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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 LXXVIII, Number 13
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Waltham, Mass.
RESIDENCE HALL
PROTEST
JULIA FAN/The Justice.
SKYE ENTWOOD/The Justice.
COMMUNITY LIVING: East Quad has earned a negative reputation amongst students.
DEMONSTRATION: A protest attendee holds a sign encouraging passersby to "speak out."
The University has repeatedly asserted
Fight Authoritarianism Brandeis
New anti-authoritarian group holds protest opposing U.S. involvement in war in Iran
Growing uncertainty about East Quad's future raises speculation it has no long-term plans for the space, though the student body has heard otherwise. By SOPHIA DE LISI & CHAVA THIELL
JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF AND JUSTICE NEWS EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Speculation has arisen about the future of East Quadrangle following the 2026-27 school year. East is divided into four halls: Hassenfeld-Krivof, Shapiro House, Pomerantz-Rubenstein and Swig. Over the years, the residential quad has gained a negative reputation among the community, with students reporting unsanitary living conditions and complaints about the facilities. While the University has yet to comment publicly on the space’s future, many students have speculated that the living area will be torn down following the 2026-27 academic year. “No decisions have been made by the University regarding the long-term disposition of the East Quad space,” a university spokesperson shared in a Feb. 24 email to The Justice. “The new residence hall scheduled to come online next year will have capacity to house significantly more residents than East, which could present the opportunity to reimagine the East space for future residences and dining facility opportunities,” they wrote. The Justice confirmed this statement in email exchanges with the Department of Community Living’s Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Tim Touchette, and the University’s Sr. Campus Space Analyst, Liz Pawlack — neither of whom provided additional comment. As of press time, Brandeis’ Director of Campus Planning, Sarah Holton, has not responded to The Justice’s request for comment. In a Feb. 27 interview with The Justice, Isla Edwards ’28 spoke about her experience as a Community Advisor in East Quad. She stated that spring 2027 is the last semester students will be able to live there — its closure will coincide with the new residence hall’s opening to mitigate housing shortage concerns. The new residence hall is currently in the midst of construction behind the Spingold Theater and is set to open in fall 2027. It is expected to house approximately 650 students. East has the capacity to hold about 400 beds, though students have reported that many rooms remain vacant, as many students opt to live elsewhere during their sophomore year. Those who do live in East, however, are primarily sophomores, alongside a few mid-year transfer students and first-year students. Conversely, the new residence hall is expected to be a living space for upperclassmen. When asked about the future of East Quad, Ed-
wards said that before the beginning of the year, a University official spoke to Community Advisors and shared plans to tear down East Quad following the 2026-27 school year. The Justice could not confirm which official spoke to Community Advisors as of press time. “East will be coming down after spring 2027,” Edwards said. Before the buildings are demolished, she shared that the University will first have to determine what to do with the various furniture and appliances inside the buildings. When asked about East’s reputation among students, Edwards was candid, stating that “Brandeis students hate East.” She reflected on hearing negative sentiments about East as early as her first year at Brandeis, recalling that her initial impression of East was not positive. She shared that East’s dated design — the University constructed it in 1964 to embody the period’s Modernist style — has limited it in several ways, especially in comparison to Skyline Residence Hall’s contemporary look. For instance, she described, that East lacks elevators, the pipes are noisy, the walls are thin and the hallways are quite narrow. “We can feel that the building is old and due to be torn down, but it has a rustic charm,” Edwards said. She stressed that she personally enjoys living there, the best aspect being its proximity to prominent buildings on campus such as the Intercultural Center, the Brandeis Counseling Center, Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, Usdan Student Center and the Rabb steps. As a CA, she shared that she enjoys working at the quad because it is not an incredibly taxing job and she does not have as many residents to provide support to, as opposed to the role of a first-year CA. She mentioned that while she is supposed to be servicing a certain number of students, many rooms on her floor are unoccupied, making her role less stressful. Edwards also clarified how DCL oversees the area. Currently, East and Skyline are supervised by the same Area and Assistant Area Coordinators in what is known as a joint area called “Eastline.” She explained that CAs from both East and Skyline often work alongside one another, as well as the area supervisors. As of press time, Matthew Wuerthele, East Quad’s Area Coordinator, has not responded to The Justice’s request for a comment. Following East’s demolition, Edwards shared, North Quad and Skyline will be combined into a joint area. Edwards noted that this was an “interesting” decision, as North serves first-year students while Skyline is primarily sophomore housing. However, she shared that she thinks this decision will ultimately better serve both areas and is “excited to see how that plays into student engagement.” Students have also raised concerns about the future of the Intercultural Center — which is housed
held a protest on March 6 in opposition to the war in Iran.
By SOPHIA DE LISI & NAWAL IRFANI
JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF AND JUSTICE COPY EDITOR
On Friday, March 6 at 2:00 p.m., Fight Authoritarianism Brandeis — a new group on campus — held a protest at the base of the Rabb steps to speak out against the government’s recent actions in Iran. The protest was led by Prof. Sabine von Mering (WGS, CGES) and approximately seven FAB members. The new group is unaffiliated with Brandeis in an official capacity, but comprises of students, staff and faculty with the mission of standing together “against ICE and authoritarian threats.” A statement on their Instagram page — @fab_brandeis — reads, “We stand in solidarity with our undocumented neighbors, actively resisting the reach of ICE and organizing to ensure our community remains a sanctuary of safety and dignity for all.” FAB publicized the protest in a March 3 post on their Instagram page that declared “Congress shall have the power to declare war” and “Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution is not a sugges-
Eduroam connectivity issues disrupt students during the midterm season
Students have reported Wi-Fi
connectivity issues over the past few weeks, which have significantly disrupted their daily lives. By ALLIE LADJEVA
JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
See CAMPUS LIVING, 5
Celebrating Culture
Over the past few weeks, campus Wi-Fi has been unstable, causing frustration and concern among students at a time of high academic stress. Many of the disruptions come from problems connecting to eduroam, which is the secure Wi-Fi network used by Brandeis and many universities worldwide. Eduroam is a worldwide roaming access service that allows students to access the internet on its nearly 100 participating campuses in the United
Association's APAHM event celebrated Asian community and culture.
A review of the theater department's adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility."
By MARYAM FAZLY
By ROGERIO VILLACA SZUSTER
By AARON KLEIN
By ALYSSA WU
JUSTIN GAO/The Justice.
FEATURES 7 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
SKYE ENTWOOD/The Justice.
ARTS AND CULTURE 14
Make your voice heard! Submit letters to the editor to forum@thejustice.org
States, including Brandeis University. Educational institutions use eduroam because it offers the most secure encryption among today's networks. However, network disruptions have occurred across different U.S. campuses in recent months. Cornell University has reported Wi-Fi network outages since January 2026, which have hindered students' ability to complete coursework. Drake University has also recently experienced network connectivity issues in specific areas of its campus. On March 6, several students provided written responses to The Justice, sharing their experiences and the challenges they have been facing during the eduroam network disruptions. Edward Lopez ’27 said he experienced Wi-Fi connectivity issues for the first time when he returned from February break. “There would be days when I didn’t have access to Wi-Fi at my dorm or in class. It was frustrating because I wouldn’t be able to do homework
Brandeis alum runs for office
Poignant Play
The Asian American Students
tion. Stop the authorized war in Iran!” A student who is part of FAB’s leadership spoke to The Justice at the protest: “I think Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution states it pretty clear[ly], that it’s an unconstitutional war without prior authorization from Congress, and therefore this is unjust and unconstitutional … the American people did not vote for this.” The student first heard about FAB “through the grapevine around the one-year anniversary of Trump’s inauguration.” Protestors carried a variety of signs to reflect their message, including “Fight ignorance not immigrants” and “We need Epstein fury not Operation Epic Fury.” Operation Epic Fury is the name of the United States’ and Israel’s ongoing military offensive stance against Iran. On Feb. 27, FAB hosted an event called “FAB: Art as Resistance and Info Session.” The event was also advertised on their Instagram page three days prior, and the caption read, “this Friday a group of us are getting together to make art and talk about how we can actually show up for our community right now. no experience needed, just come.” The organization acknowledged that they had not publicized the protest as widely as they had wanted and ended up cutting the event shorter than publicized, dispersing close to 3:00 p.m. due to a lower turnout and cold weather.
See INTERNET, 5
NEWS 3
The problems with a women's lacrosse team
March Madness breakdown By BEN KHAYAT
COPYRIGHT 2026 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
FORUM 9 SPORTS 10