Brandeis: Alcohol and Drugs?

Today, President Lawrence sent out an e-mail to the Brandeis community about the “report from the ad hoc Committee on Alcohol and Drug Policy.” The Committee was “formed last fall to review the university’s policies regarding student use of alcohol and drugs and to offer broad-based recommendations to enhance the health and safety of our community.” (ie after Pachanga)

Here is a selection of the report’s most interesting findings.

Highlights of the Report’s Introduction

  • “…it is clear is that our campus experiences multiple highly dangerous situations each year.”
  • “The Committee did not assess the extent of the alcohol and drug use at Brandeis, nor even the effectiveness of the multiple programs that exist to deal with substance misuse…rather, we considered ways to enhance current policy to protect each student and community member.”
  • “As will be clear when one reviews the recommendations, the Committee does not believe that a punitive approach is the most effective way to address these issues.”

Most Controversial Suggestions

Health Protection

  • 2. Based on an assessment of current research, and perhaps the conduct of an experiment at Brandeis, Health Center medical personnel should consider adding a standard assessment tool for screening individuals for drug and alcohol use during routine annual physical exams and other appropriate encounters. Several such screening tools exist.

Prevention and Awareness

  • 4. An on-line alcohol education course such as Alcohol-Wise or Alcohol Edu for all incoming students, including transfer students and graduate students. Until it’s possible to provide the training to each class, the course should also be made available to student leaders, upperclassmen, student athletes. It should be made mandatory for students who have violated campus alcohol policy.

Environment and Community

  • 5. Consider the relationship of currently unrecognized fraternities and sororities to the student body.
  • 6. Work with Athletics to encourage greater student presence at sporting events and emphasize the role that support of sports teams plays in developing community and school spirit.

Strongest Recommendations
Continue reading “Brandeis: Alcohol and Drugs?”

University Committees and Clubs in Service Calling All Activists!

Two leadership opportunities- if you want to change the system, sometimes the best way is THROUGH the system.

Apply to be on a University Committee!

These committees meet regularly with administrators to provide them with a student voice; it is an excellent opportunity to get involved as a student leader and to see positive change made at Brandeis. There are committees that fit any interest and issue.

There are also chairmanships open on most of the committees. Chairs schedule meetings and serve as the main contact person between the administrator and the committee.

Some committees have membership caps and others do not. Please take this into consideration when applying and feel free to apply for a few!

You can find descriptions of all the available committees here: http://www.brandeisstudentunion.org/committees.

To apply, please fill out the application here: https://docs.google.com/a/brandeis.edu/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHlVNGhoS3N6bkNXeFY5SzlRLWxYbmc6MQ

Applications are due Sunday, October 2nd and interviews will be Monday, October 3rd – Friday, October 7th. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Abby Kulawitz at abbykul@brandeis.edu or Elizabeth Fields at efields@brandeis.edu.

Thank you!

Abby Kulawitz (Director of Executive Affairs) & Elizabeth Fields (University Committee Coordinator)

Love Community Service?
Want a leadership position?
Well we have the perfect opportunity for YOU!

There is a new position available to serve as the Representative of the Student Union to Clubs in Service. Clubs In Service is a partnership between the Student Union, Waltham Group, and the Department of Community Service. The mission of Clubs In Service is to reach out and engage clubs in community service by connecting them with service opportunities.

Your job will entail meeting with the Co-Directors of Community Advocacy, serving as a member of the Clubs In Service committee, and participating in both Clubs In Service and Student Union events while offering perspectives from a community service lens.

Aside from these responsibilities, this position will allow you to utilize your creativity, connect with clubs on campus, and take a leadership role as a promoter of campus-wide community service, generating a positive effect both on campus and off.

To apply, fill out the application here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGJ1Ymc1cmNTeVFLU19Vck1aSFV4Tmc6MQ

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Union Co-Directors of Community Advocacy, Tamar Schneck at tschneck@brandeis.edu or Dillon Harvey at dharvey@brandeis.edu.

Brandeisians Join Wall Street Occupation

People are still occupying Wall Street. Brandeisians have been getting involved. And now there’s talk of a Boston occupation too!?

Read Shea’s e-mail below to find out more about what’s going on, why, and how to get involved:

Last weekend, 5 Brandeis students went down to NYC to join the Occupy Wall St. protestors. It was wonderful, awe-inspiring and empowering. This weekend, we want to bring even more students down: we will be joining an ever-growing movement, comprised of citizens from over 40 states, students from over 20 colleges, humans of all walks of life who have the courage to live the change they want to see in the world.

If you have any interest in coming along, or joining the new Boston occupation that will be starting this weekend, we will be holding TWO meetings to plan our trip and discuss anything related to the ongoing occupations: tonight, Monday the 26th, and tomorrow night, Tuesday the 27th. Both meetings will be held at 10PM in the Peace Room, located above lower Usdan, next to Levin Ballroom.

If you cant make either of these times, please email me (Shea Riester) at sriester@brandeis.edu or call me at 9176452444!

In the last week, the Occupy Wall St. protestors have been joined by Lupe Fiasco, Immortal Technique, Chris Hedges and Reverend Billy! To get a feel for the spirit of the occupation, here’s a report from last night in Liberty Square from occupywallst.org:

Drums blared for hours into the night when the Assembly wasn’t in session, until the time came for quiet. The drummers ended by reciting from the Principles of Solidarity we approved in Friday’s General Assembly, in the rain. Before the police lined along the Broadway side of the plaza, they cried together, “We are daring to imagine a new socio-political and economic alternative that offers greater possibility of equality.” And more. “Safety in numbers!” a sign by them says. “Join us.”

For more information:

occupywallst.org
occupytogether.org
adbusters.org

Election Results

The following is a summary of results from last week’s election.

Senator-at-Large
Evyn Rabinowitz

Class of 2015 Senators
Sneha Walia
Daniel Novak

Class of 2012 Senator
Melissa Donze

Class of 2013 Senators
Theodore Choi
Sarah G. Kim

Alumni Association Representative
Jenny Lau

Brandeis Sustainability Fund Representative
Lisa Purdy
Rohan Bhatia

Castle Quad Senator
Kelsey Dean

East Quad Senator
Jeremy Goodman

F-Board Racial Minority
Paul Lee

Judiciary
Gaili Gordon

Massell Quad Senator
Dean Kaplan

North Quad Senator
Charlotte Franco

Off Campus Senator
Rachel Goutman

Ridgewood Quad Senator
Boris Osipov

Rosenthal Quad Senator
Jacklyn Gil

TYP Senator
James Polite

Village Quad Senator
Benjamin Beutel

Ziv Quad Senator
Sol Kim

The following positions still remain vacant
Mods Quad Senator
Judiciary (3 Seats)
Charles River Quad Senator
Racial Minority Senator

Ending Note: If ABSTAIN receives the most votes in the final round, then that position in question remains vacant. We will soon be announcing the election date for the vacant positions. For all those that participated in voting, thank you for your time

Rosh Hashanah

In case you are wondering what this Rosh Hashanah holiday is, and why you have two days off, check out this email from the Interfaith Chaplaincy

To: The Brandeis Community
This Wednesday night, September 28, Jews around the world will begin a very special period called “the Days of Awe.” This ten day span begins with Rosh HaShanah, the two-day start of the Jewish New Year, and ends with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (this year on Saturday, October 8).

Rosh HaShanah is a joyous holiday, marking both the New Year and the Birthday of the World, but it is also a time for reflection. Synagogues around the world will ring with the blast of the Shofar, the ram’s horn, calling communities together for celebration and contemplation.

During the 10 days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, Jews are enjoined to reflect upon the past year, seeking forgiveness from those they may have knowingly or unknowingly harmed or otherwise offended. The theme of all ten days is that repentance, prayer and charitable deeds are the keys to closing out the old year and starting the New Year off right.

On Yom Kippur, Jews come together for a final confession of their sins in order to begin the New Year with a proverbial clean slate. Tradition has it that one cannot come before God for these confessions before having first approached our family, friends, and neighbors with requests for forgiveness. Prayer and fasting are the hallmarks of this day and many refrain from other luxuries, like the wearing of leather shoes. The day is designed to focus attention only on those things which truly matter. Yom Kippur concludes with a final blast of the Shofar, a final cry as the gates of heaven are considered to close.

For a schedule of the many opportunities for prayer on campus in this High Holy Day season, please see Hillel’s website http://www.brandeishillel.org/high-holidays/. All members of the Brandeis family are welcome. Tickets are available for non-students at x63570. We wish you a Shanah Tovah U’metukah (a good and sweet year). May it be a year of joy and celebration, of growth and fulfillment, of health and wholeness, and may it be a year of peace.

The Interfaith Chaplaincy

Rev. Walter Cuenin, Catholic Chaplain, x63574
Dr. Imam Talal Eid, Muslim Chaplain, x65010
Alexander Levering Kern, Protestant Chaplain, 617-455-5323
Rabbi Elyse Winick, Jewish Chaplain, x63672

Urgent Action

Hey! Here is an urgent action sent from Matt Gabrenya.

Hey yall,

Tomorrow (Monday) there will be a BIG tar sands action at Harvard U.

David Axelrod, a top advisor to Obama, and chief strategist of his ’08 campaign will be speaking to a closed-room audience at Harvard.

We’re going to be demonstrating our opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline during his entrance.

This is a real opportunity to reach the ear of the Obama administration so its really important that we have a HUGE presence. One of two stories could be relayed to Obama after this action: (1) the opposition will dissolve soon enough and we can ignore it, or (2) this is something serious and growing that we might need to pay attention to.

We’re taking the 2:08pm Commuter Rail in, and will get back by 5:30pm. Axelrod should arrive at harvard around 4:00pm.

(address is Kirkland House, 95 Dunster Street Cambridge, MA — give me a call if you can’t find it 7818201450)

best,
Matt

Robbery

If you haven’t seen this e-mail from Ed Callahan, please take a look! With all the robberies taking place on campus and in Waltham, I strongly encourage everyone to use the buddy system while traveling at night. Always lock your room when you leave, and lock it before you go to bed at night.

If you have any information on the robbery last night, please contact University Police! Their number is in the e-mail below:

At approximately midnight today, a member of the Brandeis community who was attending a campus program reported being robbed within the Usdan Student Center Men’s restroom on the Levin Ballroom side. The victim said an object was pressed against his back and money and other items were taken from his wallet. At this time, the identity of the individual(s) involved in the robbery has not been established.

Anyone who may have information pertaining to this incident should contact the University Police at (781) 736-5000.

On-Campus Feminist Internships Available

Here are some awesome opportunities.

Paid, On-Campus Internships- Available Projects:

“Women in Science: Celebrating the Centennial of Madame Curie”

‘Does Worshipping the Goddess Make You a Feminist?’ Studying Women, Paganism and Feminism

Exploring Audio Archives of the Womens’ Philharmonic

Justice and Gender Investigative Journalism

Women’s Work Activities After Retirement

“Don’t Roll Your Eyes: Making In-Law Relationships Work” Book Project

Feminism in Cyberspace

This paid internship opportunity is designed to give undergraduate students a unique and innovative learning experience by allowing them to work side by side with a Scholar or Faculty Member in an interdisciplinary environment. Find out how to satisfy your curiosity about a field, AND make your resume stand out from the pack with valuable experience now!

Questions? Contact Kristen Mullin, SSP Program Coordinator: mullin@brandeis.edu

Log on for details and application:

http://www.brandeis.edu/centers/wsrc/ssp/projectsummaries.html

FLUPDATE

I love Dean of Student Life, Rick Sawyer’s, latest e-mail.

Here are the highlights:

  • …the Swine Flu (we preferred H1N1 – sounds more academic)
  • We developed a community/team effort and we think that we single-handedly defeated the spread of the H1N1 flu!!..
  • You often need to be your own lifeguard on this beach.
  • Finally, on another important health note, if you are a Red Sox fan …… I have no advice. I am trying slow and deep breathing and some sort of chanting.
  • See the full text of his playful, helpful, and insightful e-mail below if you are interested.

    Continue reading “FLUPDATE”

    Netflix: Leading Corporations in Sensitivity?

    This is the sweetest and perhaps most ridiculous e-mail I have ever received: Netflix apologizing for making changes to their business without fully explaining their reasons to their customers. I applaud their transparency, but can corporations really BE this sensitive? For real?

    The text of the e-mail appears below unchanged, except that I put my favorite part in bold.

    Dear elly,

    I messed up. I owe you an explanation.

    It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming and the price changes. That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology. Let me explain what we are doing.

    For the past five years, my greatest fear at Netflix has been that we wouldn’t make the leap from success in DVDs to success in streaming. Most companies that are great at something – like AOL dialup or Borders bookstores – do not become great at new things people want (streaming for us). So we moved quickly into streaming, but I should have personally given you a full explanation of why we are splitting the services and thereby increasing prices. It wouldn’t have changed the price increase, but it would have been the right thing to do.

    So here is what we are doing and why.

    Many members love our DVD service, as I do, because nearly every movie ever made is published on DVD. DVD is a great option for those who want the huge and comprehensive selection of movies.

    I also love our streaming service because it is integrated into my TV, and I can watch anytime I want. The benefits of our streaming service are really quite different from the benefits of DVD by mail. We need to focus on rapid improvement as streaming technology and the market evolves, without maintaining compatibility with our DVD by mail service.

    So we realized that streaming and DVD by mail are really becoming two different businesses, with very different cost structures, that need to be marketed differently, and we need to let each grow and operate independently.

    It’s hard to write this after over 10 years of mailing DVDs with pride, but we think it is necessary: In a few weeks, we will rename our DVD by mail service to “Qwikster”. We chose the name Qwikster because it refers to quick delivery. We will keep the name “Netflix” for streaming.
    Continue reading “Netflix: Leading Corporations in Sensitivity?”

    Fall 2011 Election Results

    ELECTION RESULTS, via Secretary Kirkland.

    Senator-at-Large
    Evyn Rabinowitz

    Class of 2015 Senators
    Sneha Walia
    Daniel Novak

    Class of 2012 Senator
    Melissa Donze

    Class of 2013 Senators
    Theodore Choi
    Sarah G. Kim

    Alumni Association Representative
    Jenny Lau

    Brandeis Sustainability Fund Representative
    Lisa Purdy
    Rohan Bhatia

    Castle Quad Senator
    Kelsey Dean

    East Quad Senator
    Jeremy Goodman

    F-Board Racial Minority
    Paul Lee

    Judiciary
    Gaili Gordon

    Massell Quad Senator
    Dean Kaplan

    North Quad Senator
    Charlotte Franco

    Off Campus Senator
    Rachel Goutman

    Ridgewood Quad Senator
    Boris Osipov

    Rosenthal Quad Senator
    Jacklyn Gil

    TYP Senator
    James Polite

    Village Quad Senator
    Benjamin Beutel

    Ziv Quad Senator
    Sol Kim

    The following positions still remain vacant
    Mods Quad Senator
    Judiciary (3 Seats)
    Charles River Quad Senator
    Racial Minority Senator

    Ending Note: If ABSTAIN receives the most votes in the final round, then that position in question remains vacant. We will soon be announcing the election date for the vac ant positions. Thank you for everyone who campaigned and covered the elections. We appreciate your involvement. The news media will break the initial report followed by the Student Union at a later time with the summary of results.

    For voting statistics and full counts, check out the ElectionResults 2011 fall.

    Troy Davis

    The state of Georgia killed Troy Davis last night.

    I’m sure many of you are aware of this tragedy. I receive updates from change.org after signing the petition to save his life. I know many I have talked with are upset, and I wanted to share the words from Patrick of change.org. I hope those of you who are sad can find comfort and meaning in his words.

    Hearing his story, I can’t help but feel angry humans think they can decide who deserves life and who deserves to die. Troy Davis’ case was, in my mind, beyond reasonable doubt of innocence. The death penalty is a very loaded issue, but I do think every human life lost should be mourned.

    If you feel comfortable, please use the comment section as a safe space to express your feelings and concerns. Also feel free to contact me individually if you need to talk.

    Patrick wrote:

    Despite so much doubt about Troy Davis’s guilt — including seven witnesses who changed or recanted their testimony, and three jurors who convicted Troy who later asked that his life be spared — Georgia’s parole board decided he should die. And so tonight at 11:08 Eastern Time, he was killed by lethal injection.

    His sister, Kim Davis, wanted to tell you what her brother said before he died:

    “When Troy saw that more than 250,000 Change.org members signed a petition that was delivered to the board in his name, he called to tell me he was deeply moved. He told me he knew that he had supporters around the world, but he had no idea that the support was that widespread.”

    Kim has said that she’ll keep fighting, for the next Troy Davis and the one after that. And she knows so many of us will join her in this fight.

    Troy Davis was not alone when he died. Thank you for standing with him.

    – Patrick and the entire Change.org team

    P.S. Troy’s case has brought international attention to deep, long-existing flaws in our criminal justice system. If you’re interested in becoming more involved in advocacy around the death penalty, visit Amnesty International, The Innocence Project, or the NAACP. You can also start your own campaign on this issue on Change.org.

    The Brandeis of Cairo

    So Egypt. You gotta give this to them – they know how to pull off revolutions.

    Egyptian students are demanding – and receiving – huge concessions from their administrations. Stuff that we wish we had here.

    At this point, you might say “ok, but they’re, like, you know. Egpytian. Foreign. Far off. Different context. Their administrations are clearly corrupt and they are coming from a lower baseline.”

    Well, let’s take a look at what’s really going on.

    In Egypt there are a few different education-related revolts happening. First off, the teachers are united in demanding a sane education system. They’re dealing with 60+ student classrooms, meager pay, and “In many cases to make ends meet, teachers essentially force undereducated students to pay for private lessons to pass their grade, creating a shadow education system that places a financial burden on parents.”. About 70% of Egyptian teachers went on strike to demand a reform of the education system. Go teachers unions!

    Next up, we have the case of most Egyptian Universities. The administrative bureaucracy, deans, Presidents, etc, were all appointed by the Mubarak government. Amazingly, Professors are the ones taking the lead and protesting to basically replace them with democratically-elected administration. Students are backing them. They have been partially successful so far. Imagine this – a University where the faculty (and students) get to pick the Administration that serves them best.

    Those two cases, however, have no real analogue to here and now. We don’t have corrupt propagandistic heads of public universities (there will always be exceptions) and our primary education system is bad, but nowhere near as broken as Egypt’s.

    I want to talk about the American University of Cairo.

    Located on the western desert fringes of Cairo in a newly developed area called the Fifth Settlement, AUC’s gleaming, multimillion-dollar campus is a world away from its historical home in the heart of Tahrir Square, and it boasts a level of corporate sponsorship that would tickle the imagination of most neoliberal economists, complete with a Pepsi gate, CIB fountain, and Mobinil tower. AUC students pay $17,000 a year in tuition — more than eight times the annual income of the average Egyptian.

    Their President, Lisa Anderson, is a former dean of faculty at Columbia University. She’s not some far-off foreigner with strange ways. She would fit right in at Brandeis. Hell, she’s the co-chair of Human Rights Watch/Middle East. They speak English at AUC. It really is an American-style University.

    You know what they were demanding?

    The students’ demands include the reversal of a 9 percent tuition hike, permanent student representation on the university’s budget committee, and transparency in school finances. But among their chief concerns was an end to what they viewed as the university’s exploitive practices regarding its workers, including security guards, janitors, and groundskeepers.

    Less tuition. Representation on the budget committee. Better treatment of labor.

    In my time at Brandeis we haven’t achieved any of these goals. Tuition rises a lockstep 1% above inflation every year. Our endowment stays shadowed in mystery. Aramark continues to run roughshod over workers.

    Well, these students who are much like us faced their President who is much like every other American University President. And they demanded the sort of things we would like to see here. And they won.

    the university administration announced it had reached a compromise on many of the protesters’ demands, including greater budget transparency, the creation of an ad hoc committee with student, alumni, and faculty representatives taking part in tuition and budget decisions, a guaranteed five-day work week for custodial and landscape staff, greater worker protections, and a review of employee salary levels. Anderson also stressed that no university employees would be punished for taking part in the strike.

    Look, of course there are differences. Waltham is not Cairo. Fred Lawrence is by all accounts pretty great. Our tuition hikes aren’t as high (in percentage, but maybe not in absolute terms). Brandeis workers are unionized (thanks in part to amazing Brandeis Labor Coalition work in the early 2000’s).

    Still. These kids are like us. Their problems are like our problems. They succeeded in pulling off a solution. Let’s cheer them on, and learn from them.

    Hey guys I’m back! Right now I’m going to blog mostly at my new place (SaharMassachi.com) but sometimes I’ll write here on Innermost Parts as well.

    This post was originally written here: http://www.saharmassachi.com/78/78/

    Changes in the Election Process

    Pros

    -Skip button
    Rationale: In the past if voters didn’t want to vote they would click abstain, and if abstain received the majority vote, the position would remain empty.
    Prediction: This will increase the percent of people elected to positions. That is, if voters even notice the Skip button.

    Candidates Newsletter
    Rationale: Voters usually don’t know that much about each of the candidates. This provides an alternative to judging them based on their facebook profiles.
    Prediction: More people will vote for candidates than abstain. That is, if voters even notice the link to the Newsletter hidden within the Student Union Election e-mail.

    Cons

    -BigPulse Signing In
    Rationale: For some reason (an issue with renewing the contract? technical glitches?), in the past two elections, BigPulse, the site that hosts the elections, has required voters to click “forgot password” and then log in with a username sent to their e-mail, rather than just signing in with their Brandeis usernames.
    Prediction: Less people will vote because it’s a hassle. That is, if voters were going to even vote in the first place.

    -BigPulse List of Positions
    Rationale: I seem to recall that in previous elections, BigPulse allowed you to view all the different positions that were up for votes and then you could click on individual ones to vote in them as you saw fit. This also allowed you to make sure that you had voted in all of the categories. Now, you can only view one at a time, in a pre-determined sequence.
    Prediction: Less people voting overall, because they are skipping through to vote only for certain positions. That is, if voters realize they aren’t done as soon as they click the first submit button.

    Other things I noticed

    -Both of the candidates for Senator for the Class of 2013 were endorsed by the Skydiving and Future Endeavors club.

    -Of the Senator for the Class of 2015 candidates with bios on the Candidates Newsletter, only Haotian Shen was endorsed by a club.

    -There are an astounding TEN candidates for the Senator for the Class of 2015. Yeah freshmen!!! (I mean first years)

    -No one wants to run for Mods Quad Senator, Charles River Quad Senator (includes 567) or Racial Minority Senator. Well, some people want to run (ahem Nipun), but there are no official candidates and I haven’t seen much facebook activity advertising write-ins for these positions.

    Vote Today: Midnight to midnight

    Even if you don’t care about the school, don’t know the candidates, don’t give a damn, if you want to have an effect on the system, go online and vote.

    Good Evening Brandeis,

    Polls are now open!!!

    Click here for the polls: https://www.bigpulse.com/45936/forgot

    Quick Instructions
    1. Click on the above link and enter your Brandeis email address (ie: username@brandeis.edu)

    2. An email will be sent to you.

    3. Click on the link and you can vote!

    The final candidates newsletter can be found here: http://goo.gl/jivBw

    Many of you will notice that the following positions have no official candidates running, please feel free to write in an appropriate candidate and we will most likely have a second election to fill these spots:
    Mods Quad Senator
    Charles River Quad Senator (includes 567)
    Racial Minority Senator

    A brief explanation of what you will see on the ballot:
    1. Candidates listed, you may number the candidates in any preference you see fit
    2. You can also write in a candidate
    3. You can click skip poll, and your vote will not be recorded against any candidate. We advise that you do this if you are unfamiliar/indifferent with any of the candidates. You have the right not to vote (note: you cannot skip the last poll)
    4. Abstain. Please know that Abstain means you are voting against all of the candidates. If Abstain receives the most votes, the position remains vacant. We advise that you only vote Abstain if you disagree with all of the candidates.

    Please take a moment to vote, we would really appreciate hearing your input.

    If you have any questions, feel free to email me at tkirk@brandeis.edu

    Thanks,
    Todd

    Occupy Wall St: a Briefing

    Here is update from Shea!

    Occupy Wall St: a Briefing

    Our own Tahrir Square moment is happening right now in the newly renamed “Liberty Plaza” in the Financial district in NYC.

    1. What is this movement? What is going on here?

    The protesters in Liberty Plaza are a heterogeneous, ambiguous group, as they were in the Cairo, Barcelona and Athens protests of 2011. Why? Because collectively we represent no political party or organization–we only share a common set of ideals:

    We believe that our government has been co-opted by moneyed interests. We denounce the way big businesses and banks dominate the political and economic sphere. In short: we demand government by the people and for the people, not in the interests of corporate America and the richest 1%.

    We are not limiting ourselves by affiliating with a specific movement. We comprise elements of many “progressive” social movements: the environmental movement, education reform, the food movement, the campaign finance reform movement, the fair-labor movement, and the anti-globalization movement. We believe these movements are all intricately connected, and we are now acting on that belief.

    2. How will we do this?

    We are using the global tactics of the Arab Spring, and of the 2011 Spain “Democracy Now” movement: first, a large-scale occupation and protest. Second, we aim to propose a series of solutions to these problems through grassroots participatory democracy based on people’s assemblies and consensus decision making.

    Citizens are taking democracy to the streets, and they are not leaving any time soon. This is not a one-day protest. The occupation is scheduled to continue for the next month at least.

    3. How do I get involved? How can I help?

    The most effective way, as it was in Cairo, Madison and Barcelona, is to get down to Liberty St. and Broadway and join the occupation.

    If you can’t do this, spread the word as far and wide as you can:

    Twitter
    Facebook
    Official websties: occupywallst.org, nycga.org
    More info/news: adbusters.org

    You can also watch the occupation live, 24/7.

    Please pass this email on to your friends, family, and fellow citizens!

    Thank you!

    Spike in Crime in Waltham?

    Anyone know anything about the numerous break-ins into apartments of Brandeisians living off-campus this week?

    Edward M. Callahan, Director of Public Safety at Brandeis sent out the following e-mail. Please comment below with information, or send tips to tips@innermostparts.org.

    In the last week, several students residing off campus have reported
    break-ins at their Waltham apartments. Each incident was reported to the
    Waltham Police who are currently investigating. As a reminder, all
    students residing off campus should check with their landlord to ensure
    that their residence has proper locking devices on all windows and doors
    and remember to use them. Students should also report any suspicious
    activity to the Waltham Police.
    Students living on campus should make certain that their residence hall
    room doors and windows are secure when leaving the room and report any
    suspicious activity to Brandeis Public Safety.

    Moving Planet Event this Saturday!

    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!”

    Community Service- Volunteer at the Newton Teen Center

    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.

    Deis gets its social justice groove back

    Celebrate Brandeis + Social Justice x Bernstein Festival for the Creative Arts =
    IT HAS ARRIVED.

    Members of the Brandeis community have undoubtedly received the email from Herbie Rosen, current Student Union President, announcing Deis Impact.

    I know the name doesn’t explain anything, but I promise you that this is the most important, inclusive, progressive event to come to Brandeis in a long time. It’s what I expected from this campus when I transferred, and now it’s happening.

    Let me build the hype.
    What if the purpose of art didn’t end at applause?

    Imagine this: a Leonard Bernstein Festival for the Creative Arts, but for social justice. It’ll make social justice inextricably a part of the fabric that ties the Brandeis community together, it’ll be every bit as visible as art is during the Bernstein festival and make the same point: social justice is all around you.

    [INFORMATION SESSION: Tuesday, September 20, from 6pm – 7pm in Feldberg Lounge (Upper Sherman, next to the Stein)]

    It’s going to make social justice easy to engage in for any student group and for students who have never before been a part of this facet of the Brandeis experience, and that is its genius. It makes activism easy! Who knew?

    My vision is of Brandeis students from every discipline coming together in large-scale, visible projects whose social impact extends deep into and beyond our campus. Collaboration and commitment to changing our campus and the world for the better will characterize the atmosphere.

    I can’t be more excited about this, but it can’t happen without student leaders.

    My plea: get involved. Come to the information session, get your club leaders to come to the information session, where you can apply to be a part of this incredible week. Create murals, dances, art installations, teach-ins, insane stunts, music, musicals, panel discussions, poetry readings, anything at all that will speak to the mission of social justice and what it means at our university.

    And make it big. Be loud in your statement.

    (Deis Impact is being brought to you by the Student Union and the International Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life)

    Breaking News: Student Union Election Rules Change

    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.

    Occupy Wall Street- 7:28pm Saturday

    7:28pm We just ran into the “Rent is to Damn High!” guy at Zucotti Park. http://credit-n.ru/zaymyi-next.html
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    Occupy Wall Street- 5:04pm Saturday

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    Occupy Wall Street- 4:06pm Saturday

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    Occupy Wall Street- 3:31pm Saturday

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    Occupy Wall Street- 2:40pm Saturday

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    Occupy Wall Street- 2:17pm Saturday

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    Occupy Wall Street- 1:39pm Saturday

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    Live Blog from Wall Street- 11:39am Saturday

    We are all packed and are ready to leave Shea’s apartment to head down to Bowling Green Park for the pre-rally. Let’s Go!

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    Live Blog from Wallstreet- 9:45am Saturday

    This is Aaron live blogging from Shea’s apartment (about 10 minutes walking distance from wallstreet). I am helping Shea cover this event. Nick and Jake are two other first years with us.

    The dumpster dive adventure last night was super successful. We secured three large trash bags of bagels and one shopping cart of canned goods from whole foods!

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    Benjamin Beutel for VILLAGE QUAD SENATOR!

    INNERMOST PARTS IS ENDOORSING Benjamin Beutel –
    He is a double major with history and politics. He has served in student government in the past. He is a man so brave that two years ago, he was in a belly dance group. Benjamin wants to be YOUR VILLAGE QUAD SENATOR!!!!

    In the Village, Benjamin pledges to make essential changes:
    1. Free weights for the Village Gym
    2. A faster towel maintenance cycle at the Gym
    3. Better stocking for Village store (to re-supply shelves more frequently and a better snack variety)

    Benjamin also has great ideas for Brandeis:
    1. Increase coordination between student union and clubs/groups
    2. Greater support for social justice and activism
    3. Brandeis Campus wide quad Olympics- fun for the campus
    4. More Quad-wide events and community strengthening

    Why is he running?
    Benjamin takes the idea of being a representative very seriously.
    Not only does he plan to hold office hours, he also pledges to ask people in the village face to face what they want changed. He wants to be aware of individual students. In his interview, Benjamin told me that “At Brandeis we are told there are resources to go to, but I want to go to the people”.

    Personally, Benjamin wants to give back to the community. He has only attended Brandeis for one full year, is graduating this year, but still feels that Brandeis has improved his life. He believes there is always more to do. He is progressive and wants to create a positive change.

    Even though he is a busy Brandeis student, he has the time. Benjamin is part of the debate club and volunteers in Boston, but will put in all the time and effort it takes to be a fantastic VILLAGE QUAD SENATOR!!!

    Live Blogging Ocuppy Wall St

    Scott and Shea from Fung Wah. We past the auburn Mall. Were going to eat in china town, then go dumpster diving at 830 all around NYC with tons of people we dont know to gather food for the occupiers. Adventure!

    We share this quote that we want to hold in non-violent spirit tomorrow:

    “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

    We come to Wall street to spread love and advocate human life over corporate profits. We hold no grudge, nor hate anyone working in finance. We are going to Wall street to put our ideals into action. We are the 99%, though we have only love for the 1%. Let us have a peaceful dialogue, not cause any more suffering! http://credit-n.ru/zaymyi-next.html
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    Ethics Center Paid Leadership Opportunity

    Paid Undergraduate Leadership Opportunity at Brandeis
    Deadline: Mon Sept 19 at noon
    Do You: Have creative ideas and strong opinions? Like to stir up conversation? Think Brandeis needs more informed discussion of major public issues?

    Are you: Interested in a paid opportunity to get involved? Interested in building engaged communities at Brandeis, around any of the three focus areas of the Ethics Center: Peacebuilding & the Arts, International Justice & Human Rights, and Issues of Ethics & Public Life?

    Apply by Monday, September 19 at noon for the six-member Ethics Center Leadership Council! A unique opportunity! Stipend: $350 per semester. Undergraduate students from any year are eligible to apply.

    More details and a link to the online application.

    Code Pink Protests Bush- Watch and Read

    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”

    How Do I Know Obama Is Bisexual?

    …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:

  • 8:15 “No more bridges to nowhere” Palin reference
  • 12:31 “I know that some of you may have sworn oaths to never raise any taxes on anyone for as long as you live” Bush Sr. reference
  • 12:38 Speaker Boehner’s laugh
  • Oft-repeated refrain: “Pass this bill,” “Pass this jobs bill” and at 9:01, “You should pass it right away”
  • 21:46 “If Americans can buy Kias and Hyundais, I want to see folks in South Korea driving Fords and Chevys and Chryslers,” said with a Southern twang
  • 32:14 “Our problems are man-made. Therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants.” JFK quote…what does that last part mean?
  • 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.

    Tell JC Penney and Forever 21: Stop insulting girls’ intelligence

    Good morning Brandeis!

    When I checked my email, I was bombarded by 5 or 6 very angry e-mails to “FIGHT JC PENNY”, “GIRL’S INTELLIGENCE”, and “FIGHT SEXISM”! Forever 21 and JC Penny began stocking teenage girl shirts with witty comments like “Allergic to Algebra”. Are they only a harmless joke? Or do they represent inherent sexist attitudes still prevalent in the US today?

    What do you think?

    Check out the Credo Action e-mail below…
    And sign the petition if you agree!

    Just this week, retailer Forever 21 began offering for sale a shirt for girls emblazoned with the slogan “Allergic to Algebra.” And a few weeks ago, JC Penney offered similar girls’ shirts with the slogan “I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.”

    Sexist slogans like these play into and perpetuate the incorrect stereotype that women are innately bad at math or being pretty is more important than being smart. By selling these shirts, the stores give their implicit support of these stereotypes to convince girls that, to be stylish and fit in, they must be bad at math or less interested than boys in academic achievement. Slogans like these are also harmful to boys and reinforce with them the stereotype that they are innately better than girls when it comes to math or that a girl’s worth comes only from her looks.

    Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of people at JC Penney and Forever 21 encountered these shirts before they were made available to the public. Why didn’t employees of these retailers at some point say, “Hey, are we really going to sell shirts to young girls that say ‘I’m too pretty for homework’ or ‘Allergic to Algebra’?”

    It’s obvious that these shirts perpetuate offensive and harmful stereotypes about the ability of women to achieve academically relative to men. Of course, many studies have confirmed that these stereotypes are baseless, and that women’s minds are just as well suited to performing academically as men’s.

    But, because popular culture is so powerful, many women and girls will conform to negative stereotypes of what a woman is supposed to achieve if they are continually reinforced. Stores like JC Penney and Forever 21 help shape that culture through the clothing they sell.

    It’s clear that these stores listen to public pressure, but we must pressure JC Penney and Forever 21 to take concrete steps to ensure that clothing this sexist never even comes close to making it onto shelves again.

    Tell the CEOs of JC Penney and Forever 21 that you will hold them accountable for the clothing that is sold in their stores. Demand they make a public commitment to keep sexist clothing for girls from making it to their shelves in the future. Click here to automatically sign the petition.

    Thank you for standing up to sexism.

    Ali Rozell, Campaign Manager
    CREDO Action from Working Assets