Student Union officials are in the early stages of exploring ways to make the game room in the Usdan Student Center more inviting and attractive to students.The officials said students' use of the game room has declined in recent years, and a number of initiatives could be set in motion to reverse the trend."It's certainly not booming for a rainy Sunday afternoon," said Student Union President Alison Schwartzbaum '08.
Jonathan Waldstreicher '05, one of five Brandeis alumni who recently founded an online kosher meat market, said that among other things he has learned from the business, he now knows what South Africans crave most.
The Justice Brandeis Innocence Project, which investigates cases of possible wrongful convictions and aims to shed light on injustices in the criminal justice system, has received a second $75,000 grant to continue the work it began on a provisional basis last year."This was a bit of a miracle," said Prof.
The US News and World Report ranked Brandeis University as the 31st best national university for 2007.The well-known and often-cited list moved Brandeis up three spots from last year.
When students return to campus in the fall, national newspapers will once again be available, free of charge, Student Union officials said.The financial burden for the newspapers, which was previously shouldered by Student Activities, will now be shared between the Union, the Office of the Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment and the bookstore, the officials said.The New York Times Readership Program, which provides free issues of The New York Times and The Boston Globe, will replace the USA Today Readership Program, which the Department of Student Activities cancelled last September, citing budget constraints and a lack of student interest.
The Intercultural Center has presented senior administrators with a $105,000 proposal to renovate the second floor of the ICC building in order to create a multipurpose room.Currently, the space contains offices for seven clubs and has an office for the ICC director.
Students overwhelmingly voted in favor of the Student Union's constitutional amendment to reshape the club funding system last week.
WBRS failed to persuade the Student Union Judiciary to seal the results of a student referendum to reform the club funding system, at a hearing in the Shapiro Campus Center that stretched late into Thursday night.The Student Union-sponsored referendum, which passed by a vote of 1,251 to 474, will cut WBRS' funding by about $25,000 and will require the group-and all secured groups other than the Justice and the Union-to present its budget to the Finance Board for approval.WBRS general manager Julie Craghead '07 signed the complaint, which consisted of seven motions accusing the Union of a series of constitutional violations in their efforts to lobby for the reform.WBRS counselors Glenn Prives '06, Alex Spigelman '07 and Jason Levine '06 did not hold back their criticisms of the Union."The very principles our Union Constitution have been founded on were deliberately and maliciously ignored in an effort to deceive the student body . in order to pass [Union President Jenny Feinberg's '07] personal agenda," Spigelman '07 said in his opening remarks.Union counselors Jeremy Widder '06, Kelley Collacchi '06 and Aaron Braver '07, who serves as Union Secretary, were adamant in refuting WBRS' claims."No facts will support that a law has been broken," Widder said.The WBRS attorneys alleged that Feinberg misled WBRS leadership into believing that if the amendment failed, subsequent action by the administration would be worse."Ms. Feinberg was playing a game of real politik, deceiving those from whom she feared opposition," the WBRS complaint read.Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett was called to testify for WBRS.
Several secured campus media groups are organizing opposition to Student Union legislation to reform the club funding system, saying it will give too much power to the Finance Board and not allot the media groups enough money.WBRS, the Archon and BTV are spearheading a campaign this week against the impending student vote, which starts Wednesday.
In the first uncontested race for Student Union President in recent memory, Senator-at-Large Alison Schwartzbaum '08 won the top post in the first round of Union elections last week.Schwartzbaum is also the Union's executive senator and was the North Quad senator last year.She said the main focus of her presidency will be "quality-of-life" issues, including renovations to the Intercultural Center, changes to residence hall quiet-hour policies and reforms to Student Events, student dining and the University's policy regarding alcohol at campus events."I want to make life as good for students as possible," Schwartzbaum said.
Faculty debates University reorganization plan
Waltham Public Schools Committee provide updates
Addressing misinformation: Official statements regarding the confrontation between Hillel at Brandeis and the Brandeis Jewish Bund
Something in the water: Why have so many major artists gotten their big break after performing at Brandeis?
Dean Baquet on the media's role in shaping polarization