the
Justice www.thejustice.org
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 LXXIV, Number 21
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
WELLNESS DAY
Waltham, Mass.
PETITION
Students and faculty sign petition for Ukraine
■ The petition asks the
University to provide support for students and scholars affected by the war in Ukraine. By JACKLYN GOLOBORODSKY JUSTICE EDITOR
In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, individuals and organizations around the world have been taking initiatives to support victims of the conflict, one of these being students at Harvard University. Taisia Kulyk started a petition to the Harvard administration called “Petition to Harvard to Support Students Affected by the War in Ukraine.” This petition urges the administration to offer a range of academic, financial, and legal support to students and scholars from the regions of Ukraine, Russia, and Belarusia. In the footsteps of Harvard students, Brandeis students Berta Muza ’25 and Aeryn Rowe ’25 tailored the Harvard petition to suit Brandeis. The Brandeis petition emphasizes the values of Justice Louis D. Brandeis and the University’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclu-
THOMAS TIANCHENG ZHENG/ The Justice
FREE TREATS: Students gather in Fellows Garden and enjoy free bubble tea during "Wellness Day" on Friday, March 25.
Brandeis holds ‘Wellness Day’ for stressed students ■ Planned by the Student
Union, "Wellness Day" included programming from different organizations on campus. By LEAH BREAKSTONE
JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Fellows Garden was bustling with bubble tea, ice cream, puppies, and more on Friday, March 25. These treats were all part of “Wellness Day,” planned by the Division of Student Affairs and the Student Union. Student Union President Krupa Sourirajan ’23, who spearheaded "Wellness Day," explained to the Justice in a March 25 interview that
mental health has been a dominant focus during her term. The idea for a wellness day emerged after Sourirajan realized that students were getting burnt out during the sevenweek stretch between the February and Passover breaks, a time filled with midterms. “I thought that students could really use a break. So I talked to President Liebowitz around February break and Courtney Thrun, my Vice President, and I, we sat down with him and kind of explained to him why students are going to feel the burnout during this sevenweek period from one break to the next break,” Sourirajan said. Since it was already well into the semester, it was difficult to implement real long-term solutions, so instead they decided that a good alternative would be to give students a day-off.
Many clubs and organizations hosted activities or programming for this day, including the Office of Graduate Affairs; Athletics; Prevention, Advocacy & Resource Center; the Dean of Students Office; the Gender and Sexuality Center; Triskelion; the Intercultural Center; and Student Sexuality Information Services. Activities included crafts, lawn games, carnival games, a wellness walk, and more. Sourirajan hoped for a Monday or Wednesday off, “so it would really feel like a day off,” but the only day the University was able to provide was a Friday. While not all professors were able to cancel their classes on Friday because of previously planned tests or lectures, Sourirajan and Thrun asked Provost Carol
See WELLNESS, 5 ☛
See UKRAINE, 5 ☛
Univ. dissociates from Middle Eastern Studies Association ■ The dissociation was the
result of MESA voting to endorse boycotting Israeli academic institutions. By DALYA KOLLER
JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Brandeis has dissociated from the Middle Eastern Studies Association, according to a March 24 article on BrandeisNow after MESA voted in favor of a resolution endorsing the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions of Israeli academic institutions. Brandeis has openly and clearly stated, in the same press release on the BrandeisNow website, that “Brandeis University condemns MESA’s boycott of institutions of higher education in Israel.” Brandeis asserted that the “resolution attacks the fundamental principles of academic freedom and association to which MESA specifically refers in its mission statement, and to which Brandeis is committed.” The University made no official statement regarding its stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, and it was stated that as a principle, Brandeis condemns academic boycotts of universities in any country. The University has stated that the disassociation from MESA
is a way to reaffirm their support for academic freedom in general. According to a press release on MESA’s website, endorsing the call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions is a way to “hold the [Israeli] government accountable for ongoing human rights violations.” The results of the vote were 768-167, a clear majority in favor of endorsing the BDS movement. In the same press release, MESA president Eve Troutt Powell stated that “MESA's Board will work to honor the will of its members and ensure that the call for an academic boycott is upheld without undermining our commitment to the free exchange of ideas and scholarship.” The BDS resolution calls for the boycott of Israeli academic institutions because they are “complicit in Israel’s violations of human rights and international law through their provision of direct assistance to the military and intelligence establishments,” according to the BDS website. They call for the boycott of all Israeli academic institutions as a way to “end this complicity.” The resolution has expressed clearly that the boycott will not target individual scholars or students and reiterates that each member of MESA has a right to choose whether or not they participate in the academic boycott.
See MESA, 5 ☛
Science star
Overview of the Oscars
Fred Guttenberg speaks about gun violence
Alexis Dainis '11 turned her love for biology and video into a career as a science YouTuber and TikToker.
The 94th Academy Awards saw controversy and historic wins.
By ISABEL ROSETH
By JASON FRANK
By JACK YUANWEI CHENG Photo Courtesy of ALEXIS DAINIS
sion statement which speaks to the core social justice values of the University: “safeguarding the safety, dignity, and well-being of all its members.” The petition highlights that the University has thus far acted according to its values and in order to keep doing so, the petition “calls on Brandeis to support our Russian, Ukrainian, and Belorussian community members not only through student-based actions but as a University.” As of March 25, the Brandeis petition has 199 signatures from students, faculty, and alumni. The petitions, both Harvard and Brandeis, give an overview of the devastating consequences of the Russian invasion on Ukranians, as well as on Russians and Belarussians. Addressed to the respective administrations and leadership, the petition asks for formal support for students and scholars affected by the war. Following the framework of the Harvard petition, the Brandeis petition also highlights sections where the University can provide support. The first section speaks on academic and mental health support. The petition asks the University to
NEWS 3
Protecting each other during the pandemic By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
FORUM 8
Max Verstappens wins Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
FEATURES 6
Image Courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
ARTS AND CULTURE 15
Make your voice heard! Submit letters to the editor to letters@thejustice.org
By LIZ PAL
COPYRIGHT 2022 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
SPORTS 12