April 16, 2010 – Innermost Parts

The Hoot is good today.

Check it out.

Article on Reinharz leaving for Mandel Foundation (and why did the Hoot quote him bragging about getting 7 job offers? I bet there’s a story behind this)
Our new (union) President looks good in white.
Like, no one showed up for the open forum last Monday. Not sure who to blame, but it definitely wasn’t advertised well.
The Hoot approves of Instant Runoff Voting. You’re welcome!
Brandeis’ self-image hasn’t caught up to its budget problems
A bunch of people organized and forced Aramark to not pay the people who pick their tomatoes quite to terribly. This is a good thing. Bret advises sending a letter to Aramark honchoes saying “good work!” This is probably a good idea.

Cool!

Did you get the email? Brandeis is replacing some old science buildings with a GARDEN or possibly Volleyball or possibly a combination of the two. I don’t know why but this is very exciting to me.

The email:

Dear Members of the Brandeis Community:

The last portions of Phase 1 of the Science Complex Renewal Project are nearly complete (Friedland has been removed, Kalman removal is in progress). Following removal of Kalman, the final step will be to heal the landscape wounds, with a further goal of creating, in a highly cost-effective manner, a usable space that can be enjoyed by the entire Brandeis community. To accomplish this step, working with Landworks Studio (the landscape architect for the overall project), three alternative concepts have been developed. We are asking you to take a look at these three concepts and share your preferences and thoughts.

The proposals are presented at www.brandeis.edu/capitalprojects/projects/current/scienceinterim.html, where you’ll also find a link (“Vote Now!”) to a survey that includes a space for sharing any comments you may have.

Thank you for taking a look and for sharing your preferences and thoughts.

I am not advocating for any specific of the three plans personally (except for the fact that a GARDEN would be AWESOME). I think all three are clearly much better than what we have now. Vote! Isn’t it nice that we get one in the first place?

Remember When: Michael Ian Black

Like many fellow Brandeisians I go to Brandeis. I also saw Michael Ian Black and here is my take on it. It was really good. There was funniness abounding about. Especially when there was a really long line that circled the Usdan courtyard and people had to wait in it. Then we went inside and Michael Ian Black, that silly dude made a lot of Brandeis related jokes. What a funny guy! Unlike Ben Folds he seemed to be adapting to his surroundings and curving his humor to fit into it. This really made me feel special. That is how good of a comedian Michael Ian Black is. He made ME feel special. That is great of him.

After the show was over I really wanted him to sign this poster for my friend, so I sort of left. Then all the student events people were like, you should leave now. So I did. But I could see him. Michael Ian Black was in the alumni lounge (or whatever that room on top of Levin is called). Well this was great news to me. He was there in the window posing with all the Student Events kids. My friend and I sang “In Your Eyes”, the come to a window song, but to no avail. He did not come to that window.

Disheartened we began to think about how to meet him. But then everything worked out. He walked out the door of the part of Usdan that is new to selling sandwiches. We mobbed him and said something to the effect of “hey Michael Ian Black how are you.” He replied that he was pretty good. I asked him to sing something, he was like sure. I told him he was not a dick. He told me he was. Then he continued along the way toward the library from the Usdan Courtyard. That was the last time I ever saw Michael Ian Black. He faded into the distance. I did not want to follow him because that would not have been nice.

I sort of felt weird about wanting to have his autograph but I did get my friend Sara a good present. And I mean that is how it goes if you are a celebrity.

Relatedly, I recorded a good thirty minutes of it on analog tape and if the powers don’t be don’t hurt me I will capture it and then post it on here.

Some things that have been bothering me…

This is a conglomeration of a few worries I have about Brandeis right now:

1. The certificate of inspection in the Shapiro Campus Center’s elevator went up as of 4/10/10, last Saturday. As far as I know, a new cerificate saying it is safe to use it has not yet been posted. The elevator in Ziv 127 should’ve been re-checked on april 8th, same story. Do you know of any other elevators on campus that aren’t supposed to be “in use” right now– until they’re checked for safety? Lawsuits, anyone?

2. There are no astronomy classes being offered next semester. This scares me as well. As a student who does not do well in the “hard sciences” like chem and bio, astronomy is the one science class I would actually be interested in taking, and have a shot at doing okay in. Why is this? What’s happening to our physical science department?

3. What’s with the digging up of slightly yellowed grass all around the Shapiro Campus Center and replacing it with fresh new green grass? That green grass is coming from somewhere, as Amy pointed out to me, and wherever that is, they are being left simply with soil. Meanwhile, instead of investing in the growth and maintenance of our plants, we dig them up and replace them with new ones every spring. As a wise man named Alex once said, “landscaping is the work of seasons, not days.”

When Going Green Becomes a Bad Thing

Is there such a thing as going too green? Can the benefit to the environment come at too high a cost to freedom and justice at times? I think so.

Several companies including T-Mobile and Lane Bryant enacted policies in their credit card bills warning customers that they would be charged an extra $1 per bill if they wanted to continue to receive bills by snail mail, rather than switching over to online bills and payment.

Many customers were upset with the decision and law suits were filed. Some customers even tried to get out of their contracts with phone companies since they argued that the change qualified as a change in their plan. Upon a friend calling the Better Business Bureau and reporting back to me, I discovered that it is in fact being contested right now in court whether they have a right to do it or not, but that they are definitely required to notify customers in advance, in written form. I was also advised that people who qualify as exceptions because of disabilities or other extenuating circumstances (such as not having a computer or internet access!?) should call the companies and explain the situation.

The companies say they are doing it to cut costs and help the environment, but is that enough of a justification? Although I admit one day all transactions will take place online, I do not think that day has arrived yet, and certainly not for my grandmother (who lacks both a computer and the knowledge of how to use one).

Day of Interfaith Youth Service

Sunday seems like a cool thing is happening that you should check out:

This event brings together interfaith activists of all ages from around the Boston area in community service and Interfaith Dialogue. We will be focusing on environmental activism this year, and so many of the sites where volunteers will be working (listed below) will involve environmental cleanup or the greening of religious institutions. The event runs from 1-7 pm, and there will be transportation from Brandeis (though it would be super-helpful if anyone could drive in and take people).

Brandeis’ own (really cool) chaplain Alex Kerns is on the board of this event (I think?). Going would be a good idea.

Anyone who wants to come should contact Erica at eshaps@brandeis.edu

More info: HERE