Author: elly

Moving Planet: International Day of Climate Action

Hey all,

This Saturday, I am attending an event called Moving Planet hosted by 350.org (an international climate action website) along with thousands of others worldwide. What is Moving Planet, you ask? It is a day for communities across the globe to come together to show our leaders that we support a safe, responsible, and fast transition to move beyond fossil fuels. Luckily for us, Boston is holding one of the largest events in the country, and we have been organizing a group of Brandeis and Waltham community members to come together to join this momentous event.

Moving beyond fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources is a critical issue we face today. Burning fossil fuels is spewing carbon into the atmosphere, which causes climate change. And while many understand climate change as how it affects the environment and weather (who doesn’t like warm weather?), it is even more serious. Climate change is predicted to decrease access to food and clean water, to increase severe (and hazardous) weather patterns, dislocate people from their homes as sea levels rise, and for example, articles have linked climate change as playing a role in the war in Darfur. Not to mention that those who will first beat the brunt of these effects are the poorer areas in the world, who have little to do with the cause of these problems.

And these are the critical years we have to slow down the effects of climate change before they spiral out of control.
Continue reading “Moving Planet Event this Saturday!”

The following is a description of volunteer opportunities at the Newton Teen Center which came to us via the Brandeis Dept. of Community Service listserv.

The Newton Teen Center, a drop-in center for teens aged 13-18, needs several dedicated volunteers to support our programs. Our mission is to provide a safe and enjoyable place for the teenaged population of Newton to spend time with their peers, participate in substance-free activities, and establish a meaningful, welcoming community supervised by caring adults who provide resources, encouragement, and inspiration. Regular activities include fooz ball, billiards, Xbox video games, television/movies, computers, fitness room, music room, and cooking, as well as occasional meetings and other events. The center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

ONGOING POSITIONS (6-month commitment):

Weekly Pottery/Sewing Class Chaperones: Be a role model for teens while providing a safe and fun environment! We are looking for two volunteers to co-lead weekly trips with a group of middle school and high school adolescents to either the Mudflat pottery studio in Somerville or the Hip-Stitch sewing studio in Newtonville. You will serve as a role model by being an active participant on the trips, while connecting and building relationships with the teens. You will also provide a safe and inviting/fun environment for everyone on the trip

Event Chaperones: Do you like to hang out with teens? Come be a chaperone on trips and for special events. We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to engage and monitor our teens during special events and field trips. Volunteers serve as role models by being active participants, while connecting and building relationships with the teens and providing a safe, fun, and nurturing experience for everyone.

Spanish Speaking Volunteers: Serve Spanish-speaking teens by acting as a role model, mentor, and translator. The Center needs energetic, creative and dedicated Spanish-speaking volunteers to participate in activities and trips while helping Spanish-speaking youth feel part of the Teen Center community. You will serve our Spanish-speaking teens by acting as a role model, mentor, and translator.

Student Council Co-Advisor: Help our teens learn how to run an effective student council. Would you like to serve as co-advisor to the Newton Teen Center Student Council? The Newton Teen Center is looking for a volunteer to assist with meetings, field trips and community service projects and to serve as a role model and mentor to our teens by teaching them how to act appropriately in a group, follow an agenda, be a team player and positively represent the program to the public

Substance Abuse Social Worker/Counselor: Help our teens deal with substance abuse issues. We are looking for a qualified volunteer to establish a recovery and/or anti-smoking/drugs group for adolescents who attend our Center. You would serve as a role model and mentor to adolescents by modeling appropriate and healthy behavior. This role requires working with staff to organize occasional activities, trips and events that promote healthy choices and positive behavior as well as teaching a variety of constructive coping mechanisms and exercises to educate teens about the negative side effects of drug usage, particularly smoking and alcohol abuse.

Goal-Setting/Quilting Group Leader: Help teenage girls learn to set goals and achieve them – and make a quilt. The Newton Teen Center is looking for a volunteer to lead a weekly group for teenage girls to engage them in a process of setting and achieving goals and of making a quilt that acknowledges their success. The leader will assist group members in setting achievable, realistic goals for which they will create quilting squares when achieved. You will also provide a safe and inviting/fun environment for everyone in the group.

The Newton Teen Center is located at 1254 Chestnut St., Newton Upper Falls.

If interested, fill out a Volunteer application and send it to cgunn@ncscweb.org.
For more information about the Center, www.newtonteens.org.

E-mail received from the Student Union Executive Director of Communications, Andrea Ortega.
Analysis to follow in the days to come.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

In order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our voting process, the Brandeis Student Union is implementing a new “Skip” option within our balloting system. This option was added for students to express their right not to vote without penalizing the candidates. This initiative was undertaken in response to problems with our voting system, confusion, constructive criticism by our peers, and our own frustrations.

With this new addition, students can skip and move on to the next ballot if they do not know the candidate, do not feel comfortable voting, or if they wish to exercise their right not to vote. A candidate will not be affected if “Skip” garners the most votes. However, selection of the “Abstain” option will continue to work against a candidate, and the position will remain vacant if “Abstain” gets the most votes. “Abstain” is an option intended for those who are uncomfortable with all candidates for a position. The process will be explained to students in an e-mail on Tuesday.

We believe this to be within the Secretary’s constitutional power as Chief Elections Commissioner to add the skip option to the ballot. The Constitution does not specify that any additional ballot selections cannot be added.

Please contact Todd Kirkland (tkirk@brandeis.edu) and/or Herbie Rosen (hrosen@brandeis.edu) if you have any questions/concerns.

This e-mail comes forwarded from the Justice League listserv, sent by a student who received it from sociology professor Gordie Fellman, who in turn received it from the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) at Prescott College.

It tells us about the AMAZING story from activists associated with CodePINK of Greater Dallas. They demanded an end to crony-capitalist relationships, especially the one between the Bush administration and the mortgage banking industry, in Dallas on Tuesday, September 13, 2011.

Apparently, the banks held a convention where Bush was speaking… Bush’s average fee is $110,000! First we bail out the banks, then the CEOs get huge bonuses, then the banker’s conventions pays a huge sum of money for Bush to speak…weird huh? Participating lenders were: Bank of America, Citi, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, JP Morgan Chase, among others.

Here is Leslie’s first hand account, and you should also check out the video, and tell us what you think of their tactics.

A little story-tellin’ from my Code Pink sisters in Texas. Rock on women!…

Bush was speaking at this awful Mortgage Lenders’ convention yesterday in Texas…all about foreclosures, evictions, how to get around those pesky rent-control issues, etc. Ugh!

Continue reading “Code Pink Protests Bush- Watch and Read”

…because he makes appeals to both sides. *Yuk yuk yuk, sexual orientation is a social construction*

Watch his September 8th, 2011 speech on “The American Jobs Act” below and see what I mean- what can I say? Politicians going both ways turns me on.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5f-FwN2ZJs&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Highlights from speech:

It ends on a wonderful, climactic, aggressive note that is even a tad too nationalistic for my taste. (Who says America is the best country in the world? Best in terms of what? Hasn’t anyone learned anything from Head of State?)

I think this is the optimism and inspiration people have been waiting for to re-energize the country. Even if you don’t agree with his politics, you have to admit he makes a good argument for working together across political boundaries.

Student Union elections are coming up. This is a serious opportunity for people to influence the course of Brandeis’ future. Even though school politics can be a joke, and students definitely take their positions too seriously sometimes, that doesn’t negate the fact that holding a position of power is often the best way to change things and help people.

Below are the details from President Herbie Rosen’s ’11 e-mail- prospective candidates must attend a meeting September 14th, and the election will take place Sept. 22nd.

However, my favorite part of the e-mail is the awkward description of the highly contested “Racial Minority Senator” position.

1 Racial Minority Senator (check your sage account if you are unsure if you fall under the category of Racial Minority)

Perhaps in order to “get the joke” you have to be familiar with the history of this issue at Brandeis.

Continue reading “Student Union Elections Approaching! And…are you a minority?”

So have I mentioned that I’m studying at Second City (Comedy Theatre and Training Center) in Chicago for the semester?

Despite my 6 classes which run 9:30-4 four days a week, I’m going to try to continue posting (but hopefully will be joined by loads more new on-campus authors, or even some old ones).

However, since I’m “abroad,” my posts may not be as topical. So today I’d like to share something I overheard this morning as I walked from my dorm to the train, and I invite you all to keep me (and each other) up to date on Brandeis life by contributing comments you overheard below, in the comments section.

Overheard
Mid-20’s guy to 3 of his peers: “It’s not about finding nieces or nephews, it’s really about finding venture capitalists.”

I know that we’ve been posting a lot of call to action e-mails lately but what can I say: if an organization can write something more concisely than I can, why not quote them?

The following e-mail was sent by Amnesty International USA, in regards to Troy Davis’ upcoming execution based on recanted witness testimony. The type of work that Brandeis’ Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism’s Innocence Project does.

The day is now here – the state of Georgia has set Troy Davis’ execution date for September 21st, just two weeks from today.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his final appeal earlier this year. But the story remains the same – Troy Davis could very well be innocent.

However, in the state of Georgia, the Board of Pardons & Paroles holds the keys to Troy’s fate. In the days before Davis’ execution, this Board will hold a final clemency hearing – a final chance to prevent Troy Davis from being executed.

Davis was convicted on the basis of witness testimony – seven of the nine original witnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony.

One witness said in a CNN news interview “If I knew then, what I know now, Troy Davis would not be on death row.”

I know it’s difficult to believe that a system of justice could be so terribly flawed, but keep in mind that Troy has survived three previous execution dates, because people like you kept the justice system in check!

We’ve been bracing for this moment and the time for action is now! Here’s what you can do to join the fight:

1. Sign our petition to the Board of Pardons & Paroles urging them to grant clemency! We’ll deliver your signatures next week.

2. Organize locally for Troy: Take to the streets with us. Soon we’ll be announcing the date for the official Troy Davis Day of Action. Sign up now to rally in the coming days to stop the execution of Troy Davis.

3. Tell everyone you know! Spread the word about this injustice on Twitter by using the hashtag #TooMuchDoubt. Be sure to tell your Facebook friends Troy’s story too!

Thank you for fighting for Troy,

Laura Moye
Director, Death Penalty Abolition Campaign
Amnesty International USA
Follow my Troy Davis updates on Twitter: @lauramoye

This leads to a discussion as to how effective petitions and public awareness campaigns of this sort are. What do you think?

It’s not often that you feel bad for politicians, but when I received this latest e-mail from MoveOn.org, I certainly felt for Obama.

The e-mail, which criticizes Obama’s recent decision to block “crucial new protections against smog pollution,” even accuses Obama of repeating “discredited tea party talking points about environmental rules costing jobs.”

Read the portion of the e-mail reproduced below:

I have some tremendously upsetting news: Late Friday, President Obama overruled EPA science and blocked crucial new protections against smog pollution that have been years in the making.

The decision came after a major campaign by corporate polluters and Republicans to kill the rules. The result, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is likely to be tens of thousands of premature deaths, as well as increased illness among seniors, kids with asthma, and people who have lung problems.

Worse, in announcing his decision, President Obama repeated discredited tea party talking points about environmental rules costing jobs. The reality is that these standards were the best thing for the economy and the environment. And clean air protections are the perfect issue to remind Americans that enforcing rules to protect citizens’ health and safety is one of the most important roles for our government.

With congressional Republicans planning a series of votes starting this week to block other health and environmental standards, we need to set the record straight, right away.

Will you write a letter to the editor of your local paper reminding folks that environmental protections like these smog rules protect our health AND strengthen our economy?

Our website will give you some tips and make it easy for you to submit the letter to a newspaper near you. And your letter will help persuade folks in your community that we shouldn’t be tearing our government down—we should be making it work.

President Obama tried to bury this news by announcing it hours before Labor Day weekend. But on Labor Day we need him standing up for the kinds of health and safety protections that working folks and labor unions have spent decades fighting for, not repeating Republican talking points about how we don’t need them.

What’s more, Nobel-Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman pointed out that this anti-smog rule would actually create clean energy jobs: “It would have forced firms to spend on upgrading or replacing equipment, helping to boost demand. Yes, it would have cost money—but that’s the point!”

Help push back against tea party Republicans’ message that we can’t afford to protect our health and safety.

While it’s natural for people within the same political party to disagree, what does it mean when a liberal, progressive group criticizes the incumbent president, who is in turn the most liberal, progressive candidate in the upcoming election?

In addition, rather than calling on people to lobby Obama on this issue, MoveOn calls for people to write letters to their newspapers explaining why smog rules are important (in effect arguing with Obama’s decision). Do tea partiers and conservatives view liberals’ criticism of Obama as support for their party?

The following was sent by Brandeis’ Study Abroad Department to all Brandeis students studying abroad a few days ago. We are told to be on alert from July 26th to January 2nd, because

“In the past, terrorist organizations have on occasion planned their attacks to coincide with significant dates on the calendar.”

I think it’s great that there is a system to keep track of United States students studying abroad for safety. If anyone is concerned about their safety in regards to these issues, we would love to hear from you.

Office of Study Abroad

As we mark the 10th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Department of State informs U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad of the continued threat posed by al-Qa’ida and its affiliates. While we have not identified any specific threats from al-Qa’ida affiliates and allies to attack the United States or our interests on the 9/11 anniversary, U.S. citizens should be aware that al-Qa’ida affiliates and allies have demonstrated the intent and capability to carry out attacks against the United States and our interests around the world. In the past, terrorist organizations have on occasion planned their attacks to coincide with significant dates on the calendar. This Worldwide Travel Alert supplements the July 26, 2011, Worldwide Caution, and expires on January 2, 2012.

U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad should enroll in the Smart Travelers Enrollment Program (STEP) at the following website: https://travelregistration.state.gov. U.S. citizens without internet access may enroll directly at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at their destination. By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency.

Updated information on travel and security may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For further information, please consult the Worldwide Caution and other consular information, including Country Specific Information, for specific countries. These products and the latest international travel information for U.S. citizens are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov.

**********************************See http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html for State Department Travel Warnings

I’m interested to know which countries would be most endangered and how much of a threat is really facing Americans abroad? What do you guys think?

Y’know, there are some people you just can’t make happy. I’m one of them.

After just writing 2 posts about the benefits of recycling last week, here I am faced with a situation in which I do not think the greenest way is the best way.

Brandeis recently sent out this e-mail explaining that the University will go back to printing physical copies of the University Bulletin due to student demand, but that to be green and efficient, you must purchase a copy for $12.50.

I am pleased to announce that we now have a print edition of the University Bulletin 2011-2012 available for ordering.

We decided last year, after repeated inquiries, that we would take on the additional work of formatting and proofing a print copy. We thought the greenest and most efficient method for printing would be to use a self-publishing company (in this case Lulu). We thus avoid printing extraneous copies, and place the cost burden on the actual user of the print copy (which may encourage people to think about whether they really need a printed copy after all!).

The unit cost of the Bulletin is $12.25 plus shipping.

I hope you find this useful, and we’ll have proof of that one way or the other by the number of copies ordered!

As the e-mail states, this policy of charging students for something that they may not have easy access to otherwise (some people do not bring computers to school, or experience internet failure, etc.) “may encourage people to think about whether they really need a printed copy after all!”

I’m pretty sure that if they are taking the trouble to order a copy, they have thought about if “they really need a printed copy after all.”

While it would be environmentally-friendly and still student-friendly to require students to put in a special request for the Bulletins, rather than handing them out at random or en masse, requiring students to pay for them helps the environment but not the students who have no other alternatives.

So, while I applaud the enthusiasm, I frown on the drastic measures taken, Brandeis. Try to get a better balance next time.

In 2010, I participated with other members of the Brandeis Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, a chapter of the nationwide Feminist Majority Foundation, in one of their campus campaigns listed below: going undercover to crisis pregnancy centers to see what advice they would give to potentially pregnant college students. Some students’ experiences were covered in the Brandeis Hoot by the illustrious Bret Matthew.

The Feminist Majority Foundation Campus Team is a branch of the FMF which organizes about 500 campus groups nationwide. Brandeis’ Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, started in 2001, is one of these chapters.

In the following excerpts from FMF’s e-mail, they list problems facing feminists and women across the country and suggest some campus campaigns to help. What are your reactions? Do any of these campaigns strike you as interesting, questionable, or promising?

Some representatives from the federal, state, and local levels have waged what feminists are calling a “War on Women”. From massive cuts to family planning services to cuts in Medicaid and Medicare to enacting restrictive laws to suppress the student vote, the war on women is ever present.

Nine states including Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Texas, Washington State, and Wisconsin have made significant cuts to family planning. Even worse, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie eliminated ALL family planning funding in his state budget.

In addition, seventeen states have passed laws to restrict abortion and/or birth control services to women and thirteen states have passed some form of voter ID law to disenfranchise the student vote.

We currently have five campaigns that you and your FMLA or affiliate can take to your campus. The campaign toolkits are a guide to help organize your FMLA/affiliate around these issues.

You can use the Birth Control Access campaign to alert students to the need to stop the massive cuts to family planning; the Exposing Fake Clinics Campaign to stop Crisis Pregnancy Centers from falsely advertising their services and taking away many young women’s rights to choose; Adopt-a-Clinic campaign to support the clinic in your college community; the Get Out Her Vote (GOHV) 2012 campaign to register students on your campus to vote and get them to the polls on election day; and Global Reproductive Health campaign to support women worldwide in the fight for reproductive justice.

Finally, check out our BLOG and Facebook pages! If you are interested in writing for our blog, please email us at campusteam@feminist.org. We have Facebook pages for each of our regions: Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Southern, and Western. There is also a Women of Color Facebook page for women of color on HBCU and predominately white campuses. Please have your members “Ask to Join” their respective groups!

In the landmark case of Lawrence v. Texas, Justice Kennedy delivered the majority ruling, stating “When homosexual conduct is made criminal by the law of the State, that declaration in and of itself is an invitation to subject homosexual persons to discrimination both in the public and in the private spheres.”

However, we still criminalize it in many states today, and the effects are seen in many aspects of life: the higher rate of suicide amongst gay teens, the only recently repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy which allowed individuals to be fired by the U.S. government because of their sexual orientation, the very fact that many gays remain closeted out of fear that they will face repercussions if their sexual orientation is known.

Although legalizing same-sex marriage is only one step in the process of ending discrimination, it is one of the most tangible steps we can take at the moment.

Same Sex Marriage and the Constitution lists 4 of the most often cited reasons for “heterosexual monopoly on marriage” and then gives counterarguments. Here is my brief summary and extrapolation of these issues.

• Definition, Tradition, Religion
  In Jan. 2000, Sen. Clinton said “Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time, and I think a marriage is as a marriage has always been: between a man and a woman.”

  Traditions in marriage have changed much over the course of time. In Roman times, before Christianity became the adopted religion,same-sex marriages were commonplace. As for the religious component, there are even Christian sects in favor of gay marriage now, but since when has religion dictated civil policy in America? Some churches do not recognize divorce, but civil divorces are still legal.

• Natural Law
  Women and men are meant to reproduce, therefore a coupling which cannot result in offspring is not natural.

  Immanuel Kant recognized that if satisfaction from marriage came from the potential for reproduction then sterile or post-menopausal marriages would not be allowed. In today’s society many couples choose not to have children or are biologically unable to, but they are not seen as “unnatural” in the eyes of the law, and their legitimacy as a couple is not questioned, why can’t those same benefits extend to same-sex couples?

• Equation of Marriage with Procreation and Child Rearing
  Same-sex couples can’t provide a stable and nurturing family structure for children since they are not comprised of a mother and father.

  Assuming a gay couple wanted to have kids, it is a double-standard to examine their ability to provide for their children, when there is no system in place to monitor opposite-sex couples’ relationships and ability to provide for their children. (In addition, there is not credible data to support the claim that same-sex parents would be any worse than opposite-sex parents.) If adoption comes into the equation then the same policies should apply to couples of all sexual orientations, but otherwise, it is not the state’s right to approve or deny consenting individuals’ right to procreate and raise their children.

• Eroding Institution of Marriage
  If same-sex marriages are legalized, it is a slippery slope of moral depravity and legal malaise. It will harm the family unit and institution of marriage.

  There is no evidence that same-sex marriage has had much of an impact on opposite-sex marriage or divorce rates, and in fact Denmark, (the first country to recognize same-sex couples as “registered partners”) has the highest marriage rates it has had since the 1970’s. Although allowing more people into the marriage club will make it less exclusive, why would that make marriage less attractive to opposite-sex couples? This same argument was used when interracial marriages were still illegal, but that does not seem to have hurt the incidence or sacredness of marriage.

If you know of other arguments for or against that you would like to discuss, please post them.

I’m always trying to get readers to respond to posts, but this time it’s a blatant call to arms — I honestly have a question to which I do not know the answer, it’s not just an act to get you to read this.

Recently, I filed a complaint about the abundance of mice and rats in public parks with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. I waited some time and then thought they forgot about me. Now, a week later, I get an e-mail from one of the P&R Division Managers informing me of what steps the Department is taking to solve this problem.

Much encouraged, I wanted to post a copy of his e-mail to Innermostparts, to demonstrate the action the Department is taking and to comment on some of the specifics.

Nowhere in the e-mail did it say that it was confidential, and in fact the Manager had CC-ed another employee in on the e-mail (without consulting me). However, when I asked if I could quote section from the e-mail, the Manager told me to get in touch with his Press Office, a step I have not yet taken.

I’ve scoured online forums but have not found an answer to my question: Am I allowed to reproduce any or all of the e-mail I received, without the sender’s direct permission?

If anyone has sufficient legal knowledge, or just wants to hazard a guess, please feel free!

Ever wonder about exactly when and where gay marriage became ‘acceptable’?

The Huffington Post reported Thursday that UCLA’s same-sex advocacy think tank’s, The Williams Institute, had released a study of same-sex couples across the country.

“The census research discovered that 901,997 same-sex couples live in 99 percent of American counties, in cities from West Hollywood, Calif. to New Hope, Pa. Sixty percent of the couples are female, and 22 percent currently raise children.”

That’s a lot of couples and pretty spread out, especially considering the lack of gay rights to be found in the majority of American states. I did some background research to find out the timeline of states’ and countries’ passage of gay marriage. Read below:

Continue reading “Same-Sex Couples Throughout Recent History”

I don’t like discussing weather unless it’s an analysis of sociopolitical impacts or global warming, but I don’t have the energy for that and Brandeis keep sending out these parking changes and warnings to returning upperclassmen not to move in, so let’s talk about it.

I’m blogging from New York City and it’s been pouring for a while, but the real fear isn’t about the winds or the rains, it’s about a power outage. The NY State National Guard are being deployed to Long Island and New York City, and ConEd’s main power plant, located by West Point, is expecting a power outage once water levels rise.

Rumors abound that we could be out of power for a week or more.

How are you guys doing? What’s the level of panic where you’re at? Anyone have horror stories about having to evacuate?

I’d love it if people used this post as a public forum to update people on what the weather is like where you’re located, and post any concerns/news/updates you hear.

Brandeis will be joining the ranks of many other liberal arts schools this fall, by offering a new interdepartmental minor in Sexuality and Queer Studies.

Read Brandeis’ description of the minor:

The undergraduate interdisciplinary minor in Sexuality and Queer Studies offers students the opportunity to examine socially and historically specific experiences, meanings, and representations of sexuality and gender and the centrality of sexuality and gender to personal and collective identities in modernity. Students in the program critically consider the relationships among sex, gender, and sexual orientation, desire and identification, and erotic and affectional behavior, as these intersect with other cultural formations including gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, and class.

(Let me specify that I am using the Wikipedia definition of Queer as “an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary” for this post.)

I’m glad we’re offering the minor, since I think it’s an interesting area of study and it will surely expand people’s conceptions of sexual orientation and gender.

But I’m not happy about the name, for the same reason that I don’t like the title of the Women’s and Gender Studies major: Why include one specific group in the name, to the exclusion of the others?

While I understand some of the reasoning: both women and queers have been discriminated against historically, and they are definitely underrepresented in textbooks and course offerings across America, I do not see why they should be named in the broader, overarching category title. Sexuality encompasses sexual minorities, just as gender encompasses women.

By saying “Sexuality and Queer Studies,” true, we are giving prominence to a group of people who do not usually receive the recognition they deserve, however what kind of principle is it to name something illogically in order to make up for past wrongs? The “and” serves to differentiate two groups, even though one group comes under the heading of the other!?

If the true intent was to state that the focus of the minor will be on the minority group (Queers), then why not make the title “Sexuality, especially Queer Studies,” or “Sexuality feat Queer Studies?”

I’m sure there are a plethora of ways to demonstrate emphasis, without having to grammatically compromise the meaning of the title.

Yesterday, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sent out an e-mail honoring the 91st anniversary of the enactment of the 19th amendment (you know, that one that helped women).

The amendement reads:

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Similar to Obama’s e-mail commemorating the passage of the amendment on August 18th, Gillibrand’s e-mail discussed how far women have come and how far there is to go.

One step Gillibrand has taken towards achieving gender equality* is creating Off the Sidelines, a website which encourages female empowerment, providing women with resources as well as “a place to share their stories.”

Continue reading “91 Years of Women’s Votes”

While I was on Brandeis’ JBS Mississippi semester this summer, I met with several elected officials. One encounter stands out in my head.

During my 2-month stay in Mississippi, the only place I saw a recycling bin was on the campus of the University of Mississippi, up in Oxford. Although we passed other recycling factories and warehouses in Jackson, the state’s capital, and sanitation workers pick up recycling from certain residential areas, nowhere did I find any public recycling.

On our third week in Mississippi we visited McComb (Britney Spears’ birthplace) and ate at the Dinner Bell, with the city’s mayor. Afterwards, we got to ask him questions. So, I asked the mayor if he intended to improve the recycling situation. His answer was surprising.

While he acknowledged that there was a scarcity of recycling, especially in McComb, he said that it is too expensive for small municipalities to create recycling programs. Because materials are so valuable now, however, private companies want them, and so are often willing to create recycling programs in order to take them off people’s hands for cheap.

Basically, the city does not have any plans to increase recycling except to wait for the private sector to become interested and do something about it itself.

Now, what puzzles me is why more universities aren’t getting in on the craze. While it can be expensive and difficult for cities to coordinate recycling (although they should still try), universities have more incentive (it figures into some rankings) and are generally smaller and easier to organize.

When I e-mailed the head of the Residence Halls at Jackson State University (where we stayed during the course of the program) about recycling opportunities, she responded that it was something they only do during the year. However, my friends who go there told me that in fact a student group is trying to bring more recycling to campus but as of now, there is little to none even while school is in session.

Therefore, I’ve compiled some resources. If you go to a school or work or live in a community where there is little to no recycling, here are some organizations which are supplying free recycling bins and/or support. The rest (seeing how your sanitation workers feel about picking up recycling in addition to garbage, promoting recycling efforts, writing the applications to these groups) is up to you!

If you love reading books that you can physically hold in your hand, how can you also be environmentally conscious?

My family collects books- not specifically rare ones, not ones that would necessarily be worth a lot of money, just ones we enjoy reading. My grandmother’s house is cluttered with overwhelming piles of books, and we probably have a few hundred in my house as well. We try just to keep books we would want to read a second time, and donate the rest, but it can be hard to give something away that you’ve read, that you’ve experienced, when it’s still in good shape.

At the same time, I’ve become an avid recycler. This transformation took place pretty recently; sometime between January and this July. I went from being someone who proclaimed an apathy towards the environment (everyone supports animals and the environment; why do I have to?) to someone who picked receipts out of the bathroom garbage to carry downstairs to the recycling bin for paper.

Just knowing I have so much paper lying around my room (old class notes, cards, receipts, newspapers) which could be put to good use bothers me. It may not be logical, but I feel like for every paper I hold onto, a tree is being cut down in a rain forest somewhere, to print another paper for me to use. I’m sure on a small-scale it doesn’t work this way, but think about it; if we all contributed all of the papers we had but didn’t need to the companies that are printing paper in the first place, we’d definitely decrease the “need” for deforestation.

So, as you can imagine, I’ve started to feel pretty guilty about holding onto all these books when they could be recycled (either by circulating them to others, or literally sending them off for their pages to be ripped out and reused). At the same time, I keep buying more books, adding to this problem. While I frequent the library, there’s something special about owning a book and taking your good time reading it. E-books are a whole separate issue, since you need to have a portable device with you to read them, and they just don’t have the same integrity as paper.

In my quest to recycle, I came across 1-800-Recycling, a site which tells you what you can recycle and where, calculates your distance from the closest stores that accept your kind of recycled goods, and links you to resources listed by state. 1-800-Recycling’s advice is to make accessories out of your old neglected books, or cut through them to create intricate 3-D carvings. While both of these ideas sound cool, there’s still something sacrilegious about cutting up books.

So I’m asking you for input: what do I do with my old books? Should I give them all away to a library or school, donate them to a place where they will use the paper to print new books, make them into works of art, or is there a brilliant new idea no one has even considered?

Here’s the latest interview we conducted in our series of Student Leader Interviews, this time with 2011-2012 Student Union President Herbie Rosen ’12.

Herbie, the former Secretary of the Student Union, has a long list of affiliations with Brandeis groups, including: Orientation Core Committee, Senior Week Volunteer, Tour Guide, Waltham Group, Liquid Latex, Hillel, Crowd Control, Undergraduate Theatre Collective and the Varsity Men’s Swim Team.

Now, with a new responsibility to add to his already-brimming plate, Herbie shared with us what he envisions for the Student Union, how he views his new role, and even a secret event he has planned called Union Day.

*The majority of questions were submitted by Brandeis students. Is there a Brandeis community member you want us to interview? Working on a project you want to share? Comment or e-mail ideas, suggestions, questions to czar@innermostparts.org and we’ll try to make your dreams come true!

Responsibility
IMP: What is your biggest fear about being President of the Union?
HR: Haha, sounding like an idiot in interviews like these.

IMP: You have not been President for that long, but would you describe it so far? Has it been overwhelming at times?
HR: On my first day I got a bunch of emails about a bunch of different things, and I had somewhat of an (pardon my language) “Oh Shit” moment. But honestly it hasn’t been too bad. My biggest problem is that there isn’t enough time in the day. I can’t have all the meetings I want; I won’t be able to get to everything I want to do. So the worst thing this year will be picking and choosing what to do next.

So far it’s been fun being President. I get a lot of freedom to explore different aspects of campus and meet people from all around the University. I am really bad at remembering names though. So if I hesitate a second after saying hi, please forgive me. I am getting better, I promise.

Experience
IMP: You’re involved in many things on campus. If you had to choose, which would you say have prepared you most for your role as President?
HR: Being on the Orientation Core last summer! It’s a huge leadership training program, and I definitely emerged knowing what worked and what didn’t in my leadership style. It was the kind of experience where you learn your flaws first, and then get to capitalize on your strengths. I really enjoyed being able to usher in the Class of 2014 with my peers. It was that kind of work that made me confident in my abilities as President.

And of course by being Student Union Secretary, I got to learn about what the Student Union was, and how it worked. So obviously that ended up being pretty important as well.

IMP: Do you think you will be able to continue your involvement in your other interests on-campus?
HR: No, not to the extent of the past years. I am an Orientation Leader this fall, and I still will be giving weekly tours, but that’s pretty much it. I love my improv troupe, Crowd Control – so I’ll at least try to rehearse with them, though probably not perform. I’ve Co-Produced Quickies (the Student Written-One Act Festival) for the past two years, so I’ll continue that but I have a lot of help from my Co-Producer, and it doesn’t take up too much time. No, other than classes, Student Union will have to be my biggest priority.

The Student Union and Student Activism
IMP: The age old reputation of Brandeis Student Union is that it simply does not represent the students nor does it appeal to most. Do you plan to rebrand the Union to include those who are currently not engaged? If so, how?
HR: Of course! I totally understand where that reputation came from; I used to feel the same way. But I think the Union has slowly been combating that. I intend to add some rocket boosters to that fight.

We are going to be a lot more visible this year. I have a lot of ideas that have already gone into motion, and I’ll be focusing on getting every part of the Student Union to be just as active as the Executive Board. I intend to keep close tabs on how the student body is feeling. We will stress our office hours, and hold them outside of the Union Office. Meanwhile I hope to reach out to several groups of students who typically aren’t engaged with the Union (ie International Students & Athletes). These are just the first of many steps to rebrand our Union. More plans are in the works, and I promise that students will see a difference by the end of the year.

It’s time that people actually care about what the Student Union is doing. We are not just a group that gives out money, though that is important as well. We have a high potential to make a difference this year, and our main goal will be to prove that to the Student Body. It’s time to make the three flame emblem of ours well-known all around campus. It’s time that the Union is something exciting.

I want to add that I’ve got plans for something called Union Day. It will hopefully be every month – but I can’t tell you much else. It’s going to be a fun surprise!

IMP: Do you have any plans to make Brandeis more environmentally sustainable, and further, should the campus be bottled water free?
HR: Yes, I am very interested in pursuing options to make our campus more environmentally sustainable. I am currently setting up meetings with SEA and other student leaders – hoping to discuss what possible actions the Union may take. If students have ideas as to what we should do – share them! Please email me; any opinion is welcome!

Before going completely bottled water free; I would want to research the financial impact on the school. I am all for inexpensive ways to limit bottled water, so if the option presents itself: we will go after it. Should the campus be completely bottled water free? Personally I think we need to have some bottled water around, but I think its presence should be radically decreased.

Events
IMP: With the 2012 elections coming up, does the Student Union have any plans to aid activist groups with voter registration, particularly for incoming freshmen?
HR: Currently no. In fact, it wasn’t even a note in my agenda. But it’s something to think about. The Student Union has no political leaning, and I don’t want students to think of us as a political activist group. We are a group that provides a service. Sure, we will make sure that all our clubs have the best funds possible to make their events happen, but we currently won’t be planning any 2012 campaign-related programs.

I believe that the right to vote is an important one, so personally I will encourage students to sign up and vote – maybe we’ll make a few posters and send out a couple emails. But no, I don’t see us making that a big part of our efforts at this time.

IMP: How many ‘black tie events’ will you hold as President?
HR: Haha, well I can’t actually correctly tie a tie. So probably not too many.

Challenges
IMP: What is the biggest challenge the Brandeis Student Union faces with President Lawrence’s office?
HR: We just need to make sure that all of these new administrators understand the Student Body. It’s going to take strong and energetic voices to teach our administrative additions about Brandeis Culture. Our biggest challenge is starting off on the right foot. We have to consider how to help their Orientation to campus, and then how to move towards making a difference. Of course changes will come right away from these new administrators; the Union has to make sure that these changes benefit the student body.

So far I have really enjoyed working with President Lawrence. I think he is very honest and down-to-earth. He spent last year well, learning all about the student body. I am confident that his popularity will continue throughout this year. We as the Student Union will do our best to both advise and advocate to President Lawrence. The positive feeling everyone has been feeling with President Lawrence’s arrival needs to continue.

IMP: The Herbie the students elected is kind, smiling, and calm. If the students expressed interest in an issue counter to what the administration desires (for instance, meaningful exploration of the details of union contracts for employees in usdan) do you see yourself willing to stand up to their authority, even if it means compromising your personal relationship with them?
HR: I was elected to represent the student body. Thus, if there is a great interest in something counter to the thoughts of our administrators, I should act. Now, I will do due diligence. I will meet with students, investigate facts and consider all opinions involved. I can’t represent the student body unless I know both sides. I have no problem confronting administrators with something different than their opinion.

But I will not attack! My relationships with the administrators, staff and faculty, both personal and professional are still full of respect. I am not afraid to argue, push back or tell them that I disagree with their actions. But I will not try to tear them down. Civil discourse is my approach; I can be aggressive but I will not bully. Nothing gets done when one lashes out on first instinct.

I promised to be the student’s strongest advocate. And you all can rely on me to push, protest and fight – with reasonable cause. But I will not act without respect. And you need not worry that I will stay mum or neutral on some student concern because I am worried about ties with administrators. I am your President; I am not supposed to act that way.

Accomplishments
IMP: What is your proudest social justice accomplishment?
HR: For the past two February breaks, I went on Volunteer Vacations. It was really rewarding to work along side my peers at sites such as the Bangor Area Homeless Shelter (Maine), and the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Center (NYC).Those have definitely been my proudest social justice experiences. This summer, I’ve been working at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism; it’s been an eye-opening experience, and I hope to later pursue my interest in the criminal justice system.

Honestly, I can’t call one event that stands above all others. But hopefully I will have several to remember after this year. The Student Union is currently planning a few social-justice projects such as the SoJust Career Fair (partnered with the Ethics Center, Hiatt Career Center & the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, see the facebook group) and the Local/Global Social Justice Fair (partnered with the Ethics Center). More to come on that later!

(L to R: Andy Hogan, President ’10, Daniel Acheampong, President ’11, Herbie Rosen, President ’12)

A new game called Co-opoly is in the works.

This board game resembles monopoly in its bare-bones objective: to succeed in business. However, rather than players competing to earn the most money, players must work together to win the game. “Everyone wins – or everybody loses,” the game advertises.

Unlike Monopoly, which encourages an ultra-competitive attitude and is the source of numerous fights amongst friends and family members, Co-opoly teaches about the value of collaboration and solidarity, still through a hands-on economic model role-playing game accessible to children and adults.

As Co-opoly’s founders explain:

Cooperatives are not a form of charity, they are a means of self-help and solidarity…By playing Co-opoly, players will learn about the unique benefits, challenges, and operations of the cooperative world – as well as the skills needed to participate in a co-op!

Co-opoly is being advertised on Kickstarter, a new online forum where individuals can promote their projects and solicit donations.

On Kickstarter, anybody can pledge money to a project, but the project will not receive any of the money unless it reaches its full fundraising goal by a certain date. Co-opoly’s creators, The Toolbox for Education and Social Action, are asking for $8,800 by October 2nd.

I’m a big believer in the abilities of games to teach important life skills. There are a lot of interesting articles on why gaming can be good for educational purposes.

Escapist Magazine, referred to me by a fellow Brandeisian, has a good video on how interactive games can better be utilized in the classroom, and the Christian Science Monitor discusses a UN-program for college students in Vermont to bring attention to domestic violence for South African youths through cell phone games.

Check out the Social Justice games category for more games and their social justice analyses!

This post comes directly from Get Involved | Obama for America | 2012.

On the heels of reading this blog post honoring the women’s movement, I received an e-mail from NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand telling me about how women are still treated unfairly in the work place, receiving .78 per $1 earned by a man.

Not that this statistic is very clear- does this mean for the same job, or are men making more because they tend to be in higher positions (a whole separate problem)?

Paycheck Fairness Act, which would

“…provide justice to victims of gender discrimination, protect employees who share information about their salary with their co-workers, and require employers to prove that wage discrepancies are based on work performance and not on a person’s gender.”

Continue reading “Anniversary of Suffrage but Still Fighting for Equality!”

The next student leader to be interviewed is….

Herbie Rosen ’12! Did you know that Herbie is the Student Union president for this upcoming school year, as well as the former Student Union Secretary, active in Brandeis theatre, and much, much more?

What would YOU like to know from Mr. Rosen? It can be anything from when Herbie first started to go by the name Herbie, to which former Brandeis student president he liked the most!

You have until Thursday night at midnight to suggest questions or topics to cover! Submissions will be chosen based on relevance and the number of people that suggest similar themes.

Your name will not be attached to the question unless you ask for it to be, and you can e-mail questions to c…@innermostparts.org if privacy is an issue.

Note: In the spirit of opening dialogue as to various groups’ roles on campus, and to preview what these groups have planned for 2011-2012, I’m going to be asking student leaders to participate in online interviews, to be posted here. If you would like to be interviewed or have a suggestion of someone you think is worth interviewing, let us know and we will try to make your dreams come true!

Republic presidential candidate Mitt Romney was recently lambasted by the media for telling hecklers that “Corporations are people,” at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2h8ujX6T0A[/youtube]

I even got an e-mail from NY Senator Chuck Schumer (D) ridiculing his comment, saying:

“Republicans can’t even tell the difference between a flesh and blood human being and a business entity that doesn’t exist outside its legal definition.”

This raises the question: What is the definition of people versus that of corporations?
Continue reading “Corporations are not People, but they ARE comprised of them”

Innermostparts doesn’t receive that much spam on the whole, and we have some great spam filters so you guys don’t have to read all of the ads that businesses leave in the hopes of getting you to buy their products.

But, every now and then it’s good to read some of the comments that wouldn’t otherwise see the light of day.

All of the following were sent by businesses. All links have been removed from comments.

The Compliment

I like what you guys are up too. Such smart work and reporting! Keep up the superb works guys I?ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my website.

what a lengthy and in depth article but full of useful information

The Incomprehensible

Hell yes, i have need of write something like this but didnt be in actual possession possess period of childbirth, may i repost this form pertinent to sex Discrimination at Brandeis? And Facebook? | Innermost Parts

Hell yes, i want write something like this unless didnt have delivery, may i repost this Have a speak: VH1 prepare Something! Awards | inmost Parts

The Cut to the Chase

All people deserve very good life and home loans or financial loan will make it much better. Because people’s freedom relies on money state.

One of my closest friends send me dress. Fantastic items! Thanks her plus your fast shipping and good service!

Andrew Flagel will be taking over as the new Senior VP for Students and Enrollment, the position vacated by Jean Eddy almost a year ago.

Here is the bulk of the e-mail President Lawrence sent out yesterday to the Brandeis Community.

I am pleased to announce today that Andrew Flagel will be our new senior vice president for students and enrollment. He joins us from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, where he was dean of admissions and associate vice president of enrollment development. He will start on September 1. Andrew had an impressive record of achievement during his ten years at George Mason, and I look forward to seeing him bring that same spirit of innovation to Brandeis. Andrew impressed the search committee and all those he met on campus with his intelligence, his passion for higher education and his engaging manner. Please join me in welcoming Andrew to Brandeis.

For more information, read BrandeisNow’s article.

Note: Lawrence sent out this e-mail on a new formal letterhead, with Brandeis’ letterhead at the top. It looks snazzy.

This week we electronically sat down with Margaret Huey ’13 to find out about her summer internship at the Boston nonprofit Cradles to Crayons, an organization that often works with Brandeis volunteers groups. She told us about what makes Cradles to Crayons (C2C) special, why she signed on to work there over the summer, what the hardest part of her job is, and more!

Cradles to Crayons?
IMP: What kind or work does Cradles to Crayons do?
MH: Cradles is a non-profit organization that provides, free of charge, essential goods to children from low income and homeless families that they need to feel safe, warm, ready to learn and valued. We do this by collecting donations from corporate organizations, faith-based groups, and individual families.

Volunteers then come into the Giving Factory and sort through these items to make sure they are of the highest quality possible. A social service agency can fill out an order form for an individual child, and these orders are filled each week as they come to us.

IMP:What, if anything, sets Cradles to Crayons apart from other nonprofits?
MH: In the non-profit world, C2C has established itself as one of the most efficient non-profits, and has recieved a 4-star rating (the highest rating possible) from Charity Navigator for three consecutive years. C2C is also unique in that all of the donations come from Massachussetts and stay within the state; the organization is a way to connect families with excess to families in need.

Where do YOU come in?
IMP: How did you get involved with Cradles to Crayons? Had you volunteered there before becoming an intern?
MH: After completing a trip with Volunteer Vacations where a lot of the volunteering that we did in Houston, Texas focused on helping children, I knew that I wanted to continue to make an impact to under priveleged children and started looking online for organizations in the Boston area.

I had heard of Cradles to Crayons before, and saw that there was an interning opportunity for college students during the summer time. I had never gotten the chance to volunteer here before, but quickly fell in love with the organization. Going in to intern a couple days a week has definitely been one of the highlights of my summer.
Continue reading “Interview with Cradles to Crayons Intern Margaret Huey”

VH1 and Dosomething.org are hosting the Do Something! Awards, which premiere Thursday, August 18th, 2011 at 9/8c on VH1.

The Awards’ aim is to “honor young people’s commitment to social change,” and includes 17 categories, from The Do Something Award, Athlete, Facebook, TV Show, etc. Voting is an easy way to honor activists who are changing the world. Plus, you can log in with a facebook account to vote!

The Do Something Award category contenders range from 18-25 years of age. These people started some amazing organizations: The Real Food Challenge (a chapter of which exists at Brandeis and works through Students for Environmental Action), Move for Hunger, YALLA (Youth And Leaders Living Actively), The American Widows Project and The Sparkle Effect.

So take a moment to learn more about these and celebrity activists and pick who you think deserves the prize the most. Vote here!

The following is an excerpt from the Brandeis Department of Community Living’s Gender Neutral Housing Policy.

“Critics of gender neutral housing believe that the option promotes promiscuity and encourages students in heterosexual relationships to live together. At Brandeis, students in relationships already have the option to live together in suites and apartments, and most students in relationships do not choose to live together.

This criticism also assumes that students who select gender neutral housing are heterosexual, and it does not take into account that students in same-sex relationships have always had the opportunity to live together.”

In a recent post, Gender Discrimination at Brandeis? And Facebook?, I wrote about how Brandeis’ JBS site only offered “male” and “female” as options under the gender category. I talked about how even when gender discrimination isn’t intentional, it can hurt people.

However, I also noted that when I wrote to JBS administrators with this complaint, they responded quickly in expressing their understanding of the issue and their willingness to expand the gender category options. This isn’t the only arena in which Brandeis has demonstrated its sensitivity, as you can see with its housing policy.

Alongside DCL’s stance on gender neutral housing appears a glossary of key terms from its website. One that sticks out is:

Gender identity – The inner sense of being male or female.

I think this term is perhaps most key in discussing the world of gender. Gender is a social construction, and holds different meanings and connotations for different people. Even though people may identify you as a man or woman, and it’s often easier and more practical within our current system to think of all people as fitting within these two categories, gender identity is something that you alone can determine. It can’t be assigned to you.

Continue reading “Brandeis’ Housing Policy Impresses”

Thanks to the Human Rights Campaign, I just found out about this lawsuit. Have people been following this case? What do you think?

On Monday, lawyers for the House Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) filed their latest arguments using your taxpayer dollars to defend the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in federal court, in Windsor v. United States. As you’ll recall, in that case, Edie Windsor is challenging the hefty tax penalty she faces as she inherits her late wife’s estate because of DOMA, a penalty that would not apply if her spouse had been a man.

The BLAG lawyers seem to be using an interesting defense for DOMA:

Most of their brief is spent, instead, trying to convince the court that sexual orientation is not immutable and that gays and lesbians have inordinate political power.

They cite the work of HRC, the Victory Fund and other groups as proof positive that “gays and lesbians have achieved and continue to achieve substantial political success.”

So, the HRC’s own victories are being used against them, in an attempt to argue that because a minority group has made recent headway in gaining civil rights, that group is not at a significant disadvantage, based on the criteria for how courts decide to apply heightened scrutiny to a case.

When deciding whether to apply heightened scrutiny, courts typically consider two factors:
(1) whether there is a history of discrimination based on the characteristic
(2) whether the characteristic is relevant to one’s ability to participate in or contribute to society.
They sometimes also consider
(3) whether the characteristic is immutable
(4) whether the group is particularly vulnerable politically.

Read the HRC’s full article for further analysis of the brief, including specific arguments BLAG makes as to each of the 4 points.

This past week I electronically sat down for an interview with Brandeis’ Hillel President Jessica Goldberg ’13! We covered how she became pres, what plans she has for Hillel, and the level of inclusiveness she sees Hillel as offering. Unfortunately, we didn’t get into Judaism’s biggest questions: Who Killed Tupac?

A handful of Brandeis students contributed questions, so if you like what you read, take part in this series by submitting questions for Brandeis Dems President, Jake Weiner ’13!

Oh I Just Can’t Wait To Be King!
IMP: So Jess, how do you feel about being Brandeis’ new Hillel President?
JG: I’m really excited about it! I definitely never expected to be in this position – I’ve always had my eye on Hillel Education Coordinator – but a couple of people wanted that one, so I guess this will do.

IMP: Were you already officially inaugurated? If so, what was that like?
JG: Yes. I was inaugurated on May 6th after Shabbat dinner in Sherman Function Hall. The ceremony began with speeches by Executive Director Larry Sternberg, Associate Director Cindy Spungin, three wonderful senior speakers, and outgoing President Andrea Wexler ’11. Then Andrea conducted a ceremony in which each of last year’s Board members inaugurated his or her counterpart, and finally I gave a speech. It was a fun yet poignant evening!

Where’s Hillel Going?
IMP: What are some of your plans for Hillel for the upcoming year?
JG: I actually have a lot of specific plans, as do the nine other Hillel Board members. However, some of my overarching goals include fostering greater Hillel unity (and making it a stronger community); incorporating the voices of non-Board members into our plans; forming close relationships with each member group; making the Hillel Board and Staff more accessible; and celebrating our pluralism through greater intra-Hillel collaboration and dialogue.

IMP: Are there certain social events and areas of social justice/activism you are hoping to focus on?
JG: Dillon Ang is the new Tzedek/Social Action Coordinator, and while I hope that he and his minyan counterparts will address many areas of social justice, a huge focus for us has always been and will continue to be hunger and homelessness awareness. I’m hoping that this year we will reunite with the different activist organizations we’ve worked with in the past for various projects, and I’m also interested in starting an annual “Tzedek Shabbaton.” In terms of social events, besides beloved traditions like the Latke-Hamantaschen Debate and the Purim Party, I hear Social Events Coordinator Danny Reisner is planning two dances (another Bar Mitzvah party and a more formal one).

Hillel’s Presence on Campus
IMP: What role do you see Hillel playing on the Brandeis campus?
JG: Overall, Hillel is a loud and proud, but always inclusive, force on campus – we even have a Board member (Ariel Milan Polisar) whose entire job is campus relations! As the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life and an umbrella organization for at least twenty sub-groups, Hillel’s job is to provide for all of your needs and interests as a Jew (or someone just interested in Judaism).

I also hope that we can accomplish amazing things this year with all of the groups with whom we’ve collaborated in the recent past (Trisk/QRC, the Justice League, SEA, BIG, MSA, JVP, and several academic departments) and more. Hillel is also behind some of the biggest social action efforts and greatest parties of the year and all students are more than welcome to be a part of that.

IMP: What do you think the role of the Hillel minyanim are? (And could you please explain what this term means)
JG: A minyan is really a prayer group. Technically, Hillel has seven – Orthodox, Traditional Egalitarian, BaRuCH/Reform, BRO/Reconstructionist, Sephardi, Ruach, and Shira Chadasha. The Orthodox minyan is affiliated with BOO and the Egal minyan is affiliated with BUCO. BOO, BUCO, BaRuCH, and BRO all exist as vibrant Hillel member groups outside of their minyanim.

BOO, BUCO, BaRuCH, and BRO each represent a unique school of ideology, and they each need an outlet through which to explore that in ways other than just prayer. Though the nature of these quasi-independent clubs is conducive to clique formation and not quite recognizing that they are part of Hillel, I don’t intend to ask them to abandon their social events or anything like that. I really think that we can work on solving inter-minyan awkwardness by collaboration and by working toward embracing and understanding our differences. This year’s Board is dedicated to fighting assumptions and tension with “active engagement” (Education Coordinator Eliana Light has a great Facebook note about it).

IMP: Will we be seeing efforts for the construction of a (physical) Hillel building; a communal place for all denominations of Jews to interact on a day-to-day basis?
JG: Honestly, I don’t intend to raise the issue this year unless I hear an especially convincing argument. The Hillel building or Hillel center is a vital tool at many colleges, but the realities of our organization render it impractical. In terms of a space where all Jews can interact on a day-to-day basis, this is precisely the purpose of the Hillel Lounge, which is almost never empty and is home to people from all walks of Hillel life.

Over the course of one day, you might have great conversations with a BZA person, a BOO person, a Shalem person, and more. I will also tell you that I have plans to make the Lounge more open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of one’s member group affiliation (if any!).

Hillel- Inclusive Enough?
IMP: Sometimes the less observant Jewish students on campus stay away from Hillel because they feel they are in an environment where they are judged for not being religious enough. How do you intend as Hillel president to make less observant Jewish students feel comfortable attending Hillel events?
JG: I’ve definitely heard accusations of Hillel catering to the more religious crowd, and if people are uncomfortable then this is a problem. I don’t make assumptions; in fact, my current project for Shabbat and Festival Meals Coordinator Leslie Golden and Eliana Light is to revamp the “Shabbat Dinner 101” table literature that explains the meaning of various rituals you might see observed (by many but not all!) at Hillel’s Shabbat dinner.

Some of my friends and I also try to set an example by doing things like studying in the Beit Midrash (House of Study) even though we are clearly liberal Jews. At the same time, I can say pretty confidently that very few Hillel members judge anyone – so you should come to events or dinner sometime and get to know someone completely different!

IMP: Are there any openly LGBT members of Hillel? If not, why do you think this might be? Do you have any ideas for how to create a more open and affirming Hillel community?
JG: THANK YOU for this question! Yes, there are absolutely openly LGBTQ members of Hillel – they are involved in just about every facet of Hillel. The real question is whether or not Hillel has an LGBTQ community.

Shalem is our official LGBTQ group, and unfortunately it has been less than thriving in recent times. This summer I’ve started the process of revitalizing Shalem – anyone who wants more information can email me and I’ll add you to the mailing list. And if Hillel or any of its affiliated member groups come off as closed-minded, I want to hear about it so that we can fix it and make this a welcoming environment for everybody.

Closing Thoughts
JG: Finally, I would like to thank Elly and Innermost Parts for this opportunity to share my thoughts with the Brandeis community, and I invite anyone to email (jsg27@brandeis.edu) or Facebook message me if you have any more questions or ideas for Hillel! Also, I tried to pay tribute to all of my Board members in this interview, but I couldn’t get them all in there, so: Ariana Berlin (Religious Life), Rachel Mayo (Finance), Michelle Sinnreich (Israel), and Sarah Sue Landau (Communications) – you guys are awesome too!

Note: Some lines were taken out from the above interview in the interest of clarity and brevity.

The next student leader to be interviewed is….

Jake Weiner ’13! Did you know he is the incoming president of the Brandeis Democrats, affectionately called the Brandeis Dems? How’d you guess?

In the spirit of opening dialogue as to what various clubs’ roles are on campus and to preview what these groups have planned for 2011-2012, I’m going to be asking student leaders to participate in online interviews, to be posted here.

If you would like to be interviewed or have a suggestion of someone you think is worth interviewing, let us know and we will try to make your dreams come true!

What would YOU like to know from the president of the Brandeis Democrats? It can be anything from when Jake first figured out he was a Democrat to how he hopes to further bipartisanship on campus.

You have until Wednesday night at midnight to suggest questions or topics to cover! Submissions will be chosen based on relevance and the number of people that suggest similar themes.

Your name will not be attached to the question unless you specify, and you can e-mail questions to czar@innermostparts.org if privacy is an issue.

The text of my interview with Brandeis Hillel President Jessica Goldberg ’13 will be posted at 12 pm today!

As I discussed in my earlier post, gender discrimination is a pretty prevalent phenomenon. However, besides discriminating by not supplying everyone with facilities they feel comfortable using, I’ve noticed gender discrimination in other areas too.

While filling out Brandeis’ Justice Brandeis Semester Evaluation form I noticed that in the information section, the drop-down bar for Gender only has 2 options- guess what they are.

A bit hesitantly, I e-mailed the JBS Program Manager, telling her that I did not feel that these options accommodated all students. She e-mailed me back right away saying that she felt the same way, and that she and her colleagues would work on this issue in the future. I thank her for her responsiveness and willingness to embrace this change.

Although I do not think that JBS was intentionally discriminating against certain students, the effects were the same as if they had been- people feeling excluded.

The same lack of sensitivity is true of Facebook. Continue reading “Gender Discrimination at Brandeis? And Facebook?”

Did you know that the majority of restrooms in the world are segregated?

I don’t have the statistics to prove it, but if you use your common sense I think you’ll agree. Just think: how many times have you entered a bathroom with a sign reading “Women” or “Men” on the door.

Well, there’s a movement going on today to change that. It’s called “Use the “wrong” bathroom for a day! Fight for Gender Neutral bathrooms!” Check it out.

I ended my Justice Brandeis Semester: Civil Rights and Racial Justice in Mississippi program a week ago. I found a lot of parallels between the racial discrimination we were studying there and the gender discrimination which has been perpetuated alongside it.

However, whereas explicit legal segregation by race mostly ended in the 1970’s, (despite the continued presence of coded language aimed at maintaining implicit racial segregation), gender segregation has never been formally outlawed in a lot of arenas.

Continue reading “Stop Segregation of Restrooms!”

Innermostparts has been fortunate enough to be granted an interview with incoming Brandeis Hillel President Jessica Goldberg ’13!

But, before we conduct the interview we’d like to know what’s on your mind!

You have until midnight tomorrow (Friday) night to comment on this post to submit questions or topics to cover. Questions will be chosen based on relevance and the number of people that suggest or second them.

If you want your questions to appear with your name attached, please specify. Otherwise, all questions will be posed anonymously.

Let your voice be heard!

On Monday, the day after the first gay marriages were performed in New York state (ever), a friend and I went to the City Clerk’s/Marriage Bureau Office to see what all the fuss was about.

It’s old news by now, (see my June 16th post before the fact and June 24th post, after), but New York voted to legalize same sex marriage on June 24th, meaning that the law went into effect 30 days later, this past Sunday.

As the Huffington Post reported, in light of the number of couples the state projected would want to wed on Sunday, they devised a Marriage Lottery, whereby couples could sign up for slots within the different boroughs of New York, in order to make sure all could be accommodated. In the end, 823 couples signed up, the majority being same-sex.

The NYC City Clerk’s Office (along with some others across the state) waived the 24-hour waiting period between securing a marriage license and getting married for the day, opened on a Sunday and extended its hours until 6:30 p.m. every day this upcoming week (business hours are usually M-F 8:30-3:45).

However, when my friend and I got there around 2 in the afternoon on Monday, only about 4 or 5 couples were walking down the halls, most of whom appeared to be composed of one man and one woman. We hadn’t passed any protestors outside either. We asked the Marriage Clerk, a worker from City Store (the City Clerk’s gift shop), reporters and others where all the people were. No one else knew either.

Continue reading “Gay Marriage in New York: NBD”

Obama campaign looking for fall fellows.

Obama for America | 2012 | Fall Fellows Information.

Mewsflash: Obama Embracing LGBTQ Rights

I received an e-mail from Barack’s campaign manager Jim Messina today alerting me to the fact that today Obama and the military service chiefs certified the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” meaning that it will go into effect in 60 days.

Now, I celebrated the repeal of DADT way back in December when the Senate voted on it (see my initial post), and if anything, I’m a bit saddened at the speed out bureaucratic government moves. Still, it’s an achievement.

I was even more excited by the rest of the e-mail though, which read:

This week the President endorsed a bill to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, a discriminatory law that forces the federal government to ignore the rights of those in same-sex marriages…

It’s no secret that the President has long opposed this law. In February, he directed the Justice Department to stop defending a key portion of it in court. And this week, he endorsed the first Senate bill that would repeal the law in its entirety.”

Obama has flipflopped many times on the issue of gay marriage. As a New York Times article notes, Obama expressed support for gay marriage in 1996, when running for the Illinois State Senate. However,

“In 2008, he visited the Saddleback Church in Orange County, Calif., where the pastor Rick Warren asked him to define marriage. “I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Mr. Obama said. “For me, as a Christian, it is also a sacred union.””

Obama’s definition in 2008 matches that of the Defense Of Marriage Act, namely: between a man and a woman. However, his views seem to have changed. By asking for a repeal of DOMA without asking for legalization of gay marriage, he is marking his position precisely in the middle: supportive of state’s rights over federal dominance, but not coming out as for or against gay marriage himself.

Continue reading “Obama on Gay Rights”