Category: Uncategorized

Like many fellow Brandeisians I go to Brandeis. I also saw Michael Ian Black and here is my take on it. It was really good. There was funniness abounding about. Especially when there was a really long line that circled the Usdan courtyard and people had to wait in it. Then we went inside and Michael Ian Black, that silly dude made a lot of Brandeis related jokes. What a funny guy! Unlike Ben Folds he seemed to be adapting to his surroundings and curving his humor to fit into it. This really made me feel special. That is how good of a comedian Michael Ian Black is. He made ME feel special. That is great of him.

After the show was over I really wanted him to sign this poster for my friend, so I sort of left. Then all the student events people were like, you should leave now. So I did. But I could see him. Michael Ian Black was in the alumni lounge (or whatever that room on top of Levin is called). Well this was great news to me. He was there in the window posing with all the Student Events kids. My friend and I sang “In Your Eyes”, the come to a window song, but to no avail. He did not come to that window.

Disheartened we began to think about how to meet him. But then everything worked out. He walked out the door of the part of Usdan that is new to selling sandwiches. We mobbed him and said something to the effect of “hey Michael Ian Black how are you.” He replied that he was pretty good. I asked him to sing something, he was like sure. I told him he was not a dick. He told me he was. Then he continued along the way toward the library from the Usdan Courtyard. That was the last time I ever saw Michael Ian Black.  He faded into the distance.  I did not want to follow him because that would not have been nice.

I sort of felt weird about wanting to have his autograph but I did get my friend Sara a good present.  And I mean that is how it goes if you are a celebrity.

Relatedly, I recorded a good thirty minutes of it on analog tape and if the powers don’t be don’t hurt me I will capture it and then post it on here.

Sunday seems like a cool thing is happening that you should check out:

This event brings together interfaith activists of all ages from around the Boston area in community service and Interfaith Dialogue. We will be focusing on environmental activism this year, and so many of the sites where volunteers will be working (listed below) will involve environmental cleanup or the greening of religious institutions. The event runs from 1-7 pm, and there will be transportation from Brandeis (though it would be super-helpful if anyone could drive in and take people).

Brandeis’ own (really cool) chaplain Alex Kerns is on the board of this event (I think?). Going would be a good idea.

Anyone who wants to come should contact Erica at eshaps@brandeis.edu

More info: HERE

Press Release everyone on campus just got:

Once he steps down as president of Brandeis, Jehuda Reinharz will become president of the Mandel Foundation, an internationally recognized charity that provides leadership to non-profits in the United States and Israel.

Morton L. Mandel, foundation chairman and chief executive officer, made the announcement today at a meeting of the foundation’s Board of Trustees in Cleveland, Ohio. Mandel, who will continue to lead the foundation, said Reinharz is the first person to be named to the new position of president and will be his eventual successor and CEO.

“President Reinharz shares the vision and passion that my brothers, Jack, Joe and I have for our philanthropic work,” said Mandel. “We believe that exceptional leaders are the critical factor that enables organizations to contribute significantly to society. Dr. Reinharz brings a vast array of professional experience and a keen understanding of the foundation’s current work worldwide.”

Reinharz, who became president of Brandeis in 1994, announced last fall that he will step down and a search for the eighth leader of the university is now under way. Reinharz will remain in office until a new president is selected and arrives on campus, or as late as June 30, 2011. Reinharz will also return to The Tauber Institute for the Study of European Jewry at Brandeis.

The Mandel Foundation was established in 1953 by Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel. The foundation focuses its philanthropic efforts in several areas: leadership, management of non-profits, higher education, Jewish education and continuity, and urban neighborhood renewal.

Reinharz joined the Mandel Foundation Board of Trustees in 2005.

“I have been on the board for several years and I have always admired the foundation’s work in training leaders. I am honored that I will have the opportunity to work with the chairman to expand the foundation’s wide-ranging philanthropy in education, in Jewish life here and in Israel, and in urban renewal.”

He added, “I have enormous respect for the Mandel family and all they have done at Brandeis and elsewhere, and I am looking forward to this great challenge.”

The foundation has made major donations to Brandeis, where the new Mandel Center for the Humanities will open this fall. It has also supported the Mandel Center for Studies in Jewish Education; fellowships in humanities, English and American literature; and chairs in Jewish education.

In addition, the foundation has contributed to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland; to the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland, to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the largest art and archeology museum in Israel; and numerous other organizations in the United States and Israel. The foundation has also been active in urban renewal in Cleveland.

Barbara A. Mandel, the wife of Morton Mandel, has served on the Brandeis Board of Trustees since May, 2005.

Malcolm Sherman, chairman of the Brandeis Board of Trustees, congratulated Reinharz on behalf of the board. “We’re very pleased for Jehuda. He’s been a wonderful president of Brandeis and we greatly appreciate his commitment to the university as we work to select our next president,” Sherman said.

Sahar is a blogger who has constantly worked for real-world change. He believes in changing the underlying structures and the dynamics of student government in order to empower and protect student and help Brandeis live up to its mission.  He turns great ideas into practical proposals and real change.

Sahar co-founded the Committee on Endowment Ethics and Responsibility to ensure the endowment is invested responsibly.

During the 2008 election, Sahar helped run the Brandeis Votes challenge that mobilized our clubs to register students to vote.

When Brandeis was in crisis as a result of the budget cuts Spring 2009, Sahar successfully organized a student movement to oppose the administration’s unilateral decision-making.  The budget cut coalition worked to inform students, contact the media, create a proposal for transparency and student participation, and place a student on the CARS Committee.

On the Constitutional Review Committee as an at-large member, Sahar fought for successful reforms: instant runoff voting in Student Union elections and public defenders in the Union Judiciary.

After the Muslim Students’ Association Lounge was vandalized, Sahar brought together students of Muslim, Jewish, other faiths and no faith to stand up for the Muslim community and our values of tolerance and coexistence.  Sahar created an open letter to the Brandeis Muslim community that gathered 600 signatures and arranged a peace rally that attracted 80 people and widespread media attention.  Sahar knows the true character of our university and our community, and will speak for it when it comes under threat.

Vote Sahar Massachi for Student Union President April 15th.

Want to learn more? Check out our website or facebook.

Readers of Innermost Parts, I need your help.

I’m running for Student Union President. You’ve been reading my writing every day for possibly years now. I would hope by now that you’d know who I am and what I’m about enough to enthusiastically support me.

Listen,  polls open in 33 hours.

In 33 hours, students will start voting for their choice of Student Union President.

I need your help. My campaign strategy revolves around you. Can you please take a few hours Monday or Tuesday, and dormstorm? Knocking on doors and talking about why are supporting me is the most effective thing you can do right now (along with inviting all your friends on facebook and changing your facebook status, etc).

Please, can you commit a few hours of your day tomorrow and more hours on tuesday to helping me knock on doors and meet voters? Victory depends on you. Click here to let us know when you’ll be free.

I’ve talked to a lot of people today, and here’s what I said:

Do you remember when the Muslim Student Association was vandalized? I bet you felt the same way I did – hurt, shocked, and powerless to do anything about it. After the story broke, I kept waiting for the union or the administration to do something about it, call a meeting, anything. Instead they just sent out an email. I was tired of waiting, and a couple of friends and I wrote an open letter of love and solidarity to the Muslim Community that you can read here. In 24 hours, 600 of us signed the letter, and 100 of us showed up to a hastily-organized rally to personally hand-deliver it.

That was powerful, positive, and real. When we delivered those messages – when we embraced our friends and classmates – we were the Student Union, even if we didn’t work through the official channels of a student government. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on this campus.

The union should’ve done it. If they did, it would’ve been more well-known, more positive energy, maybe it would’ve snowballed into something great. We’ll never know. That’s why I’m running: the union can do more than just beg for goodies from the administration. It can build our community and tear down the walls between us.

How I’ll get things done:
I think it’s a bit silly for candidates to talk about what they’ll do for you. If I win, I’m going to steal my opponents ideas! A good idea is a good idea, no matter who proposes it – and I’m looking forward to hearing yours. I do have lots of good ideas – for example, one small thing I want to do is have a blog – nothing fancy. But every day I’ll write about who I talked to, what we talked about, and what’s on the agenda. It won’t be hard to do, but it will dramatically open up the union and give students the information they need to get involved. If you’re interested in my platform, you can check out my website. Instead, I think it’s much more important to talk about my theory of change – how will I get things done?

Throughout my time here at Brandeis, it seems that the Union thinks that it has 2 options when the administration says “no” to things. Either the union can cave and say “thank you sir may I have another?” or it could try yelling louder.

There is a third way! That way is smart, effective community organizing. It’s harder than yelling, but it might actually make change happen. I am a community organizer, and for three years I have worked from the outside of the Union to make change.

Throughout my time here at Brandeis, I’ve worked to empower the student body, to stiffen the spine of the Union, and to promote our shared Brandeis ideals. Yet the challenges that we faced in my freshman year, we still face today. As President, I will open up your Student Union. We will work together to stand up to the administration, and to tear down the walls between us. If you share my hopes for the future of the Union please join my facebook group and tell all your friends.

I really need your help to make this vision possible. Please, let all your friends know why you are voting for me, and then tell some strangers.

Thanks!

Just a reminder we’re going to have a progressive champion coming to campus soon…

Dr. Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont, presidential candidate and chair of the Democratic National Committee will be coming to campus on April 15th to talk to the Brandeis community about his career, current political debates, and youth participation in the political process. The event will consist of a speech followed by an extensive conversation with the audience via Q and A.

The event is open to members of the Brandeis community only.

Seating is first come first serve, Doors open 7:15pm and Brandeis ID is Required.

Please let me grab your attention. I’m running for President of the Student Union to build on the work and values I’ve shown here at Innermost Parts.

Here’s why:

Last month, many of us skipped our classes to personally hand-deliver a love letter to the Muslim community at Brandeis, signed by over 600 of us. An anonymous vandal had defaced the Muslim Student Association lounge, and we wanted to demonstrate our solidarity and respect in response. That event showed the real character of this school – our positive energy renewed our sense of community, and left us feeling empowered.

When we delivered those messages – when we embraced our friends and classmates – we were the Student Union, even if we didn’t work through the official channels of a student government.

Right now the Union embitters students. We are rightfully scornful of all the petty infighting and pomposity. Imagine a Union working with us – a Union that brought students together.

I began my freshman year with the realization that students were being disrespected by the University, and the Student Union was doing nothing about it. I was angry at how the Administration made so many decisions that affected my life, but never bothered giving students a say. I was angry that the Student Union wasn’t standing up for us, and angry at how Union members seemed too busy to do anything about it. Years later, that has not really changed.

I’ve fallen in love with the idea of Brandeis and I’ve dedicated myself to pushing it toward its ideals. We are a school explicitly founded to fight against discrimination and bigotry, and to this day we talk about our strong commitment to Social Justice. Throughout my time here at Brandeis, I’ve worked to empower the student body, to stiffen the spine of the Union, and to promote our shared Brandeis ideals. Yet the challenges that we faced in my freshman year, we still face today. As President, I will open up your Student Union. We will work together to stand up to the administration, and to tear down the walls between us.

If your vision for a better Brandeis is similar to mine, I would appreciate your support. You what I stand for. Only if we work together can this campaign succeed. Please, check out my website and volunteer.

Thank you.

I just got more info on the Brandeis Alumni/Activists that are coming tomorrow and Thursday.

Here’s the best way to chill and learn from them: facebook event. With a super surprise at the end!

Paul Adler attended Brandeis from 2000 and 2004, where he studied Politics and was active with Students for a Just Society.  After graduating, he moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked for MoveOn.org on the 2004 election and then spent two years at Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch engaged on issues of free trade and development.  Paul is currently finishing his third year of the PhD history program at Georgetown University, focusing on the history of economic globalization, transnational activism, and U.S. social movements.

A native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Jocelyn Berger spent a year in Israel on the Nativ College/Leadership Program before coming of age at Brandeis, through activism in Students for a Just Society, ARC, and the Antiwar and Labor Coalitions. Since graduating in 2004 in Sociology, Politics, and Peace and Conflict Studies, she has worked for antiwar, labor, Jewish community, humanitarian, and international social justice organizations as a fundraiser, event planner, marketer, organizer, and jack of all trades.  A 2002 Ethics and Coexistence Fellow (the predecessor of Brandeis’ Sorensen Fellowships) in Sri Lanka, Jocelyn returned to South Asia in 2007 to volunteer in Mumbai, India with the American Jewish World Service (AJWS). Jocelyn now works as a Program Officer with AJWS and AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps in San Francisco, working to spark and sustain social change by building a vibrant community united at the intersection of Jewish values and passion for social justice.

Ben Brandzel, class of 2003, has focused his career on using new technologies and classic organizing strategies to build progressive grassroots political power in the US and around the world. Ben currently serves as the Director of New Media Campaigns and Fundraising for Organizing for America and the Democratic National Committee, where he is responsible for the online voice of the President and the direct engagement of more than 20 million supporters to drive forward President Obama’s agenda. Ben has worked on 3 presidential campaigns, and served as Advocacy Director for MoveOn.org through the successful 2006 mid-term elections. He founded the student arm of MoveOn.org, and co-founded Avaaz.org (a 4.2 million member international advocacy network) as well as 38Degrees.org.uk (a grassroots progressive advocacy network in Britain). He has advised international NGO’s such as Greenpeace, Oxfam and Amnesty International, and led grassroots engagement trainings on 5 continents. At Brandeis, Ben was active in Student Union Government, Students for a Just Society and speech and debate. He began online organizing his junior year, by founding the Oxfam America Collegiate Click drive — a project to raise money for micro-credit anti-poverty programs that volunteer Brandeisian leaders continued for many years.

Corey Hope Leaffer attended Brandeis from 2000-2004 where she founded the women’s literary magazine “Free Your Voice” and the Brandeis Labor Coalition, graduating with a degree in women’s studies and sociology. After winning the Giller-Sagan Prize for her thesis, “Teaching Brandeis to Transgress”, Corey spent time traveling as a member of the American Jewish World Service (AJWS) building schoolhouses in Ghana. Upon her return, Corey became a Jewish Organizing Initiative Fellow and lead the North Shore Labor Council (a coalition of more than 50 local unions) as Director for two years. Corey now works as the coordinator of Hospital New Organizing for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East in Massachusetts, where she recently led the largest hospital organizing campaign in Boston history, organizing more than 2,500 workers at Caritas Christi Healthcare facilities in 2009 alone. She is also a lead facilitator at SEIU’s organizer training program, the WAVE, training hundreds of new organizers from across the country on basic union organizing techniques and currently sits on the executive board of The Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) and the New England Jewish Labor Committee. A native of Denver, Colorado, Corey resides in Jamaica Plain where she gardens and participates in sprint triathlons in her spare time.

Andrew Slack ’02 was a Sociology major at Brandeis who served as a Coexistence Fellow in Northern Ireland, an acting conservatory in London, and participated in David Cunningham’s “Bus Class,” Possibilities for Change in American Communities. Andrew is the creator, co-founder, and executive director of the Harry Potter Alliance where he uses cutting edge new media platforms to educate and mobilize tens of thousands of Harry Potter fans around issues of social justice, personal empowerment, and civic engagement. With a growing network of 60 chapters, 40 volunteer staff, and whose message is syndicated to over one million people the Harry Potter Alliance has leveraged significant media coverage while achieving success on a multitude of issues including creating a coalition of 20 fan communities that raised over $123,000 for Haiti. A former member of the Brandeis-born comedy group the Late Night Players, Andrew has performed for thousands of college students across the US, produced, co-wrote, and co-starred in four videos that have been seen over 9 million times, has written for the LA Times, Huffington Post, In These Times, and appeared on Australia’s Today Show.

Claudia Martinez–bio coming soon

Trying to fill your event calendar for the week? Well, besides the totally amazing bands that will be at Chums, there are two off-campus events you might be interested in:

First, a peace conference. Professor Gordie will give you rides!

There will be a conference–Sun, Earth, Water: War or Community Solutions-this coming Saturday at the Peace Abbey (http://www.peaceabbey.org/) in Sherborn. The workshops (see attachment) look exceptionally vital and important. I urge any of us who can attend to do so. I could pick people up from Brandeis at 9:30 and drive them to and from the Abbey, although I may have to leave a bit before the day’s events end.     The conference is sponsored and organized by the New England Peace Studies Association, of which Brandeis is a member.

Next. “Calling All Hipsters! Fashionisters! Lovers of Boiled Leaves! Sugar! Spots of Cream! Corsets! Petticoats! The 19th Century! Anti-Politics! A-Politics! April 14th. 10am. Boston Commons. Eat Sarah Palin.” — Guy Rossman

We all know that Sarah Palin will be bringing her big hair, tortured syntax, scrawl-covered hands, and legion of racist militia members to Boston this month for a “Tea Party,” but what, if anything are we going to do about it? The members of b0st0n.livejournal have cooked something up: Throw a real tea party!The Real Boston Tea Party already has a Facebook page and a manifesto. Its participants are going to cosplay an actual 19th century tea party on the Boston Common while Palin and her teabaggers scream and yell about Obama’s African American stormtroopers who are forcing their children with cancer to enroll in health insurance for the first time.

And this Wednesday and Thursday night of course it’s “chill with kickass Brandeis Activist Alumni” night

So a little while ago I was confused about what was going on for us students, census-wise. People said that, for those of us who live on campus, we just have to wait for our CA’s to take care of it for us. And now Rick Sawyer, Dean of Student Life, just sent out an email making things even more clear. Here’s the info:

On Wednesday, April 7, officials from the US Census Department will be on-campus and will give census forms to the Department of  Community Living.  DCL will then give the forms to Community Advisors, who will distribute them to their residents.  Surveys are seven questions long and should take about two minutes to complete. Students will give their form to their CA, who will return it to Community Living.   It is very important that every student who lives on-campus completes and hands in their form.  Students who fail to complete the form will be contacted by the Census folks directly for form completion.

Continue reading “Census Confusion No More”

There is no such thing as a vegan, or at least there shouldn’t be.

There is nothing distinctively inaccessible about vegan food. Everyone is able to eat vegan food, so shouldn’t it be more approachable than a hamburger or a glass of milk?

The labeling of products as vegan is functional because it saves time spent scanning ingredient labels. A product with a vegan label is declaring the lack of animal products in its constitution so that a consumer does not need to sort through each ingredient.

But now we have people labeling themselves as “vegans.” With the existence of vegan people, vegan food has an assumed destination so that it functionally transcends its ingredients (or lack thereof) to become an entirely new category of sustenance. It’s sustenance that’s become unreachable to the majority of people.

Vegan exclusivity has created aversion in the meat- and dairy-eating population toward vegan food. This is kind of ridiculous, considering vegan food is theoretically the most all-inclusive, and it’s seriously delicious.

In an effort to prove this, Students for Environmental Action’s Food Policy group will be giving away free vegan food on the following dates (locations TBA):

April 12

April 20

April 22

Come by, enjoy our food, and help break down useless stereotypes.

So I’m thinking about running for President of the Student Union. I’m not sure if I should, and I’d like your advice.

This is a very personal, introspective post. I’m not writing it like I would normally write a blog post. Feel free to skip it.
Continue reading “Should I run for President?”

Warning! Here lies blogging about blogging:

Everyone, I’ve reorganized the blogrolls (on the bottom – right of the page). I’ve added more links, taken some out. I spent some good time finding useful and interesting websites that I enjoy and you might find useful or thought-provoking. Check them out.

I hope you enjoyed our April Fools tomfoolery. I feel … disappointed. I had all these great thoughts for Innermost Parts on April fools, but 4/1 snuck up so sneakily I didn’t have time to put them all into action. Well, I guess we’re gonna declare a different day to be “April Fools, Part 2” by fiat, and put them in motion then.

Our categories for posts are a bit outdated and not helpful. I’m thinking of redoing them. I’m thinking… keep the Authors categories, have an “explaining what’s going on” category, keep the “news” and “events” ones. What sort of categories would you like to see added or removed?

Are you in the Boston/Brandeis area today? Go to this event.

Adam Green, Marshall Ganz, and Matthew Yglesias! For free! Do yourself a favor and be there.

How Hard to Push? Progressive Activism in the Age of Obama

When: Thursday, April 1, 2010, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: Harvard Kennedy School • 79 John F. Kennedy Street • Malkin Penthouse, top floor Littauer Building • Cambridge
Start: 2010 Apr 1 – 6:00pm
End: 2010 Apr 1 – 8:00pm

How Hard to Push?

Progressive Activism in the Age of Obama

All-star panel, with Q&A

Panelists:

Matthew Yglesias: blogger hailed as one of the top 20 left-of-center journalists in America

Medea Benjamin: founder of CODEPINK and Global Exchange; one of the nation’s preeminent grassroots mobilizers

Adam Green: founding chair of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a group working to elect bold progressives

Moderator: MARSHALL GANZ: lecturer in public policy at HKS, all-around organizing guru

Did you know that Brandeis is a 2010 Census on Campus partner? According to the Census Bureau that means that Brandeis has “formally pledged [its] commitment to share the 2010 Census message and mobilize [its] constituents in support of the Census Bureau’s goal of achieving a complete and accurate count.”

Does that explain all the census fliers in Usdan?
The problem with generic fliers in Usdan is this: to students, they look like a scam. I mean obviously the federal government isn’t trying to scam you, but glossy literature that is clearly meant not just for Brandeis sets off my “marketing crap, ignore” alert. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Anyways, some people think that we shouldn’t worry about filling out the Census because our parents are taking care of it. That’s probably not true. I just talked to my folks and they said the Census people specifically told them not to count me with their forms. Also, the Census main site says this:

However, students living away from home will receive their own questionnaires, so to prevent students from being counted twice (or not at all!) in the census, they and their parents need to know this.

So I’m pretty sure I need to fill out a census form. But I never got one. Is this because I have on-campus housing? The Census on Campus website is not helpful.

So here at Innermost Parts I talk a lot about power to the people. You know – students need more say in things. We should have a part of the governing structure of the University, the board of trustees should actually listen to us, some members of administration should make an actual effort to know students (others do it quite well) etc.

Now, in my mind I’ve always known that there are limits to that. Democracy is a good idea but holding incessant elections is a problem. There needs to be space for people to make decisions that aren’t held hostage to votes, counter-votes, committee meetings, etc.

I stumbled upon an account of the troubles of pacifica radio. The themes are interesting. I wonder if this is the sort of horror scenario that the Board of Trustees thinks of when we ask for more say in decisions?

Now, I think that’s silly. There’s a big difference between asking for giving students equal representation on already-existing committees and a takeover of the University by a lunatic fringe. Still, this story is one worth reading about and thinking over.

I wonder what an optimal student union setup would be like? Clearly we can’t “throw democracy” at the problem, but surely we can find better ways of doing things.

Just got an email from Jehuda to all of campus. I’ll let it speak for itself:

Dear Students,

As you prepare to leave campus for spring break, I want to share with you some of the good news from this week’s meetings of the Board of Trustees. It has been a very challenging winter at Brandeis, but the hard work of faculty, students and staff to address our challenges has paid off for the University.

First, the Board approved a $356 million operating budget for fiscal year 2011 that puts Brandeis on a path to a truly balanced operating budget by 2014. This is a great achievement in today’s economic climate, especially when we see many peer institutions facing deep, across-the-board budget cuts, some retrenchment in financial aid commitments, and extensive layoffs.

Brandeis chose a different and far more considered and strategic path.

The Brandeis 2020 Committee, comprised primarily of faculty members and chaired by Dean Adam Jaffe, was asked to take a comprehensive look at the School of Arts and Sciences and develop a plan to better balance the University’s resources with its commitments. In the end, while some programs were eliminated or changed and we will, over the next few years, lose 12 to 14 full- and part-time faculty and staff members, the committee concluded that its recommendations “make us more financially viable, better able to deliver the curriculum we remain committed to, and more flexible in responding to new demands and opportunities.”

Provost Marty Krauss gave thoughtful consideration to the committee’s 18 proposals and, with one exception, approved them. It is important to note that all current undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the incoming Class of 2014, will be able to finish the academic programs they began without any impact on their studies.

In addition to the Brandeis 2020 efforts, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management, the Brandeis International Business School and the Rabb School of Continuing Studies found ways to generate more income while maintaining the highest academic standards. The administration identified savings in energy contracts and in the way we deploy technology around the campus. The Board agreed to use cash reserves to cover some operating costs, while the full budget savings and revenue enhancements from all these efforts take effect over the next four years.

We have other long-range financial needs at Brandeis that must be systemically addressed, but my expectation is that we have passed through the most critical hours of our financial challenge, and we can now concentrate on teaching, scholarship and research rather than budgets.

The Board also heard some other good news.

Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Jean Eddy reported that we received 7,738 applications for admission this year — the largest number of applications in the University’s history. This in an increase from 6,815 last year, and tells me that, despite the tough economy and tough headlines Brandeis endured in the last year, potential students and their families recognize the value of the education they can receive here.

There are two other very encouraging facts I want to share with you that bode well for campus diversity in the future. Our international applications increased from 1,211 to 1,599, and applications from students of color increased from 1,706 to 2,111.

On the academic side, while we accepted almost exactly the same number of students, 2,573, our current acceptance rate is 33 percent compared to last year’s 40 percent and the Mean SAT of our accepted students went from 1392 to 1400.

The interests of our applicants remain extremely varied, but it is worth noting that two of our newest offerings, the undergraduate business major and undergraduate Film, TV & Media studies, are greatly in demand.

Applications to the Heller School IBS were also up this spring. Heller saw a 10 percent increase, while IBS reported a 14 percent increase in MSF and MAief applicants.

Continuing on student life issues, the Board approved a much-needed $9 million renovation of Charles River Apartments, which will be ready this fall. Students also told the Board they want to hear more from members of the administration, so when you return from break we’ll hold two campus-wide town meetings — one for undergraduates and one for graduate students. I encourage you to attend to let us know what’s on our mind.

I want to share some other high points: the Men’s Basketball Team charged to the Elite 8 in the NCAA’s Division III tournament, IBS was recognized as one of the top business schools in America by two influential publications, a PhD student once again won the prestigious Allan Nevins Prize awarded to the best-written doctoral dissertation on an American history topic, Heller faculty were recognized as national experts during the historic health care debate and vote in Washington, ground was broken for a large-scale public artwork by Michael Dowling for the Leonard Bernstein Festival of Creative Arts, and students launched creative ways to aid those in need in earthquake ravaged Haiti.

Finally, the presidential search committee reported that it is impressed with the number and quality of candidates interested in the presidency, and the committee will begin interviews later this spring.

These are just a handful of the many great things happening on campus, and they all help to define Brandeis today. As a community, we can all be very proud.

Enjoy a safe, happy and restful holiday break.

Best wishes,

Jehuda Reinharz

Last week I stepped out of my usual network of activists and attended a Student Peace Alliance meeting.  It was an enjoyable experience–SPA does some cool things and has some great people.  I noticed some similarities with DFA in its meeting style, reminding me that we share common roots.  Both groups were founded on the Brandeis campus by Aaron Voldman, an amazing activist and all-around awesome guy who graduated in 2009 and now leads the National Student Peace Alliance organization.  I encourage you to reach outside your comfort zone every once in a while and visit the meeting of a group you don’t know so well.

SPA has a cool event tonight.  They’re screening the film “Soldiers of Peace.” Member Etta King was kind enough to send along this blurb:

Movie starts @: 7:30 in Pearlman Lounge! Bring snacks/dinner and friends!

“We assume that war is human nature. That there’s an epidemic of war and it’s only getting worse. That it’s too profitable for some businesses to be stopped. And too effective for some governments to give up. That war will be with us forever. None of these things is true. The world is changing. We are changing.”

Join Student Peace Alliance for a FREE movie screening of the documentary Soldiers of Peace. Afterward we will share our reactions to the movie and discuss some new, awesome initiatives SPA is working on to effectively address youth violence in the United States. This movie chronicles stories from 14 countries around the world where ordinary people are doing what is necessary to end war and violence in their communities. AND the movie is narrated by Michael Douglas!

You can watch the trailer here: http://www.soldiersofpeacemovie.com/movie-trailer/movie.php

In my inbox:

The Brandeis Labor Coalition is pairing up with the Haiti Relief Effort to put together a Haitian Worker Appreciation Luncheon!

The event will take place this Thursday, March 25 from 2:30pm-4:00pm in Feldberg Lounge in Upper Sherman. There will be LOTS of free food!!!!

The event is open to all students and all Haitian workers on campus. Please come support the Haitian workers!

The event is sponsored by the Brenda Meehan Social Justice-in-Action Grant .

Please publicize this event to your list serves and to anyone else who might be interested. Thanks!

A while back Sahar posted something about how awesome Brandeis’ history is. Those of us who went to today’s MLK Week event, Remembering Ford Hall, got to experience a bit of that history firsthand, and it was AWESOME. Seriously, folks, if you weren’t there you really missed out.

Picture, if you will, four older black gentlemen, jovial and classy as all hell, plus Gordie Fellman, talking about that one time forty years ago where they took over, for eleven days, the campus’ main building to secure rights for minorities. They talked about their backgrounds, about the various circumstances that brought them to a nascent Brandeis University, the feelings of passion and community, the parties in Rosenthal and the old Ridgewood buildings, the fear they had about the police and their scholarships and their futures, the national mood about civil rights (Dr. King had been killed the year before) and the Vietnam war, the faculty on campus, their motivations and their sacrifices…as cheesy as it sounds to say this, I felt like I was sitting in the presence of true heroes of activism.

Check out some info here.

Mad props and respect for DFA, the Office of Undergrad Admissions, and MLK & Friends for bringing such a cool slice of Brandeis history to life.

And the course listings for Fall 2010 are UP! Check them out and start planning obsessively here.