Students share stories through powerful slam poetry

“So, does anyone have anything else they’d like to share?” A few moments of silence. A man wearing a zip-up sweatshirt over a neon orange t-shirt from the back of the room offers to perform. When he begins to speak, he immediately takes hold of the audience’s attention, pacing back and forth and gesturing as […]

Liebowitz reports on the January Board of Trustees Meeting

The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to pass the new general education requirements, the final stamp of approval before the requirements go into effect for the class entering in fall 2019, according President Liebowitz’s summary of last week’s board meetings released last night. Brandeis faculty had unanimously supported the Gen. Ed. proposal at a Nov. […]

Appreciate the workers who keep the campus running

After the heavy snow on Wednesday, we would like to thank the facilities workers who worked relentlessly to make the campus safer for us. Despite complaints from students of slow responses to snow buildup or ice, behind the scenes, facilities staff members work tirelessly to keep walkways passable during times that students may be asleep […]

VoiceMale competes at ICCAs

This past Saturday, over 10 a cappella groups from Massachusetts schools competed for a cappella glory at the quarterfinals of the International Collegiate Championship of A cappella at Berklee School of Music. The name of this competition might sound familiar, from movies such as “Pitch Perfect.” The ICCAs attract hundreds of competitive college a capella […]

Circle UP! teaches about education inequality

As part of ’DEIS Impact, the Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation Program (CAST) brought youth Boston theater group “Youth Underground” to Brandeis on Monday, Feb. 5, to perform “Circle UP!,” a show about inequality in the American school system. An underappreciated part of ’DEIS Impact, “Circle UP!” follows nine members of an improv group […]

Brandeis to hold active shooter training in March

Brandeis will conduct an active shooter drill on Wednesday, March 21, according to a Feb. 5 email announcement from Public Safety Director Ed Callahan. The drill will simulate an active shooter situation in the library—including realistic gunshot sounds—and both Brandeis and Waltham law enforcement and emergency services will respond in real time. The library is […]

Poet, activist Amal Kassir performs at ‘DEIS Impact

Amal Kassir, a Syrian-American slam poet and activist, spoke to a crowd of students gathered in the SCC on Saturday, Feb. 3 as part of the annual ’DEIS Impact festival of social justice. “I’ve seen enough of the world to know that we’re all really not so different,” she said. Kassir has traveled the world […]

Panel debates efficacy of Teach For America

In “Is ‘Teach For America’ for America?” the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society sponsored a panel of Marya Levenson, Director of the Brandeis Education Department, and Josh Biber, the Executive Director of Teach For America in Massachusetts to discuss the effectiveness of the national nonprofit. Teach For America selects graduates from top universities to […]

About Face presentation discusses diversity and self awareness

Patricia Steiner, a graduate professor at the Rabb School of Continuing Studies, hosted a presentation in the intercultural lounge titled, “About Face—Solving Issues of Diversity through Self Awareness,” where she discussed diversity and self-awareness with Mark Frazier, a guest speaker from the “On My Genius Campaign” of North Carolina. The presentation on Feb. 6 and […]

And Still We Rise portrays impact of prison

And Still We Rise Productions, a theater company for actors affected by the prison system, performed and told their stories at Brandeis on Feb. 2, as part of the 2018 ’DEIS Impact festival of social justice. Their performances explore the impact of prison on the incarcerated and their families. Specific stories from their performance at […]

EBS ‘Beats Per Minute,’ a magnificent blossom of an HIV positive man

“Beats Per Minute” (BPM) depicts a story of a group of young HIV positive patients working in ACT UP, an international advocacy group striving to support the lives of people with AIDS. It is an honest portrayal of a series of ACT UP’s actions in the 1990s, as well as a tragedy of a 26-year-old […]

JA assists students in gaining financial literacy

The ’DEIS Impact event “Owning Your Economic Success,” started with a few technical difficulties. They did not throw off the presenters, however, who eloquently addressed the small audience about their mission. The event was held on Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 12 p.m. in the SCC. Junior Achievement of Northern New England (JA) CEO and President, […]

The merging of citizen science and social justice

Students and faculty convened in the International Lounge on Tuesday, Feb. 6, where Dr. Mark Chandler, the International Director of Research at the Earthwatch Institute, discussed the power of citizen science (cit sci) and its overarching benefits. Hannah Stewart ’18 organized the event. She “wanted to learn more about citizen science and what ways it […]

Amy Singer appointed Hassenfeld Chair in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies

Leading scholar of Ottoman history, Amy Singer, will fill the Sylvia K. Hassenfeld Chair position in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Brandeis University in the summer of 2019, according to a BrandeisNOW article. Previously serving as a professor at Tel Aviv University, Singer received her Ph.D. from Princeton in 1989. Singer obtained her bachelor’s […]

Mathias Boyar ’20 succeeds with debut EP ‘Hangup’

Mathias Boyar ’20, who raps under the mononym Mathias, just released his debut EP, “Hangup,” last Friday, Feb 2 . When I approached him in the Slosberg lobby, he initially didn’t notice me, lost in the music from his headphones. He sat with a large black instrument case next to him, maybe a guitar or […]

Men’s basketball drops two

The Judges spent the last weekend away from their comfortable home-court advantage as they travelled to battle it out with University Athletic Association (UAA) opponents: Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon University. The men’s basketball team dropped both games, losing to Case Western Reserve 64-69 and Carnegie Mellon University 58-72. The first game of the […]

Student activists can save Susya

This past summer, I had the opportunity to visit the Palestinian village of Susya with a group of American students on a trip led by J Street U. Upon arrival to the village, we gathered in a tent with the words “Susya4Ever” and “No Demolition” spray painted on the outside. There, we met with the […]

NuDay Syria founder delivers ’DEIS Impact keynote

NuDay Syria founder and activist Nadia Alawa delivered the keynote speech for ’DEIS Impact, discussing her own humanitarian action and how she came to found a non-profit to help mothers and children in need. Alawa’s speech, titled “One Person at a Time, One Humanity Closer: Tackling the Syrian Crisis From New Hampshire,” was introduced by […]

BBSO teach in features Dr. Muigai and Dr. Hunter

As part of their month-long programming for Black History Month, the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO) hosted a teach in event on Monday evening featuring two new Brandeis lecturers, postdoctoral fellows Dr. Wangui Muigai and Dr. Cory Hunter. Muigai, a historian of science and medicine, teaches in the African and Afro-American Studies (AAAS) and the […]

Women’s basketball split UAA weekend

The Brandeis University women’s basketball team went on the road to Cleveland, OH to continue their University Athletic Association (UAA) matches against Case Western Reserve University. Despite their best efforts, the Judges fell to the Spartans 70-73. This puts the Judges at a 11-7 record overall and 3-5 in the UAA. The Judges started off […]