Pronouns and pronunciation can bring inclusivity and respect
Every year, our campus becomes more diverse in terms of race, class, sexual orientation and gender identity, and this should be supported. But it is also true that not every member of the Brandeis community has experience with non-binary genders, or ease with pronouncing someone’s name. Yet, it should not be up to these students […]
New president should acknowledge privilege, strive for diversity
It is a momentous occasion for a university to hire its next president. It provides a great sense of hope and optimism to have a new leader who has the potential to bring positive change to the community. While The Brandeis Hoot does not want to dampen any excitement regarding our newly appointed president, we […]
Celebrate and continue racial justice at Brandeis
A historical moment has taken place at Brandeis over the past two weeks. However, we must remember to diligently watch the enactment of the Draft Implementation Plan for Diversity and Inclusion. If the student body does not continue to hold the administration accountable, the progress seen because of Ford Hall 2015 will be lost. Ford […]
Address black students’ demands
This Thursday afternoon, Nov. 12 African American Brandeis students and their supporters (or “accomplices” as some called themselves) marched from the Rabb Steps to the Shapiro Campus Center, where they sat for over two hours. Their purpose was clear: to stand in solidarity with students at the University of Missouri who have been threatened with […]
Student body should approve of Allocations Board amendment
Student Union President Nyah Macklin ’16 held a press conference last week announcing changes to the Allocations Board, the student-run body that determines club funding. Responsible for the nearly impossible task of trying to spread a limited amount of funds among a multitude of clubs, A-Board has been disappointing. Their communication with club leaders regarding […]
Moving forward: Don’t let the conversation die
Last week, The Brandeis Hoot published an anonymous opinion article about Department of Community Living policies that we should have been more critical of from the start. We should have investigated the claims, verified the sources and been more transparent with our decision to grant the author anonymity. Our apology to Director Tim Touchette and […]
Editorial board apologizes
We, The Brandeis Hoot Editorial Board, would like to apologize for an opinion piece published in our last issue that made generalizations about Tim Touchette and the Community Advisors within the Department of Community Living. There were many ethical issues involved in this article that we would like to take the time to address. Verification […]
Embrace Student Union’s transparency efforts
Student Union President Nyah Macklin ’16 has emphasized the importance of increasing transparency among students, the Student Union and the administration. She believes it is the Union’s job to keep students informed of the inner workings of the university so that students are not “left in the dark,” a complaint that the student body has […]
Support adjunct faculty unionization
The Brandeis Hoot supports Brandeis Faculty Forward and the right to unionization of Brandeis adjunct, contract and otherwise non-tenure track faculty. As shown at Wednesday’s Speak-Out event hosted by the Brandeis Labor Coalition, our non-tenure track faculty care deeply about Brandeis and their students, but sometimes struggle to make ends meet. The event was also […]
Campus Climate Survey results provide evidence for need for change
On Thursday, Oct. 8, Interim President Lisa Lynch sent an email to the student body containing the results of the Campus Climate Survey on sexual misconduct issued in April of this year. The survey was sent to undergraduate and graduate students over the age of 18, and contained prompts on consent, reporting incidents of sexual […]
Univ. should promote non-Jewish holidays
Muslim students celebrated Eid al-Adha, one of the most significant holidays on the Islamic calendar, from Wednesday evening through Thursday evening last week. However, despite the fact that classes were canceled for Jewish holidays four weeks in a row, the university did not give students the day off. Rather, the Multifaith Chaplaincy sent out an […]
Administration should be more transparent in presidential search
On Aug. 20, Chair of the Brandeis Presidential Search Committee Larry Kanarek sent an email to the Brandeis community with an update on the committee’s progress. However, the update was more self-congratulatory than informational. According to Kanarek, the committee was “moving ahead on the timetable [they] set for [them]selves” and getting along with each other. […]
Increased dialogue needed between students and community authority
On Saturday, Aug. 29, an officer from the Waltham Police Department approached the off-campus residences of several Brandeis students and warned them not to host parties, threatening them with arrest should they disobey the police. This week, The Brandeis Hoot published a news article detailing the events of Aug. 29 and subsequent meetings between administration […]
Once again, campus upgrades fall short of expectations
Over the summer, Brandeis’ campus was filled with construction crews renovating and updating many different buildings. Some updates were long overdue, such as the relocation of arts facilities from Prospect Street to the Epstein building on campus. The Prospect Street studios were dusty, run-down and over a mile from campus. Two years ago, The Brandeis […]
Prevention training a continuation of positive progress
This week, The Brandeis Hoot reported on the recent sexual assault training module that was sent out to students on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Brandeis Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Specialist Sheila McMahon spoke with The Hoot on why the Office of Prevention Services decided to reach out to the student body with the online training. […]
Students should work with univ. to combat sexual assault
On Tuesday night, April 21, Students Talking About Relationships (STAR), Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA), the Rape Crisis Center (RCC), the Office of Prevention Services and Brandeis Students Against Sexual Violence (B.SASV) hosted Take Back the Night to break the silence around sexual violence and work towards eliminating sexual violence on campus. We cannot avoid […]
Univ. support for Take Back the Night one of many needed steps
On Thursday, April 16, Dean of Students Jamele Adams sent an email to the Brandeis community to inform them of Tuesday’s Take Back the Night walk. The annual event, a march across campus, is a show of solidarity with survivors of sexual assault and takes a stand against rape culture on campus. The event drew […]
Admin.’s reversal admits mistakes
Last week, the study body was in uproar over two decisions by the administration. They announced the reorganization of Chum’s Coffeehouse and the closing of the Women’s Resource Center (WRC). Students were appropriately furious at the lack of communication between administrators and students, and felt blindsided by these major decisions. Chum’s employees and the clubs […]
Admin.’s opacity unacceptable
This week, the Brandeis administration surprised the student body with the sudden reorganization of the staff of Chum’s Coffee House and the closing of the Women’s Resource Center in favor of the establishment of a Dharmic prayer space. The Brandeis community was made aware of the changes only after they had occurred, with many people […]
Union positions should be competitive and coveted
This week, Brandeis held its annual Student Union elections, and The Brandeis Hoot is dismayed by the apathy among Brandeis students. Very few students run for Student Union positions, and very few students vote in the elections. This year, candidates ran unopposed in every race besides vice president. Only one student ran for Student Union […]
