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TUESDAY, April 17, 2018

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news

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the justice

NEWS SENATE LOG

POLICE LOG

Senate discusses Judiciary decision on Jewish feminist club

Medical Emergency

The Senate met for its weekly meeting on Sunday, hearing an unofficial opinion from the Union Judiciary regarding a recent vote to recognize the Jewish Feminist Association of Brandeis. The Judiciary had investigated a Jan. 21 Senate vote that denied JFAB recognition as a probationary club, voicing its disagreement with that vote in a non-binding decision sent to the Senate. Contrary to what many senators argued when the Senate initially denied the group recognition, there is no duality of purpose in JFAB, Chief Justice Avraham Tsikhanovski ’21 told senators. He explained that the Judiciary found that JFAB is targeting Jewish feminist ideas that do not necessarily fall under Hillel’s umbrella organization or the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance’s goals. The Senate then heard once more from JFAB, whose president, Yael Jaffe ’18, sought to address concerns that senators brought up in the previous vote. Jaffe explained that she wanted to establish that JFAB is “intentionallybuilt and organized” and has had regular attendance and membership for about two years. JFAB has sought to sustain itself without funding from the Allocations Board by applying for grants and other funding opportunities. However, Jaffe said, that method of funding is not sustainable, and the club would like the option to apply for A-Board funding. Addressing the concern that JFAB might be exclusionary toward men, she said the group has had a lot of men at their events because their programming is directed at the Jewish community as a whole. Additionally, some Jewish men may feel more comfortable attending a JFAB event than another feminist events on campus, she said. Jewish feminism is not “feminism for Jews,” Jaffe said, adding that the group’s programming is focused on the experience at the intersection of Judaism and feminism. It would also be unreasonable to ask Hillel to become a steady source of feminist programming, as that is not necessarily the umbrella organization’s primary mission, Jaffe said. The group elected to stay in the room as the Senate discussed probationary status, with Jaffe saying that “there’s been a lot of talk about us without us.” The Senate voted to grant the group probationary status, with 16 voting in favor and one abstention. During executive officer reports, Senator-at-Large Shaquan McDowell ’18 asked why the Romper Room was restricted to club leaders while A-Board made its spring marathon decisions. A-Board Chair Aseem Kumar ’20 responded that the room was only restricted for a couple hours at a time. The Senate next moved into committee chair reports, with highlights including that the Services and Outreach Committee considered ending April Break Bunny Buses, the Bylaws Committee finalized some bylaws amendments, and the Sustainability and Dining Committees organized a meatless Monday for Usdan Dining Hall. The senators passed a Senate Money Resolution to cover expenses for the upcoming Midnight Buffet, moving into a discussion on amendments to the Senate bylaws. Class of 2018 Senator Abhishek Kulkarni explained that he wanted to create a standardized version of the bylaws to make them clearer. After discussing the amendments and passing one of them, the Senate moved to table for further discussion on the amendments until the next meeting. During individual senator reports, McDowell called upon his fellow senators to be more vocal in condemning former Men’s Basketball Coach Brian Meehan’s allegedly preferential and racially-biased treatment of players. He encouraged senators to reach out to their constituents to discuss the issue, adding that knowing about the issue is not the same thing as engaging with it. Rosenthal Quad Senator Lizy Dabanka ’20 agreed, adding, “I think it’s important that none of us are shocked by what happened.” The student body should not applaud the administration for its reaction, she said, “because they knew,” nor should it applaud administrators’ words of affirmation and support, “because what else are they supposed to say?” —Abby Patkin

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS n The Justice has no corrections or clarifications to to report for this week.

The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Email editor@ thejustice.org.

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March 26—BEMCo staff treated an ill party in the Charles River Apartments with a signed refusal for further care. March 27—A party in Shapiro Hall reported that they burned their hand with hot water. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital by University Police. March 28—University Police received a report of a party in the Goldman-Schwartz Fine Arts Studio who cut their finger. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to urgent care by University Police. March 28—BEMCo staff treated a party in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center who had

injured their knee playing sports. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via ambulance. March 29—A party in Shapiro Hall cut their finger while shaving. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital by University Police. March 31—A party in Cable hall reported that they were having an allergic reaction with difficulty breathing. The party was transported to Newton-Wellesley Hospital via Cataldo Ambulance. April 3—University Police responded to a call regarding a party in Shapiro Hall who needed medical attention. Upon arrival, University Police transported the party, who was ill with a fever, to

Newton-Wellesley Hospital for further care. April 5—Waltham Fire and Cataldo Ambulance responded to a report of a party having a seizure in the Lown School of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. The party was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care. April 6—Brandeis Counseling Center staff requested Cataldo Ambulance staff for a voluntary psychiatric transport to NewtonWellesley Hospital. University Police assisted Cataldo staff without incident. April 9—BCC staff reported that a party had asked to be evaluated at Mount Auburn Hospital. Cataldo Ambulance staff transported the party, and University

HOli: festival of colors

Police assisted. April 9—A party in the Foster Mods reported stomach pain. BEMCo staff treated the party, who was transported to NewtonWellesley Hospital for further care. April 9—Cataldo Ambulance staff transported a non-student from the Sports Complex to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. The party was described as conscious but not alert. April 9—A party in East Quad was suffering from extreme stomach cramps. University Police transported the party to Health Services for further care. April 10—A caller reported that a party had fallen on the sidewalk outside the Heller School

See POLICE LOG, 7 ☛

BRIEF University Police encourages security after items stolen during Foster Mods burglary On April 5, the University announced that there had been a break-in at one of the Foster Mod apartments. In an email sent to students from the Department of Community Living, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Tim Touchette and Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan reported that there had been “an unauthorized room entry… within one of the Foster Mod apartments,” and “several personal items were removed at the time of the entry.” In the email, Touchette and Callahan added that “a dark four door SUV was observed leaving the scene of the incident.” The email also requested that students contact the University Police if they had information concerning the break-in. Touchette and Callahan strongly urged students to “make sure all residence doors and windows are secure and report any suspicious incidents to the University Police.” In a follow-up email to students on April 5, Charles River Apartments and Foster Mods Area Coordinator Amanda Drapcho reminded the Brandeis community of the break-in. Drapcho added that the residents of the affected Foster Mod have been notified and are “aware of the situation.” Drapcho reiterated Touchette’s and Callahan’s instruction for students to contact the University Police with any information and “report any suspicious incidents.” She also emphasized Touchette’s and Callahan’s reminder to students about securing their dormitories, stating, “for security purposes, please remember to lock apartment doors throughout the semester.” To report an incident or information about the break-in, contact the University Police at (781) 736-5000 (non-emergency) or (781) 736-3333 (emergency).

Photo Illustration by Natalia wiater/the Justice

Students threw colored powder to celebrate Holi, the annual Indian festival of colors, spring and happiness on Chapel’s Field on Saturday.

—Emily Blumenthal

ANNOUNCEMENTS Faculty Discussions on Diversity: Colorism

We hope you will join us for these important discussions led by Mark BrimhallVargas, PhD, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.We encourage you to complete the readings for each session beforehand to make the conversations more meaningful. Today from 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. in Gerstenzang 135.

Open Student Forum: Sexual Misconduct Response, Services and Prevention

The Student Union and the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs are cohosting a series of three open student forums. The format for this event will include introductory remarks from the panelists followed by an open Q&A session. Our hope for each session is to engage in conversations with students about these important topics. Students will also have an opportunity to submit questions online prior to the event and we’ll strive to answer as many questions as we can at the forum. Tomorrow from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Napoli Room in Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

7th Annual Lavender Graduation

Lavender Graduation is an annual celebration of LGBTQIA students, both graduate and undergraduate, to mark their achievements, contributions, and the degrees they’ve earned. This year marks Brandeis University’s 7th Lavender Graduation ceremony. It was originally established by Dr. Ronni Sanlo in 1995 at the University of Michigan to honor not just LGBTQIA students’ achievements, but their “surviving their college years.” Since then, LavGrads have been created in many universities nationwide. For graduating students, please RSVP by March 31 or as early as possible to account for refreshments and seating. Thursday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the Swig Lounge in the Intercultural Center.

1948: Seeking Social Justice - 70 Years of Brandeis University

The year of Brandeis University’s founding--1948--marks an epochal turning point in world history. In the aftermath of the Second World War and the Holocaust, distinct notions of promise prevailed and informed numerous visions of creating a

safer and more human world order, among them the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The evening’s discussion reflects on Brandeis University in the context of the postwar history of the American Jewish community. Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in Hassenfeld Conference Center.

Culture X 2018: One Love: Between the Crossroads

Culture X is a major Brandeis production that seeks to celebrate the diversity that exists within the Brandeis community. Each year, individuals are given the opportunity to express themselves on stage through dance, music, poetry and other forms of expression, which makes Culture X one of the most powerful shows on campus. As part of the Intercultural Center, Culture X also seeks ways to unify the student body and effectively display the best the Brandeis community has to offer. Doors open at 6 p.m. Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. in Levin Ballroom in Usdan Student Center.