(03/19/13 4:00am)
DNA provides the body with an extremely intricate blueprint by which it functions, but how does it notice and correct itself when it is damaged or filled with errors? Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School Stephen Elledge is working to answer that question. Last Thursday, he talked about his progress as the latest recipient of the 2012 Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Science. The Rosenstiel Award is given to recognize researchers whose work has made a significant impact in the field of basic science research by a panel of Boston-area scientists who are appointed by the director of the Rosenstiel Basic Sciences Research Center. In an interview with the Justice, Elledge said he was "deeply honored" to receive the award. "I looked at the list of previous awardees and it's a stellar group of scientists, and it's really an honor to be considered among them," he said. Prof. Jim Haber (BIOL) opened the lecture by introducing Elledge as "one of the most creative inventors of technology that [researchers] all use." Elledge himself then took over, presenting an overview of the work that led to his involvement in researching the DNA damage response. Elledge had originally studied DNA damage and repair as a Ph.D. student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "I decided after doing that and getting my Ph.D., the last thing in the world I wanted to do was work on DNA and repair," he joked at the event. "And so I went as far away from it as I possibly could." Eventually, Elledge said that he found himself interested in working on gene targeting. In an interview with the Justice, Elledge explained that he had located a gene in E. coli that coded for RecA, a protein involved in genetic recombination, the process by which new genetic information is produced by the crossing over of segments between alleles or homologous chromosomes. Elledge intended to locate and clone the equivalent of the gene in yeast cells, and eventually in mammals. "I thought genome engineering would be a great thing to study and I would just see where that would take me from there," he said. However, Elledge discovered that the yeast gene he cloned did not code for RecA, but rather for ribonucleotide reductase, a protein important in the synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides, the building blocks of DNA. "Of course, I found this to be incredibly depressing because I didn't want to work on nucleotide synthesis," said Elledge. "That wasn't the goal." However, Elledge said that he noticed the RNA of the gene was activated in response to ultraviolet light, which causes mutations in DNA and agents that block DNA replication. This observation led Elledge to the idea that there must be a large response that transmits information about these errors to these genes. This pathway, according to Elledge, is referred to as the DNA damage response. Elledge said that each person's DNA undergoes tens of thousands of "events" or modifications each day, providing plenty of opportunities for mistakes to occur. The cell must be equipped to respond to these errors, either by correcting them if possible or by killing off the cell in order to prevent it from dividing and amplifying the damage. According to Elledge, the response to this damage is more adaptive than innate, meaning that the cell must be able to transmit information about the type of damage in order to generate a specified response rather than having one general response for all types of damage. In short, Elledge said that sensors circulating the DNA pick up information regarding the DNA damage and send the information to a control center in the cell, much like the brain. Here, information about the error is processed and a response is activated. The response, said Elledge, must be highly specific, as many enzymes that can be activated by the response can also be destructive to the gene itself if turned on at the wrong time or place. Elledge went on to summarize his work, focusing on two specific proteins that are involved in some pathways of the DNA damage response, SMARCAL1 and ZRANB3. According to Elledge, both of these proteins seem to be related to each other, as parts of their DNA sequences are similar. They also share common functions. Both SMARCAL1 and ZRANB3 appear to be involved in restarting one of the steps of DNA replication. Elledge's work also showed that SMARCAL1 is required for resistance to DNA damage and that ZRANB3 is necessary for the cell to survive after its DNA has been damaged during replication. Elledge said in the interview that he hopes his work will provide the scientific community with a "different way of looking at how cells recognize and utilize" information about damage to DNA when they attempt to correct the genetic information affected.
(03/04/13 5:00am)
The Brandeis Sustainability Fund has awarded a $25,000 grant to TapBrandeis, a group advocating against the sale of plastic water bottles, to build six "Hydration Stations" across campus. According to TapBrandeis Co-founder Sara Taylor '16 in an interview with the Justice, the plan includes four stations in indoor locations and two in outdoor locations. The exact locations have not yet been confirmed, but Taylor stated that the group had suggested areas such as the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, Usdan Student Center and Mandel Quad, as well as dormitories where there are currently no water fountains, such as East Quad. The stations themselves are similar to water fountains but more convenient, according to Taylor. The indoor stations, for example, would be mounted on walls, where bottles could be placed and be automatically refilled. "Some of [the models] even have a little screen where it says 'You have filled this many bottles,'" which could be used to make an educational impact, according to Taylor. According to TapBrandeis Co-founder Jamie Garuti '15 in an interview with the Justice, the stations also address sanitation concerns, as the stations can be fitted with a filter and the water spout does not make direct contact with water bottles, preventing cross-contamination. Ultimately, the goal of the stations is to encourage the use of reusable water bottles as an alternative to buying bottled water. In an interview with the Justice, Sustainability Coordinator Lea Lupkin said that the stations would be a "fantastic tool" to provide students with clean water and to educate them. "I'm really excited because I absolutely support the students' effort to reduce bottled water but it's very difficult to ask people to change a behavior when there isn't an easy, convenient way for them to change that behavior," said Lupkin. Similar stations are already in place on several other college campuses, airports, parks and other public spaces, according to a Sept. 15, 2011 USA Today article. TapBrandeis, which is also composed of Alina Pokhrel '15, Emma Balmuth-Loris '14 and Jeremy Goodman '14, was formed last semester while the students were taking the experiential learning course "Greening the Ivory Tower," where they were required to come up with a project to promote sustainability on campus. Taylor and Garuti said that they and other classmates were inspired by the documentary Flow, which depicts the negative environmental and ethical consequences of the bottled water industry. The group decided to advocate against the sale of bottled water at Brandeis. Currently, there is a ban on selling bottled water in Usdan Boulevard and Cafe, instituted under former University President Jehuda Reinharz, although bottled water can still be purchased in convenience stores, such as the P.O.D. market. The group started a petition against bottled water sales and has hosted events to raise awareness about the bottled water industry. They also met with Marketing and Sustainability Coordinator of Aramark Erin Fletcher and held a survey to gather student opinions about their cause. "We found that we needed to have a solution before we got rid of the problem," said Taylor, which prompted the group members to research how other schools have implemented bottled water bans, leading them to the idea of Hydration Stations. Originally, the group wanted to retrofit existing water fountains with gooseneck spouts to accommodate water bottle refills. However, after more research, they found that Hydration Stations would be safer and more convenient. This semester, two members-Balmuth-Loris and Goodman-are studying abroad but the group has teamed up with Students for Environmental Action, while continuing to receive survey responses from students and support from administrators. Many details of the project are yet to be determined, according to Lupkin, Taylor and Garuti, but they will continue to meet with school officials and Facilities Services to work out a final plan and timeline. "We want to make Brandeis students more aware and get them in a mindset that they act in an environmentally responsible way," said Garuti. According to its website, the BSF "provides grants, advice and support" to undergraduate students who wish to create a project that supports sustainability on campus. Created in 2010, the fund originally had $50,000 to provide to student projects and was awarded an additional $25,000 from National Office Furniture in 2011. According to Lupkin, the Hydration Stations project received the most funding out of all the projects this year. "It's one of the biggest BSF projects to date and the biggest one this year," she said.
(02/11/13 5:00am)
Corrections appended. A Brandeis undergraduate student worked with researchers at New York University to create a model for the biological phenomenon known as "self-organization," according to a Jan. 31 New York University press release. The model, detailed in an article in Science published the same day, uses light to activate small particles, causing them to move and assemble themselves. Asher Preska Steinberg '13, along with NYU Professors in the Department of Physics David Pine and Paul Chaikin and Post-Doctoral Fellows in NYU's Center for Soft Matter Research Jeremie Palacci and Stefano Sacanna, was named as an author of the article. Steinberg was enrolled in a summer research program at NYU. Common examples of self-organization are seen in flocks of birds or schools of fish that travel together in formation, as well as colony formations of bacteria. The authors of the paper studied this phenomenon by developing a "system of self-propelled particles" that were controlled by turning a blue light on or off. When the light was off, the particles were spread out with no order but when the light was turned on, the researchers saw that the particles formed crystallite structures. These structures were dynamic and would "actively translate and rotate, collide, join, and split," leading the scientists to call them "living crystals." After the blue light was turned off, the crystals dissolved back into colloidal particles. After performing follow up experiments, the researchers concluded that the self-organization of colloid particles was a result of both self-propulsion and an "attractive interaction" that could be activated by light, magnets and chemicals. These controls allow the same organization seen in biological phenomena to be used in materials and could "enhance the design of a range of industrial products," according to the press release. The press release also stated that understanding self-organization can help physicists create "new and enhanced materials." Preska Steinberg did not respond to requests for interviews by press time. The article has been edited to correct the following mistakes: Asher Preska Steinberg's full last name is Preska Steinberg, not Steinberg and he belongs to the Class of 2013, not 2014. *
(01/29/13 5:00am)
According to statistics from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the University currently has a 14.2 percent increase in applications from this time last year. As of Jan. 24, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions has received 9,370 applications for first-year fall 2013 admissions, compared to 8,203 applications last year. In an interview with the Justice, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel said that there was "no way to know for sure" why there has been an increase in applications. One idea he put forward is that since University President Frederick Lawrence's arrival at Brandeis and "efforts at engaging" current and prospective students have become more focused, the University has become more "successful in telling the Brandeis story" to potential applicants. Out of those applicants, the number of Early Decision I applications rose 19 percent while Early Decision II applicants rose 47 percent. "So not only do we have more applicants overall, but more students who are letting us know that Brandeis is the place they absolutely want to be," commented Flagel. Flagel also said that the University is aiming to have a first-year class that is about the same size as last year's class. This past fall, 821 students matriculated into the first-year class-not counting mid-year students and transfers-a drop from 858 students the previous year, according to statistics given by Flagel at an October 2012 faculty meeting. The Classes of 2015 and 2016 also saw the largest first-year applicant pools in Brandeis history. While this year's early decision application pool is larger so far, it is too early to tell how that will affect the admissions rate, according to Flagel in the interview. However, Flagel said he expects these numbers to reflect a consistent trend for applicants in the next couple of years. "This will likely be the most competitive year ever for getting into Brandeis," he said. -Robyn Spector contributed reporting.
(01/14/13 5:00am)
Opponents of the construction of TransCanada's controversial Keystone XL pipeline took their fight to the company's offices last week, resulting in the arrest of two Brandeis students, one alum and five other Boston area students in Westborough, Mass. on Jan. 7.
(10/16/12 4:00am)
The University saw a slight drop in applications this year, from 8,917 last year to 8,380 for the Class of 2016, according to Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel during last Thursday's faculty meeting. The numbers are as of Oct. 1 and came from a preliminary report on admissions statistics Flagel presented to the faculty. According to the data from the report, acceptances decreased with applications, falling to 3,277, resulting in an acceptance rate of 39.11 percent. This is slightly lower than last year's 39.99 percent, although the University's acceptance rate has hovered around 40 percent for the past three years. In addition, the yield, or rate of students accepted who matriculate, increased to 25.1 percent. "Both of these rates are moving very much in the right direction," said Flagel. Flagel pointed out that although there were fewer applicants, both last and this year's classes were the "two largest application pools for freshmen in our history." According to Flagel, the reason for the decline was the elimination of an internal application that drew about 600 applications that "didn't tend to enroll or be qualified." In addition, these applications were costly to the University. For these reasons, the applications were discontinued so that students applied exclusively with the Common Application. This year's class size, which does not yet include transfers and mid-year students, is also smaller than last year, as 821 students matriculated compared to last year's 858 students. Last year, the large size of the Class of 2015 raised concerns about housing with more first-year students in lofted triples. According to Dean of Admissions Mark Spencer in a September interview with the Justice, the University aimed to maintain an enrollment of 855 students for the Class of 2016. In terms of demographics, the University saw another geographically concentrated class enter this fall, as 34 percent of the entering class are from the New England region and 48 percent of the international students, which make up 16 percent of the whole class, are from China. In an interview with the Justice, Flagel said that these numbers are concerning. "We are concentrated in very narrow areas," he commented, saying that the goal of the University is to broaden its profile across the United States and around the world. Flagel pointed to a decreasing gender disparity from last year with the percentage of female students falling to 53 percent and males rising to 47 percent. Students' average GPA "continued to hover above 3.8" while the average SAT score dropped slightly by 10 points. Flagel noted that overall, both GPA and SAT scores have improved. Flagel also presented statistics on students enrolled in graduate programs. These programs include the Graduate School of Arts and Sciencs, the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, the International Business School, the Rabb School of Continuing Studies and a joint program between the GSAS and Heller. Flagel did not provide breakdowns for the individual schools. Enrollment for graduate students dropped by four percent to 2,226 enrolled students. Flagel noted that graduate enrollment had "slipped nationally" after a few years of "significant" growth but that it was "hard to discern too much from a four-percent shift." Out of admitted graduate students, 41 percent are from New England while 31 percent are international. -Sam Mintz and Robyn Spector contributed reporting.
(05/21/12 4:00am)
Five members of the Brandeis faculty-Profs. Robert Meyer (PHYS), Carolyn Cohen (BIOL), Michael Gilmore (ENG), Rachel McCulloch (ECON) and K.C. Hayes (BIOL)- retired after this semester, according to a May 15 BrandeisNOW press release.
(05/01/12 4:00am)
Former Prime Minister of Iceland Geir Haarde '73 was found guilty of failing to adequately inform other Icelandic officials of events that led up to the 2008 financial crisis, according to an April 23 New York Times article.
(04/24/12 4:00am)
Correction appended. The Brandeis Virtual Incubator Sprout Grant Program awarded $80,000 in total to seven winners of the 2012 Sprout Grants, according to an April 11 BrandeisNOW press release. The recipients of the grants have been working on life science or software projects that have an entrepreneurial aspect. According to its website, the program aims to encourage entrepreneurism among members of the Brandeis community by providing educational opportunities, mentoring, networking events and seed funding for projects. Funding is provided by "the Office of the Provost and gifts from members of the Brandeis University Scientific Advisory Council," according to the press release. This is the second year of the Sprout Grant program. This year's seven recipients were chosen out of a pool of 20 applicants, according to the press release. Out of the original 20, 13 were chosen for interviews, presentations and consultations, and seven were then awarded grants ranging from $6,000 to $20,000. One of the projects may have future applications in homeland security by detecting harmful substances, such as "dirty bombs," in packages and containers at entry ports. In an interview with the Justice, Prof. Hermann Wellenstein (PHYS), who led the project with Prof. Lawrence Kirsch (PHYS), said that this project is a "spin-off" of research done in high energy physics and would identify dangerous substances by detecting the radiation emitted from those containers. According to Wellenstein, he and other members of the research team, which includes two undergraduate students, are currently building and testing a smaller prototype to verify their calculations. Wellenstein said that the detector could be of use to the Department of Homeland Security or private companies. Another winner in the life science category are researchers of Hedstrom Lab, who are investigating possible treatment of tuberculosis. In an interview with the Justice, post-doctoral fellow and lead researcher of the project Suresh Gorla said that he and his team have identified nine inhibitors of myobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes the disease. The next step, according to Gorla, is to test the two most effective compounds in an animal model, specifically mice. Gorla said that he aims to develop a compound within the next year that can kill the bacteria in mice and later seek funding from philanthropic organizations. The ultimate goal is to produce an affordable and short course of drugs to patients, especially in developing countries. Gorla said that the Sprout Grant is very useful to him and other post-doctoral students who have ideas and that "this kind of little supplementation will give big results." One software project, titled the "Point of Originality," was headed by Academic Technology Architect and Lecturer in Computer Science Johann Larusson and is a learning analytic tool aimed at assisting professors assess student's understanding of material taught in class. According to Larusson in an interview with the Justice, the tool can be fed any writing assignment for a course and a few key topic words inputed by the user. Using an algorithm, the tool conveys how well a student understands the material he or she is writing about. Larusson said that the tool is aimed at assisting professors who teach large lecture courses that focus on reading and writing assignments. The name of the program derives from the tool's aim to assess a student's understanding by analyzing the originality of the student's writing, which is a sign of comprehension. Larusson said that he hopes the tool will gain "widespread adoption" and that it will become an "instructive piece" in the University's collection of measures it can use to promote higher learning. CampusBash, another software project, aims to connect students to events happening on and around their campuses. According to Murtaza Jafferji '12 in a Jan. 30 Justice article, the site has had over 19,000 hits, with over 1,900 members at both Brandeis and at the University of Pennsylvania. In an interview with the Justice, one of the programmers of the website, Jafferji said that with the Sprout Grant money, he and other members of the CampusBash team will work to improve the interface and the user-experience to make the website more user-friendly. If those enhancements are made, said Jafferji, it will make the website more "fun and easy to use." Out of the seven grant winners, three were from the software category and four were from the life sciences category, according to the BrandeisNOW press release. Among the winners were a research team at Turrigiano Lab who are building a microscope to view "extremely cold" samples in order to analyze rewiring of the brain, a research team at Lau Lab that is developing a research tool in conditional gene silencing and Innermost Labs, a team that developed a mobile application that acts as a social network application and virtual business card. In the press release, Associate Provost for Innovation and Executive Director of the Office of Technology Licensing Irene Abrams said that the number of applications in the software category increased this year due to increased efforts to promote entrepreneurism in the Computer Science department. Abrams could not be reached for comment by press time. Correction: The name of one of the members of the CampusBash team is Murtaza Jafferji not Murtaza Jafferi.
(04/24/12 4:00am)
Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12 and President-elect Todd Kirkland '13 announced, in an email to the student body last night, seven proposed changes to the Student Union's constitution. These proposals include the "incorporation" of a non-voting staff member from the Department of Student Activities into the Finance Board allocation process, increased communication between the Board of Trustees and the student body and transfer of the responsibility of the constitutional review to the Student Judiciary. According to the email, students will be able to vote on the changes next Wednesday from midnight to midnight.
(04/03/12 4:00am)
Founder and President of the Posse Foundation Deborah Bial '87 will deliver the 2012 commencement address on May 20, announced University President Frederick Lawrence at the Board of Trustees meeting this week, according to a March 28 BrandeisNOW press release. Bial will receive an honorary degree from the University, as will Nobel Prize recipients Sydney Brenner and Amartya Sen; President of the Juilliard School Joseph Polisi; and philanthropist and former Trustee Myra Hiatt Kraft '64, who passed away last July. The Posse Foundation is a "college access and youth leadership development program" that sends small groups of diverse students from several cities to selective colleges each year, according to its website. The program aims to accomplish three goals, according to its website: to encourage these institutions to accept students of various backgrounds, to create "welcoming" environments for these students at these universities and to see to it that these students, who may have otherwise not attended college or have dropped out, graduate from college. The Science Posse program was recognized as an "effective program to bring under-represented, urban students from diverse backgrounds to college and help them graduate," according to a Feb. 7 press release from the White House. In an interview with the Justice, Zachary Sax '12 said that he would have preferred someone who was "more representative of the entire school population as opposed to a small part of the population" and someone "who was more well known to everyone." In an interview with the Justice, Jordi Goodman '12 said that she hopes Bial will give "an inspirational speech" but that she had not heard of the speaker until the announcement. Brenner, a biologist and geneticist, is also the founder of the Molecular Sciences Institute, according to the BrandeisNOW press release. Established in 1996, the institute aims to "significantly advance understanding of how living systems function and evolve," according to its website. Brenner received the 2002 Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine, along with Sir John Sulston, professor and chair of the Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation at the University of Manchester, and Robert Horvitz, chair of the board of trustees at Society for Science of the Public, a non-profit organization that promotes the sciences. The three were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work in developmental biology, according to the press release. Sen, the Lamont University Professor and a professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University, received a Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his "contributions to welfare economics" according to the Nobel Prize's website. According to the press release, Sen is a contributor to the social choice theory and has published numerous publications on topics in these fields. In addition, he was awarded the National Humanities Medal from President Barack Obama for "his insights into the causes of poverty, famine and injustice" according to a citation quoted in a Feb. 16 press release from IndiaWest, an Indian and U.S. news publication. Polisi has served as president of the Juilliard School since 1984, overseeing a "transformation of its curriculum" and a plan "that increased student financial aid and faculty compensation," according to the press release. Polisi is also the founder of the Academy, a joint two-year fellowship program between Juilliard and Carnegie Hall, the Weill Music Institute and the New York City Department of Education. The Academy is designed for "musicians who wish to redefine their role as musician and extend their music," according to its website. Kraft served on the University's Board of Trustees starting in 1986 and was vice chair for 10 years. She also served on the search committee that selected Lawrence to become University president. In an email to the Justice after her death last year, Lawrence called Kraft, who was the daughter of Hiatt Career Center founder Jacob Hiatt, a "true Brandeisian." Kraft was well known for her philanthropic endeavors in Boston as well as for her student scholarships at the University. According to the press release, her husband, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, will accept the degree on her behalf. According to the press release, members of the Brandeis community may nominate anyone to receive an honorary degree. A committee narrows down the list of candidates, which is then approved by the Board of Trustees and sent to Lawrence, who ultimately selects the degree recipients. -Shafaq Hasan contributed reporting.
(04/02/12 4:00am)
Correction appended. In response to the events surrounding the Feb. 26 death of Trayvon Martin, MLK and Friends, the Women of Color Alliance, the Men of Color Alliance, the Brandeis Black Student Organization and the Queer People of Color Coalition co-sponsored a series of discussions and vigils last Thursday and Friday. Martin was shot and killed while walking to his father's girlfriend's home in Sanford, Fla. after leaving a convenience store, according to a topic page on Martin by the New York Times. George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed Martin, said that he shot him in self-defense. Martin was found to have no weapon on him and as of yet, no arrest has been made in the case. In New York City and Miami, over two thousand people rallied in honor of Martin. Martin's parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, joined demonstrators in New York City for the "Million Hoodie March," where participants wore hooded sweatshirts as Martin did when he was killed. According to a March 30 email from the Division of Students and Enrollment, students were invited to show their support and demand a call for a "thorough investigation" into the death of Martin by wearing sweatshirts with their hoods up all of Friday. MLK and Friends, WOCA, MOCA and BBSO and QPOCC hosted a discussion and vigil last Thursday night. It opened with recordings of the 911 calls made to police during the incident and the organizers gave background on the events that took place when Martin was killed. The audience then broke up into smaller groups to discuss both the events and their reactions to the case. The audience then regrouped to reflect as one large group. The discussion was followed by a candlelight vigil in the Great Lawn. About 50 participants stood in a circle and held a moment of silence for Martin. Some members of the group lit their candles in honor of Martin himself or to "hope," while others dedicated their candles to loved ones who were victims of violence, or to other attendees who came to support their cause. On Friday, University President Frederick Lawrence led another vigil, which was followed by a march to the Louis Brandeis Statue. All participants and the statue were dressed in hooded sweatshirts in honor of Martin. In an interview with the Justice, Vice President of MLK and Friends Amanda Dryer '13 said that she had asked Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams for permission to dress the statue. Attendees chanted "I am not the enemy," and Adams emphasized the importance of dialogue on issues such as racial profiling and stereotyping. Adams, who wore a light gray Brandeis hoodie, then recited a poem he wrote titled "Social Justice." "When every child is divine, Emmett Till," said Adams in his poem. "And wearing a hoodie doesn't put cross hairs on my spine." Emmitt Till was an African-American boy who was murdered in 1955 at the age of 14 after speaking to a white woman. After Adams' poem, students were encouraged to continue their discussion in the Shapiro Campus Center Multipurpose Room. In an interview with the Justice, Adams said that it was "important" for the community to come together. "The whole movement was wonderful to see happen especially coming from Brandeis," said Adams. "It was an honor to be a part of it." Lawrence also said that the event was important in an interview with the Justice. "We have to react as a community to this kind of injustice. ... We have a lot of students here who are really hurting." In an interview with the Justice, WOCA member Tori Dobson '15 said that the event "touched everybody." "I think it changed a lot of our opinions about the way we see each other," she said. "Hopefully, eventually through protest and dialogue and conversations, justice and peace will prevail," Rebekah Lafontant '12. "Brandeis is a place where you can have your voice heard and have these types of dialogues in a safe space." -Tate Herbert contributed reporting. Correction: Tori Dobson '15 is a member of WOCA, not its Vice President.
(03/28/12 4:00am)
Founder and President of the Posse Foundation Deborah Bial '87 will deliver the 2012 commencement address on May 20, announced University President Frederick Lawrence at the Board of Trustees meeting this week, according to a March 28 BrandeisNOW press release.
(03/27/12 4:00am)
After questions regarding Pachanga's fate this semester, International Club President Andrea Verdeja '14 and Vice President Michael Mutluoglu '14 said in an interview with the Justice that Pachanga will not take place this semester. The reason, according to Verdeja and Mutluoglu, is a lack of venue. Pachanga was originally booked to take place in Levin Ballroom, but the International Club members raised concerns about whether Levin's capacity was enough for anticipated attendance. Verdeja said that in the past, tickets for Pachanga have sold out within a few days and attendance would probably exceed Levin's capacity, of about 700 people. For this reason, Verdeja and Mutluoglu said that they attempted to schedule the event at the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, which would be able to hold more people, but all spaces were booked a year in advance. Unless the coordinators of one event agreed to let the International Club use the space instead of them, the club would have to wait until next spring semester to hold Pachanga. In any case, Verdeja said that Pachanga will be held every spring semester, while Rumba will be held every fall semester. In addition, Verdeja and Mutluoglu said that the administration was completely supportive of holding Pachanga again. "The event itself has never been a bad event," said Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams in an interview with the Justice. "It's an incredible event. That's been [the University's] stance since the beginning." Pachanga, which was previously held every semester, was changed to an annual event, according to Director of the Intercultural Center Monique Gnanaratnam in a February 2011 interview with the Justice, following the Oct. 23, 2010 Pachanga, which resulted in overcrowding and hospitalization of multiple attendees, who were treated for intoxication. The decision to hold Pachanga every spring was made in order to avoid "having a duplication of the negative things that surround the event happening," according to Adams in a February 2011 interview with the Justice. Adams said in the recent interview that the University will also work with the International Club to ensure that a location of reasonable size is secured, working with health education resources to educate students on alcohol consumption and addressing the issue of fraudulent ticket sales, which contributed to overcrowding at the last Pachanga. In addition, Verdeja said that Pachanga will eventually be self-sustainable, meaning that although the first Pachanga event will most likely be funded by the Finance Board, all subsequent Pachangas will be funded by their own ticket sales. F-Board had allocated $10,000 to the International Club in the event that Pachanga would be held this semester, according to F-Board Chair Gabriel Weingrod-Nemzow '12 in a February interview with the Justice. According to Weingrod-Nemzow in a recent interview, that money will be returned to the F-Board for reallocation in the future. Mutluoglu said that the next Pachanga will be an "opportunity to show that Brandeis can step it up," and Verdeja commented that their goal is to make Pachanga something "the University can be proud of." "I think the community will love [Pachanga]," said Adams. "I think it will be successful."
(03/26/12 4:00am)
When it comes to building up hype for a show, the Brandeis Korean Student Association is a team of professionals. Over the past few weeks, they have plastered every door, hallway and staircase on campus with flyers advertising the annual K-Nite, a compilation of Korean culture, history, music and dance, which blends both traditional and modern aspects of Korea into one two-hour-long event.
(03/12/12 4:00am)
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded Prof. Sara Shostak (SOC), professor of epidemiology at Columbia University Ruth Ottman and other researchers two million dollars in funding to investigate the role of genetics in epilepsy, according to a Feb. 28 BrandeisNOW press release. In an email to the Justice, Shostak wrote that she was "delighted and honored" to be among the recipients of the grant. "Dr. Ruth Ottman, the [principal investigator], and I have been collaborating for several years, and it's exciting to be able to continue our work together," she wrote. The research will be an extension of previous work Shostak and Ottman have done, according to the press release. In this study, Shostak and other researchers will interview 1,035 participants from 115 families with members who are affected by epilepsy. They will ask participants whether or not they would like to undergo genetic testing and what they think the potential advantages and problems would be. Then members of 21 families containing individuals affected by autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features will be offered testing. The research will be split between Brandeis and Columbia, according to the press release. While genetic testing and surveying will be conducted at Columbia, interviews and analysis under a $200,000 subcontract from Columbia to Brandeis will be performed at the University. Last September, Ottman and Shostak, along with candidate for a Ph.D. in sociology Dana Zarhin, published qualitative results of interviews with 40 individuals who came from families with members affected by epilepsy and had participated in epilepsy genetic research. According to the article, which was published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, they found that the participants felt that genetic testing for epilepsy had both benefits and drawbacks. "Most participants said they would have genetic testing if it were offered," wrote the authors in the paper. According to the paper, participants felt that genetic testing would offer useful information about epilepsy in their family and the risk their potential offspring have of being affected by epilepsy. However, participants also acknowledged a stigma surrounding epilepsy and "pressure" to alter choices regarding their possible offspring based on knowledge gained from genetic testing. Shostak also wrote that she and her colleagues, Jeremy Freese, professor and chair of the sociology department at Northwestern University; Bruce Link, professor of epidemiology and sociomedical sciences at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health; and Jo Phelan, professor of sociomedical science at the Mailman School also investigated "whether, when, and how people refer to genetics as a way of explaining differences between individuals" and published those results in the March 2009 issue of Social Psychology Quarterly. According to the paper, many individuals—regardless of socio-economic standing, race or political views—believe that genes are responsible for "health and social outcomes." Both their previous and current research focuses on the "psychological impact" genetic testing for epilepsy has on families rather than the genetic testing itself, according to the press release. Shostak wrote that she hopes her work will speak for individuals affected by epilepsy and their families when researchers form clinical genetic testing guidelines and discussions about "potential costs and benefits." "I strongly believe that people living with epilepsy offer a kind of expertise to these deliberations that is essential to really understanding what genetic information means in every day life," wrote Shostak. In an email to the Justice, Chair of the Sociology department Prof. Karen Hansen wrote that the grant "is a great honor and a testament" to Shostak's work.
(02/13/12 5:00am)
Members of the International Club and the administration say that they are assessing whether or not Pachanga, the dance that is traditionally hosted by the club, will be held this semester. The administration is "on board" with holding Pachanga this semester, President of the International Club Andrea Verdeja '14 said in an interview with the Justice, but issues, such as location of the event, still have to be determined. In an interview with the Justice, Associate Dean of Student Life Jamele Adams also said that the administration has nothing against holding Pachanga this semester. "We're all working together to see if Pachanga will be successful," Adams said. Both Adams and Verdeja declined to discuss anything more specific about what had happened between the club and the administration in the meetings, saying that it is too early to speak about those details until more meetings are held. In the event that Pachanga is approved by the administration, the Finance Board has allocated $10,000 to fund the event, according to F-Board Chair Gabriel Weingrod-Nemzow '12 in an interview with the Justice. The dance, which was first held in 2001, was changed to an annual rather than semesterly event, according to a February 2011 interview with Director of the Intercultural Center Monique Gnanaratnam. The decision followed the Oct. 23, 2010 Pachanga dance, which resulted in overcrowding and the hospitalization of multiple intoxicated attendees. The overcrowding was caused by the sale of fake wristbands. Eventually, a fire alarm was activated at 12:30 a.m., an hour and a half before the dance was scheduled to end. In an Oct. 25 email to the Brandeis community, then-University President Jehuda Reinharz called the events that took place that night "unprecedented." According to Adams in a February 2011 Justice interview, Pachanga will now be held every spring, starting this semester in order to avoid "having a duplication of the negative things that surround the event happening." The final decision to hold Pachanga this semester has not yet been made, but Verdeja said that another meeting will be held this week in order to discuss the issue.
(02/13/12 5:00am)
The Student Union hosted a town hall forum last night on the proposed Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority fare hikes and service cuts to hear opinions from students who would be affected if the changes were to take place. Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12, Student Union Vice President Gloria Park '13 and Senior Vice President of Communication and External Affairs Andrew Gully ran the meeting. Rosen opened the forum by explaining the possible changes to the MBTA, which include two different scenarios. According to a document published by the MBTA last month, one scenario would include fare hikes that could rise as high as $2.40 for a subway ride and $7 for a ride on the Fitchburg commuter rail line into Boston from the Brandeis/Roberts station. In addition, it would include service cuts. The second scenario would include "slightly lower fare increases but larger service reductions." In both scenarios, commuter rail service into Boston on the weekend and weekdays after 10 p.m. would be cut. Students who attended the meeting voiced objection to the proposed scenarios, saying that they would negatively affect students' ability to travel to and from Boston. One student, who wished to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, said that higher fares and decreased service would result in fewer people traveling into Boston to shop and spend money, which would hurt Massachusetts' economy. "The entire eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island region, which is like seven and a half million people, [is] going to be affected in one way or another because of this," the student said. "We need to basically say as students … who use the commuter rail, we will not stand for this." Other students noted that while many local residents who would be affected would rely on cars more, this would not be feasible for many college students who do not own cars. Those who attended the forum also discussed prospective students' decisions to come to Brandeis because of its proximity to Boston and the ability to go into the city via commuter rail. They said that college students would be affected more than other local residents because of their already constrained budgets and inability to rely on more expensive forms of transportation, such as taxis and cars. "[This will] disproportionately affect college students versus other people," said Asaf Reich '12. Gully noted that the cuts will not only affect students but also staff and faculty, who utilize the commuter rail to commute to and from the University. In an interview with the Justice, Park said that the meeting, which was attended by three students, was "small-scale" but that "it was good to see that students cared ... and shared their opinion." Park said that she looks forward to spreading the word to the student body. Rosen said that the Student Union will move forward by sending out a survey and petition to the student body and preparing to attend one of the MBTA's local town hall -style meetings. One such meeting will be held in Waltham at the Government Center Auditorium on March 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.
(02/06/12 5:00am)
The pool in the Joseph M. Linsey Sports Center was closed Friday evening after University Police received a report of a person "not feeling well" after swimming in the pool, according to a Feb. 3 police log entry. The entry states that the on-scene officers deemed the temperature of the water "too hot."
(01/30/12 5:00am)
Former Prime Minister of Iceland and University alum Geir Haarde '73 awaits his March 5 trial as he faces criminal charges for neglecting to protect Iceland from the 2008 financial crisis. The indictment, filed by Iceland's Parliament, Alþingi, claims that Haarde showed "serious malfeasance of his duties as prime minister in the face of major danger looming over Icelandic financial institutions and the state treasury, a danger that he knew of or should have known of," according to a Sept. 4, 2011 New York Times article. Haarde, who graduated from Brandeis with a degree in Economics, is the first world leader to face criminal charges relating to the global financial crisis. Haarde was elected prime minister of Iceland in 2006, served during the financial crisis which struck Iceland in 2008 and ultimately resigned from his position in 2009. According to a Jan 18. Washington Post article, the meltdown of Iceland's banks and currency caused Icelndic citizens to protest. Haarde claimed that he did nothing wrong during his term in office or that he neglected his obligations as prime minister. "Let me just say that the whole trial is ludicrous," wrote Haarde in an email to the Justice. "It is a highly political affair where political opponents are trying to use the court room to settle political differences. Criminalizing politics in this way makes no sense and has no place in a modern democracy." Haarde wrote in his email to the Justice that if his case goes to trial, he expects it to end sometime in April and that he feels "very confident" that he will not be found guilty. According to Haarde, the Parliament could withdraw the charges before the trial begins. He originally faced six charges, but in October, two of them were dropped, according to an Oct. 6 article from IceNews. The judges of Iceland's Landsdomur High Court decided not to charge Haarde with "gross neglect of duty" while the banks were facing danger of failing because the wording of the charge was too vague to try Haarde. The other charge, failure to "conduct an in-depth analysis of the risks posed to financial institutions," was dropped because they deemed it not an illegal crime. According to the IceNews article, the remaining charges include not taking action to reduce the "size of the bloated banks" and failing to protect Landsbank's Icesave accounts by not dividing them among "subsidiary companies" in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Haarde's crime is that he did nothing to prevent the damage Iceland's economy suffered, according to Atili Gislason in the New York Times article. Gislason, a member of Parliament, led the commission that prepared the case against Haarde. On Jan. 20, the Parliament voted 31-29 against dismissing a resolution on whether to drop the charges against Haarde, according to a Jan. 23 article from the Iceland Review. The Parliament's Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs Committee will review and discuss the rejected proposal. Not all believe that Haarde should be held criminally responsible. Expert on Iceland at the London School of Economics Jon Danielsson in the New York Times article called Haarde's trial a "political prosecution" and a "major mistake." According to the same article, several believe that David Oddsson, who served as prime minister from 1991 to 2004, should be held responsible. Oddsson, who "oversaw the privatization of Iceland's banks," was identified by Time Magazine as one of the 25 people responsible for the international economic crisis, according to the Washington Post article. In addition, Minister of the Interior Ögmundur Jónasson recently announced his opposition to Haarde's charges, which he had previously supported. That decision upset fellow members of the Left-Green Movement, including one who suggested Jónasson should resign since "he, as minister of judicial affairs, finds it all right to stop a court case which has already opened," according to a Jan. 19 Iceland Review article.
