Month: January 2005

What did you do with your snow day?

Brandeis, notoriously stingy with snow days, was forced to give not one, but one and a half days off this week thanks to extreme winter weather that resulted in over two feet of snow on campus. While many students used their time off to bundle up inside or catch up on homework, some had other […]

COLUMN: The Student Government Body Goes to the Weight Room

Elections for the Student Senate, Union Judiciary, and a whole slew of other flavorful positions in the Brandeis Student Government Body are right around the corner. And as someone who knows exceptionally little about Brandeis elections and student government, I can tell you a lot of stuff about the whole process that you yourself probably never knew about either. Now, what I tell you may not be what is known as true, but thats not the issue. Whats important is that I can make up a lot of stuff and pretend that I know what Im talking about.

Celtics: no defense, no problem

Its a frigid January night outside on the streets of Boston. The worshipped New England Patriots have not played a meaningful game in over two weeks. The focus this one night in Beantown is on the Celtics finishing up their marathon week filled with games against five mediocre opponents.

COLUMN: Democrats are not the only ones who want peace

When people asked me if I was going to Inauguration with Students for Peace, I really didnt know what to say. I am a conservative Republican, yet I am also a student for peace. In fact, my love of peace is precisely the reason I am a conservative Republican, and that is the reason I wanted to go celebrate the crucial victory of our commander in chief.

COLUMN: Bipartisanship begins at home

On the evening of January 19th, as a bus of 40 students began its journey through the darkened roads of New England and the mid-Atlantic, its passengers sat divided, a wall of tension and political rhetoric split the ranks Dozens were filled with anger, contempt, and regret over the events that were about to take place;

a handful of loyalists were exuberant with anticipation. We were on our way to Washington, a town whose historic events have distracted dedicated students from their studies since the founding of our nation, taking our respective parts in the 2nd inauguration of George W. Bush.

COLUMN: Students for Peace march against Iraq war, Bush presidency

On January 20th, the day of George Bushs controversial 2nd inauguration, the members of Students for Peace were in Malcolm X Park, ready to rally, and ready to protest. An African-American woman, probably in her late 50s or 60s, stood in front of over one thousand coffins, singing in a bluesy rasp, this is a rich mans war, so what are the poor fighting for?

Meal plan options poorly thought out

Typically when students return home for a break or vacation, one of the first questions they are asked by their relatives is about the schools food. While each student might have a vastly different opinion regarding the quality of the food at Brandeis, many would agree that the system of purchasing food at Brandeis should undergo significant changes. I feel that there are several flaws to the meal plan system, especially for freshmen like myself, and there are possible ways that the situation can be improved for everyone.

LETTER: Freshman limbo to be cherished;

To the Editor: In response to the college maturity article from last weeks issue (College not the holy grail of maturity, page 3), I would like to provide another argument on the topic that college students, at least in my observation at Brandeis, are dysfunctionally immature. The claim that college students are more immature and […]

WRITER'S BLOCK: 'Hot' perhaps an acquired taste

Last week, as I was dutifully partaking of my usual procrastination activity of scouring my buddy list for funny/entertaining/informative away messages, I came across a link in the profile of a friend who attends Boston University. The link read We are hot. Understandably, I was intrigued. Whos hot? I had to click.

COLUMN: Brandeis, the holy grail of fun

Poop. Yes, I began an article with the word poop. This is, no doubt, because I am a college student. Wait. College students use the word poop? Well, a couple years ago I would have never thought the word poop would be a college favorite. But after coming to school a year and a half ago, I was pleasantly surprised at the level of immaturity one can find at an institution of higher education. Especially one as academically rigorous and pretentious – oh Im sorry, I meant prestigious, as Brandeis.
In high school, everyone wants to be mature. Why? Mature kids do better on their SATs and do better in interviews. They smell better too. They get into colleges like Swarthmore and Princeton. They are vegetarians and are well informed about politics and MSG. The mature kids go Ivy, the stupid kids go nowhere, and the smart but immature ones end up here.

EDITORIAL: More can be done to improve the Brandeis web experience

Brandeis recently unveiled a redesigned, technicolor homepage. Leaving aside questions about how prospective students will perceive Brandeis, not to mention potential employers, we find it a bit odd that with all of the hoopla surrounding the new site launch, not much has really changed. In terms of content, the home page is the same as before, only now news stories include pictures and brief summaries. In terms of useful information, the new Featured Campus Events section is a nice addition. But other then that, not much seems to have been added, content wise.

PERSPECTIVE: Inauguration evokes passions

This past Wednesday brought forth two strong and contrasting beliefs of mine: I am a leftist Democrat (although on the Brandeis political spectrum, Im a little closer to the center) and I revere the office of the Presidency. Before the November elections, I worked hard to elect John Kerry, unfortunately to no avail. However, my love for politics did not stop there.

Double jeopardy: Brandeis grad knows all the right questions

Do you know the questions to the following answers? A) Syrians enjoy a drink called Arak, a strong liquor made from anise and this vined fruit. B) This TV show features the characters Tad Martin, Brooke English, and Erica Kane. C) Our Lady of Czestochowa, called The Black Madonna, is one of this countrys most beloved icons. D) The comet belt this Dutchman predicted to be between Neptune & Pluto in 1951 was detected by the Hubble in 1995.

Column: College not the holy grail of maturity

Before going to college, two wise prophets (otherwise known as my parents) gave me some valuable information. They told me that there are very weird people in the world, especially in college. After experiencing four traumatizing years of high school, I didnt think that college could be anything less than a miracle. However, after four months here, Ive realized that there are so many things that Ive learned that I wish I didnt know.

Writer's Block: Fun Czar: if it's good enough for Harvard…

There has really never been much doubt that Brandeis provides its student body with a high quality education. We have the dedicated administration, the notable faculty, the proud alumni, the generous donors. The environment around here breathes academic rigor.

On Your Marks: Even pro athletes cannot escape Residence Life

If youre a Brandeis student, the following situation is probably very familiar. Late February or early March you find everyone is crowding around the mail room, eyeing each person as they open a white envelope, to see either great satisfaction or intense sorrow overtake their face. Thats right, Im talking about the housing lottery.

Column: Observations of an ex-minority

Now that the semester is back in swing, we have all had time to process this past holiday season. Looking back, I realized that this year there was something a little different about December.

EDITORIAL: Res. Life needs to re-evaluate its priorities

After numerous focus groups and feedback sessions sponsored by the Department of Residence Life two years ago, that office took the bold step (their words) of dramatically altering the services they provide to students: they changed the title Resident Advisor to Community Advisor. This change was meant to counteract negative images of RAs and to make clear the Brandeis vision of an RA, which is to be interested in student welfare, peer counseling, academic success, community involvement and transition to our dynamic living environment.