Posted on: January 12th, 2012
Category: Brandeis Values, Elly, environment, Experiential Learning, I get email, Take Action, Transparency
Best of luck to Audra Grady and Thank You for all the work you've done to expand the Experiential Learning program and more.
Welcome and Congratulations to Lexi Kriss, whom I know to be a passionate activist, as well as a good improvisor!
To the Brandeis community,
Audra Grady, the Experiential Learning Program Administrator, will be leaving the university later this month to develop her new yoga business, Jaan Yoga, and to begin consulting with the Rickman Group management consulting firm in Providence, Rhode Island. Beginning on January 24, Alexandra (Lexi) Kriss ’11, who worked closely with Audra in the Experiential Learning Office last year, will be assuming the majority of Audra’s responsibilities, while the Experiential Learning Committee reconsiders its current staffing and crafts a new position description.
Audra has been involved in planning and organizing the last two “Experiential Learning, Engaged Learners” spring symposia, as well as the last two fall eXperiential eXpos. She has also recruited and supported the ExCEL Fellows (peer advocates for experiential learning), and advised and supported numerous faculty, staff and students who have offered EL practicum and community-engaged learning courses in departments and programs in all four schools. In addition, Audra has led communications, assessment and fundraising efforts to advance experiential learning at the university, and created or reinforced strong partnerships with community organizations in Waltham.
We will miss her passionate advocacy, and thank her for all her efforts on behalf of Brandeis and its students and faculty.
Please join us in thanking Audra at a farewell reception on Wednesday, January 18, from 4:00-5:30 in the Mandel Center Atrium.
Sincerely,
Elaine Wong
Senior Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences
MS 120 Brandeis University
PO Box 549110
Waltham, MA 02454-9110
Posted on: January 11th, 2012
Category: Activism, Beyond Brandeis, Brandeis Values, Death Penalty, Diversity and Multiculturalism, economy, elections, Elly, environment, gender equality, I get email, International Issues, Surveys, Take Action, Transparency
The Brandeis Office of Study Abroad sent out an e-mail yesterday to students returning from studying abroad.
"Brandeis has been offered the opportunity to have our students (YOU!) participate in a pre- and post-experience assessment survey in a study on the effects of study abroad.
This study is funded by the Teagle Foundation and is directed by the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) and the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)."
Most of the survey asks to what extent you mixed with the natives of the country you visited, so I've been interpreting "native residents" to mean Chicagoans and "native tongue" to mean English.
Part of me regrets that my "study abroad" program (as Brandeis considers it) took place in Chicago because it means I missed out on a lot of uniquely international experiences. However, I think to say that you only experience "cultural immersion" while truly abroad is ignorant: I still interacted with people of different cultures and had to adapt to living on my own in a new city, adjust to new fields of study, and more.
So maybe this survey wasn't quite intended for me, but I just like filling things out too much to resist.
The exciting part of the survey comes close to the end, with a series of role-playing examples! Some of the answers seem very obviously biased (I can hear them being said in an arrogant "American" voice) and I think I can tell which answer the survey thinks I should select if I am a culturally-enlightened human being, while others are more ambiguous.
Because there are 24 of these role playing situations, and each is pretty long, I've included the one I like the most directly below, and you can click the "see more" tab if you want to read the rest.
92. During the last 30 years the Chinese government has implemented a strict one child per family rule in order to keep the population under control. The latest figures have shown the male to female ratio is becoming unbalanced with a ratio nearing 1.2:1. This has been caused by increased abortions of female fetuses. The largely patriarchal history of China, which valued males for helping the family’s economic prospects, has contributed to this trend. What should China do at this point?
Give me your input. Do you think these questions are a good way to gauge how much students have learned about other cultures and/or tolerance?
Posted on: January 8th, 2012
Category: Activism, Beyond Brandeis, Brandeis Values, Elly, environment, Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, gender equality, I get email, National Issues, Petition, Protect the Powerless, Take Action, The Public Good, Transparency
Since 1929, the FBI has defined rape as "carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will."
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.
Posted on: January 7th, 2012
Category: Beyond Brandeis, Brandeis Values, elections, Elly, Liveblogging, National Issues, Take Action, Transparency
Liveblogging the New Hampshire Republican Debate from my TV in NY!
Broadcast on ABC. Commentators: Josh McElveen, George Stephanopoulos and Diane Sawyer
Participants: Romney, Santorum, Gingrich, Huntsman, Perry, Paul.
9 PM EST
- Politicians' Business versus Political Backgrounds
- Semantics
9:10
- In asking a question, the commentator misspoke, confusing "corrupt" and "corporate."
- As Paul was speaking, his microphone malfunctioned. Santorum jumped in, saying "They caught you not telling the truth, Ron" and then proceeded to laugh at his own joke. Paul did not acknowledge it.
9:17
- Santorum proving he doesn't believing in big spending: "I put on the board something called a spendometer!"
9:21
- Candidates continue to accuse each other of being insiders.
- Huntsman says he is the only politician onstage to have ever lived in 4 different countries.
9:28
- War
- Paul and Perry were the only two politicians onstage to serve in the military.
- Throwback to Kerry versus Bush "Did YOU serve in the war?" Paul versus Gingrich style.
- Paul mentioned "Rick" and the camera went to Perry, instead of Santorum (who he meant).
9:31
- Paul asked about the racist literature published in his newsletters, under his name.
- Doesn't give an explanation, but redirects to the racial biases inherent in our criminal justice system (blacks disproportionately arrested for drug offenses, drafted into military).
9:40
- The Constitution and the Supreme Court
- Romney wants a constitutional amendement banning gay marriage, and thinks Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade.
- Romney won't answer the question whether states have a right to ban contraception or not.
- Says it's an unrealistic hypothetical question (no state would WANT to) so won't answer.
- Refers the question to the 'Constitutional Expert,' Paul.
- Audience reacts for one of the first times- laughing, applauding his answer.
- Santorum says it's not okay to take a life (anti-abortion).
- My mom says "SOMEONE BRING UP CAPITAL PUNISHMENT PLZ."
9:46
- Gay Marriage
- Gingrich against Civil Unions.
- Huntsman for Civil Unions but not Marriage.
- Santorum thinks Marriage Laws must be uniform against the country.
- Santorum says that 1800 gay married couples in NH's marriages should not be federally recognized/allowed.
- Romney says marriage should be between a man and a woman since that is the ideal situation for children to be raised, and so the government should encourage it.
- Gingrich says Obama administration practices bigotry against Catholic Church and other organizations which refuse to allow gay couples to adopt, or provide other services for them.
- Audience erupts in applause.
- Romney says he agrees.
- Commentator George Stephanopoulos wipes away sweat dripping down his nose mid-asking question.
- My friend refers to Mitt Romney as "Ritt Mommy" and Ron Paul as "Pr0n Haul."
9:54
- War in Afghanistan: When can the troops come home?
- Perry would send troops back into Iraq.
- My mom thinks Sawyer treats Romney terribly (keeps interrupting him while he is answering her questions).
- Santorum implies Obama is corrupt ("Obviously a Chicago politician) for not renouncing Ahmadinejad's victory in last Iranian elections.
10:08
- Fred Thompson (Rep. presidential contender in 2008) now in AAG Mortgage commercial airing in debate commercial breaks.
- I wonder how he feels right now. I hope he is not too sad.
10:13
- TAXES
- I have to admit, I am not familiat with most of the tax codes and legislation to which they are referring.
10:24
- Huntsman: I went to Lindy's Diner in Keene, NH and talked with a guy named Jamie who owns a motorcycle shop….
- Is this the right Lindy's Diner? Will it be extra-popular tomorrow?
- This is great! Hunstman's daughters tweeted this on Dec. 11th.
- "Fact about Lindy's Diner: Every Pres. since Carter has stopped here on their way to the WH. Dad is the only GOPer to come this cycle."
10:38
- Striking Ancestry.com ad featuring a black man saying he was afraid to look up his ancestry because of what he might find, but it turns out his great-grandfather was born a slave and became a businessman, 'so it was all worth it.'
- Reminiscent of Hermain Cain.
- Best question so far: Where would you be on this Saturday night if you were not here?
- Perry says he would be at a rifle range, ithers all say would be with family (Paul says he would read an Econ textbook after his family went to sleep).
CLOSING THOUGHTS
- ABC has the best coming attractions for the nightly news.
- 'Who Shot a Kid in the Bronx?'
- 'Why is A Group of People Standing Still to Keep A Killer Behind Bars?'
- One of the most boring debates so far.
- The audience was surprisingly quiet.
- The candidates were surprisingly congenial with each other, instead all focusing on anti-Obama lines.
- Candidates allowed to give long, drawn-out answers.
- Perry spoke least, Huntsman second least, then Paul and Gingrich, then Santorum, then Romney.
