Click here to listen.

Quite frankly, Graham’s focus on Officer Schroeder is entirely inappropriate on this topic. I can get into this later, but if he’s looking for an ideological fight on this issue, he can come find me.

Funny how Graham considers himself an aficionado on the Weather Underground enough to tell Liza that she made up her own facts. Well done, Michael Graham.

Finally, to answer Michael Graham’s question, no amount of bombs should revoke an individual’s freedom of speech.

Enjoy.

The visual impact of the sheer number of students in attendance shows me that apathy no longer exists. It was liberating to hear student after student ask the questions that rattled through my mind throughout these past months, as though I wasn’t alone in this epic sadness, but surrounded with people who held the same fears and the same concerns. Today, the students were united in both stance and voice.

Still, a forum set-up does not fully answer our calls to transparency, democracy, and student input. It was not the proper time or location to suggest new avenues for attracting perspective students or to allow every individual to express themselves towards the administration. In its essence, a forum will always be nothing more than an extensive question-and-answer segment. This is certainly a step in the right direction, but students and faculty much be heard before the March 1st budget cut deadlines.

No matter how significant it was to know I was just one within a sea of students, I continue to carry the fear that the strength in our number is not powerful enough to break through to a place where students ideas are not merely collected, but implemented. Regardless, we must push forward as a unified force. We must assert ourselves as a valuable resource for generating program ideas and innovative solutions. The administration seems ready to listen as long as we are willing to stick to our values and help create a better Brandeis for tomorrow.

b...@lists.brandeis.edu

Go read Naomi Spector’s latest addition to The Justice here.

And for the barrage of comments that my title will undoubtedly get – it’s sarcasm. I promise.

Join Students for a Democratic Society and Democracy for America as we work to establish a student voice among the budget cuts. For those who are unaware of the issues going on within the language department, look beneath the fold!

This morning at 10am, several language professors met with directors to discuss the Administration’s ultimatum on the language department. The professors either had to give up all level 30 classes in all languages and reduce the requirement to the 20 level or open up the class limit from 18 to 25. The professors opted for the second possibility, although language classes are less productive as the attendance increases. The decision will officially be announced to all language professors tomorrow afternoon.

While this ultimatum’s resolution does not directly defy what Jehuda promised when he said that no classes would be cut, it is clear that the threat of dissolving certain classes is a valuable tactic to the administration as they consider budget cuts.

Join us tonight as we figure out what to do with our concerns. 9 pm – Castle Commons.

Results of the meeting will be sent to DFA and SDS mailing lists and more than likely posted on Innermost Parts.

What has been cut? As we sit in this room, we’ve found ourselves upset with the the large number of programs that have been cut in response to the budget crisis. We understand that programs do need to be cut, but we are upset with the lackof communication and consultation with students.

Here are the programs that we either know have been cut, think have been cut, or have heard that they are talking about cutting:

The Pool

The Stein (maybe, student workers have been told they will be cut)

Language 30 levels (this is being discussed)

USEM classes

Funding for  Programming at Prospect Hill Terrece

Future Leonard Bernstein Quartet scholarships

Community Engaged Learning Programming

Midyear Dorms (they won’t be renovating a dorm for midyears)

This list isn’t neccesarily accurate, much of it is based on rumor and speculation. It is not an all-inclusive list. What programs of yours have been cut? What should be cut?

For those of you who have voted, you were greeted with the following question to which you casted a vote:

Recognizing the social, environmental and economic implications of bottled water, should Brandeis University reduce the sale and distribution of bottled water on campus?

It is difficult to deny that this question is biased in its wording. To me, the phrasing of “Recognizing… implications” prior to the question at hand suggests that whoever wrote it was angling for more “yes” responses. Personally, I support a reduction, if not elimination, of the sale and distribution of bottled water on campus. Still, I was more than a little dismayed by the bias that this question exhibits.

For those of us who walked around the Massell Quad on Tuesday, it was hard to miss the words written on the walkways with masking tape – “Vote Narayan.” A creative use of Union materials, no doubt, that could arguably be the reason he pulled up one extra vote over Savannah Pearlman which led him into the final round against Nipun Marwaha.

Narayan is a curious creature among the Massell Quad candidates as his fliers and facebook group do not dictate a platform. In fact, when speaking with him last night, he was open in admitting that he had no platform to his candidacy. While I would imagine this fact may deter others from voting for him, I find this stance to be oddly refreshing and a welcomed change of pace. Granted, specified platforms are the only items that stand in the way of turning Student Union elections into popularity contests. Still I cannot resist a qwirky, irrelevent poster which brings a sense of playfulness to the baseless tension and drama that these elections cause.

Once the other three candidates expressed their campaign promises, I found myself objecting to something in each of their platforms. However, Narayan made no promises; he simply introduced himself as a member of the Brandeis community. I would rather have a senator who would support endowment transparency – someone who would help to ensure that the entire campus is notified when a police officer draws his gun. I am not looking for a senator who wants to “increase Sherman hours” and “fix the Renfield dryers” (which, the dryers are funcioning perfectly, by the way…).

So, thank you, Narayan, for not handing out the same, old, washed-up campaign promises that will likely never be kept. Thank you for leaving the Renfield dryers alone. Thank you for not taking this process too seriously.

Anyone with common sense can see that this endorsement was intended to abuse the naivete of first years who are less than familiar with Brooks’ schemes for Senate seats. My favorite line of all:

I support Andrew because he will bring a badly needed fresh perspective to the Student Union.

Apart from being utterly false, the above quote has poor sentence structure. Go below the fold for the entire contents of the e-mail.

Hey first years!

My name is Justin Sulsky, and I’m your senator-at-large. I just wanted to drop you a quick line to introduce myself and let you know that I am available to help you resolve issues here at the University. E-mail me at jsulsky@brandeis.edu or dial x9-7863 and I’d be happy to help!

I also wanted to remind you that as Brandeis students you have an important obligation to vote in the current Student Union special election for Vice President! You’re not in high school anymore so remember this is not a popularity contest. Please take 10 seconds to vote starting at 12 am at http://union.brandeis.edu/elections/FA08-3/vp#

I’ve decided to take the unusual step of publicly supporting Andrew Brooks in this election. I support Andrew because he will bring a badly needed fresh perspective to the Student Union. He is deeply concerned about the internal bickering that has plagued our Union for too long and will ensure it focuses on improving quality-of-life.

Please vote! And please seriously consider supporting Andrew. He has what it takes to make Brandeis better for all of us! See http://people.brandeis.edu/~abrooks to see why.

Best,

Justin

Senator-at-Large

Student Union Government

Take a look at the April 18th, 2008 post by Lev. My favorite quote of all:

We need to ensure that candidates who want to take action and transcend petty politics fill these seats.

In my case, I demand a candidate to take action, not just “want to take action.” I demand an activist, not someone who wishes to bring back “an activist spirit.” I demand passion, not politics. I am forced to question the validity of a man’s words when this man disregarded activism in one election and then made it one of his main platform components in another.

I am clearly a Brooks skepticist. But then again, who am I to question the motives of this man?

I am a voter, and that’s my responsibility.

As a first year here at Brandeis, I was overwhelmed by the turn-out this past Thursday night in the Shapiro Atrium as Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech for the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. While I am fully aware that this is a fairly liberal campus of individuals, there was something very reassuring about such a large group. While I suppose that it is entirely possible some were simply passing through for a trip to Einstein’s, there is no doubt that so many went out of their way to be there.

And as I sat there, in awe of our future president’s words, I thought: What if everyone in this room made an effort to help elect this man? What if, apart from their own vote, they helped to get out the vote of others, both on and beyond this campus?

Sure, we all have things that need to get done – things that perhaps rank above helping to elect the future leader of this nation – but what else is stopping you? Are you afraid of being labled a “crazy liberal?” Are you afraid of reaching outside of your comfort zone? Are you afraid of putting yourself out there? Well, my friend, some fears rank secondary to the fear of four more years of a failed war, four more years of the same failed policies.

So I urge you to break free! If you cared enough to take in Obama’s words that night, care enough to pass the message. Care enough to help change the country because if you won’t, who will?