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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 LXXV, Number 15
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
STUDENT UNION
timeline of events leading to the resignation of the senator. By RIVER SIMARD
JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Editor's note: Justice Union Correspondent Max Feigelson '23 contributed to the reporting in this article. A Brandeis Student Union senator resigned last week amid calls from members of the Brandeis student body. A video surfaced last December of the senator while they were in high school, waving an Israel flag in New York’s Grand Central Station as he and the crowd chanted “Nakba.” “Nakba” is an Arabic word that translates to catastrophe and refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948. Brandeis Student Union’s Judiciary first received the video from an alias named Jade Angelman on Dec. 8. The following day the committee responded to the email by explaining the requirements for filing a complaint. From Dec. 9 to Jan. 1, Angelman continued to email the Judiciary. On Jan. 4, the Judiciary explained that they were out of session and it may take some time for them to respond. On Jan. 27, the Judiciary re-sent a complaint template to Angelman and asked them to begin communicating through a Brandeis
email. In order for the Judiciary to begin a formal process, there would need to be an official complaint filed, and a specific Brandeis student would need to be attached to it — not a pseudonym. There was no response from Angelman. A representative of the Judiciary met with a member of the Dean of Students office in order to discuss how to best handle the video. After their discussion, it was decided that the senator couldn’t be held accountable because the video was filmed before the senator was a Brandeis student and before he was a member of the Student Union. On Feb. 8, the Brandeis Students Justice for Palestine jointly organized a protest with Brandeis Leftist Union in response to the killing of Palestinian people earlier this year. Several students waved Israel flags and held signs in opposition to the protestors. Among those protesting on behalf of the Israel-supporting students was the senator. According to the Student Union, there is nothing that prevents Student Union members from engaging in protests as long as, if asked, they make it clear that they are not representing the Student Union. Five days later on Feb. 13, a letter was released on the Instagram of the Brandeis Leftist Union. In the letter they address the fact that the Student Union senator who was pres-
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NEW COURSE
New AP African American studies course sparks disagreement ■ The framework for the new
course has been updated to reflect many of the demands made by DeSantis. By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR
On the first day of Black History Month, College Board released the new framework for their Advanced Placement African American Studies course, revealing that they had altered the curriculum from what was previously released in the pilot course. The original curriculum was disputed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and other state representatives, who called for the removal of certain topics and readings. The new framework drops all studies of the Black Lives Matter Movement, limiting this topic to a singular visual project. Other units that were removed from the original curriculum include Black queer studies, Black feminist literary thought, and intersectionality and activism. On Twitter, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr.
ANIKA JAIN/the Justice
DISRUPTIONS: Staff shortages have had some impacts on campus life, including forcing the library to close early.
Students speculate on staff shortages across campus ■ Brandeis administration
responded to questions regarding reports of understaffing. By ANIKA JAIN
called the AP African American Studies course “woke indoctrination masquerading as education.” This view and the ideas of the state government are being challenged by students and academics far and wide, as selective groups are removed from the material. A group of three students in Florida threatened to sue the DeSantis administration over a ban of this course. These students have received a lot of media attention as well as the support of many influential people in the state. “He wants to say that I do not belong, he wants to say that you don’t belong and whose story does — and doesn’t — get to count. But we are here to tell him: We are America” said state Rep. Fentrice Driskell (D-FL), who is Black. Over 800 college and university professors from across the country came together in support of the original curriculum by writing an open letter. This letter states “This is censorship and a frontal attack on academic freedom. We categorically reject DeSantis’s autocratic claim to knowing what college-level material
JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
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Brandeis students may have noticed that there have been notable staffing shortages across campus since the start of the spring semester. Longer waits at dining halls and Dunkin’, professors hired midway through the semester, and earlier closing hours at the library are among some of the impacts affecting students around campus. The Justice interviewed Brandeis administration over email to gain clarification regarding reports of understaffing. According to Vice President of Human Resources Robin Switzer in a Feb. 7 interview with the Justice, “During the height of the COVID pandemic, employees were less inclined to change jobs. As COVID began to subside, many employees reassessed their personal life and/or career goals and left the workforce entirely, retired early, or changed jobs.” Switzer noted that this trend is not unique to Brandeis, as other organizations in New England and across the country are experiencing similar patterns. In an interview with Bloomberg
Rhino Lounge
in 2021, Anthony Klotz, a professor at University College London’s School of Management, coined the term “Great Resignation” to refer to the economic trend that Switzer describes. Also labeled the “Big Quit,” the Great Resignation is an ongoing phenomenon that began in early 2021 when large masses of employees started voluntarily leaving their jobs. According to Statista, an estimated 46.6 million Americans resigned in 2022. The Pew Research Center identified the most popular reasons to be wage stagnation, increased cost of living, lack of career advancement, hostile work conditions, limited benefits, unaccommodating remote work policies, and job dissatisfaction. Workers in hospitality, healthcare, and education have been the most likely to quit, which is why schools and universities especially have experienced understaffing in the past year. Last March, The Boston Globe reported staffing shortages in dining halls at other institutions in the area, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and Emerson College. In addition to pandemic-related difficulties, Switzer also attributed some staffing issues to natural annual turnover caused by “voluntary and involuntary staff transitions.” Reports of staffing issues at Brandeis span across multiple different departments. At the fore-
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By ETHAN GERSTMAN
By CAYENN LANDAU, NOAH RISLEY, AND ARIELLA WEISS NOAH RISLEY/the Justice
Waltham, Mass.
EMPLOYMENT DIFFICULTIES
Union senator resigns ■ The Justice compiled a
FEATURES 6
Waltham, Mass.
Image courtesy CREATIVE COMMONS
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ARTS 14
front of students’ attention is increased wait times in hospitality services such as dining halls and Upper Usdan. “Brandeis Dining currently has fewer than 10 vacancies, but we are looking to fill some key positions,” wrote Kory Laznick, resident district manager for Brandeis Hospitality, in an Feb. 7 email correspondence with the Justice. These numbers are less severe compared to those at schools like Michigan State University, which witnessed a decline from 4,000 employees working in their dining halls to a mere 400 during the fall semester of 2021. Until the 10 open positions in Brandeis Dining are filled, current employees can work overtime. Olga Papaemmanouil, senior associate dean of Academic Affairs in the School of Arts & Sciences, explained in a Feb. 7 interview with the Justice that faculty who perform extra duties should speak with their chair or the senior associate dean for faculty affairs to be “compensated where appropriate and possible.” Brandeis students have also observed staffing conflicts in their spring courses. Students enrolled in LGLS 132B, “Environmental Law and Policy” have reported that their professor was not hired until after the semester began. While this is not necessarily an indication of a major staffing shortage, students
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Simon Sinek ’95 discusses optimism By SOREN BIRNBAUM
NEWS 2
Union needs to represent students By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
FORUM 8
Basketball says goodbye to seniors By JACKSON WU
COPYRIGHT 2023 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
SPORTS 12