The CEEF Board has announced the four projects they have selected to receive funding for the 2018-2019 academic year.
The Community Enhancement and Emergency Fund (CEEF) is managed by the Student Union. It consists of $250,000 total, $150,000 of which is put towards campus emergencies, while the other $100,000 is allocated towards student projects that aim to improve Brandeis. According to the CEEF website, these projects “must have a campus-wide benefit and long-term impact on our campus and our community.” Interested students must submit their proposals in the fall, in order to be considered and selected for implementation in the spring.
The proposals selected include the Branda app, installation of a new television in the SCC, implementation of treadmills in the library and revitalization of Berlin Chapel.
According to the CEEF decisions email sent out to the Brandeis community, the Branda app was designed and will be managed by a team of students and will give students access to multiple on-campus resources in one place. For example, on the app’s home page, students can see the most recent Brandeis news, but they also have access to the BranVan and Boston shuttle tracker, can submit a work order and find out the hours of specific dining locations and the library.
The proposal for an installation of a new television in the SCC was made by Aaron Finkel ’20. Its main purpose will be to market on-campus events, and “will be a fantastic way to broadcast your event to the entire student body and will be a great resource for all students to learn about and participate in events on campus,” the CEEF email said.
The library treadmill project is similar to the bike-desks located in Farber, which was also a CEEF funded proposal. The treadmills will also be in Farber and only have a walk function, in order to maintain quietness, according to the email.
Finally, Alex Friedman ’19 proposed a revitalization of the Berlin Chapel, “a space that is enjoyed by many groups on campus,” the email said. The CEEF funding will allow for the renovation of two rooms in the Chapel: the Rabbi Study and the Cohen Study. After refurbishment, these rooms will contain board games, whiteboards and more comfortable seating.
Student Union Chief of Staff Emma Russell ’19, one of the members of the 2018-2019 CEEF Board, thinks all of the projects will be really helpful to students. “I think overall they each in some way make campus more accessible and friendly to students, whether it be utilizing space that hadn’t yet been made the most of or by uniting resources that were once disjoined,” she said. “[I’m] definitely excited to see them all unfold over the next semester.”
The 2018-2019 CEEF Board consists of five members of the Student Union: Class of 2022 Senator David Hui ’22, Brandeis Representatives to CEEF Mike Bender ’22 and Tal Richtman ’19, Student Union Director of Programming Adrian Ashley ’20 and Student Union Chief of Staff Emma Russell ‘19. The CEEF 2019-2020 Board will be elected in Spring 2019, according to the CEEF website.
