The Justice, October 24, 2023

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T h e I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9 Volume LXXVI, Number 5

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

PURPLE THURSDAY

Waltham, Mass.

POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Approaching the ArabIsraeli and IsraeliPalestinian conflicts ■ Three scholars, each

from different regions of the Middle East, shared their insight on the conflicts. By MINJUE KIM

JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ELIZA BIER/the Justice

DISPLAY: Each purple flag on Fellows Garden represented Brandeis students who have been impacted by domestic violence.

PARC’s Purple Thursday event raises awareness about domestic violence ■ On Oct. 19, people around

the nation participated in Purple Thursday to advocate for survivors of domestic abuse. By ANIKA JAIN JUSTICE EDITOR

Across from the blue booths in Fellow’s Garden stood over 100 mini purple flags — each of which represent a certain number of Brandeis students who have disclosed that they’ve been impacted by domestic violence, in accordance with the most recently conducted campus climate surveys in 2019 and 2022. The Prevention, Advocacy, and Resource Center set up the flag display to stand in solidarity with survivors of domestic abuse on the nationally recognized Purple Thursday. In an Oct. 11 Instagram post, PARC wrote, “October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge and honor the experiences of those impacted by domestic violence.” Congress passed the legislation that officially designated October Domestic Violence Awareness Month in 1989. Over time, the third Thursday of October has come to be known nationally as Purple Thursday, for which people around the country wear purple to raise awareness about signs of abuse, uplift the stories of survivors, and advocate for larger policy reform.

This year, people around the country observed Purple Thursday on Oct. 19. To prevent the perpetuation of relationship abuse, PARC encouraged students to fill out tags with values related to healthy relationships, such as humor, trust, humility, honesty, and communication. They then attached the tags to purple flowers, which people could “give to a friend, romantic partner, or themself and get the conversation started,” explained Rebecca Van Spall-Hood, violence prevention specialist and survivor advocate, in an Oct. 19 interview with the Justice. The 2022 campus climate survey found that of the Brandeis undergraduate and graduate student participants, approximately 11% reported that they have been in a relationship that was controlling or abusive physically, sexually, psychologically, emotionally, or financially. The National Domestic Violence Hotline found that 69% of female survivors and 53% of male survivors of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner had their first experience with relationship violence before the age of 25. Additionally, 43% of dating college women report experiencing violent and abusive behaviors, and 52% of college women report knowing a friend who has experienced violent and abusive dating behaviors. These behaviors range from digital and verbal abuse to physical and sexual abuse.

“Relationship violence remains a prevalent issue for college students, and Brandeis students are not immune from this issue,” said Kate Richey, the director of PARC, in an Oct. 19 email to the Justice. PARC invited Brandeis community members to wear purple on Oct. 19 to start “the wider conversation of ‘How do we support folks experiencing domestic violence? How do we end domestic violence?’” Van Spall-Hood explained. Purple has long been connected with the domestic violence awareness movement. The association between the color purple and abuse advocacy is rooted in the significance of the color during the women’s suffrage movement. Since purple, white, and gold were the official colors of the National Women’s Party, many suffragettes often wore those colors as they advocated for their cause. During a march in Washington D.C. in 1978 in support of equal rights, more than 100,000 women wore purple to demonstrate their solidarity as well as to draw visual attention to their demonstration through a purple uniformity. On their Instagram, PARC wrote, “We would like to recognize the gendered history of the domestic and sexual violence movement and reaffirm that individuals of all genders and sexual orientations are impacted by this violence.” The National Institutes of Health

With the intensifying IsraeliPalestinian conflict, questions remain regarding whether ArabIsraeli peace can be improved. On Oct. 18, the Crown Center for Middle East Studies hosted a panel discussion in Rapaporte Treasure Hall addressing this theme. Profs. Shai Feldman (POL), Abdel Monem Said Aly, and Kahlil Shikaki were the three panelists. Feldman is the Raymond Frankel professor in Israeli Politics and Society and the founding director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies. Abdel Monem Said Aly is the chairman, chief executive officer, and director of the Regional Center for Strategic Studies in Cairo, chairman of the Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm,

and a founding senior fellow at the Crown Center. Khalil Shikaki is the director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah and a founding senior fellow at the Crown Center. The event began with the opening remarks of Marilyn Diamond, the honorary consul general for Morocco in Illinois and chair of the Crown Center’s advisory board, and Prof. Gary Samore (POL), the Crown family director and professor of the practice of politics department at Brandeis University. Following the opening remarks, the discussion’s moderator, Michal Ben-Josef Hirsch, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Legal Studies at Suffolk University and a former senior fellow at the Crown Center, initiated the discussion by acknowledging both Palestinian and Israeli victims of the latest attacks and the escalating violence that ensued. She also stated that the purpose of the discussion is only to explain but not to justify any aspect

See PERSPECTIVES, 5 ☛

BRIEF Health Center offers free flue vaccines With winter rapidly approaching, Brandeis has begun preparations for flu season. To combat the spread, the Golding Health Center is administering flu vaccinations to all undergraduate and graduate students. According to its website, the flu outbreak typically “peaks in January or February, with outbreaks occurring through May.” In a Sept. 15 email, the Health Center announced that it will be hosting flu clinics every Wednesday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., effective Sept. 27 until Dec. 20. Students can schedule appointments on their online patient portals or call the Health Center at 781-736-3677. The online portal displays a calendar with all the available dates and times. The Health Center also sends communication for seasonal vaccines to students through the Electronic Health Record, a repository of electronic records with patient health information. The Health Center is also hosting flu vaccine pop-ups on Oct. 17 in the International Lounge from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; Oct. 24 in the Shapiro Campus Center from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.; Oct. 26 in Gosman Sports and Convocation Center from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.; and Oct. 31 in Feldberg Lounge from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Although registration is

recommended, walk-ins are welcome while supplies last. Massachusetts State Regulations 105 CMR 220.600 requires students to have documentation of required vaccinations or proof of immunity through antibody blood titers prior to coming to campus. Examples of required vaccinations include MMR, Hepatitis B, and polio. The influenza flu vaccine is not mandatory but recommended. The Health Center states that approximately 5% to 20% of the U.S. population is infected with the Influenza virus every year. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that people with the flu are most contagious in the first three to four days after they initially contract the virus. According to the World Health Organization, there have been multiple influenza pandemics throughout history, with the four most recent ones occurring in 1918-1919, 1957-1958, 1968-1969, and 2009-2010.

— Anika Jain

See ADVOCACY, 5 ☛

Student legacy

A royal review

100-day actor strike

 Alumna Aly Thomas '18

 Julia writes a fun critique on the film adaptation of "Red, White, & Royal Blue."

By MOMOCA MAIRAJ

returns to teach at Brandeis. By GRACE DOH

By JULIA HARDY

Student housing editorial By THE JUSTICE EDITORIAL BOARD

NEWS 3 FORUM 8

WNBA Finals recap Photo courtesy of ALY THOMAS

FEATURES 6

Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS

For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org

ARTS AND CULTURE 14

Make your voice heard! Submit letters to the editor to forum@thejustice.org

By JACKSON WU

COPYRIGHT 2023 FREE AT BRANDEIS.

SPORTS 12


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