City of Waltham should not have torn up South St.

Late this summer, Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan announced in an email to the Brandeis community that the City of Waltham’s Department of Public Works had begun an asphalt milling and repaving process, which would “be ongoing for the next several weeks.” That was August 11. It’s now Sept. 2, and there seems to […]

PHOTOS: Move-in 2016

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On the recent changes to Brandeis Dining Services

Before the start of this academic year, Brandeis Dining plastered campus eateries with big posters detailing changes to the dining roster made over the summer, pulled together with a big line made in WordArt saying, “We’ve Been Busy!” The announcement can be summed up by a sadly ironic line on the poster that reads, “NEW […]

The first day: a time for fresh starts, new beginnings

The only feeling that rivals the one felt upon a student’s first approach to Brandeis University on move-in day is the feeling of returning there for another academic year. The sunshine that glimmers off the glass exterior of the Shapiro Science Center upon ascending Loop Road is breathtaking; the summer colors abound magnificent. During the […]

Your 2016 Student Union: ready for another great academic year

Brandeis University’s undergraduate Student Union, which acts to bridge the gap between the student body and administration, is constantly dealing with issues of unfamiliarity. Many students, although aware of its existence, remain unaware of the Union’s purposes and activities to achieve those purposes. Enter the 2016/17 Student Union, which will be working around the clock […]

The Brandeis Hoot’s Opinion section presents: Senior Reflections

You will notice that in this week’s issue of The Brandeis Hoot, there are no opinions articles. This week, we will be using the space to feature pieces that a handful of seniors have written about their time at Brandeis. These seniors have done so much in their time here at Brandeis, and the time […]

Nyah Macklin reflects on presidency, inaugurates new Student Union

This Tuesday, now-Former Student Union President Nyah Macklin ’16 reflected on her presidency and inaugurated union officials, including now-President David Herbstritt ’17 at the Union’s final State of the Union of this academic year. Herbstritt delivered an address on his experience at Brandeis and plans moving forward. His core goals include reaffirming “diversity and inclusion, […]

Univ. must remain responsive to student opinion

It is no secret that many facets of Brandeis University’s operations are in need of improvement, from student relations with the administration to the food currently served at Sherman. At this time of year, complaints are often geared at the Department of Community Living (DCL) due to the housing selection processes. This year, the DCL […]

Prof. George Ross returns to Brandeis to discuss European Dream

The European Union is in a state of multiple crises, according to George Ross, the ad personam Chaire Jean Monnet at University of Montreal-McGill Center for Excellence on the European Union. Having taught in the Sociology and Politics departments and International and Global Studies program for 40 years, Ross returned to Brandeis on Tuesday, April […]

Current loose midterm scheduling unhelpful, stressful

Brandeis sports an impressive academic reputation, with several renowned undergraduate and graduate programs alike. The university boasts an experienced faculty of high quality to educate its students, putting together a good formula for success. That formula, however, quickly becomes muddled with classes running on their own exam schedules. Nowadays, it is is common to see […]

Student Union election fervor should match that of U.S. elections

Although Student Union elections happen frequently, it is widely known that only a small portion of the student populace votes in them. In an article to the Jan. 26, 2016 issue of The Brandeis Hoot, Ryan Spencer wrote that “just 603 of approximately 3,570 students cast votes” in the January elections. That represents an overall […]

Reserve campus walkways for pedestrian use

Brandeis University’s campus is far more pedestrian friendly than it is motorist and cyclist friendly. That in mind, the presence of cars on campus locations other than Loop Road is quite the awkward sight. It is also unsafe. The university has not had many problems with pedestrian safety in the context of motorists and cyclists […]

Brandeis dining does good work with themed events

Sodexo, Brandeis University’s food provider, does not always deserve the criticism it constantly receives. There are definitely ways for the service to improve, but lost in the complaints are events that engage the campus and attempt to bring the community together through food. Through themed events and other special promotions, Brandeis and Sodexo are able […]

DCL housing proposals fail to address lowered capacity

On Feb. 9, the Department of Community Living released a poll gauging student opinion on their new room selection proposals. Both proposals seek to solve problems stemming from the current housing lottery system, but at the same time fail to take into account the changes that will be taking place on campus between 2017 and […]

Spotlight on the Student Union Judiciary

The Brandeis University Student Union, our student government, has many functions and branches, such as club allocations and legislation. However, the organization also has organs that do not receive nearly as much attention as do its central functions. The Student Union Judiciary is a vitally important organ to the community, but many are unaware of […]

Recent server outage highlights need for backup

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, all of the Brandeis network went silent. The login portal, LATTE, sage and all other resources based out of the Brandeis server disappeared. Bandwidth usage dropped from 970 to zero at around 7:15 p.m., and all students were thrown off the grid, save the few who resorted to wireless data and […]

New tipping policy may cost local businesses

Clubs utilizing vendor services and hosting events, especially large events, now face a constraining tip policy aimed at cutting costs. In an email sent to the club leaders listserv on Jan. 26, Student Activities Specialist Robert Steinberg announced the new policy: a cap on tipping vendors of 20 percent or $40, whichever is lower. Such […]

Eliminate mandatory meal plans for kitchen-equipped residence halls

In February 2014, the university announced that meal plans would become mandatory in the fall of 2016 for all students living on campus, even if they live in a residence hall equipped with a kitchen. Current Brandeis seniors living on campus are the only students exempt from this policy for the 2015-16 school year, which […]

Univ. should get on top of maintenance obligations

Brandeis University boasts a beautiful campus, littered with edifices old and new, featuring their own contemporary technologies. As the snowy season commences and the days get colder, the university must make sure that all of the technology works properly as part of its obligation to community safety. However, there are examples all around campus that […]

Usen Castle: Remembering a once grand edifice

Much of Usen Castle, known colloquially to Brandeis students as “the Castle,” is in a state of disrepair. According to an email sent by Vice President for Campus Operations Jim Gray on Aug. 31, 2015, the building is “showing its age,” making its future very much uncertain. With this uncertainty, it becomes necessary to remember […]