Honoring Michael Weller is an insult to Brandeis students
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, Brandeis awarded playwright Michael Weller ’65 the Creative Arts Award. The award ceremony focused on Weller’s theatrical career, with remarks from University President Ron Liebowitz, Prof. Gannit Ankori (FA) and Weller himself. During the ceremony, President Liebowitz used his platform to apologize to Weller for the “unfortunate events” that caused Weller’s […]
The power of kneeling during the national anthem
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and San Francisco safety Eric Reid came under fire from right-wing citizens and news outlets alike over their Sept. 1, 2016, decision to take a knee during the national anthem. Though they were alone in their action for a while, the act of peaceful protest soon spread around […]
Stop Production on “Buyer Beware”
On Sept. 26, 2017, the Brandeis Department of Theater Arts and Brandeis administrators held a meeting in which they decided to reschedule “Buyer Beware,” a play written by Brandeis alum Michael Weller ’65 and directed by Sam Weisman ’73, from Nov. 2017 to Feb. 2018. The reason for the play’s delay and eventual rescheduling was […]
Hugh Hefner: a precursor to Trump’s misogyny
In the days since the passing of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, some media outlets, such as the liberal publications “Vox” and “Newsweek,” have praised him as an equal rights pioneer and staunch advocate of social justice issues. Much of the defense lies with Charles Beaumont’s 1955 story envisioning a world where the majority of people […]
We need meal plan exemptions
Brandeis is not an inexpensive institution. It perennially ranks as one of the most costly schools in the country, so presumably there would be consideration on behalf of the administration to ensure that students can cut down on costs when needed. However, as of fall 2016, a new requirement was made for all students who […]
A socialist’s argument for universal health care
Earlier this month, the American Health Care Act (AHCA) was pulled out of Congress by Paul Ryan and President Trump to prevent the humiliation of a failed vote. Legislators on both sides of the political spectrum were opposed to it. The left found it to be appalling, saying that it would leave millions uncovered and […]
DCL must take responsibility for their mistake
The Ides of March is more than just the commemoration of the death of Julius Caesar. March 15 is, perhaps appropriately, also the day when the Department of Community Living (DCL) releases its priority numbers for the housing lottery. In a way, the two events are almost identical, replete with alliances, secrets and backstabbing. However, […]
Do not grow complacent
On Jan. 21, the single largest protest in American history occurred in Washington, D.C. Between 3.3 and 4.6 million people participated in the Women’s March to protest the inauguration that had occurred the previous day in an incredible display of solidarity that helped funnel the outrage that would follow the announcements from the White House […]
Don’t give bigotry a voice
Political philosopher John Stuart Mill introduced the concept of the “marketplace of ideas” as a rationale for permitting freedom of expression. Mill believed that allowing an interchange of ideas akin to a marketplace was necessary for the development of a civil society with politically active citizens. Though Mill has long since passed, the idea has […]
Resistance and punching Richard Spencer
The Brandeis campus is not alone in its treatment of the controversial inauguration of Donald Trump. Many students have rightfully expressed their moral and political disagreements over his election, and in the inauguration’s aftermath, many actions have been taken to show the populace’s disagreement with Trump’s platform. Among these actions were the multiple Women’s Marches […]
Thank you, Rabbi Winick
Spiritual leaders often have more responsibilities than just leading services. Often, they are mentors and guides who lead by example, and this is especially true on a college campus. The leader in question has to speak to a larger community that is under almost constant stress and pressure, and faces a multitude of questions unique […]
Not enough progress for free menstrual products
On Nov. 11, Brandeis Students for Reproductive Justice and Brandeis Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance authored a statement of progress for their menstrual product campaign and submitted it as an op-ed to The Brandeis Hoot, which I co-signed. The statement of progress outlined the survey that they had created “to gauge students’ views on menstrual product […]
Address the stigma surrounding mental illness
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 5.7 million Americans, or 2.6 percent of the adult population, has bipolar disorder. 5.7 million people live with this disorder, often trying to go about their daily lives in spite of how much this can affect them. often overlooked is the way that bipolar disorder can […]
We need menstrual products, not vending machines
This article was retracted because it incorrectly stated that the university paid for new vending machines.
Make menstrual products free and accessible on campus
On Sept. 6 of this year, students at Brown University made a major breakthrough: The administration had finally made a largely necessary change and provided menstrual products in various bathrooms on campus, completely free of charge to students. Obviously it’s wonderful that a major institution like Brown has taken this step toward helping out their […]
Real men do cry
It’s an idiom constantly heard both in media and in social settings: Real men don’t cry. It’s drilled into the minds of young men: Real men don’t cry. It’s repeated by the patriarchy until young men feel no sense of emotion and disconnect from it: Real men don’t cry. The belief that real men are […]
Stop pressuring first-years into overextension
It’s a cycle seen every year without fail at Brandeis: First-years come to campus and are almost immediately bombarded from all sides by hundreds of fliers and Facebook posts advertising the different merits of joining the debate team, the crew team or the Wine and Cheese Club, on top of all the organizations promoting the […]
Fix Brandeis’ deeply flawed financial aid system
Recently, I spoke to an old family friend who is currently attending the University of Tulsa, and the topic eventually steered itself to financial aid and how we were managing with our loans and paying for our schools. She confessed to me that her mother was short roughly $2,700 for the new year, with no […]
Admin., Board need to show greater transparency in tuition increase
On April 1, Interim President Lisa M. Lynch announced that the Board of Trustees had approved a plan to increase undergraduate tuition by 3.9 percent for the 2016-2017 academic year, stating that the increase will “allow [the university] to maintain [its] commitment to providing [students] with an education of the highest quality and will sustain […]
Brandeis should reinstate the Riverside shuttle
It’s no secret that Brandeis students will often go to great lengths for a chance to get off campus. Though there are chances to escape the often vigorous and tiring pace of Brandeis academics, it’s also important for the student body to practice self-care, which for many students includes getting off campus and going to […]
