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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 14
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Waltham, Mass.
MIDDLE EAST POLITICS
FACULTY
Photo courtesy of THE CROWN CENTER.
CROWN CENTER: A group of scholars led a discussion about the war in Iran.
SKYE ENTWOOD/The Justice.
MEETING: President Levine '70 speaks to faculty during the March 13 meeting.
Crown Center teach-in discusses Faculty meeting sheds light on University's marketing plan, future of Brandeis Core the United States, Israel, Iran and the Middle East at war This month’s faculty meeting
The teach-in provided various insights and perspectives on the unfolding situation in the Middle East. By ALLIE LADJEVA
JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
On March 11, the Crown Center for Middle East Studies hosted a teach-in event that provided context and analysis of the current conflict in the Middle East. Six scholars from the Crown Center participated in a discussion about military developments, Iranian domestic politics, Israel’s strategic objectives and the economic consequences of the war. The event aimed to help the Brandeis community better understand the geopolitical implications of the conflict. Prof. Gary Samore (POL), Crown Family director and professor of the practice of politics, gave the opening remarks of the event. Samore served as former President Barack Obama's White House Coordinator for Arms Control and Weapons of Mass Destruction and President Bill Clinton's Senior Director for Nonproliferation and Export Controls. Prof. Samore said that the discussion would focus on “the Israeli-American war against Iran, which is entering the 12th day at the cost of about 1,800 lives and considerable property damage, especially in Iran and Lebanon.” He then introduced the event’s speakers: Prof. Shai Feldman (POL), Prof. Naghmeh Sohrabi (HIST), Prof. Nader Habibi (ECON), Prof. Elizabeth Derderian (ANTH) and Dr. Kerem Ussakl. He proceeded to explain the successes of the military campaign and the uncertainty of U.S. war objectives. Prof. Samore explained that the U.S. and Israeli attacks seemed effective “in terms of killing much of the Iranian leadership, including the Supreme Leader, eliminating Iran’s air defense system, limiting Iran’s missile and drone force and production capabilities, sinking much of the Iranian Navy and attacking socalled regime targets, which is the euphemism for IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] facilities and bases.” He said that there are fewer attacks on nuclear targets and energy infrastructure in Iran, with the exception of Israel’s attack on fuel depots in Iran. Prof. Samore stated that the attack caused a serious environmental problem, and the United States government asked Israeli authorities to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.
However, Prof. Samore said that despite the U.S. and Israel’s military success, Iran can still launch drones and missiles, mainly targeting U.S. bases in the region. He added that Iran has some strategic advantages: “The one big card Iran still has is the ability to limit transit through the Straits of Hormuz, and that has led to a significant increase in oil and gas prices.” Concerning the U.S.' final objectives, Prof. Samore divided them into three categories: regime change, the Venezuelan model and President Donald Trump unilaterally declaring the end of the war. He elaborated that at the beginning of the war, Trump hoped that the attacks would motivate the Iranian public to overthrow the Islamic Republic. When that didn’t happen, the Venezuelan model was pursued, meaning that “the Islamic Republic would replace the Supreme Leader with a more compliant ruler. The system would remain in place, but the new Supreme Leader would be willing to acquiesce to the U.S. demands on Iran’s nuclear missile program, support for proxies and so forth.” In light of recent events, Samore explained that the third objective is for Trump to eventually declare the war to end, as the U.S. has significantly reduced Iran’s nuclear missile drone capability. However, Samore concluded that the U.S. objectives may change depending on Iran’s domestic scene, which Prof. Sohrabi elaborated on. Prof. Sohrabi is the director for research at the Crown Center and the Charles (Corky) Goodman Professor of Middle East History. She has written the book “Taken for Wonder: Nineteenth Century Travel Accounts from Iran to Europe,” and is currently working on a book about the history of the 1979 revolutionary generation in Iran. Prof. Sohrabi clarified the assumptions and misconceptions about Iran. “If there has been one constant in the past 47 years about Iran, it is that it is a system. And I use the word ‘system’ here very carefully. It is a system that first and foremost protects itself in its survival and it’s resilient. That is the number one constant for the past 47 years,” she said. Prof. Sohrabi also stated that there is a difference between the terms government, state and system; these differentiations can explain the domestic scene in Iran. She provided an example from 1989, when Ruhollah Khomeini died, but the Islamic Republic persisted. “But it was not the end because the system keeps adapting to the moment. The system keeps transforming both itself, but in the relationship be-
See PANEL, 5
Common rooms
A look at how first year common rooms function as third spaces on campus. By LUCA D. JORDAN
COLE HAMNER/The Justice.
introduced the University's new marketing strategy and honored Provost Carol Fierke as she announced the end of her term. By ZOE ZACHARY
JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR
On Friday, March 13, the monthly faculty meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall. Prof. Jeffrey Lenowitz (POL) began the meeting by addressing the results of the voting that had happened during the February faculty meeting. The faculty had voted to pass several changes to Brandeis’ core requirements and to establish a new finance major, but had struck down a motion that would have reduced the world language requirement to two semesters, with a notable 72.2% of faculty having voted against it. The first item on the agenda included remarks from President Arthur Levine ’70. Levine announced that on June 30, Provost Carol Fierke will be stepping down after a five-year term as provost. He praised Fierke’s leadership, particularly
during the transition back onto campus after the COVID-19 pandemic and during the recent transition between University presidents. Levine also mentioned Fierke’s involvement in the creation of an undergraduate engineering program and called her a “tireless advocate” for faculty. He then announced that Prof. Linda Bui (ECON) would be taking her place as interim provost and thanked her for her willingness to take the position. Following Levine’s remarks, Fierke briefly addressed the attendees of the meeting. She articulated the honor of being provost over the past five years, a time she called “turbulent” for Brandeis and general higher education. Fierke also spoke about her work on campus, including contributing to the Brandeis Plan for restructuring the University. Moving forward, Fierke plans to continue contributing to the Brandeis community as a faculty member. She said that she looks forward to continued leadership from Levine and Interim Provost Bui, and she received a standing ovation as she closed her remarks. Bui then introduced herself and described her enthusiasm as she steps into the role of interim provost. In her words, “we are going to figure this out, and we are going to get to a better place.” Lenowitz also gave a brief statement, high-
See MEETING, 5
Former Washington Post editor discusses current state of journalism
Janice Page spoke to The Justice
about how news organizations have adapted to the changing journalism landscape in recent years. By NAWAL IRFANI
JUSTICE COPY EDITOR
On Feb. 4, 2026, The Washington Post laid off over 300 of its roughly 800-person newsroom. The layoffs resulted in both the sports and books departments being removed, a significantly smaller metro section and cuts to international correspondents and editors, many of whom were based in the Middle East. These layoffs came after several years of failing profits, decreasing numbers of sub-
scribers and changes to leadership that further sank the paper. “It’s not the same place [anymore],” said Janice Page in a March 15 interview with The Justice. Page, the former arts editor for The Post and a subject of its recent layoffs, continued, “it [The Post] still has quite talented people, wonderful people that I have worked with and [I] feel really badly that they are now left trying to do the same job or more with about half the force they had before.” Cuts to staff at The Post came alongside a new data-driven strategy led by the paper’s owner and founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. Bezos bought the paper in 2013 for $250 million and initially invested in it heavily, allowing the newsroom size to double in the early period of his tenure. His role in the paper's operations became more tumultuous in the buildup to the 2024 presidential election when he killed an editorial endorsing Kamala Harris.
Clue chaos
Brandeis' response to antisemitism
An insightful review of the Brandeis Undergraduate Theater Collective's production of "Clue: On Stage."
By ARIANA AGARWAL
FEATURES 6 For tips or info email editor@thejustice.org
ARTS AND CULTURE 14
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NEWS 3
2026 commencement speaker invites scandal By NORA HERNDON-LAZERWITH
By LUCA D. JORDAN
COLE HAMNER/The Justice.
See JOURNALISM, 5
March Madness breakdown By BEN KHAYAT
COPYRIGHT 2026 FREE AT BRANDEIS.
FORUM 9 SPORTS 10