Evaluating mailroom frustrations
The problems at the mailroom have been on the forefront of many students’ minds. With long lines and wait times of more than 90 minutes, combined with the added frustration of first-years who hadn’t been entered into the computer system yet, the mailroom has been a frustrating place for both students and workers. We see […]
Brandeis must continue to support students on DACA status
Since its founding, Brandeis has provided a refuge for students not welcome elsewhere. The 1948 Brandeis admissions brochure put “meeting the growing problem of discrimination against minority groups in American universities” as one of the university’s primary goals. In response to anti-semitism prominent in the admissions processes at other academic institutions, Brandeis set roots as […]
New student book forum starts important conversation
Incoming first-years will participate in the Undergraduate Orientation Book Forum, the only time the entire class reads the same book and participates in a discussion together with the author. This year, administrators selected acclaimed poet Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen: An American Lyric.” Rankine’s book takes a deep and critical look at race relations in America, and […]
Erasing signs of protest does not negate existence of campus sexual violence
In an effort to shed light on sexual violence perpetrated on campus, Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence (B.SASV) hung banners in the SCC and arranged flags on a nearby walkway for Admitted Students Day. These displays were then removed by the university before the day’s events began. Responding to this, B.SASV posted on their Facebook […]
Beyond trial, menstrual product campaign should remain in hands of Union
After April break, the Student Union will begin a month-long trial of distributing free menstrual products in select men’s and women’s bathrooms across campus, and also at SSIS. Come fall semester, the Union will present the results of the trial to the administration and ask them to take over the program, putting it under the […]
Graduate student worker union a necessary protection
Graduate student workers are an integral component of our university community. They are our teaching assistants, and they do the difficult and not always glamorous work in research labs. They serve a dual role as students and workers, with the pay from their work being integral to being able to continue their studies. Their status […]
Evaluating the scope of campus journalism
The Brandeis Hoot has been in conversation with Vice President for Student Affairs Sheryl Sousa ’90 and The Justice regarding the rights and responsibilities of student journalists on campus. The purpose of these meetings is to eventually update the student handbook’s, Rights and Responsibilities, language detailing the rights of student journalists and what rules they […]
Task force should prioritize marginalized voices
Charlotte Aaron, Features Editor and Undergraduate Student Representative to the task force, was not involved in the writing of this editorial. A Task Force on Free Expression should represent the opinions of all members of the community. It should uplift all student voices, even those that may be unpopular, but especially those that are systematically […]
International Student Senator necessary addition to SU Senate
Seniors Kira Levin and Bidushi Adhikari, Class of 2019 Senator Hannah Brown and President of the Student Union David Herbstritt ’17, are working on instituting an international student senator position within the Student Union. The international student senator would accompany the current positions including class year senators, residence hall senators, the off-campus senator and the […]
Univ. must continue to stand up to travel ban and Islamophobia
Following President Trump’s Jan. 27 executive order banning travel into the United States from seven Muslim-majority countries, Brandeis University joined with seven other Boston-area colleges and universities to file an amici curiae in support of a civil action launched against the order. In addition to this institutional action, University President Ron Liebowitz, along with 46 […]
What journalism gets wrong: a whitewashed industry
Regardless of political orientation, we can all agree that the news outlets feeding us our information are flawed. Journalism in the United States has consistently failed to serve the interests and needs of readers, and this trend is not new. Not only does modern journalism stray further and further from representing the true diversity of […]
Marching is only the beginning
In the wake of the many women’s marches around the country, it is easy to think that after such a large outpouring of support—the women’s march in Washington, D.C. alone was three times the size of Trump’s inauguration—the marches were a unilateral success and showed the solidarity of the nation’s women. However, not all women […]
Univ. needs to use institutional privilege to stand up to Trump anti-immigration policies
In the wake of the recent presidential election, many university student organizations have pushed for their campuses to become “sanctuary campuses.” Last month, Brandeis students joined this effort, issuing a petition urging administration to “investigate the possibility of our campus serving as a sanctuary for students, staff and their family members who face imminent deportation.” […]
Community, action necessary in aftermath of election
The shock of the presidential election has been felt around the nation, and the Brandeis campus is no exception. In the wake of these results, the campus entered what appears to be a period of grief. Electing Trump makes many students feel that they are personally put in danger, whether it be due to their […]
Support BAATF’s effort to creation AAPI minor
Last week, the Brandeis Asian American Task Force (BAATF) released a statement that they would be delivering a letter to President Ron Liebowitz on his inauguration day. In the statement, BAATF encouraged Asian American and Pacific Islander students to contribute their own stories by adding a letter of their own to the overall open letter, […]
DeiSic think-tank useful model for univ. change
This past week, 40 students participated in deiSic, a 24-hour, student-run think tank and contest in collaboration with the Brandeis Sustainability Fund (BSF). The goal of deiSic is to spur conversation and promote new student projects related to sustainability at Brandeis. Its first year on campus, deiSic is in the unique position to effect change […]
Calling on admin. to consider all voices
In last week’s issue, we published an article in The Brandeis Hoot’s Opinions section that erroneously stated that the university paid to upgrade snack food vending machines on campus instead of funding a supply of free menstrual products on campus. This was misinformed because the vending machine company, not the university, covered the costs of […]
Teach-in important followup to campaign
In support of the recent campaign to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day, the Intercultural Center hosted an Indigenous People’s Day Teach-In throughout the holiday. The teach-in was an invaluable way to educate the Brandeis community about the reasons for the name change and the legacy of oppression. The schedule included a variety of […]
RCC’s Interactive Resource Guide and Mandatory Bystander Training for Club Leaders
The Rape Crisis Center (RCC) and Office of Prevention Services (OPS) have recently begun new initiatives to improve sexual assault prevention on campus and the resources available to survivors. The RCC released an Interactive Resource Guide, created by two alumnae, to explain the resources available for survivors of sexual assault, and the OPS has collaborated […]
Faculty should approve change to Indigenous People’s Day
A recent student proposal is petitioning the university to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day in the academic calendar in order to counter an American history that has displaced Native Americans and since overlooked their cultures and narratives. Keeping the holiday with its current name reinforces an appreciation for Christopher Columbus, who embodies the […]
