Innermost Parts — the Brandeis University social justice blog
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This site is archived
Hi there. This site hosted a particularly strong student/activist blog that ran from late 2007 – 2011 at Brandeis University. It was founded by Sahar Massachi and Loki, and then run for most of its life by Sahar Massachi, with assists by Adam Hughes, Elly Kalfus, Nathan Robinson, and a large cast of contributors. Please […]
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Do Employers (and Brandeis) Realize How Extended Holidays Impact Hourly Workers?
The VP of HR at Brandeis sent out an e-mail Monday to Brandeis Staff saying that President Lawrence has decided to close offices on Thursday and Friday for July 4th, giving workers "an extended weekend for relaxation and enjoyment with family and friends." (E-mail printed below) While I appreciate the good will behind this move, and I […]
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Aramark Loses Its Mark – Brandeis Dining to Be Headed Up By Sodexo starting July
This e-mail re new Brandeis Dining Service partner Sodexo was sent to Brandeis Staff and Faculty earlier today (Thursday June the 20th) Dear Faculty and Staff, Brandeis University is pleased to announce that we have selected Sodexo as our new campus dining partner. Beginning July 1, 2013, Sodexo will begin managing and operating Dining Services on campus. Sodexo’s […]
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Liveblogging Watching the New York State of the State
Currently watching the 2013 New York State of the State, which took place January 9, 2013. Here are some key moments and ideas: Minute 12-17:15 Rabbi Linda Henry Goodman makes an introductory speech and blessing. She was installed in March of 2012 as President of the New York Board of Rabbis and is the first woman […]
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Johnny Cash, Prisoner Advocate
The BBC ran an article last week, "Johnny Cash and his prison reform campaign," about country singer Johnny Cash's advocacy work on behalf of prisoners. Cash toured many prisons, performing live for inmates, and gave evidence at a US Senate subcommittee on prison reform in 1972, speaking of the abuses prisoners he talked to had suffered. […]
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Wisdom Tip #1
I learned this lesson today. When you read an e-mail and feel really angry about it… Vent about it to people who are not involved in the situation Try to figure out why you feel angry; what in it provoked you so After many deep breaths and giving yourself time to cool off, re-read the e-mail and […]
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Notes from a Tired Brandeis Activist Upon Hir Last Day of School
Hey guys, I've spent the past 7 semesters doing activism at Brandeis. Even while abroad studying comedy in Chicago, I did activism at Brandeis. In fact, I was more active from afar because it felt more manageable. And that's what I want to write about now: managing it. Because trying to change Brandeis, Waltham, Massachusetts, the Northeast, […]
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State of the Union- Dec 11, 2012
Pre-SOTU Intimate Group Conversation with Todd RPF's being sent to other food providers- product of Strategic Planning Review, new administration open to new things Strategic Plan- enough student involvement? Planning Steering Committee, 26 people (incl. 2 grad students, 2 undergrads), meets once a month Core Committee- 6-7 people (incl. 2 grads, 2 undergrads?) SOTU Student […]
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Yet Another Prisoner Proven Innocent!
"Today [January 4th] in Dallas, Texas, Rickey Dale Wyatt was cleared after spending 31 years in prison for a crime that he didn’t commit." 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. […]
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10 Years at Guantanamo Bay
Amnesty International reminded me about something today. 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 […]
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Influence the Princeton Review College Rankings!
The Princeton Review is compiling updated information on undergraduate universities for its College Rankings. Whether you agree with the Princeton Review's school rankings or not, this is a good opportunitity to influence this institution which informs so much of our education system. So, take the SURVEY and tell the Princeton Review what you think of your […]
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“Not once have I ever been confronted by an individual who realized…that I was raised by a gay couple.”
Neil Patrick Harris tweeted a link to this video not too long ago. Kudos. 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 […]
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Take a Quiz, Feed a Child
The World Food Programme has a new quiz on the famine ravaging Ethiopia. Just by taking it, you are helping to end it. How is that? For every person who takes the quiz, or shares it with their friends on facbeook or twitter, a meal will be donated to one child in Ethiopia. From WFP: "WFP […]
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Former Brandeis President Evelyn Handler Dies
Read President Lawrence and Chairman Sherman's e-mail below regarding the recent death of former Brandeis President Evelyn E. Handler. We at Innermostparts send her family our regards and sympathies as well. Dear Members of the Brandeis Community: It is with great sadness, particularly during this holiday season, that we write to let you know […]
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Top 10 Wrongful Convictions Movies
David Protess, president of the Chicago Innocence Project, wrote a list of the top ten movies about wrongful convictions in the Huffington Post. 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 […]
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Vice Provost for LTS and Chief Information Officer Selected!
New Vice Provost for Library and Technology Services and Chief Information Officer at Brandeis announced: John Unsworth! To the Brandeis Community: I am delighted to announce that John Unsworth, dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will be the new Vice Provost for Library and […]
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Student Union State of the Union and Updates
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 […]
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“Brandeis Pedal Power: Amping Up Campus Events” Proposal
Biking to blast music. Sounds like a spinning class. Or an OK Go video. In fact, it's a sustainability project. 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 […]
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Liveblogging the Hiatt Shadowing Predepature Webinar
I applied to Hiatt's Winter Break Shadowing program and was unable to make it to the first 2 dates of the mandatory pre-departure meetings. 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 […]
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Cross-Disciplinary Courses: A Good Idea
I'm an English major, but I've taken a whole JBS semester in sociology, 2 theater classes, 2 creative writing classes, 2 legal studies classes, a math class…the list goes on. My point is, a liberal arts education involves lots of different subject areas all kind of mixing together. And that's the way it should be. […]
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Boston CIC- Special Agent–MORNING CAREER FORUM ONLY
I'm looking for summer internships on the Career and Internship Connections (CIC) site right now, thanks to Hiatt, and I just stumbled across the coolest-sounding job ever. Too bad they stopped accepting applications on Nov. 28th. It's still a fun read though. ***PLEASE NOTE: U.S. Secret Service representatives will be attending the morning career fair only. […]
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State of the Union Press Release: Open to Student Input
The Student Union just sent out an official press release concerning the State of the Union, which will be this Thursday from 5:30-7:30 in the Mandel Atrium. The State of the Union, which has typically consisted of the SU President, and sometimes members of the President's Executive Board, delivering speeches, including reflections on the past […]
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iPhone 4 Limits Access to Information
*Thanks to the Brandeis Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance chapter for these articles. Check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/fmlas/. I don't and never have had an iPhone, but I still know who Siri is. Friends love showing off that they can talk to a phone and get a response from it, although that's what phones were invented for […]
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We Apologize for the Hiatus
Hello, Loyal and Dedicated Innermostparts Readers, We, the staff here at Innermostparts, would like to apologize for our recent hiatus from reporting. We know that people like you depend upon us for something, whether it be entertainment, news, or child support, and we feel badly when we deprive you of these essentials. We believe it […]
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Valerie Plame! Here!
Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson were spies! And then the treasonous act of revealing Plame's identity almost took down the Bush Presidency. They'll be at Rapaporte at 2pm today. Be there! More info here.
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Student Advisory Committee and Constitutional Review: E-mail by NOV 25th!
The Student Advisory Committee for the Strategic Planning Process and the Student Union Consitutional Review Task Force. Two awesome opportunities for any undergraduates to make decisions about our school. No application necessary- simply e-mail Herbie about your interest in either of these groups by Nov. 25th! Read below for more information: Currently there are two […]
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Giving Thanks- 1. The ACLU
In honor of Thanksgiving, I would like to express support for organizations or people that make a positive difference in the world. First up, the ACLU. The ACLU, comprised of the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation, has been working since 1920 to protect the rights of American citizens. ACLU Victories of 2011 "Don't Ask, Don't […]
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What do you do when you see a drunk girl pushing a guy?
I just came home to my loft, suite-style building across from DePaul's campus, located on busy Fullerton Street, and was confronted by the scene desribed in the headline. Sure, 1 a.m. near a college campus there are bound to be drunk people fighting. But, what do you do when you think it might be serious? […]
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Brandeis: The 5-Year Plan
As Provost Steve Goldstein sent out in an e-mail earlier today, President Lawrence is soliciting input from the faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students in order to devise a 5-year plan to put Brandeis on the right track. For faculty and staff, this will take the form of planning sessions group meetings. Undergraduate students, […]
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Occupy Boston Free Classes this Weekend!
There are a series of "Free School University" classes taking place this weekend at Dewey Square. Read their descriptions. Friday, Nov. 18th 1. Political Policing in the United States: Historical Perspectives on the Challenges Confronting the Occupy Movement (FSU) – 1PM This teach in will briefly review the history of political policing in […]
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Occupy Chicago Negotiates with the Mayor’s Office
Good news from OccupyChicago. A delegation of Occupiers submitted a petition with 13,409 signatures supporting "the rights of Occupy Chicago to peaceable assemble," [sic] today. Nancy Wade, of the delagation, reported that they "had a productive conversation" with the First Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the Mayor, and are currently in negotiations […]
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Health Center $20 Shots
The Brandeis Health Center is now serving alcohol, and even taking reservations for drinking appointments, in part of their new initiative to discourage binge drinking by underage students. Excerpts from Health Center e-mail: Walk in shots available Monday through Friday 9:00am – 11:00am and 1:30pm – 3:30pm. Shots are available by appointment if neccessary. Please call 781-736-3677 to […]
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Feminism or Firearms: What Empowers Women More?
"So, maybe the true feminist icon shouldn't be Gloria Steinem but Annie Oakley." This is a particularly anti-feminist clip from "The Five," a show on FoxNews. It was aired November 1st, 2011. The Five- Feminism or Firearms: What Empowers Women More? I found the clip, aired November 1st, this week while looking for material for […]
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Investigative Reporting: What Entrepeneurs and Novelists Can Learn from Journalists
Running your own company can be hectic. Especially in the quickly-changing world of technology and the Web, entrepreneurs lead fast-paced lives. Problems can arise from nowhere that need solutions immediately. Decisions must be made. Customers need to be taken care of. Resources need to allocated–and re-distributed. Life can be an unorganized mess, or a […]
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Turkish Relief Efforts
Hey, Please check out this e-mail to support the Turkish relief effort. To whom it may concern, I am contacting you to inform you of a new campus initiative. This student- run initiative is a group of concerned students with the goal of helping with Turkish relief efforts for the recent, devastating earthquake through raising […]
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Charlie Radin + Gershom Gorenberg => J Street
I read Gershom Gorenberg every day. Well, every day I check my RSS reader, and if Gershom has written something, then I make sure to take the time to read it. (His blog is called South Jerusalem. It's on our blogroll, I think). He's an interesting guy – an Orthodox Jew and member […]
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PULSE Surveys: Do Em
Yesterday marked the first Pulse survey from the Student Union, in what is to be a series on all aspects of campus life. We forgot to post the link yesterday, so now it becomes an experiment: only you can test it out: does the link still work even though it is now Tuesday? 1. Link […]
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Rick Perry on Occupy: Forget $!
This is perhaps the most liberal we've seen Rick Perry be so far in the 2012 GOP race. It's a funny clip and well analyzed on The Young Turks with Brian Unger and Richard Eskow, courtesy of Nation of Change, my fave progressive news source. Watch below! Rick Perry Advises Occupy Movement
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Open Student Union Committee Positions
Yet another opportunity to be involved in decision-making on the student level: the Student Union wants non-senators to serve as committee chairs for the Diversity, Services, and Club Support committees. Below are a list of the committees' descriptions. Committees: Diversity Committee: Coordinate events, work to encourage diverse interaction amongst the Brandeis community, and collaborate with […]
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Move Your Money: Bank Transfer Day
Today is…MOVE YOUR MONEY DAY! Are you a fan of It's a Wonderful Life? Interested in how this classic Christmas movie is inspiring social justice movements nowadays? Watch a great, 6-minute clip explaining what the day is all about, courtesy of Nation of Change. This is a short post because it is serving as a forum […]
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