When reflecting on these and so many other stories, I realized that while books might be better, sometimes films actually allow the audience to reimagine a story that shatters expectations of what the story looks like.
The spring 2023 semester has officially begun, bringing with it the arrival of midyear students and the start of classes. As we start a new semester, the Brandeis community also continues to grapple with and process last November’s shuttle accident that led to dozens of injuries and the loss of student Vanessa Mark’s life. In light of these added strains to the start of a new term, this board would like to offer support, resources, and reminders to our fellow students.
The editorial board would like to take the time to thank the people essential to our existence as a community-centered newspaper: Brandeis students, faculty, staff, and those in the greater Waltham community.
It has been more than two weeks since the tragic shuttle accident, and the Justice editorial board continues to send our deepest condolences to all parties impacted by this event. While the University has held events to bring students together during these difficult times, it is important to remember that each member of Brandeis will handle these emotions differently. There are no words we can use to express the devastation this incident has caused. As an editorial board, we want to let the campus community know that we are listening to them. We also want to address the difficulty of balancing school work in the wake of these incidents.
In light of recent events, this board implores the University to reconsider its staffing for the Brandeis BranVans and outsourcing for the Boston/Cambridge shuttles. Even more important, the University needs to ensure the buses are not only reliable, but safe. The University should be requiring, if they are not already, that ride services’ vehicles are regularly inspected and the drivers background checked, at the very least. This board hopes that the University seriously considers the issues of its own services and those it provides by outside contractors before offering them. Students should not have been put in danger for the University to start doing so.
After the traumatic accident that the Brandeis community experienced, the response of and support from the administration at Brandeis has been less-than ideal.
In light of the recent tragic shuttle accident on Saturday night, the Justice editorial board would like to offer our deepest condolences to the students, friends, families, and others who have been impacted by this event. We especially want to express our sadness and condolences to the friends and family of Vanessa Mark. Our hearts go out to those who were on the bus, and we hope that everyone injured in the crash makes a speedy recovery.
Upon 17 year- old Mahsa Amini’s death, after being held in police custody on Sept. 16, women’s rights protests broke out across Iran. Western coverage of Iranian revolutions have historically minimized women’s influence over the movements. This continues today. The focus of media coverage is rapidly shifting as international reporters compete for eye-catching headlines.
Brandeis has shared they do their best to maintain housing stability for students, but campus housing is still difficult to obtain and off-campus housing is far from guaranteed. This is especially a slap in the face, considering the construction of a new science complex. All in all, Brandeis needs to do better maintaining the comfort and safety of their students.
If you were to skim across the channels of late-night television shows, you’d only find older white men hosting shows, but that’s not the case for Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” and they have Trevor Noah to thank for that.
According to the Brandeis Department of Public Safety website , when there are issues that “constitute an ongoing or continuing threat to the campus community,” a “timely warning” will be issued to ensure the safety of students. However, this board has taken note of multiple dangerous situations in Waltham and Boston that Brandeis students should be made aware of and have not been. Waltham has been advertised to touring families as a safe community and Brandeis as a safe and welcoming campus, but this remains a myth unless administration takes action towards protecting students. This board would like to warn the Brandeis community and provide tips to avoid these potentially dangerous situations.
From an early age, I always felt as if there was a right choice for my hair. I thought I had to choose between wearing my hair natural or straight; rocking braids, twists, or Bantu knots; or just being free and natural. A recent episode of Black-ish, “Season Six: Episode 11,”which explores Diane’s choice between straightening her hair or going natural, reminded me that within Black beauty standards, there is no such thing as a wrong choice when it comes to how you present yourself or your hair. Because as Rainbow Johnson, played by Tracee Ellis Ross, tells her daughter, “Despite what the world tells us, all Black hair is beautiful.”
This editorial board commends the Student Union on its dedicated effort in ensuring that all students can have easy access to their necessary medications. There are many challenges that make obtaining prescriptions inaccessible and prevent students from making a trip out to a pharmacy –– such as mobility issues, a lack of transportation, or simply just a busy schedule.
This board condemns Hargrove’s decision to call campus police when faced with peaceful student protestors. We struggle to understand the cowardice of an executive whose role requires interaction with the student body, and we denounce the violence of calling the police on students and workers, particularly those of color. Although BranPo, to their credit, did not interact with the protestors, Hargrove’s decision to call them was unnecessary and pathetic.
Writing a memoir, selling my art, and making a podcast have all been on my list of things to do in my life. I am happy to announce that I am really, really close to completing my list. I sold some of my art for the first time last semester at the Create@Brandeis Craft Market, and now this October I am releasing my very first podcast. After taking Prof. Adriana Lacy’s (JOUR) class on social journalism, my interest in different forms of journalism flourished. I grew up listening to NPR, the “Moth Radio Hour” and a variety of podcasts, but I realized that storytelling is the thread to everything I am passionate about. Film, animation, art, and now journalism all incorporate storytelling. I decided to make a podcast not only because it has been on my list, but because podcasting allows an audience to relate and listen. I learned that through a podcast, you can turn research and numbers into human stories.
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