Please join us on Tuesday May 8th, from 7:00pm-8:00pm at the Waltham Public Library for a discussion about how to create a safer community for and with victims of domestic and sexual violence.  

 

Specifically, we will be discussing Bill S918 which protects the employment rights of victims of domestic violence by providing 15 days of unpaid leave to plan for their safety.

 

This event, being organized by Brandeis Senior Marla Merchut and Brandeis Junior Becca Miller is in conjunction with the Waltham Representative Thomas Stanley as well as

REACH and Jane Doe Inc. This event is an out growth of the legal studies class Advocacy for Policy Change. We believe this is an event and topic very important to the Brandeis community and we would appreciate your support and attendance.

A black man's only use is to dispense candy to white women, and when he fails to do so, he must be kicked until he works again.

This Skittles commercial blatantly promotes reliance on racist stereotypes and behaviors.

It reminds me of BlackJerry, except without the astute political commentary.

Really, Skittles?!

Ever wanted to do that over a free lunch?

If so, this may be the event for you.

Social Justice in the Brandeis Curriculum

Wednesday, February 8, 12 – 1:30 p.m.

Alumni Lounge, Usdan



Professors Gordon Fellman (PAX, SOC), Laura Goldin (ENVS, AMST), Tim Hickey (COSI), Sue Lanser (ENG, WMGS), and Melissa Stimell (LGLS) will lead small group discussions about the following topics: What majors, courses, and programs contribute to advancing social justice, and in what ways? How could other majors and courses contribute more to advancing social justice? How do we define social justice, and how do we interact if our definitions differ? Lunch will be served.



Sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences; American Studies; Computer Science; Department of Sociology; English; Environmental Studies; Legal Studies; Peace, Conflict and Coexistence Studies.



For more information: Dean Elaine Wong

Will we get (or at least vote on) a midyear senator this year?

Way back in the fall of 2009 (my first semester) there was a whole big controversy over the Student Union Secretary at the time, Diana Aronin, not submitting a constitutional amendment to the student body for a vote. 

Aronin was ultimately impeached and removed from her position, only to run a write-in campaign in the next election and won her title back!

What was the amendement, you ask? 

It proposed the creation of a midyear senator.

Yesterday we received and e-mail from Secretary Kirkland stating that President Rosen has re-introduced this amendement, and it will be voted on by the student body on February 1st.

Here's to learning from history!

Kirkland's full e-mail, including the text of the proposal, provided below:

The Student Union president, Herbie Rosen, has proposed a midyear senator position.  The Student Union senate approved the proposition.  As a result, there will be a student vote on February 1st.  Below is the proposal.

If there is any student that has an argument against this proposal, they can submit it to me. 

Amendment Proposal:

The establishment of a Mid-Year Senator

Sponsor: Herbie Rosen ‘12, Student Union President

Proposal Concerning: Article II: Union Senate, Section 2

Current text of Section 2

The Union Senate shall be composed of the Union Vice-President, two Union Senators at-large, each elected by the membership of the entire Union, two Union Senators from each graduating class each elected by the members of his/her class, one Union Senator from each residential quadrangle elected by Union residents of his/her residential quadrangle, one Union Senator from an off-campus residence elected by Union members living off campus, one Union Senator for Racial Minority Students, and one Union Senator for Transitional Year Program students elected by members of the Transitional Year Program.

The term of each position shall be one year, as defined in Article IX.

The Senate shall be the sole judge of what constitutes a residential quadrangle for the purposes of Union representation, and who qualifies as a resident thereof.

The Union Senator for Racial Minority Students shall be elected by a majority vote of all Union members who have declared themselves to the University as being racial minority students.

Proposed change:

The Union Senate shall be composed of the Union Vice-President, two Union Senators at-large, each elected by the membership of the entire Union, two Union Senators from each graduating class each elected by the members of his/her class, one Union Senator from each residential quadrangle elected by Union residents of his/her residential quadrangle, one Union Senator from an off-campus residence elected by Union members living off campus, one Union Senator for Racial Minority Students, and one Union Senator for Transitional Year Program students elected by members of the Transitional Year Program. There will also be one Union Senator elected by members of the most recent Mid-Year class to enter Brandeis as of January that academic year.

The term of each position shall be one year, as defined in Article IX, with the exception of the Mid-Year Senator position. At the beginning of the spring semester, the newest Mid-Year class will elect their representative to serve for the rest of the academic year.

The Senate shall be the sole judge of what constitutes a residential quadrangle for the purposes of Union representation, and who qualifies as a resident thereof.

 

The Union Senator for Racial Minority Students shall be elected by a majority vote of all Union members who have declared themselves to the University as being racial minority students.

The BSF was started in the spring of 2010 after being put to a student vote. It funded 5 projects in its inaugural year (2010-11), to the tune of $48,738.62. This year it chose 3 projects to fund (of the 5 that applied), granting a total of $19,681.58. 

One attribute the BSF has adhered to very well since its inception is transparency. If you follow this links included at the bottom of the post (or through the BSF's website), you can see PDF's of all of the student proposals, an update on last year's projects, and keep track of the finances the BSF posesses. This kind of transparency is useful for students who are interested in proposing projects, and allows students to hold it accountable for the money they are paying to fund these programs.

Below are the descriptions of the projects the BSF has decided to fund for Fall 2011, courtesy of Janna Cohen-Rosenthal, Brandeis' Sustainability Coordinator.

 Congratulations to those who came up with the projects!

 

 

greenbean recycling machine!: $15,968

Project Leader: Taylor Early '15

Greenbean recycling machine aims to increase recycling rates and promote how easy and accessible recycling can be by installing a reverse vending machine in Usdan Student Center. The machine collects plastic and glass bottles as well as aluminum cans and offers a 5 cent deposit on those that fall under the Bottle Bill Law in Massachusetts, and the refund can be either sent to a PayPal account, a charity, or a WhoCash account (tbd).

It's A Breeze: Drying Racks $2,226.58 

Project Leaders: Philip Lu '11,  Katharine Glanbock '14

To cut energy used on laundry, drying racks of various shapes and sizes will be available for free through a rental program on a per semester basis. Public drying racks will also be placed in laundry rooms throughout campus for residents' use

Windowfarms: $1,487.00 

Project Leader: Eve Markvardt '13

Windowfarm is a vertical, hydroponic growing system that allows for year-round growing in almost any window. Three windowfarms will be installed in the Village Quad and provide students with fresh herbs and vegetables for the use in shared kitchens.

The following project applications were invited to reapply in the next round of funding:

• Solar Hot Water: Have engineering and feasibility studies done with a more specific price range
• Pedal Power: Reduce cost of project, finalize logistical details, and clarify environmental and educational benefit

In addition students may start the 2012 application process by submitting an Expression of Interest/ Ideas Form.  A BSF board member will work with you to develop your project to be successful. We hope by starting early in 2012 we can get many projects off to a great start. Project funding maybe available in Spring 2012 for projects invited to reapply and new ideas in a rolling process (depending on how much is allocated of the remaining yearly funds) and a more formal process will begin again in Fall 2012 with the newly collected funds. 

Information: 

• Copies of the original applications online. 
• Copies of the original Expression of Ideas List

As President Rosen's latest e-mail announces, "the Linsey Pool at Brandeis University is back up and running," with an opening ceremony scheduled for this Saturday.

This is a great accomplishment! Here's to the petitions members of the Brandeis community created, the e-mails they sent, the articles they wrote, the surveys they took, all of which added up to a strong plea to the Board of Trustees to renovate our pool!

From a BrandeisNow article published on March 31st, the day the Board of Trustees approved the renovation:

Student surveys showed that the pool was one of their top priorities, past members of the swimming and diving team strongly advocated for the facility and alumni lobbied both former President Jehuda Reinharz and President Lawrence.

Changes to expect from the pool when you go there, as reported by BrandeisNow? (If you were here long enough ago to remember the old pool.)

Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins said the project includes new mechanical and electrical infrastructure, new locker rooms, repairs to the pool and pool deck, a new entryway and updates to the lobby.

Go activism! Be proud, all those who campaigned for a new pool! Here is your dessert!

Many have protested this narrow definition for its gender-specificity and focus on physical force over the years. Now, CNN reports, the Justice Department released a statement saying they will be updating and broadening the definition.

"The crime of rape will be defined as "penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim."

Change.org, an online activist site that allows users to draft petitions in order to provoke change, e-mailed out a list of changes that have taken place in the past few months, including a petition urging the FBI to update their definition, in which they have been involved. 

Read below for the full text of the e-mail and consider starting your own petition today.

This is big. For the past 80 years, the FBI has used an extremely narrow definition of rape that led to massive underreporting of rape and insufficient federal funding for police departments to fight violence against women.

But after months of sustained pressure, including 140,000 messages sent via Change.org, Director Robert Mueller announced this week that he gave final approval for the FBI to update its official definition of rape!

That means you moved the FBI. And that’s not an easy thing to do.

Director Mueller’s decision is the most recent proof that when people band together to make change, no institution is immovable.

Just in the past few months, a 22-year-old nanny named Molly Katchpole used Change.org to force both Bank of America and Verizon to roll back newly proposed fees. A Women’s Professional Soccer player got U.S. Soccer to save her league when it was in danger of disbandment. And a grad student forced the Discovery Channel to commit to airing a documentary on climate change that they’d tried to pull from their line-up.

People are using Change.org every day to make real change. You could be next.

Start your own petition by clicking here.

Thanks for being a change-maker,

- Shelby and the Change.org team

I love getting these kinds of e-mails from the Innocence Project.

They tell me about their clients, prisoners serving time, who they have helped exonerate through the use of DNA evidence.

Oh, our criminal justice system….

Read the full text of the Innocence Project's e-mail below:

What a wonderful way to start the New Year. Today in Dallas, Texas, Rickey Dale Wyatt was cleared after spending 31 years in prison for a crime that he didn’t commit. A Dallas County judge released Wyatt and recommended that his 1981 rape conviction be overturned based on DNA and other evidence.

Tragically, attorneys who prosecuted Wyatt 31 years ago contributed to this miscarriage of justice by concealing evidence of his innocence. The case was built on faulty eyewitness testimony, yet the victim originally described a perpetrator much taller and heavier than Wyatt. The prosecution dismissed these inconsistencies, arguing that the defendant’s appearance could have changed in the interval between the crime and his arrest.  But there were documents in the prosecutor’s file proving that his appearance had not changed.  Had this been shared with the defense as required by law, Wyatt may never have been found guilty.

The efforts of the Dallas District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit to seek the truth in this case are exemplary. The Unit helped secure DNA testing of biological evidence, which supported Wyatt’s innocence although it was somewhat degraded. This evidence, as well as the discovery of prosecutorial misconduct at trial, compelled authorities to further investigate the case and ultimately to call for Wyatt’s release.

Ten Dallas exonerees also attended today’s hearing to show support for Wyatt and to celebrate his freedom. Mr. Wyatt plans to live with his nephew Robert Smith, who testified at his trial and who now ministers to people returning from prison. Wyatt and his family will greet supporters and speak to the media at a press conference outside the Dallas County Courthouse. The Innocence Project is assisting with Wyatt’s adjustment to the outside world after three decades of wrongful imprisonment. We anticipate his full exoneration later this year.

Mr. Wyatt’s defense team includes the Innocence Project, Gary Udashen, of Sorrels, Udashen & Anton and the Innocence Project of Texas.

Thank you for your commitment to justice,

 

Maddy deLone
Executive Director
The Innocence Project

That our country has a secret prison where we 'detain' people for indefinite amounts of time without trials.

It's called Guanatanamo Bay, and it's been open for 10 years.

According to the New York Times, in January of 2009, Obama issued an executive order instructing the CIA to close down Guanatanamo within the year, calling the secret prison camp "a damaging symbol to the world."

Three years later, the New York Times reports that 171 prisoners remain there now. You can read a docket listing the prisoners' full names. Many of them have been held since 2002, when the prison opened.

Help put an end to this unfair treatment by signing Amnesty's petition to Obama, participating in Amnesty's National Day of Action Against Guantanamo on January 11th in D.C., or simply becoming better education on the situation, for instance by reading Poems from Guantanamo Bay, poems written directly by the prisoners and edited by Marc Falkoff.

The full text of Amnesty's e-mail is included below:

January 11, 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of "war on terror" detainees at Guantanamo. We're not going to let this day pass quietly.

Sign Amnesty's global petition urging President Obama to finally follow through on his promise to close Guantanamo. Help us meet our goal of 100,000 signatures worldwide — signatures we plan to deliver straight to the White House door. 

We haven't forgotten President Obama's pledge to close Guantanamo, one of his first acts as president. Nearly three years later, the President has failed to keep his end of the bargain.

Even worse, President Obama has yet again relented to extremists in Congress. On New Year's Eve, he signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law, along with its appalling detention provisions.


We lost that fight, but there's reason for hope. The battle over the NDAA united activists across the ideological divide, who put differences aside and came together to oppose the NDAA. 

January 11th isn't just any anniversary. This year, it's acritical moment to rise up against a shameful decade of human rights abuses perpetrated in our name. We can't let the recent outrage against the NDAA simply ebb away — help us channel this passion into a movement rededicated to closing Guantanamo! 


Guantanamo is a costly human rights catastrophe. Military and intelligence experts have repeatedly asserted that Guantanamo and the violations it stands for are immoral, illegal and counterproductive to US national security. 


There is a simple solution to closing Guantanamo — either charge detainees and give them a fair trial in US federal court, or release them. 


Sign our petition to tell President Obama that we are tired of his excuses. Guantanamo must be closed. 

For many, the New Year holiday embodies humanity's hopes for the future. Here's to 2012 — and with your help, this could be Guantanamo's final year.

Sincerely, 
Zeke Johnson
Director, Security with Human Rights Campaign
Amnesty International USA

P.S. It's not too late to join us in Washington, DC on January 11th for a National Day of Action Against Guantanamo. Lend a hand to our human chain! 

This video is a really nice example of an "average American" sharing his voice in government.

I think he does a good job.

Zach Wahls Speaks About Family

Description on Youtube.

"Zach Wahls, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student spoke about the strength of his family during a public forum on House Joint Resolution 6 in the Iowa House of Representatives. Wahls has two mothers, and came to oppose House Joint Resolution 6 which would end civil unions in Iowa.



The fight to to keep marriage equality in Iowa continues, help us support Iowans like Zach. 



http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/12424"

The resolution passed in the House but did not make it to a vote in the Senate.

The Chicago Innocent Project, similar to Brandeis' own Schuster Institute Brandeis Innocence Project, investigates criminal cases in which prisoners may have been wrongfully convicted. According to the nationwide Innocence Project's site, there have been 281 post-conviction DNA exonerations in the United States, including 17 who served time on Death Row. If ever there were a strong argument against the death penalty, there it is.

This holiday season, why not watch some movies which explore the merits and flaws of our criminal justice system? Having only watched #s 10, 9, and 3, I can't vouch for the majority of the movies on this list, but all of them raise good questions and promote awareness of the flaws in our criminal justice system, regardless of their cinematic worth.

For extended synopses and commentary, read Protess' full article.

10. Conviction

9. My Cousin Vinny

8. In the Name of the Father 

7. Murder on a Sunday Morning

6. The Fugitive 

5. The Hurricane (a movie about the life of Ruben Carter, the Vice President of the Chicago Innocence Project)

4. Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills

3. Shawshank Redemption 

2. The Thin Blue Line

1. The Wrong Man 

Below is a summary of the highlights of the latest Student Union e-mail, along with my commentary underneath each point.

I am in Chicago and so could not go to the State of the Union. Did anyone attend? Thoughts/reactions?

Attached to this post is "most of what was said at the State of the Union," e-mailed by the Student Union. I like the town hall forum initiative. Rosen covered a lot of  issues and changes Brandeis has been making, and for the most part they sound like steps in a positive, more student-friendly and involved path.

• The Usdan C-Store (P.O.D.) will be open from Midnight – 2am on Saturdays for all of next Semester! Thank you to everyone for supporting the Senate's Ad-Hoc Dining Committee, Senator Ricky Rosen and the Student Union in this initiative. Make good use of those hours!
  • ?YES! Responding to students' needs! Now if only we could negotiate with Aramark…

• In response to PULSE Feedback, we've been trying to secure more study space for the student body. In the future, we are trying to get the Mandel Center & Science Complex, but we need to see how this new option goes. Please understand that you need to keep your study space clean and neat. If this first extension of study spaces goes well, then we will be able to get the nicer areas like the Science Center!
  • ?GREAT! Listening to feedback! Yay!

• Student Union, Student Events, Student Activities and WBRS are proud to bring you… MAKING WAVES! - The Brandeis Pool Party! Saturday, January 21. Keep your eyes open for more information, but get your swim-suits ready!
  • ?Does this mean the pool will be opening Jan. 21st?????!

• Attached is most of what was said at the State of the Union. Please feel free to read it over, and let me know if you have any questions, comments, concerns, etc.
  • Highlight: From now on, Rosen hopes S.o.t.U.'s will be Town Hall Forum-style
  • State of the Union

Harrison Goldspiel, Carrie Watkins and Amira Mintz-Morgenthau submitted "Brandeis Pedal Power: Amping Up Campus Events" as a proposal to the Brandeis Sustainability Fund last month, and are waiting to hear back about whether their project was picked up or not. If funded, it would enable volunteers to generate energy simply by bicycle-riding. The energy could be used for a multitude of campus events, including as a "sustainable sound system," which is what the band Melodeego does, explained Harrison.

This is an awesome idea, promoting bike-riding, concert-attending and sustainability all at once. It's pretty crazy to think that we have such amazing technology these days, which enables us to generate our own energy in such a simple manner.

Read Harrison's description of the project, below, and take their survey too!

The project is "Brandeis Pedal Power: Amping Up Campus Events." I am working with Carrie Watkins '12 and Amira Mintz-Morgenthau '12. I became inspired to work on this project after seeing various concerts powered by bicycle energy. There was a water/hydrofracking festival this summer in NYC that featured a big concert completely powered by bicycle energy generators and "natural ass" power. I also knew of a Massachusetts band called Melodeego that has their own bicycle powered sustainable sound system for all their shows. After going to 350.org's Moving Planet: Boston event on 9/24 and riding the bikes myself, I decided we need this at Brandeis. So I rallied together Carrie and Amira and we applied for a BSF grant to construct three bicycle energy units. We are working very closely with Melodeego and their side project, Sustainable Sound to design and eventually construct the units. The second component to our project involves creating a student group called the Pedal Patrol which will manage the bicycle units. We are collaborating with Student Production Services and will incorporate the completely bicycle units and the Pedal Patrol into their organization.

The goals of our project are to: (1) create a new, carbon-free mechanism to power events on campus, thus reducing total energy use and carbon emissions, (2) get students, faculty, and the administration educated and excited about energy and climate change issues in a visually innovative fashion, and (3) set a precedent for university departments and student organizations, such as the Student Union, Student Events, Student Activities, WBRS, Chums, and the Punk Rock and Roll Club to constantly think about the environmental impact of their decisions.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9WTCRXS

Currently, I'm virtually attending the "last chance" one.

I thought I would liveblog it and post any interesting/entertaining/surprising tips.

Andrea Dine, Associate Director of Career Development at Brandeis' Hiatt Career Center, is currently walking us through how to research our alumni matches, in terms of them personally, their field of work, and their specific position.

Interesting Points

• The number one thing alumni matches complain about is students not knowing anything about what they do.  I can see how this is irresponsible on the students' behalf, but really…why is that so wrong? Why are these alumni getting offended by our ignorance?

• Number one thing NOT to do: directly ask if they will give you a job or internship. I totally agree with this. That makes ANYONE uncomfortable, especially someone you're meeting for the first time, and who's doing you a favor!

• Facebook is a social networking site good for keeping in touch with friends and family, especially long distance.

• Brandeis has a lot of comedian alumni, who have won competitions and appeared on TV! I know of Myq Kaplan, the people behind friends, and perhaps a few others, but I'm excited to e-mail Andrea after and find out who these people are.

• Whether to e-mail or to handwrite thank you letters is a contraversial question. As a gross generlization, older alumni are more likely to expect hand-written notes. I'm surprised to hear that people still handwrite anything. I only ever write e-mails. That's a nice idea, though, to handwrite.

Much like my Intro to Psych class, throughout the Webinar we are being polled to check that we are paying attention. Some of the questions are in regards to our emotions, while others are more like Millionaire $100 questions. Easy and silly.

• One polling question involved the word "definately". 

This is the first time Hiatt is matching students and alumni on an individualized, one-at-a-time basis. Despite the time it takes, they are hoping this will produce better matches!

And that's the end. Thanks Hiatt! That was fun!