They send emails

Gen Ed, a really cool new club that tries to bring smart/cool/famous people to Brandeis, has sent an email updating us on their efforts and asking people to help. Out of their six(!) current projects, here are two I think you really should pay attention to:

We are currently working on an environmental and sustainability week entitled Green Week ’08 from April 9th to April 16th. This is a collaborative effort with organizations ranging from Students for Environmental Action to the International Business School to the Office of Communications. This week will include an address by Congressmen Edward Markey and a panel of NGO and business leaders discussing business opportunities in the Green Revolution on Sunday, April 13th in Rapaporte Treasure Hall. Other events during the week include the launch of SEA’s green fund to significantly reduce the campus carbon footprint, and a cleanup of the Charles River. There are many more events for this week.

This sounds great. Ed Markey is a good congressman who is a leader in the House on Internet freedom issues. I’m looking forward to this week.

We are co-sponsoring a talk by Harvey Silverglate, the attorney for Donald Hindley in his case of accused of racial insensitivity:’

<Link to Article>

Mr. Silverglate’s lecture will be entitled: The Death of Free Speech, Parody, and Vigorous Debate on Campus: Why has it Happened, and What is to be Done? The event, co-sponsored with Brandeis Republicans, Brandeis Democrats, and Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society will take place Wednesday, March 12th at 8:00 P.M. in the Shapiro Multipurpose room.

Like we’ve said before, the Hindley case is very important. Teachers got tenure in a reaction to the McCarthy era. Tenure was instituted to provide protection from the University or Government from punishing you for critiquing the status quo. As far as I know, Professor Hindley is an outspoken voice on campus in challenging the administration. When the administration broke its own rules in its haste to attack him, that creates a clear perception of wrongdoing.

All of the Brandeis community should lend Mr. Silverglate our ears. If the Brandeis Republicans and Brandeis Democrats can both unite around academic freedom, so should we.