I am sick of being treated like (and assumed to be with no real basis) an uninformed, protest-happy, activist.  Instead of dismissively demeaning my intelligence because of the position I hold in opposition to this decision, I wish we could have a conversation more focused on addressing the reality of the divides that have been underlined in our class community.  (I say that to you especially, Jehuda)

I am also sick of being blamed for creating the divisiveness that I am speaking out in protest of.  My statement of opposition to Oren being chosen as our commencement speaker* is not what created this divide.  The reality is, even if everyone who felt offended/upset/ostracized by the choice didn’t speak out, didn’t say anything, didn’t protest– the divide would still be real.  Real and invisible to those who are supportive or apathetic about him speaking.  The divide is real and an obvious result of this choice.

For me, the imposition of the Middle East conflict in my commencement makes me feel even more separated from the identity of a “Brandeis student” (see Jeremy Sherer’s article in the Justice*).  As a non-Jew at Brandeis, it is often assumed that I couldn’t possibly understand the conflict no matter how much research I do.  It’s true, I have no personal connection to the conflict, but if this were just an issue about politics, why would that matter?  We all fully understand that this is a very divisive issue particularly at Brandeis, primarily because it isn’t just an issue about politics–it’s an issue that reaches down to our personal identities and the communities we belong to.  This conflict viscerally affects people of varying identities within the Brandeis community in wildly different manifestations, which is why the choice of Oren is so particularly divisive.

I also want to vocalize to those who are concerned about their commencement day being ruined by disrespectful protesters, that I understand.  Considering what happened at UC Irvine, it’s a logical fear.  So please just know that I do not in any way shape or form intend to ruin our day and I have yet to hear from anyone planning any form of disruptive protest*.

So let’s stop criticizing and intentionally provoking each other. Let’s stop making the divide greater.  Let’s not make assumptions about each other, but engage in truly constructive dialogue.  But let’s not ignore the real issues present. Many people don’t want their commencement ruined by disrespectful protesters.  Understandable.  Many people don’t want a speaker who politicizes their commencement (regardless of their political leanings).  Also, understandable.  Let’s talk like adults who respect each other, ok?

I welcome civil conversation with anyone about this, especially if you have creative ideas about how we can express ourselves in an intelligent and respectful way.

~Jessica Stearns
Class of 2010

__________________________________________________________________________________________

*Note that there is a big difference between a commencement speaker and a speaker just visiting campus.  We can discuss this if you’d like.

*Again, these feelings are not incited by Jeremy, they were present beforehand. I promise you.

*If I do, I will actively be taking part in preventing that from happening

Part 1 here

and Part 2 here!

But recently, I lost mine and then someone took the liberty of using all my WHOcash to do their laundry in Rosenthal.  Is there any way we could make whocash more secure, so that things like this don’t happen?  I know people are supposed to make sure the face matches the card when you buy things (I won’t get into how rarely this is actually enforced)… but when it comes to laundry it’s not like the WHOcash readers have retinal scans or anything to make sure the right person is using them.

I feel like this can’t be just an isolated incident, and that other people must have had similar experiences, I’m just wondering if anyone either a) knows a way to report this or b) has ideas about how to prevent this from happening to others in the future.  PIN numbers for laundry machines?  Anything?

I welcome your thoughts.

Dear Brandeis Student,

As two students interested in diversity at Brandeis, we have created a survey to gather information on the experiences, perceptions and interests of the Brandeis Community regarding diversity. Along with Dean Adams, we will analyze the results to determine the needs and desires of Brandeis students as they pertain to these issues.

We have tried to keep the survey as inclusive as possible without losing statistical significance. Because your personal experiences and ideas are of interest to us, if one or more of your self-identifications are not listed, please let us know in the question provided towards the end of the survey. Please also note that on the questions that ask you for self-identifications, you may choose not to answer.

The survey should take about ten minutes:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Yb3jf_2fCGqqLxxAGUj2ZN0Q_3d_3d

Thank you for contributing your time and effort to this initiative!

Thanks,

Kaamila Mohamed and Megan Straughan

So, I posted this on facebook a while back, but it is something I think about every time I sit down to study, so I thought that maybe you beautiful Innermost Parts readers might enjoy it as well.

I recently read an article by Nicholas Carr called “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”, and I found it very interesting.  Especially considering the amount of my friends who have complained of symptoms of ADD (some I’ll admit were joking, but I know several who have actually been taking steps to get diagnosed), I find it very fitting.

One point that stuck with me the most, was when he was talking about his difficulty reading:

Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.

I remember flying through books with relative ease when I was younger, and even just a few years ago in high school.  Only recently have I stumbled upon this inability to focus and concentrate on the narratives being presented to me. Although I’m not sure I would 100% blame it on the interweb, I do find it interesting that this experience seems to be pretty common among many people I know.

Thoughts and feelings, anyone?

Funny sidenote: considering all the above, I think the length of this article kind of keeps it out of the reaches of those who might be the most interested in Mr. Carr’s perspective.

I am very happy that Brandeis does not recognize Columbus Day, especially since I read the book Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen and my eyes were opened to the myth I was taught in 3rd grade.  The cute little songs can no longer cover the realities of Mr. Columbus’ pillaging and degradation of our nations native peoples.  I could go on and on about the wrongs this man has done, so you can check out these quotes from Leowen’s book for more info. (The Columbus conversation doesn’t start until partway down the page)

Christopher Columbus introduced two phenomena that revolutionized race relations and transformed the modern world: the taking of land, wealth, and labor from indigenous peoples, leading to their near extermination, and the transatlantic slave trade, which created a racial underclass. (Leowen)

Come on, America.  Is this really who we want as a national hero?

Also from my understanding (and according to my calander), some have reclaimed today as Indigenous People’s Day.  I find that to be much more fitting.  Today should be a day of mourning and rememberance, as well as facing the current situation of native people in our country and working towards a more respectful and peaceful future.

So to all, a meaningful Indigenous People’s Day.

1) I realized exactly how much the teachings and philosophy of Buddhism promote being active in the world we live in, in many varying ways.

2) On a deeper level, I realized that my contact with Buddhism and how I live my life through a Buddhist lens has made any activist issue (that promotes the genuine happiness and well-being of all sentient beings) is a deeply personal and spiritual issue for me.

3) I want to read more books.

So, in discovering just to what extent my Buddhist practice goes hand in hand with my drive for progressive activism and being the Religious Studies UDR that I am… I am wondering if other people have similar experiences where their religious/spiritual affiliations or views affect their personal experiences with and perspectives on activism.

So take a little time… while you’re walking to class, when you’re mind is racing before you go to bed, when you’re in the shower… and think about where your activist drive comes from and what reinforces it.  Be it religious or not, I really am truly curious!  So please, please, please post your thoughts!  Or you can stalk me and we can have lunch and talk about it

*The Justice had to do some light editing for issues of space, so you can read my letter in its full, unadulterated form after the jump

My name is Jessica Stearns, and I am currently a member of both Student Peace Alliance and the Soka Gakkai Buddhist Club. I am writing in response to some misinformation about the Buddhist practice that was published in Matt Lawrence’s recent article “Origami swans are no match for cold, harsh reality”.

Lawrence states that, “Buddhism advocates withdrawal from this world to attain the highest state of being. Similarly, the Student Peace Alliance seems to advocate abandoning reality to solve the problems of this world. The event flyers talk about ending conflict, which calls to mind some nirvana or the oblivion of the human condition.”

Buddhists have quite an extensive track record of protest and involvement in their communities. I am pretty sure the vast numbers of monks and nuns who have protested, and are currently protesting, in Myanmar (Burma) do not see the Buddha’s teachings as advocating withdrawal from the world.

And if we search into the lives and teachings of renowned Buddhist leaders such as the Dalai Lama and the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh we find teachings that are rooted in the betterment of the world in which we live. Cherish the present moment. Find true happiness through compassion and service to others. Use engagement in your community to enhance your practice. (For more information on these teachings, start by taking a look at these two books: The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama, and/or Interbeing: 14 Precepts of Engaged Buddhism by Thich Nhat Hanh)

This assumption that Buddhism promotes removal of oneself from society is especially untrue in the sect of Nichiren Buddhism that our organization here at Brandeis focuses on.

I feel that the Soka Gakkai International website states their purpose much more eloquently than I could: “This Buddhist practice leads to empowerment and inner transformation or ‘human revolution’ which enables individuals to take responsibility over their lives and contribute to building a world where people of diverse cultures and faiths can live in peace.”

Nirvana and the oblivion of the human condition are not what strengthen the bond between Buddhists and the peace movement. This connection is made with the concept of dependant origination, or interbeing. This concept deserves an article all to itself, but in an elementary sense it teaches how our own well being, in fact our own existence, is intricately tied to those who surround us. So for there to be an event promoting more peaceful ways of solving conflicts, strategies that realize the humanity of others and that we are all inextricably linked, makes a lot of sense in a Buddhist perspective.

The only commonality that Lawrence brings up between peace and Buddhism is that they apparently both “seem to get a disproportionate amount of support or interest from well-meaning liberals for no good reason.”

Buddhism helps me incorporate peace practice in my everyday life. It helps me take the daunting, ethereal concept and apply it to my interactions with others, promoting the peace culture that is also a goal of the Student Peace Alliance. I wouldn’t call the relationship I have with these two groups “support” or merely “interest”, it is more integrated into who I am as a person than that. For myself and other “well-meaning liberals” I think the ability to pull peace out of the sky and put it in your life, where it belongs, is a pretty good reason to be involved in Buddhist peace work.

Anyone who would like any information on Buddhism for future articles, or just out of personal interest, is more than welcome to contact myself, Kathleen Fischman, or Miriam Von Guggenberg. We are pretty well equipped to answer any questions you might have regarding SGI or Buddhism in a broader sense.

The SGI Buddhist Club meets every Thursday at 7pm in the Peace Room in Usdan. All are welcome! Please come be INVOLVED in your world!

You can read the entire article here and if you aren’t half as upset as I am, maybe we should do lunch and talk about why you should be.

The entire article operates on the definition of peace as the absence of war and an unfounded romanticization of military service.  And to my surprise, he includes his…dare I say, liberal … position on gays in the military.

One thing that had me particularly dumbfounded was his passionate anger and disgust towards the Peace Room… (yes, I said the Peace Room)

“I remember the first time I entered the Peace Room during my freshmen year. This tucked away space in the Usdan Student Center is a revolting display of propaganda, as it includes a one-sided view of a very multi-faceted reality. Furnished like a hippie hashish-smoking room and containing an 8-foot tall statue of Ghandi, this place oozed the disgusting aura of blind non-violence. Worst of all, the room possessed a register of conscientious objectors, where Brandeis students had inscribed their names in order to represent themselves under this classification. This place was disgusting, this room was horrific. I felt like taking a flamethrower to the place. The room represented the blind pursuance of liberal ideals so indicative of our institution.”

For those too faint hearted to explore the actual Peace Room themselves, I understand.  The ohm symbols on the walls, the books talking about alternative ways of solving conflicts, the meditation cushions… that can be so overwhelming to the rational war-mongering mind. Feel free to see the disgusting liberal propaganda here at Brandeis University’s own Peace, Conflict and Co-existence Studies webpage.  Make sure you’re prepared, as these pictures are quite shocking and may inspire you to reach for your handy flamethrower and run to Usdan. Beware of the conscientious objector registry, for this is the worst of all!

Wait, really?

After reading this, I wondered “Wow, did he really go to the same Peace Room I did?”.  For me, the peace room is not a place where I can finally let out a sigh of relief and blindly follow my liberal ideals to my hearts content.  I use the Peace Room as a study space, a meeting place for the Buddhist Club, and I have actually had many peace-related debates in that very room.  The Peace Room provides a relaxed atmosphere, outside of the war culture we live in right now. What I find more dangerous is that our country is seeming to operate on the pursuance of blind violence (which I personally find to be much more harmful than “blind non-violence”– whatever that is).

Also, I am proud to say that I have officially signed the Conscientious Objector registry. I also officially volunteer to be a witness for anyone who wants to do the same.

Then he continues:

“In fact, I would adamantly defend that it is often the best way to safeguard our valued liberties. Projecting an image of flaccidity and complacency bolsters our foes and weakens our ability to protect our country. Nevertheless, our university has an entire department dedicated to peace, conflict and coexistence. Clubs all around our campus preach the unyielding message of non-violence and peace. These groups are deluded whenever they talk against the efficacy of violent action. As the movie “Team America: World Police” conveys, “freedom isn’t free” and oftentimes must be paid for with the blood of violent activity.”

First of all, did you really just quote a movie whose main characters are puppets to make your point?

Second of all, this operates on the mistaken impression that non-violence=flaccidity and complacency.

Mahatma Ghandi.  Martin Luther King Jr.  Nelson Mandela.  The Dalai Lama.  Aung San Suu Kyi.

When you hear these names, are “complacency” and “flaccidity” the first terms that pop into your mind?  An avid Kucinich supporter, the first thing that comes to my mind is his presidential slogan “Strength through Peace”.  Personally, I view the path these people took as much more courageous than the easy answer of violence.  There are alternatives to military might, it just requires a creative mind and a willingness to get past the “us vs. them” propaganda .

I could talk about this forever, so I will cut myself short here with one final comment:

I don’t know if it’s just me, but the addition of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy just didn’t really fit in well with the rest of the article.  To me it seemed added as an afterthought.  And although I commend Jordan for his position on that specific issue… I wish he would reconsider every other position he presents in this article.

I had quite the experience this summer, thanks to funding from the Peace Awards here at Brandeis.

In short, I went to India for two months and taught English and World Religions to underprivileged Buddhist nuns in the Himalayas.  I went through the Jamyang Foundation, which has many projects in remote Himalayan regions dedicated to providing education for ordained Buddhist women.  This education spans a wide variety of subjects, from Buddhist philosophy to hygiene to English and more.

Before I continue, let me just say that there is no way in hell I will ever be able to completely convey this entire experience to you.  Writing this gives me the same feeling I had when taking pictures of the Himalayas: knowing the picture you take will never be able to capture the tremendous beauty and majesty of those mountains, or the feeling you get when you’re surrounded by them.  So, if I ever sound frustrated in my writing of this, or if this ends up being ridiculously long in an attempt to fit everything in, please understand my dilemma.

So, regarding logistics, while at the nunnery I taught 6 hours of class a day, 6 days a week.  There were 18 nuns with varying degrees of English proficiency and ages spanning from 14 to 30.  I taught typing classes, English, World Religions, and women’s health… as well as some Gender Theory 101 whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Rocking the Deis sweatshirt while teaching typing class

Although my main function for being at the nunnery was to teach, the activist in me was screaming that it was my responsibility to do something more once I arrived.  Many of the nuns suffered from ringworm, fungal infections, stomach viruses, deteriorating eyesight and rotting teeth due to malnutrition, as well as yeast infections– so I did the most obvious thing and spent most of my stipend on taking them to the doctor.

The thing that struck me most about this specific experience is how hard it is when you have it in your mind that “I’m going to this place to help people”, to actually go there and help them in the most long-lasting way.  Easy fixes are so tempting–it’s a lot easier to be on a mission to help people, and find that just doing things for them is much easier on you than teaching them and empowering them to do things themselves. Teaching classes was easy, but when it came to helping improve the facilities of the nunnery I could very easily have done many things for them.  But then what would happen when I left?  It was the whole “teach a man to fish” metaphor, which sounds so easy and cute when you’re talking about fishing.  It’s a lot harder to step back when you really want to help and let those you’re helping take the lead and learn through experience.

The nuns were all painfully shy and passive, but during my stay, a group of five of the older nuns (who before would run and hide in their rooms whenever anyone from the village came to the nunnery) learned how to use their networking skills to call and set an appointment with a contractor, a painter, and concrete workers.  They learned to speak their opinions and to not be taken advantage of.  It was amazing to see their self confidence rise when they realized “hey, I can do this!”.

These are the 6 nuns who started to step up and take charge during my time at the nunnery

Caste discrimination still had a firm grasp on the area I stayed in, even at the nunnery which was quite surprising to me.  There are two castes in the area, one higher and one lower, and one of the rules is that if you are of a lower caste you cannot go into the kitchen of a higher caste person.  The nuns have workers of both castes that help them in their garden, and when it comes time for lunch you can see the higher caste workers sitting in the kitchen and the lower caste workers sitting in the cow shed.  Yes, the cow shed.  With flies and manure.

“He likes sitting in the cow shed”, one of the nuns told me when I asked why he wasn’t in the kitchen.  I know that if I said I liked sitting in the cow shed, they would throw a fit.

So, in my religion class we studied the caste system pretty intensely, and I focused on the fact that the caste system is itself Hindu and something that the Buddha, 2500 years ago, taught was unjust and not an adequate way of determining someones merit.  Of course, there was no visible change during my stay, big cultural changes take time.  But all you can do is plant the seeds of change, and hope that they grow with time.

Another interesting thing was grappling with the concept of karma and how that often leads to complacency with the inequalities of a social structure, as it justifies them.  I saw my time there as a sharing of the privilege that I unjustly received by being born a white, middle-class, college educated woman in America– but when I tried explaining this reasoning to my nuns, there was a fundamental difference in the way we viewed privilege.  To them, I didn’t unjustly receive this privilege, I earned it in a past life.  And for me to be there trying to share my privilege was just me being a very compassionate person.  This blew my mind for a while.

Now, so this isn’t just all about me– if you’re reading this, there’s something you can do to be involved in this experience.  The nuns right now have their cow shed directly next to their kitchen.  In order to go from the kitchen to the toilets, you are walking through manure.  The amount of flies there in the summer is horrific:

Click here for a video of the kitchen. Note the flies.

… and the nuns are incessantly sick due to malnutrition and a lack of hygiene.  During my stay, they mentioned to me that they had been thinking about moving their cow shed.  I told them that if they called a contractor who would say “I will build this, here is an estimate”, and could find a decent piece of land to put it on, that I would help them raise the money to build it.  So, the day before I left the nunnery, a contractor came and gave an estimate of 5,330 dollars for a two story cow shed with a hay loft to be placed next to their gardens.  I’m looking for people who either a) want to donate to the cause or b) have any interesting ideas for fundraising events etc.  Facebook me, e mail me, or call me!  If you want to hear more about my experience, or details on the cow shed project, or have any ideas, I would love to hear from you!

More pictures at www.jessicasindiatrip2008.shutterfly.com