Working toward a more inclusive Brandeis
Last week during her keynote address, Dr. Blanca Vega ’98 called Brandeis a “white space” that does not acknowledge minority groups. Brandeis’ founding in 1948 is rooted in a set of Jewish history and experiences. During this time, the university stood out as a space which hoped to educate all students, regardless of religious affiliation […]
Philanthropist discusses work in Heller’s 60th anniversary celebration
Dr. Carmen Rojas spoke about her lifetime spent fighting for the rights of working people in a keynote address to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. David Weil, dean of the Heller School, sat down with Rojas for a discussion on her work as a “radical” philanthropist. Rojas […]
White House official under President Carter says Carter is underappreciated
Former Ambassador to the European Union and Chief White House Domestic Policy Adviser Stuart Eizenstat wants his new book to catalyze a reassessment of the Carter administration, as he believes that President Jimmy Carter’s presidency was underappreciated. Eizenstat outlined his claims during his presentation in Rapaporte Treasure Hall on Thursday. Eizenstat, a former member of […]
Giving back to Brandeis: Leah Berkenwald and HAWP
Leah Berkenwald ’07 always knew she wanted to come back to Brandeis after she graduated. “I love Brandeis,” Berkenwald said in an interview with The Brandeis Hoot. “I can’t imagine my life not having had my Brandeis experience.” And almost a decade after graduating, she is back on campus as the Wellness Promotion Program Manager […]
Self-study looks at governance, academic programs
Brandeis analyzed their organization, governance and academic programs in the second part of a Sept. 2018 self-study conducted as part of the university’s reaccreditation process by the New England Commissions of Higher Education (NECHE). This self-study allows Brandeis to reflect on the nine standards provided by the NECHE. These standards of accreditation establish the criteria […]
University developing new financial system for clubs
Brandeis is developing a new financial system for clubs that the university hopes will be installed by the end of the year. University admissions has used the software, called Slate, for seven years. Now, the university is in the process of creating a separate portal within Slate that improves upon the design of the current […]
Brandeis ranks in U.S. News top universities, drops from last year’s rankings
Brandeis dropped in the U.S. News and World Report Best National University rankings from a tie for number 35 in 2019 to a tie for number 40 in the 2020 edition. Brandeis also ranked number 76 in best undergraduate teaching, tying with Boston University, Columbia University and others, while it ranked number 34 in the […]
‘The Steven Universe Movie’ captures the essence of the show, unfortunately
“Steven Universe” is a show with the premise of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and the execution of “Adventure Time.” It sets up a very heavy and interesting world where our heroes face off against a galactic empire run by god queens with which each of our protagonists have an intimate personal connection, and yet it […]
Please let me swipe into Linsey, and other Gosman qualms
UPDATED: 2/2 7:25 p.m. As the president of the Brandeis Ballet Club and a previous member of Adagio Dance Company, I have spent many, many hours in the Linsey building of Gosman. For those unfamiliar with the gym, Linsey is the small building to the left of the main Gosman complex, which houses the pool. […]
Lower Usdan gains vegan action station, changes coming to Brandeis dining
Students, faculty and staff dining at Brandeis can now enjoy a permanent vegan action station in one of its dining halls, Lower Usdan, which opened Monday and is here to stay, according to the Student Union Senator-at-Large and Dining Committee Chair Nancy Zhai ’22. The action station opened Monday with a jackfruit sandwich bar, where […]
Professor facilitates conversations about University of Alaska’s consolidation
A Brandeis professor is serving as a facilitator in the process of consolidating the three University of Alaska (UA) schools to fall under one accreditation. Dr. Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, a professor in The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, facilitated discussion groups regarding the consolidation of academic programs and other academic areas during the week […]
HAWP aims to teach campus about health and wellness
After a decade away from her alma mater, Leah Berkenwald ’07 is back as the Wellness Promotion Program Manager for Health and Wellness Promotion (HAWP). HAWP helps to coordinate campus-wide health and wellness efforts through different methods, such as educational programs, peer educators and collaborations with other groups on campus, according to their website. Berkenwald […]
Brandeis students participate in climate strike
Brandeis students are joining the national outcry over climate change, with some planning to board a bus this morning to attend the Boston climate strike. Ahead of the strike, students gathered Tuesday evening to create posters expressing their concerns over climate change. Signs made by Brandeis students read: “Don’t Burn My Future,” “Planet Not Profit” […]
Author Zadie Smith explores identity and belonging with students
The narrator in Zadie Smith’s 2016 novel “Swing Time” exists within two different identities, belonging to neither. Quiet and introspective, the book’s main character goes unnamed throughout the novel, observing the lives of her friends, family and coworkers as she struggles to define herself. At the Brandeis New Student Book Forum on Thursday, Sept. 12, […]
The Paradox of College
College is this funny thing. On one hand we are here to study, get a degree, and then go out and get a job. So the most important thing for you to do in college is to study and to get good grades, right? For those who are interested in going to graduate school, that […]
Changes in agricultural practices raised disease rates in rural populations in Egypt in the 20th century says UC-Santa Cruz professor
As agricultural practices in Egypt changed under the British occupation, the new flooding cycle of the Nile River marked the lives of the rural farmers with more river borne diseases like hookworm, creating a new normal for lower-class Egyptians. Associate Professor at the University of California-Santa Cruz Jennifer Derr presented her newest work, “The Lived […]
Workday to replace PeopleSoft
Human resources, payroll and other finance operations have shifted from the software PeopleSoft to Workday, Chief Information Officer Jim La Creta told The Brandeis Hoot in an email. Brandeis has used PeopleSoft since 2002 and decided to change to Workday to reduce the complexity of administrative systems. PeopleSoft systems are customized for each organization that […]
Recordings of Brandeis alumnus given to archives
Brandeis alum and activist Abbot “Abbie” Hoffman ’59 may have been a prominent protestor against the Vietnam war in the 1960s, but his work went largely undocumented in the Brandeis Archives. That was until August 2018 when a Brandeis University archivist was offered hours of audio tapes featuring Hoffman. Hoffman was a self-proclaimed “activist and […]
One year later: 90 vegetarian
This week marks the one year anniversary of me going 90 percent vegetarian. I’m not even sure if this is the right week, or if I’m really 90 percent vegetarian, but it’s a nice round number and fitting for my theme this week. In order to really understand why I decided to (almost) go vegetarian, […]
Koslofsky’s Corner: Jonah’s not in class, but he’s got thoughts about lots of movies
Oh, Israel. You’re the one topic students on the Brandeis campus don’t rush to argue about. What am I going to do with you? The truth is, there’s probably no time when Nadav Lapid’s Israeli maximalist opus “Synonyms” wouldn’t have deeply resonated with me. It was the first of twelve films I’ll be watching at […]
