ARTS PAGE 15
SPORTS Volleyball wins first three games 12
EVENT SHOWCASE
FORUM Voter pessimism may impact election 8 The Independent Student Newspaper
the
of
B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Justice
Volume LXV, Number 2
www.thejustice.org
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
STUDENT DEATH
STUDENT CONDUCT
Apparent suicide stuns campus ■ The junior neuroscience
major was discovered in his Ziv suite on Monday morning by University police. By ROBYN SPECTOR JUSTICE EDITOR
Akshay R. Venkatesh ’14 was found dead in Ziv 127 yesterday morning by two members of the Brandeis Police Department after an apparent suicide, University officials said.
Venkatesh, an international student, was studying neuroscience at the University. The officers were performing a wellness visit on Venkatesh, according to an email from Bill Burger, associate vice president of communications. An off-campus source had called to notify University officials that there was reason for concern. Senior administrators including Maggie Balch, Jamele Adams, David Bunis ’83, Andrew Flagel and Edward Callahan were on the scene in Ziv Quad a little after 10:30 a.m. Monday morning.
In addition to Brandeis staff and police, Waltham police and paramedics responded to the call. Burger later confirmed in an interview with the Justice that students were around the suite when the police arrived a little after 10 a.m. The police walked into Venkatesh’s room, shut the door and then cleared the suite. The suitemates and building residents were later informed of Venkatesh’s death by Community Development Coordinator for Ziv and Ridgewood Quads Allison Leventhal and Community Advisor Natan
Assault policy revised
Odenheimer ’14. The Massachusetts Medical Examiner arrived at approximately 1 p.m. and removed the body from the building while Department of Community Living staff cleared the area. Before that point, students walked in and out of the building as normal. Representatives from the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police Department attended to the scene and are conducting an ongoing investigation, according to Burger. University officials declined to
■ A special examiner
will hear cases of sexual misconduct or harassment. By SAM MINTZ
See SUICIDE, 4 ☛
JUSTICE EDITOR
the University, usually in installments over time), cash, write-offs (expected contributions that were unable to be paid) and government grants such as professorships. The dollar amount of pledges counted in the 990 is the total amount of all installments expected over time. For example, if a donor pledged $10 million to be paid in ten yearly installments of $1 million each, $10 million would be counted in the 990 for the year it was pledged, whereas the Office of Development and Alumni Relations would count only $1 million
As part of the annual revision of the rules for student conduct, the University has implemented a new procedure to address allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment. Instead of these issues being handled by the Student Conduct Board, as most other allegations of student misconduct in the handbook are, they will now be under the purview of a “special examiner.” According to the handbook, the new process will take approximately five to 10 days and will involve the special examiner receiving a report from the “accuser,” contacting and meeting with the “accused,” interviewing witnesses and assembling a report for the dean of student life. In an interview with the Justice, Director of Student Rights and Community Standards Dean Gendron said that the special examiner will be someone who is experienced with grievance procedures and also understands sexual trauma. He said that the special examiner could be someone from within the Brandeis community but does not necessarily have to be. The special examiner will be used to address violations of Sections 3 and 7 in the handbook, which are titled, respectively, “Sexual Responsibility—Seeking and Communicating Consent” and “Equal Opportunity, Non-Discrimination, and Harassment.” Prior to this change, sexual assault and harassment allegations were considered by the same process as every other violation, which is described in Section 19. This procedure involves a hearing before the Student Conduct Board, which includes testimony from the accuser, accused and witnesses. The SCB is made up of students, staff and faculty. Gendron explained that part of the reason for this significant change had to do with encouraging
See FUNDS, 4 ☛
See CONDUCT, 4 ☛
JOSHUA LINTON/the Justice
A COMMUNITY IN MOURNING: Students gather at a candlelight vigil held in memory of Akshay Venkatesh ’14 at Chapels Pond yesterday evening.
ADMINISTRATION
Fundraising expected to recover after dip ■ The Office of Development
and Alumni Relations reported $61 million raised. By TATE HERBERT JUSTICE EDITOR
The University recently reported that it surpassed its fundraising goal for fiscal year 2012, despite a large drop in fundraising during FY 2011 that had led to the weakest outcome in ten years. The Office of Development and
Alumni Relations released fundraising data citing the total amount of cash donations received in FY 2012 as $60,999,486. Nancy Winship, senior vice president of institutional advancement, said in an interview with the Justice that this outstrips the goal set last year of $55 to 57 million. The $61 million figure is made up purely of cash that Brandeis received in FY 2012. Just a year earlier, Brandeis had seen a precipitous drop in fundraising. Federal tax documents show just under $29 million in contributions
and grants received by the University in the last fiscal year, the lowest point yet in a decline since FY 2008's high of nearly $100 million. The federally reported numbers are not comparable to the numbers reported by the development office. Winship and Associate Vice President of Communications Bill Burger say the tax filings for FY 2012 will show a substantial increase. The dollar amount of contributions and grants reported in the 990 nonprofit tax forms includes pledges (legally binding agreements that donors make to contribute a set amount of money to
Inspired by community
Road warriors
Apartments open
Andrea Verdeja ’14 volunteered at the Al-Feneiq community center and connected with the people she met.
The women’s soccer team defeated MIT and Clark en route to a 2-0 start to the season.
Eight IBS students are moving into apartments in the Watch Factory building.
SPORTS 12
NEWS 3
FEATURES 5 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
Waltham, Mass.
Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online at www.thejustice.org
INDEX
ARTS SPORTS
13 11
EDITORIAL FEATURES
6 5
OPINION POLICE LOG
6 2
COMMENTARY
7
COPYRIGHT 2012 FREE AT BRANDEIS. Email managing@thejustice.org for home delivery.