Category: Uncategorized

Should the internet provide us with new information or cater to our interests?

TED is a nonprofit started in 1984 "as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design." Now it is comprised of two annual conferences, at which people present talks on a variety of topics. Most of those talks are then uploaded and completely accessible to the viewing public.

One of the highlights from its latest conference included Eli Pariser's talk on Internet filtering. Pariser, who helped found MoveOn.org and served as its executive director from 2004-2008, is only 30 years old, but already is a huge name in the online organizing industry. In his TED talk, entitled "Beware online "filter bubbles"," addressed the question of whether the internet exists simply to direct us towards issues which we should be paying attention to, or simply to information it thinks we want.

Pariser used a social science experiment to analyze the situation. He asked friends of his to google "Egypt" and took screenshots of the top results. While two of his friends were the same gender, ethnicity and lived in the same area, they received completely different results. Google and other search engines suggest sites based on 57 different sources of information, and a user's search history has a great deal to do with which sites pop up. So, while one friend received suggestions relating to vacationing and tourism, another received current events updates of the protests taking place in Egypt, which Pariser says were the "big news of the day."

This small example illustrates the kind of filtering which Pariser is afraid will hurt society in the long run. While most people regard the internet as an open source of information, since there is so much of it, it relies on algorithms to recommend sites for us and thereby decide which information is the most relevant to us. Pariser is of the mind that the piece missing from this equation is the morals and ethics– algorithms have no sense of civic responsibility, and so he fears that if sites continue to generate search results just based on "relevance," people will only become more attuned to their own ways of thinking, and perhaps less aware of things going on outside of their limited spheres of consciousness.

This argument reminds me of the dispute over whether biased stations such as MSNBC and FOX, which report on the news from a clearly defined political perspective, are detrimental to democracy. While it is true that if people only learn new information from one source they are getting a limited perspective, I think the very concept of democracy supports their right to get that perspective and only that perspetive.

There's a big difference between encouraging people to be open-minded and forcing them to listen to other points of view. I am in favor of the first choice, because I see the media as a product we choose to consume. Since search engine must make a choice of which sites to rank first and which last, they are inherently making a judgment of what you want to see. I think that judgment should be decided as it is now- based on your interests. After all, isn't the point of the site to make you happy, to keep you interested?

Although it would be great if search engines offered you more of a variety of sites- some geared towards social justice, some entertainment, some political- on their homepage, what people really go to the Internet for is to find out what they want to find out. Trying to tell them what they should be looking for is a matter I don't think the sites should be involved in. That's where lobbyist groups come into play.

MolleIndustria boasts a variety of games which are commentaries on the state of the world today.

These include:

Leaky World, a Wiki Leaks simulation
Oiligarchy, an analysis of how oil companies function
The Free Culture Game, about copyright law.
And my personal favorite, Orgasm Simulator, a commentary on sexual relationships in today’s society.

There’s an environmental social justice game called TransportationTown that I just discovered.

In the game, you must balance the city’s pollution, mobility and happiness in order to insure that there is a balance between economic growth and damage to the environment. It’s fun and simple. While you play, facts about Whatcom County’s multimodal transportation system and other statistics scroll by, so you can learn more if you want or just enjoy playing the game.

This is a cool social justice computer game. Expect more the in coming weeks since school’s…out…for…summer!

Ron Paul is the real-life Ron Swanson.
For those who don’t get the reference, you’re missing out. Ron Swanson is the director of the Parks and Recreation Department on the fictional NBC tv show Parks and Recreation. He is also a diehard liberatarian who doesn’t believe government is useful.

I’m watching Ron Paul’s 2012 candidacy announcement, which aired Friday, on Cspan right now and, while entertaining, I don’t agree with what most of Paul is saying. Much like Swanson, he advocates for a ‘put people in charge of themselves’ system of government. However, his system is too idealistic. He says that heroin should be legalized, as should most other drugs, because you’re telling people they can make their own choices but they WILL be held responsible. However, how do you justify this to the victims of their actions- either directly, as in the case of people who get run over by drunk drivers, or indirectly, as in when they cost their family, or the state, hundreds and thousands of dollars in incarceration, paying back debts, emotional toil, the list goes on?

I think the problem with libertarian forms of goverment is that they’re just too optimistic. If you really believe that if left alone, people will act their best, then how do you account for all of the tragedies in the world? There has to be some sort of system to manage, regulate, bring people to agreements. I’m not saying that power should be taken out of the hands of the people, but rather that the people should be EMpowered by allowing them to make rules which protect them from each other. I’m a Hobbesian, what can I say?

Yesterday, the Peace, Conflict, and Coexistence minor program was renewed for another 5 years at Brandeis! YAY!

You can find out more about the program here.

I am a PAX minor, which has been one of the best decisions of my life! The professors are fantastic, the classes are relevant and interesting! If you thinking of becoming a PAX minor or just want to find out more, please contact me.

If are aren’t a PAX minor, I challenge you to take a class or go to the Peace Vigil. You just might love it!

BRANDEIS’ FIRST EVER READATHON: an event to promote reading, taking breaks from finals and raising money for literacy programs!!!

What will we be reading?
From 6-8 we will have open reading; bring your own book, textbook, collection of poems, sketches, etc. and read it aloud for up to 10 minutes!

Based on popular vote, from 8-whenever we will read books from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series and the Harry Potter series.

One person at a time will read out loud so if you’d like to sign up in advance on the event wall. For each page you read you will receive a raffle ticket, and at the end of the night we will pick a winner, who will receive a $30 GIFT CARD TO THE BRANDEIS BOOKSTORE!

Want to help in ways other than donating $$$?
Anyone can bring BOOKS they no longer need and they will be donated to More Than Words and other literacy groups in Waltham.
———————————————————————————————————————
The Reasons for this Event:
1. It’s fun.

2. According to the U.S. Dept of Education, 9% of the population of Middlesex County (which contains Waltham) aged 16 and up lacks basic literacy prose skills. While the MA sample population was more literate than the nation on average, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Reading allows the transference of values, knowledge of cultures and more. Check out: http://nces.ed.gov/naal/estimates/StateEstimates.aspx for stats.

How We Want to Help:
1. We’re going to collect money for Famni Ki Li Ansamn, or Families Reading Together, a group which helped organize this event. Famni Ki Li Asamn is a literacy organization founded by Brandeis University students and teachers which provides beautiful children’s picture books about Haiti to Haitian families in the US and Haiti. Professor Jane Hale and her Experiential Learning students helped make this event possible. For more information, check out: http://www.brandeis.edu/haiti/famni-ki-li-ansamn/index.html

2. In addition, we can get the word out there about more literacy programs. The organization of this event was assisted by the English Language Learning Initiative, a group founded in the Spring of 2001 and which offers English tutoring for all interested Brandeis employees. For more information: http://my.brandeis.edu/clubs/esl

For those of you who haven’t met Alex Kern, he is the fantastic Protestant Chaplain here at Brandeis. Not only is he one of the kindest and most compassionate people I have ever met, he is a champion of peace and justice. He promotes peace on campus, and also serves as the executive director of Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries. Alex earned a master of divinity degree at Andover Newton Theological School, where he also served as adjunct faculty and staff. He received a bachelor’s degree in religious studies, history and African-American studies from Guilford College in North Carolina. He has a certificate from the Boston Theological Institute for work focused on reconciliation, ecumenism and restorative justice.

He is hosting the Interfaith Youth Initiative 2011 Summer Program Sunday July 10 to Sunday July 17, 2011 here at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA. The camp’s focus this year will be to “interpret our spiritual visions of justice and peace, while living out Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Beloved Community” in the 21st century”. Pretty awesome huh?

This unique program gives students from various religious backgrounds the opportunity to meet, create understanding, and work together for peace!

Men and women are housed in separate staffed areas on campus, and if desired, students may commute from home. Religious and dietary needs will be accommodated.

For more information and an application,contact Alexander Levering Kern or Matt Carriker at:
Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, Interfaith Youth Initiative 474 Centre St., Newton, MA 02458
617-244-3650 IFYI@coopmet.org, www.coopmet.org

Hello Brandeis!

I know this has been posted before, but this issue is so important I need you to tell ALL of your friends.

SIGN THE PETITION TO SUPPORT BRANDEIS DINING SERVICE WORKERS!

I have been reading in the news about other college campuses where students have made fierce campaigns to support workers. Right now, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, students are protesting for worker’s rights. Check it out here. Students at the College of William and Mary were arrested for peacefully protesting in the President’s Office (check out our coverage here). In Atlanta at Emory University there was a protest against food and facilities giant Sodexco.

As social justice is important to us all, Brandeis must join the fight for workers to be treated fairly, with respect, and with dignity.

Here is the message from the BLC:

Hey All,

So the Brandeis Dining Service Workers are renegotiating their
contract with Aramark this summer or early fall. The Brandeis
Labor Coalition is starting a petition to show the Aramark
administration that there is pressure from students, faculty, and staff
to create a strong contract. Our motto is: Raises, Rights, and
Respect.

Please sign the petition and forward widely: http://j.mp/SupportWorkers
Interested in getting more involved in this campaign? Contact Rachel
Sier rsier@brandeis.edu or Alana Pellerito apell915@brandeis.edu

Spent!

This is a social justice online computer game. What a brilliant way to spread awareness of the struggle unemployed people must combat, and the aspects of our society that foster inequality. In this game you must live on a budget of $1,000 plus wages over the course of a month.

At the end it asks you to donate or get involved with the Urban Ministries of Durham, which helps people in need. Vague but solid. I think this is the future of social justice; getting people involved in creative and fun ways. Building empathy.

There is a new official account of Sunday night, check it out in the New York Times article.

According to the reports, the following information has been released to the public:
1. Osama was NOT armed.
2. There was heavy fire from others in the house.
3. Osama’s wife was shot in the leg, but not killed.
4. Navy seals did not know if Osama wore a suicide bomb and acted in a split second decision to shoot him.
5. “Several experts on the rules of engagement in combat said that in a raid on a target as dangerous as Bin Laden, the Navy Seals team would be justified to open fire at the slightest commotion when they burst into a room.”
6. There was a plan to take Osama alive, and if he had surrendered, he would have been captured.
7. He was killed early Monday morning, not Sunday night.
8. Officials are still deciding to release pictures of his body or not. “It looks like him, covered in blood with a hole in his head,” an official said.

So dear Brandeis, what do we think? Are the marines justified in shooting Osama while he was unarmed? Was this an illegal operation? Has the story changed because it was late and the government wanted to release information quickly, or did they purposely manipulate details?

Edit: Hey guys! I misremembered the information when I wrote this post. They were Navy seals, not marines. My bad.

Brandeis Now headline, which links to a page on the xinhuanet.com

Online supporters of bin Laden appear angry: expert

Congratulations to the newly elected!

2014 Class Senate
Rosby Kome-Mensah
Ricky Rosen

2012 Class Senate
Missy Skolnik

Senator at Large
Shekeyla Caldwell

Student Union Judiciary
Shirel Guez

FBoard
Sidak Pannu

Racial Minority FBoard
Dillon Harvey

Jr. Representative to the Alumni Association
Emily Kane

Jr. Rep to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Suzanne Rothman

The rest of the positions remain unfilled until first thing next semester.
The Racial Minority Senate and 2013 Class Senate results are not
listed, due to the fact that there were no candidates officially
running.

Election results: election results

If you are interested in learning more about the Osama Operation, check out this New York Times article!

Here are the highlights of the operation:

For years, the agonizing search for Osama bin Laden kept coming up empty. Then last July, Pakistanis working for the Central Intelligence Agency drove up behind a white Suzuki navigating the bustling streets near Peshawar, Pakistan, and wrote down the car’s license plate. The man in the car was Bin Laden’s most trusted courier, and over the next month C.I.A. operatives would track him throughout central Pakistan. Ultimately, administration officials said, he led them to a sprawling compound at the end of a long dirt road and surrounded by tall security fences in a wealthy hamlet 35 miles from the Pakistani capital.

On a moonless night eight months later, 79 American commandos in four helicopters descended on the compound, the officials said. Shots rang out. A helicopter stalled and would not take off. Pakistani authorities, kept in the dark by their allies in Washington, scrambled forces as the American commandos rushed to finish their mission and leave before a confrontation. Of the five dead, one was a tall, bearded man with a bloodied face and a bullet in his head. A member of the Navy Seals snapped his picture with a camera and uploaded it to analysts who fed it into a facial recognition program.

And just like that, history’s most expansive, expensive and exasperating manhunt was over. The inert frame of Osama bin Laden, America’s enemy No. 1, was placed in a helicopter for burial at sea, never to be seen or feared again. A nation that spent a decade tormented by its failure to catch the man responsible for nearly 3,000 fiery deaths in New York, outside Washington and Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001, at long last had its sense of finality, at least in this one difficult chapter.

Brandeis Dining Services workers who are represented by Local 26 of UniteHere (a national union of hospitality and food service workers) are renegotiating their contract with Aramark this summer/early fall. As we enter into the final stretch of school, we in the Brandeis Labor Coalition (BLC) want to rally as much student, staff, and faculty support as possible to show Aramark that they must sign a contract that provides raises, rights, and respect Brandeis workers.

There are a few different ways to get involved and actively demonstrate your support for the campus’ dining services workers:

1. Sign the online petition and pass it along to your friends.

2. Attend a meeting this Wednesday with Unite Here representatives, campus workers, and members of the BLC at 2:30pm this Wednesday in Lower Usdan

3. In Waltham/Brandeis over the summer? You can have the opportunity to join the negotiation team and bargain directly with Unite Here reps, workers, and Aramark staff

4. Contact Rachel Sier, rsier@brandeis.edu, if you want more information about the upcoming campaign

Give+Go Open May 5th
Students can give items in good condition when moving out at spots located in each quad. More information at go.brandeis.edu/giveandgo

Last year we saved over 6 tons of trash!

Give + Go
Volunteers Apply Now! Donations Needed!
go.brandeis.edu/giveandgo

In case you are looking for more news on Bin Laden’s death, here is the CNN story. The post includes several videos of where he died, a clip of Obama’s speech, and New Yorkers celebrating at Ground Zero.

Here is the transcript of President Obama’s speech.

The CBS story may answer Luke’s question:

Security at “strategic places in Pakistan has been beefed up as a precaution against any retaliation to news of Osama bin Laden’s death”, a senior Pakistani security official told CBS News early on Monday. “If he (bin Laden) is really dead, there will be attempts to seek revenge,” said the official who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity.

Former State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said on Twitter: “#BinLaden’s death does not eliminate the threat from #alQaeda, but it is hard to see anyone playing the same organizational role he did.”

Even though Bin Laden has been killed, the military could justify staying in Afganistan to defeat the remaining alQaeda members.

In the BBC article Obituary: Osama Bin Ladin, the author finishes with an important point: “To his supporters, Bin Laden was a fighter for freedom against the US and Israel, not, as he was to many in the West, a terrorist with the blood of thousands of people on his hands.”

According to multiple press sources, including the New York Times, Huffington Post, and CNN, Osama Bin Laden has been killed. Earlier this evening, the New York times reported that “President Obama is expected to make an announcement on Sunday night, almost ten years after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.” Quite a momentous event. But does this mean we can finally leave the Middle East now?

The annual Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts is winding to a close.

After a weekend of hula hoops, clowns, dancing, singing and bubbles, things are almost done. What remains?

The Lydian String Quartet, playing at 8 p.m. in Slosberg Music Center. They will be playing Haydn’s Quartet in E flat major, Op. 33, No. 2; Mohammad Fairouz’s Lamentation and Satire; Vincent Persichetti’s Piano Quintet (with Geoffrey Burleson, piano). Artists are: Daniel Stepner, violin; Judith Eissenberg, violin; Mary Ruth Ray, viola; Joshua Gordon, cello.

In The Name Of, playing at 8 p.m. in the Mandel Center for Humanities, Room G10. In The Name Of is an original play by Renana Gal ’12, about her experiences as a conscientious objector in Israel. Produced by the Free Play Theatre Cooperative and featuring Noam Shuster ’11, Melissa Howard ’12, Dotan Horowitz ’12, Aidan Horowitz ’12, Emily Rubin-Falcone ’13 and Anthony Rios ’11. Ages 16 and older.

The World Premier of Sweet Escape at 8 p.m. in the Mandel Center for Humanities, G3 auditorium. Sweet Escape is a short film of a modern fairytale, told in 10 film genres, about a girl’s escape from her evil mother. Written and directed by Max Price ’11. Hanna Wellish ’12, director of photography; Celia Cataldo ’13, producer. Featuring Zoey Hart ’13, Levi Rion MFA ’11, Robin Rapoport and many Brandeis undergraduates. Ages 16 and older.

But, even after the Festival is over, why don’t we try to keep art around us? It seems pretty trivial to be reminded that “art is all around us” (the festival’s slogan) only once a year; why not display artwork around our campus all year round? Why not organize flashmobs, provide people with bubbles to blow, and encourage students to express themselves all the time? Perhaps there are ways we can do this, with the help of the Brandeis Administration, Student Union, and entire student body. What do you think.

President Barack Hussein Obama delivered a beautiful speech yesterday at a press conference held to address the matter of…his birth.

Numerous politicians have confirmed his citizenship, the validity of his birth certificate and the general constitutionality of his presidency, yet Donald Trump, Sarah Palin and others continued the cry started in his 2008 campaign, calling for a public showing of his birth certificate. What I do not understand is how these people think he could have been given the oath by Chief Justice John Roberts, been accepted as president by Congress and served for 3.5 years all without anyone ever checking his birth certificate.

However, despite the irrationality of these complaints (and they are irrational, not to say that means they are invalid), Obama took the high road and made a strategic move; he chose to respond to his critics rather than ignore them. Speaking to members of the press in a video which the White House uploaded on Youtube (aren’t THEY tech savvy!), Obama addressed the concerns about his country of origin and announced that the White House has uploaded his birth certificate online for all to see.

In fact, FoxNews reports that “Mr. Obama had to get Hawaii to waive a law that prevents the long form birth certificate from being photocopied or released to anyone, including himself.” This is one explanation for why Obama did not release his birth certificate to the general public earlier, although he did release his “certificate of live birth” during the 2008 campaign.

I respect Obama immensely for treating his critics with respect and showing that them he is willing to respond to their concerns, as half-baked as they might seem. However, Obama steered clear of validating them, instead asking Americans and the media why they are choosing to focus on such an inconsequential piece of trivia when monumental decisions are being made in Congress as to the budget and the future of our nation. Good for you, Obama!

Obama’s speech reminded me a lot of a classic scene from the American President, in which another charming, first-term president up for re-election chooses to respond to the vicious gossip being touted around about him.

On another note, according to a Gallup/USA Today Poll, only 43% of Americans were convinced that Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump was born in the United States. So where’s your birth certificate, Donald?

I just came from the 2010-2011 school year State of the Union in which Undergraduae Student Union President Daniel Acheampong talked about all of Brandeis’ achievements, stuggles and plans for the future, before introducing next year’s president-elect, current secretary, junior Herbie Rosen.

I have to start off by saying that Daniel Acheampong is an amazing speaker. You’ve seen him at Pres. Lawrence’s Innauguration, at the Student Union ’11 Presidential Debate and many more places, but here, at his final State of the Union, he really shone. It brought tears to my eyes, sadly.

Acheampong’s major themes were the democracy and representation which he has tried to cultivate at Brandeis and which he hopes to see more of in the future. As Daniel said, we are a “resilient” student body, and despite all the struggles we’ve faced this year, we’ve come out on top.

Some of the major achivements he highlighted include:

-A restructuring of the Provost’s office and redefining of which responsibilities fall under that position.
-The formation of the Social Life Committee, composed of students and faculty, which serves to improve student social life on campus. The Committee will be presenting its recommendation to the administration shortly.
-The creation of the Village P.O.D.
-The promise of a pool in the Gosman Sports Center by 2012
-The first ever Student Union monthly newsletter
-The renovation of the Student Union website and a new complaints section
-Reform of the pass/fail system thanks to the Undergraduate Reps to the UCC

Acheampong also talked about the amazing volunteering and fundraising done by a variety of student groups, with money going towards Haiti and Japan relief funds, women’s medical expenses and the American cancer society. The groundbreaking sports achievements, including the men’s basketball team winning the 2011 ECAC Division III New England championship. The production of an astounding amount of student shows (“the Lonesome West” and “Rent” in particular, both of which Rosen was involved with), and the numerous events put on by student clubs.

Among elements we could improve upon, Acheampong mentioned the status of our financial aid policy. Currently, we review applicants need-blind until money runs out, at which point we regard them in a need-sensitive way, Acheampong explained. For the incoming class of 2015, we were able to remain need-blind and supply all students with full financial packages, however leaving the policy the way it is remains a threat to future applicants. This is an important matter to look into, despite our financial strains, and the student forum held on it earlier this year is indeed a practice we should repeat in coming years, giving students a chance to ask questions and offer opinions to the administration.

Another announcement Acheapong made was that the Senior Representative to the Board of Trustees will now sit on the Nominating and Governance Committee, which screens potential Trustees. For more information on the Committee, look at the Brandeis University Bylaws.

Following Acheapong’s speech, which received a standing ovation, President-Elect Herbie Rosen took to the podium and reiterated his thanks to the Student Union and student body and elaborated on his platform and goals for the new year. Rosen’s ideas, including more student representation, continued efforts to improve housing and dining, and collaborating with student groups, sound good and foreshadow a promising year for Brandeis.

Also, sneak peek at the first picture of the past, the present and the future of Brandeis:

This post goes out to Unicornbooty.com, a gay blog which reports on current events relating to the LGBTQA rights movement.

Unfortunately, more often than not, the news they have to report is not favorable to the gay community. Or the straight community for that matter. Discrimination hurts everyone.

This past week Unicorn Booty wrote several thought-provoking blog posts and I’d like to rehash them for you here.

1. Is Sodomy Illegal In Your State?
Accompanying this post is a chart of the 14 states in the U.S. which “retain active laws banning the practice of anal sex between consenting, unrelated adults.” Although the Supreme Court struck down these laws in the case of Lawrence v. Texas in 2003, and so they are unenforceable for all intents and purposes within the respective states, the laws remain on the books, maintaining our country’s sad legacy of homophobia.

2. TN Senate Passes ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill
A panel in the Tennessee Senate passed a bill on April 21st making it illegal to “discuss any sexual behavior other than heterosexuality prior to the ninth grade.” This would ban teachers, guidance counselors and all other school officials from speaking the words “gay” or “homosexual,” no matter the context. This bill has not passed in Tennessee yet, but how can we teach tolerance if we can’t even speak about it?

3. Church Billboard: Being Gay is a Gift From God
A Central United Methodist Church in Toldeo, Ohio is now running the message “Being Gay is a Gift From God” on a billboard in downtown Toledo. The Toledo Blade reports that

the Rev. Bill Barnard, Central’s part-time pastor, said the billboard message will be linked to a four-week sermon series, and the overall campaign goal is “to make a leap beyond tolerance.”
“Members of the congregation have experienced places and times where being lesbian or gay was tolerated — kind of ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell, I know God forgives you,’” Barnard said. “We’re saying, ‘This is the way God created you. There’s nothing to forgive.’”

This same week the Douglass Boulevard Christian Church in Kentucky made an even bigger statement on behalf of their gay brethren, voting unanimously to stop granting marriage licenses to any couples- straight or gay- until they are available to members of all sexual orientations. “The church voted to continue performing religious marriage ceremonies to straight couples, but without the legal component that gay couples are legally prevented access to,” Unicorn Booty reported.

Now, here are two inspiring examples of churches standing up for the LGBTQA members of their communities. I felt I had to end this summary on a positive note, so think about what it means for the future if religion is able to embrace homosexuality in a way that even our government still resists doing! Can’t you imagine people uniting for the cause of inclusion rather than exclusion? I can.

It is official! Tunisia is now ruling that men and women must feature in equal numbers as candidates in the July 24 constituent assembly poll!

According to Al Jazeera, the riots and demonstrations in Tunisia has caused Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down after 23 years in office. The switch in power will allow many unprecedented freedoms and equality, including women’s right to vote.

Sana Ben Assour, president of the Tunisian Association of Women Democrats, commented that “It is only right in a country where men and women fought side by side for democracy.”

More coverage of the historic event can be found here.

Consider adding this to your family’s traditions!

In honor of Passover, the coming of the spring harvest and the liberation of the Israelites, here’s an explanation of the Orange on the Seder Plate:

In the early 1980s, while speaking at Oberlin College Hillel, Susannah Heschel was introduced to an early feminist Haggadah that suggested adding a crust of bread on the seder plate, as a sign of solidarity with Jewish lesbians (there’s as much room for a lesbian in Judaism as there is for a crust of bread on the seder plate).

Heschel felt that to put bread on the seder plate would be to accept that Jewish lesbians and gay men violate Judaism like chametz violates Passover. So, at her next seder, she chose an orange as a symbol of inclusion of gays and lesbians and others who are marginalized within the Jewish community.

She offered the orange as a symbol of the fruitfulness for all Jews when lesbians and gay men are contributing and active members of Jewish life. In addition, each orange segment had a few seeds that had to be spit out – a gesture of spitting out, repudiating the homophobia of Judaism.

You may have heard other versions of how the orange came to be a part of Passover. Heschel addresses this, writing:

“Somehow, though, the typical patriarchal maneuver occurred: my idea of an orange and my intention of affirming lesbians and gay men were transformed. Now the story circulates that a MAN said to me that a woman belongs on the bimah as an orange on the seder plate. A woman’s words are attributed to a man, and the affirmation of lesbians and gay men is erased. Isn’t that precisely what’s happened over the centuries to women’s ideas?”

So at your next seder, think about the groups who are still enslaved by social constructions today and maybe even question how to include them within society and the Jewish religion and culture.

As an inspiration to all, students at College of William and Mary have advocated for the Living Wage Campaign, a push to have United States Federal Minimun Wage increased to afford the cost of housing. You can check out the camapgin website here. There are over 100 Living Wage Campaigns across states, cities, and college campuses.

Very early this morning, 5 William and Mary students were arrested for peacefully protesting to advocate the increase of wages for university workers. The group arranged for a 16 hour sit-in in President Taylor Reveley’s office for an increase of $15 per hour. The students, who had been in the office since Wednesday, were arrested at 12:50am. Other students will resume protesting around the president’s office at noon later today.
The story can be found here.

USAS is holding an email campaign to address Reveley’s actions. Click here to send your letter!

Or you can call President Taylor Reveley at (757) 221-1693 with this message:

Hi, my name is [name] and I’m from [college/university/affiliate]. I am calling to voice my concern that instead of finally agreeing to pay living wages to William & Mary workers, the University has instead chosen to bully and arrest students peacefully sitting in. This behavior is unacceptable, as are the poverty wages that William & Mary pays its workers. I urge you to include living wages for your workers in next year’s budget and to drop charges against students immediately.

For those of you who don’t know him, meet Congressman Eliot Engel. Engel represents New York’s 17th District (made up of the Bronx, Westchester and Rockland County). Engel sends out a monthly e-mail addressing various holidays, memorials and government events. Today, I received an e-mail from him addressing the struggle between Second Amendment rights to bear arms and the tragic acts of violence which have struck our country in recent years due to people in possession of guns.

What sparked Engel’s e-mail was the anniversary of both the Columbine High School shooting, April 20th, 1999, and the Virginia Tech University shooting, April 16, 2007. Both of these school shootings shocked the nation and comprehensive studies were undertaken in their wake to determine what prompted them and how to better protect the public. However, whatever progress has been made has been overshadowed by the 36 notable school shootings in North America alone which have occurred since.

A 37th incidence of gun violence in schools occurred just yesterday at Ross Elementary School in Houston. As the Huffington Post reported, a kindergartener brought a gun to school and it fell out of his pocket and went off, injuring himself and two other students. Although this occurrence, by all accounts an accident, does not have the same quality of menace, perhaps it is even more upsetting due to the very lack of intentionality and the perpetrator’s age. If students are not safe at their schools, where can they go?

As Engel writes,

With over 280 million guns in civilian hands, the terrible truth is that there is no place to hide from gun violence. Children and teens are not safe from gun violence at school, at home, or anywhere else in America. According to the Children’s Defense Fund, 3,042 children and teens died from gunfire in America in 2007—one child or teen every three hours, eight every day, 58 every week. Almost six times as many children and teens—17,523—suffered non-fatal gun injuries and the often lifelong emotional aftermath that follows. Gun violence, especially in poor communities, drives thousands of vulnerable young people into the pipeline to prison.

Engel cites statistics compiled by the Brady Campaign, founded by Reagan’s press secretary James Brady, which speak to the prevalence of gun violence:

-States with the highest levels of gun ownership have 114% higher firearm homicide rates, and 60% higher overall homicide rates than states with the lowest gun ownership;

-A gun in the home tends to be used more often for purposes other than self-defense. For every gun fired to injure or kill in self-defense, 11 were used in suicides, seven in criminal assaults and homicides, and four in unintentional shooting deaths or injuries.

-Every year there are only about 200 legally justified self-defense homicides by private citizens, compared with over 30,000 gun deaths.

However, taking away a person’s right to own a gun is not necessarily the solution. As we all know, guns are not always used for violence and can be useful in fact in preventing it, when the people operating the weapons know what they are doing. So, how do you find a happy compromise between the distinct conservative and liberal takes on the Second Amendment?

Engel proposes some strategies he has taken to negotiate this middle ground, such as:

[I] Introduced the Protect Law Enforcement Armor (PLEA) Act, HR 6030 in the previous Congress, which would ban the Five-seveN handgun. Several types of ammunition for the Five-seveN have the ability to pierce law enforcement body armor. The Five-seveN handgun is one of the most popular with traffickers supplying Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) who have nicknamed the gun the “mata policia” or “cop killier.” It was also used by Major Nidal Hasan in the horrific Fort Hood shooting last November where 13 people were killed and 30 others wounded. I plan to re-introduce the bill in the current Congress.

I support the steps he has taken. The task at hand now is to pinpoint various reforms that are in all of our best interests: keeping guns away from minors, out of schools and off the black market, to name a few. Perhaps once we’ve addressed these dangers we can move on to the second step, which is identifying aspects of our culture which promote violence and lead to the these tragedies.

*Co-written by guest blogger Mady Katz

Waltham Group has a lot of programs: seventeen at the moment. Oftentimes when students want to volunteer they’re not sure which programs to choose. So, we’re here to tell you a bit more about one program in particular: Kids Connection!

Kids Connection is a branch of Waltham Group which encompasses two youth groups: the Waltham Boys and Girls Club and the Waltham Y.

When volunteers go to the Boys and Girls Club, they put together various activities for the 6 to18 year olds to do. The range of programs includes: sports, arts and crafts, gardening, homework help, and photography. What makes the Boys and Girls Club unique is that for an extremely affordable price they can become members and then partake in whatever activities they want. They can use facilities, which include a playground, a pool, a pool table (part of a larger game room) and more. Volunteers really have an opportunity to bond with the kids one-on-one and form strong relationships with each other. There is usually a lot of laughter involved. All that is required is filling out a few background check forms and making a weekly commitment for an hour and a half.

Onto the Boys and Girls Club’s sister program, the Y! The Y allows kids to use its facilities for a wide variety of activities. The Y has a pool; multiple gyms; yoga, aerobics and other types of fitness classes; and even a rock-climbing wall. Although Kids Connection has been involved with many different programs at the Y over time, this semester we’ve focused on Teen Night, which is a Friday night program exclusively for teens aged 13 to 18. This program is targeted at middle school and high school kids since this age group usually finds itself engaged in less safe activities due to lack of supervision. Another element that makes the Y unique is that Kids Connections coordinators work with the Y’s staff to bring in Brandeis student clubs to perform and interact with the kids, as when Kaos Kids, Brandeis’ hip hop group, performed for the kids in the fall of 2010. Volunteers get to bond with the kids and organize whatever activities they want, and there is not a strict weekly requirement.

Mady Katz is the Boys and Girls Club coordinator and Elly Kalfus is the Y coordinator. Both coordinators are happy to share information or talk with prospective volunteers. For more information, e-mail katzm@brandeis.edu or ekal@brandeis.edu.

So if you’re reading this, I must ask…
See what you like?
Want to contribute?

Due to a large number of graduating writers and changes in our blog’s staff, we need FRESH BLOOD.
If you’re interested in writing for us in any capacity or just have some input to give, come to Einstein’s at 4 pm today for a short pre-break interest meeting.

Questions? Can’t make it but want to be involved? Please contact me (Elly Kalfus) at ekal@brandeis.edu or Esther Brandon at brandone@brandeis.edu

Thanks Brandeis Interfaith Chaplaincy:

If you see students walking around campus with palms in hand on Sunday, April 17, you are not imagining things.

President: Herbie Rosen
Vice President: Gloria Park
Secretary: Todd Kirkland
Treasurer: Dan Lee
F-Board: Jacob Agi, Gabe Weingrod Nemzow, Donghae Choi, ONE UNFILLED
Racial Minority F-Board: UNFILLED
Jr. Rep to the Board of Trustees: Beneva Davies
Jr. Rep to the UCC: UNFILLED
Jr. Rep to the Alumni Association: UNFILLED

All unfilled positions will be up for election in the next round, which must take place within 5 school days, meaning the latest they could take place is the Monday after break, May 2.

The breakdown of how many votes each candidate received will come soon. Look below:

Election Results2011

Student Union Spring 2011 Elections

Now until 12 am

Look, even if you don’t know the candidates or don’t feel like making the effort TO get to know them (just stop by fb), it’s still worth it to vote. Although it is frustrating that the school messed up the settings on its contract with Big Pulse, resulting in a more-confusing-than-usual voting process, there are some clear directions you can follow in order to vote!

These polls are an Instant Runoff Voting system. You will rank up to the total number of candidates (and Abstain) by preference. You do not need to vote for all of the candidates but may. Your first preference will be counted unless your first preference has the least number of votes in which case your second preference will be counted until one candidate receives a majority of the total number of votes.

Important Voting Information:
Go to the website and you will have the option to VOTE NOW on the right hand sidebar. Due to recent voter fraud attempts there is a new security measure in place. When reaching the voting website input your UNET ID but DO NOT put your password in. ClickFORGOT YOUR SIGN-IN OR PASSWORD, then you can proceed to vote.

Please check the following link to VOTE: http://brandeisstudentunion.org/elections/185

The positions up for candidacy are:
-President
-Vice President
-Treasurer
-Secretary
-F-Board
-Racial Minority F-Board
-Jr. Representative to the Board of Trustees
-Jr. Representative to the UCC
-Jr. Representative to the Alumni Association

If you have any questions, concerns, or trouble with the voting website, please contact Shirel Guez (shirelgz@brandeis.edu).

More important, social justice, democratic-y events.

Tonight, Politics Now in Golding 101 at 8 oclock. Come here presentations from a bunch of different clubs on campus about what they do to transcend the Brandeis bubble. For more info, look at it in the innermostparts activist calendar.

Later on in the evening, check out the Student Union Presidential Debate at 10:15 in Olin-Sang 101. “This debate amongst the candidates for Student Union President is a unique opportunity, as members of the Brandeis Community, to discern for ourselves what student we want representing us and taking Brandeis into the future. This was an idea we batted around only 9 days ago, and now the event is co-sponsored by B.A.D.A.S.S., WBRS, The Hoot, BTV, The Justice, and the Student Union.” -Justice League

Election begins tomorrow, expect more live updates and news.

Wikipedia describes Andrew Wakefieldas “a British former surgeon and medical researcher known for his fraudulent claims of a causative connection between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, autism and autistic enterocolitis. The latter controversial term was created by Wakefield to describe an unproven form of inflammatory bowel disease.”

Michael Willrich, esteemed Brandeis professor in the History Department, wrote Pox: An American History this past summer, on the subject of the pervasive fear of vaccines throughout American history. In an article in the New York Times printed in January 2011, he commented on Wakefield’s study:

“The evidence against the original article and its author, a British medical researcher named Andrew Wakefield, is damning. Among other things, he is said to have received payment for his research from a lawyer involved in a suit against a vaccine manufacturer; in response, Britain’s General Medical Council struck him from the medical register last May. As the journal’s editor put it, the assertion that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine caused autism “was based not on bad science but on a deliberate fraud.””

Dr. Wakefield stands amidst a heap of controversy because of his incendiary report linking autism to vaccinations. And guess what? He’s coming to Brandeis. Tonight. In the Rapaporte Treasure Hall (in Goldfarb Library) from 7:30 to 9.

As college students, we’re lectured a lot about plagiarism. But, do most people even know basic facts about copyright law and tradmarks? I know I didn’t.
So Max Price and I looked up copyright law at the U.S. Copyright Office and these are the hilarious highlights which we transcribed here for you, worthy readers:

How do I protect my recipe?
A mere listing of ingredients is not protected under copyright law. However, where a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a collection of recipes as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection. Note that if you have secret ingredients to a recipe that you do not wish to be revealed, you should not submit your recipe for registration, because applications and deposit copies are public records. See FL 122, Recipes.

Can I register a diary I found in my grandmother’s attic?
You can register copyright in the diary only if you own the rights to the work, for example, by will or by inheritance. Copyright is the right of the author of the work or the author’s heirs or assignees, not of the one who only owns or possesses the physical work itself. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Who Can Claim Copyright.”

How do I protect my sighting of Elvis?
Copyright law does not protect sightings. However, copyright law will protect your photo (or other depiction) of your sighting of Elvis. File your claim to copyright online by means of the electronic Copyright Office (eCO). Pay the fee online and attach a copy of your photo. Or, go to the Copyright Office website, fill in Form CO, print it, and mail it together with your photo and fee. For more information on registration a copyright, see SL-35. No one can lawfully use your photo of your sighting, although someone else may file his own photo of his sighting. Copyright law protects the original photograph, not the subject of the photograph.

Can I get a star named after me and claim copyright to it?
No. There is a lot of misunderstanding about this. Names are not protected by copyright. Publishers of publications such as a star registry may register a claim to copyright in the text of the volume [or book] containing the names the registry has assigned to stars, and perhaps the compilation of data; but such a registration would not extend protection to any of the individual star names appearing therein. Copyright registration of such a volume of star names does not confer any official or governmental status on any of the star names included in the volume. For further information on copyright protection and names, see Circular 34, Copyright Protection Not Available for Names, Titles, or Short Phrases

Hey,

So as my earlier posts this week have demonstrated, I’m into series now.
Ever walking around campus and overheard people saying the dumbest shit? Or the most intellectual garbage? Or something that profoundly and sincerely changes your life?

Well now you have something to do with it. Please send it in to tips@innermostparts.org! And if it’s good enough, we’ll repost it!

One I’ve been storing up for a while:

(Walking past the hill atop which the Brandeis statue stands)
Person 1: It’s not a rock, there are trees growing out of it.

Thanks for reading the innaugural post, now start sending them!

Dear members of the Brandeis community,

I want to share my thanks and deep appreciation with you — 50,000 strong around the world — for all the support and encouragement I received throughout Inauguration Week. It was fantastic and truly inspiring. Some 1,500 students, faculty, staff, trustees, friends, supporters and dignitaries attended the ceremony on campus and hundreds more watched live over the internet. We ended the week at the Inaugural Ball, where another 1,500 people filled the Shapiro Gym for a night of great fun.

I invite you to view coverage of the event on BrandeisNOW. It includes a wonderful slideshow of photos taken at the many events during Inauguration Week as well as a video of my remarks. Stay tuned later in the week, when we will have some additional video highlights. It was a great week for Brandeis — please share it with your friends, fellow alums and prospective students.

Best wishes,

Fred Lawrence

Much like Jay Leno does with newspapers, I will now be collecting excerpts from all University e-mails and re-posting them here for the likes of all of you.

First post in the series, thanks to Hiatt

Women for Hire Chicago Career Expo
Wed., Apr. 6, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, IL)
Get candid advice from professionals, gain feedback on your resume, and learn tips/tricks on how to ace a challenging job search.
RSVP: Hiatt NACElink > Events > Info Sessions

Dear Brandeis,

I feel privileged and honored to have joined so many of you at President Lawrence’s inauguration this afternoon. I know I took away a great sense of pride in Brandeis University and in my fellow students.

To add to the joyous celebration today, I was thrilled to open my e-mail and see the message from Daniel about reinstating the swimming pool on campus! The plan is to begin work on the pool this spring, to be ready for 2012. If you want to join the Brandeis swimming team, you better start practicing!

Check out the full e-mail below:

To the Student Body,

I am happy to announce that the Board of Trustees approved a renovation plan for the Linsey Pool facility on today (March 31). The project includes new mechanical and electrical infrastructure, repairs to the pool and pool deck, a new entry, updates to the lobby, and new locker rooms.

The Student Union heard your concerns about the pool, and we, in addition to other members of the community, pushed for a change.

Renovation on the pool will begin later this spring, with expected target completion in early 2012. Varsity swimming and diving will be reinstated for the 2012-2013 academic year.

For more details: http://www.brandeis.edu/now/2011/march/pool.html

Yours in service,

Student Union