Ollie’s holds first ‘coffeehouse’
The first Ollie’s coffeehouse was sparsely attended at first, but this might have been a trick of perspective due to the room being larger than the back of a van and, while Chum’s might be nostalgically collegiate, Ollie’s coffeehouse has a number of unforeseen benefits: There are no suspicious liquids on the floor—though that may […]
You Know We’re Right: Home for the holidays
Dear Leah and Morgan, I’ve had a pretty good semester. I have been hooking up with someone consistently since the beginning of the year. It’s nothing too serious, but we’ve been together for a while and it’s fallen into a sort of casual relationship. I’m really content at the moment, but I can’t help but […]
Magid departs with Gov. Patrick to South America
International Business School Dean Bruce Magid leaves today for Brazil, accompanying Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on a trade summit with the intention of solidifying commerce agreements between the state and the South American country. They plan to meet with Brazilian leaders, and bring new jobs through technology and investment to the Commonwealth. On a daily […]
Hornstein program founder Bernie Reisman dead at 85
Professor Emeritus Bernie Reisman died Nov. 21 after years of struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. Reisman has left a lasting legacy at Brandeis through his numerous achievements as director of the Benjamin S. Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program and through the personal impact he bore on countless members involved in it. According to a transcript of […]
Trustee Alex Barkas ’68, university benefactor, dead at 64
Alex Barkas, an extremely generous Brandeis contributor and alumnus died unexpectedly Nov. 21, at age 64. Barkas worked as a venture capitalist with Prosper Venture Partners. Barkas was a managing director at Prospect Venture Partners since 1997 and had worked on the boards of various biotech companies. Prospect posted a brief memorial to Barkas on […]
Opportunities for Israel in a changing Middle East
Professor Shai Feldman (POL) discussed the effect of the Arab Spring revolutions on Israel and the relationship between Israel and Egypt in light of the latter’s upcoming elections on Wednesday. Alumni, parents, students and friends of the Brandeis community logged into a live chat to hear Feldman’s lecture and ask questions. Feldman allayed fears that […]
Brandeis scholar co-authors book that questions gender stereotypes
Pink is for girls. Blue is for boys. Math and science are for boys. English and history are for girls. Where do we get the idea that gender is systematized? Where is the research that says boys are more apt to become the next rocket scientists and girls, because of their “empathizing” brains, will become […]
College Notebook: Tufts bans ‘a naked run’
Kevin Maguire, the director of Public and Environmental Safety at Tufts University, published a letter to all Tufts University students in The Tufts Daily on Wednesday regarding the recent banning of the Naked Quad Run. This Tufts tradition, a once-university-sanctioned activity, which was intended to relieve stress around finals period, was banned by former President […]
Kermit and company mark magical return with ‘Muppets’
If you’re anything like me or my friends, a certain wave of nostalgia accompanied the first trailer released for “The Muppets,” which finally premiered last week. After all, the Muppets themselves have been largely absent this last decade, with their last big screen venture now 12 years in the past. Needless to say, I had […]
‘MELA’ brings night of South Asian dance
MELA 2011 was by far the most well-attended event I have seen this semester at Brandeis. I arrived a half-hour early and still had trouble getting seats. People were there to support their friends and were enthusiastic all night long; people were truly invested in the performances. For those who are unaware, MELA is an […]
‘Ballyhoo’ a ball of a good time
“Dreams don’t last four hours.” These were the words uttered by Beulah Levy (Joanna Nix ’14) after her daughter, Lala (Jacquelyn Drozdow ’15), hails the newly premiered “Gone with the Wind” as a dream. “The Last Night of Ballyhoo,” presented by Hillel Theater Group (HTG) on the weekend before Thanksgiving, was not a dream but, […]
Original ‘Halo’ remains a classic 10 years later
A little more than 10 years ago, Microsoft entered the video game console world with the Xbox. It had few launch games and might have sold OK had it not been for “Halo: Combat Evolved,” which became a must-have game that drove console sales. Since then, it has spawned a trilogy, prequel and expansion game, […]
‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ exceeds expectations
The hype surrounding the latest game in the expansive “Elder Scrolls” series leading up to its Nov. 11 release was of unbelievable proportions. The teasers showed “The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim” as a truly epic game, with stunning visuals and beautifully designed foes in the form of massive dragons. With so much anticipation, it seemed […]
‘Breaking Dawn’ potentially best comedy of 2011
The “Twilight” series has a negative reputation, and for good reason. On the surface, it appears to be somewhat exciting, revolving around a woman’s interaction with an elusive vampire family living among humans. Upon reading the first pages of the novels or watching the first minutes of any of the four films, however, it is […]
Arts Recommends
‘Shadow of a Doubt’ Alfred Hitchcock’s later masterpieces like “Psycho,” “Vertigo” and “North by Northwest” usually get the lion’s share of attention when discussing his oeuvre, but to ignore his earlier films is to deprive oneself of some great filmmaking. Among the best is 1943’s “Shadow of a Doubt.” Teenager Charlie Newton (Teresa Wright) is […]
ELL and BLC plan lunch to honor university staff
The English Language Learners Initiative (ELL) and the Brandeis Labor Coalition (BLC) are hosting an appreciation cafe for its workers and tutors on Dec. 2 in the Shapiro Campus Center atrium from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The cafe is an effort to raise awareness about the importance of workers in our dining halls and workers […]
Teaching from experience: Polonsky’s studies reflect his upbringing in South Africa
Professor Antony Polonsky does not just lecture from a book. Rather, he draws on his travels and the people he has met to create a unique learning environment. Polonsky teaches three specific areas of study at Brandeis: the Holocaust, the history of Jews in Eastern Europe and the history of secular Jews. On their own, […]
View From the (Very) Top: Sticking around just one more year
When I first told my parents that I was considering staying at Brandeis for a fifth year to get my master’s degree in Global Studies, they were very skeptical. They thought I was signing up for another year of crazy parties and drunken shenanigans with my friends. To be honest, a part of me hoped […]
Emory professor awarded Gittler prize
Emory University Professor Emerita Frances Smith Foster was formally awarded this year’s Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize Tuesday, in Rapaporte Treasure Hall. As a co-recipient of the prize with Stanford University historian Clayborne Carson, Foster is an authority on African American family life and slavery narratives, and has published more than a dozen books […]
You Know We’re Right: Reasons for advance roommate agreements
Dear Leah and Morgan, I have never had any problems with roommates in the past. After the housing lottery left my friends and me with less-than-ideal numbers, we decided to move off campus together. Everything was great at the beginning of the semester, but as the year has progressed I have been having problems with […]
