the week, Goldsmith and other members of Positive Foundations, an on-campus group that promotes extra sustainable development, had collected over 650 signatures. The MDGs are eight international goals that were outlined in the United Nations Millennium Declaration in September 2000. The goals aim to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015, and according to Goldsmith, they include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and creating a global partnership for development. According to its website, the Commit in September Campaign aims to demonstrate young Americans' grassroots commitment to the MDGs ahead of this September's United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit. At the summit, world leaders will come together to enhance efforts to achieve the MDGs. Goldsmith says, "The Millennium Development Goals are up for review [at the summit], which means that they're going to extend the timeline to complete them. The timeline to complete them by was 2015, and most countries are not on track to complete the goals, so hopefully they're going to renew the goals so each country has to review their commitment to them." For example, while some members of the U.N. have committed to giving 0.07 percent of their Gross National Product to help achieve development goals, some countries, like the United States have not fulfilled that commitment, says Goldsmith. This, among many other factors, has helped impede the completion of the development goals. Still, according to the U.N. website, countries such as China are on track to achieve the goals of universal primary education, improved maternal health and ending extreme poverty and hunger. The Commit in September Campaign hopes to collect 25,000 signatures to send to President Obama and the U.S. Congress in order to ensure the government's continued support for the MDGs.The campaign was launched by the Millennium Campus Network, an umbrella group that brings together student organizations that are dedicated to ending extreme poverty and achieving the MDGs. The group was co-founded by Sam Vaghar '08 and Seth Werfel '10 in 2007 during the beginning of Vaghar's senior year at Brandeis. Campus groups dedicated to reducing poverty from 19 different universities in Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. are now a part of the network. The network's board of advisers include leaders such as musician John Legend; Columbia University health policy and management Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, who is the former Director of the U.N. Millennium Project and served as a Special adviser to former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan; Senator John Edward; and medical anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer, who received an honorary degree at last Sunday's commencement. Although Positive Foundations only has about 10 to 15 active members, the group collected the most signatures of any other group involved in the Commit in September Campaign. Vaghar says that the campaign has so far collected "a little over 3,000 signatures on paper, . so the fact that [Positive Foundations] got [650] out of 3,000 is amazing." Goldsmith, who has bouncy black hair to match her enthusiastic demeanor, says that Positive Foundations took a proactive approach when trying to get signatures. Unlike many on-campus groups, members of Positive Foundations did not sit behind a table in Usdan and ask students to sign a petition as they passed. Instead, they energetically approached groups of students sitting in Usdan and spoke with them about the MDGs and the Commit in September Campaign."We basically tabled and dormstormed, and instead [of] tabling we walked around to each table and most people signed," says Goldsmith.Vaghar sees Positive Foundations' strategy as unique and believes that it helped "put Brandeis at the forefront of leading this effort" in the campaign. He says that Positive Foundations' contribution to the campaign has been outstanding because "they're proactive and aggressive and really stand up for what they believe in. I've seen a lot of student groups just sit at a table and wait for people to approach them. In Positive Foundations' case the students initiate the conversation. I haven't seen anyone do it better." Marisa Turesky '13 is the Millennium Campus Network representative to Positive Foundations. She commutes into Cambridge twice a month to take part in Millennium Campus Network regional conferences and networking meetings. She attributes Positive Foundations members' successes in getting signatures to their dedication. "We were able to achieve this because, although we are not a very large group, every one of our members is dedicated to the U.S. recommitting to the MDG in September and showed this by getting copious signatures! This drive and the support of the student body has made it relatively easy to get the number of signatures that we did," said Turkesky in an e-mail to the Justice.The Commit in September Campaign will conclude on the eve of the United Nations Millennium Goal Summit with the Millennium Campus Conference from Sept. 18 to 20. The conference will take place at Columbia University and is the "culmination of the Commit in September Campaign," says Vaghar. "We're going to be inviting some real-world leaders and celebrities and more than 1,000 students." Turesky says that being a part of the Millennium Campus Network helped motivate Positive Foundations to get signatures for the Commit in September Campaign. She says, "Knowing that there are hundreds of college students across the country working toward the same goal creates a unity and cohesion among all of the activist[s] and participants who are working on this campaign. We are working with more than just the Brandeis campus in this campaign, and that in itself is motivating.

Bringing the Tea Party back to Boston

Last summer, midyear Mary-Alice Perdichizzi '12 spent a summer and first semester working as a research assistant in the Man Vehicle Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she helped to build a spacesuit prototype. There, while working to redesign an astronaut's garb, she spent her breaks reading the plethora of newspapers and research materials around the office. By the end of the semester, she says she was reading 12 newspapers a day and had gone from having no political affiliation to being a full-fledged member of the populist protest movement, the Tea Party. According to The New York Times website, the Tea Party movement emerged in 2009 in objection to the Economic Stimulus Package, through a series of locally and nationally organized protests.The official Tea Party website defines the group as "an organization [that] believes in Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets."Prior to her summer at MIT, Perdichizzi, who has striking black hair and a friendly demeanor, says she had few political opinions. The Burlington, Mass. native says her family did not imbue her with a "political viewpoint" and that she decided to explore the world of politics "all on her own."Through reading newspapers at MIT, Perdichizzi began to understand politics and how it affects people's everyday lives. Over time, through more reading and research, Perdichizzi began to develop a better understanding of how people and institutions interact with the government, she says. The Biology major says, "I realized you go to college, you pay for all these things thinking you can leave and do whatever you want, and then you realize that the things going on right now might affect that. ... It motivated me to really be involved [in politics]."Throughout this time, Perdichizzi began to identify as a conservative and became passionate about the idea of absolute liberty and free-market capitalism. Perdichizzi had also read about the Tea Party movement and felt as though they represented her idea of liberty. Then, on Sept. 12, 2009, Perdichizzi attended a Tea Party rally in Worcester, Mass. The rally solidified her dedication to the movement, and from that point on, she was an active member of the party."The first time I went to a Worcester rally, it was fantastic," Perdichizzi says. "It was very informal; people just [came] and [went]. [The people there were all] individuals but they [were] all standing together saying, 'This is our right as Americans to democratically and peacefully get our message across.'"In her own words, Perdichizzi defines the Tea Party movement as "a group of individuals ... [who are] just trying to hold people accountable [and] maintain this idea that people have a liberty to be as successful as they can, there shouldn't be any one person telling anyone how much they can make or what they can do."She adds that the Tea Party movement "is all based on this one idea of America and what we think makes it exceptional, that we have this opportunity to achieve whatever we can, no matter who you are, to the best of your ability. There is no limit on your success."Perdichizzi stayed involved with the Tea Party movement once she got to Brandeis. Perdichizzi independently goes out and talks to political candidates who represent the movement's ideals. She also meets up with other local members of the movement in order to stay "connected to people." At Brandeis, she is a member of the Brandeis Republicans, although she describes herself as the most "conservative" one in the group. President of the Brandeis Republicans, Nipum Marwaha '12, says of the Tea Party movement, "We think the Tea Party movement is a good thing. It has its flaws, but the people who are really involved, like Mary, know how to advocate the real ideals of the Tea Party and not just the radical propaganda that you stereotypically see coming out of it."Marwaha added that he thinks Perdichizzi is " an active and very valuable member [of Brandeis?Republicans] and she does a lot for spreading conservative ideals on campus." Perdichizzi spoke about politicians who are affiliated with the Tea Party, such as Sarah Palin. "Well, most people say she doesn't represent us. I think she's interesting. I've read her book and what she's done, [but] there's no one person that represents [the movement]. It's an idea and represented by individuals, not a collective," Perdichizzi says. Perdichizzi thinks that there are common misconceptions about the Tea Party movement and what it represents. Perdichizzi says that one such false belief is that "we're just racist homophobes and bigots. We're actually the complete opposite. We don't define people based on who they are; we just think everyone should have opportunities. It's not a matter of pinning anybody above the other."Perdichizzi says she receives a range of responses when people find out she is active in the Tea Party movement."Some people are very open to the idea and recognize that people are trying to speak their views and be informed. Other people are just obviously like, 'Oh, you're a bigot and a racist,' and I'm like, 'I'm not any of those things,'" she says.

A family dining experience

Tucked at the intersection of Bacon and Main Streets is a restaurant that has endured decades of change. Josephs Two, a breakfast and lunch restaurant located next to a McDonald's, stands out against the background of chain restaurants it is next to, representing a small piece of Waltham's past in the face of the restaurant world's constant turnover and expansion.When you walk into Josephs Two, you hear calming music playing in the background. Although the restaurant has a diner-like atmosphere, it still feels relaxed and personal. Originally opened in 1972, Josephs Two has watched the Waltham community transform. Joseph Santo, the restaurant's middle-aged owner, says that his father bought the restaurant from his uncle, wh---o used to own a chain of restaurants. Although the restaurant was initially named Sigun Pizza, it reopened under its current name in 1979 after Santo graduated from culinary school. The restaurant was named Josephs Two after Santo and his father, who are both named Joseph. In the first few years of business, the restaurant didn't have to compete with chain restaurants, Santo says. He say the restaurant did well in it's early years, and only competed with other independent restaurants.As chain restaurants began to infiltrate Waltham, Josephs Two had to make some changes in order to compete financially. While the restaurant used to sell mainly pizza, it switched to serving breakfast food after chains started to undersell the family-owned enterprise. Santo says that although Waltham is now known for its diverse culinary selection, since Josephs Twos opened, the amount of restaurants in Waltham have "[increased] by threefold [while] retail went down threefold."Santo, who has graying hair and a face full of stubble, sees the amount of restaurants in Waltham as a problem. "We can't have a whole city [where] the only reason to come is to eat." True to its family-owned roots, Josephs Two has a tight-knit staff of about 25. A recently-retired waitress named Norma worked at the restaurant for 31 years, while the restaurant's chef has been working there for 30 years.Other staff members, such as the restaurant's two dishwashers, have been working at the restaurant for 20 and 25 years, respectively.Santo treats his staff like family, which is why he believes so many of them have stayed for so long."I take care of my help [and] never missed a payroll in 30 years," says Santo. "I've never laid anyone off in 30 years." Linda McDonald has been a waitress at Josephs Two for 14 years."It's like working for a family. They treat me like part of the family," she says. McDonald adds that she and Joe are "good friends. He's still my boss though."Santo's least favorite parts of owning a restaurant are "the hours and trying to keep good help all the time." But Santo says he has been able to meet many different kinds of people who come in to eat. Santo reminisces, "[One time a] waitress [was] here, who ... wasn't related to me [and] was one of the better ones I'd ever had. It was a busy evening, so she came around the corner with two trays of food in her hand, and her pants fell down to her ankles, and the place was packed and she didn't want to drop the food. She had to have the cooks help her, everyone was clapping. She made about 400 dollars that night!"Santo says the restaurant attracts a lot of Brandeis customers. He recalls that he has had "Brandeis parents that come into the kitchen and say, 'Joe, we were here last year, do you remember?'... Parents all the way from New York.""A lot of Brandeis kids... their parents come back at the end of the year and take pictures with me," says McDonald.Carmel Sandler '12 goes to Josephs Two every weekend to catch up with a good friend. "It's a friendly family atmosphere. You see other people your age from Brandeis and Bentley, but it's also just nice to get off campus," says Sandler. Sandler, whose favorite dish is the Bostonian, a breakfast sandwich, feels the warm atmosphere whenever she's there. "There are little kids in the kitchen. The family atmosphere makes me want to come here," says Sandler. By now, Sandler and her friend have gotten to know the staff. "We're regulars. [Whenever we're there], they're like 'Hey girls! Two, right?'" she says. Sandler believes that Josephs Two is a unique dining experience in Waltham."It adds a nice homey comfort away from home."---Lexy Brooks contributed reporting.