10 TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2020 ● FORUM ● THE JUSTICE
Justice
the
Established 1949
Brandeis University
Jocelyn Gould, Editor in Chief Jen Geller, Managing Editor Avraham Penso and Natalia Wiater, Senior Editors Gilda Geist and River Hayes, Deputy Editors Andrew Baxter, Hannah Kressel, Eliana Padwa Yvette Sei, Lily Schmidt-Swartz, Judah Weinerman and Maya Zanger-Nadis, Associate Editors Emily Blumenthal, News Editor Sofia Gonzalez, Features Editor Gabriel Frank, Forum Editor, Megan Geller, Sports Editor Luke Liu, Arts & Culture Editor Noah Zeitlin, Photography Editor Yael Hanadari-Levy, Graphic Design Editor Cameron Cushing and Hannah O’Koon, Copy Editors Frances Hoffen and Yona Splaver, Ads Editors Samantha Goldman, Online Editor
EDITORIALS
Encouraging tolerance during Coronavirus outbreak As news headlines breed panic about the real but still somewhat distant threat of coronavirus (COVID-19), this board would like to examine how all of this new and constantly-changing information affects the Brandeis community. The Centers for Disease Control regularly updates their coronavirus situation summary, which says as of press time, “This virus is NOT currently spreading widely in the United States.” The CDC does note, however, that the potential health threat of coronavirus is high, but emphasizes that, “For the general American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low.” In other words, there is reason to be wary, but no need for immediate alarm. To put it into perspective, Brandeis students, like any other U.S. residents, are at a far higher risk of contracting a common strain of the flu than COVID-19. According to a report by the CDC, there have been between 32 million and 45 million flu illnesses from Oct. 1 to Feb. 22, and between 18,000 and 46,000 flu deaths in that same time period. Protect yourself from the flu by getting vaccinated at the Health Center, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Prevent the spread of the flu (as well as other illnesses, such as COVID-19) by washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze and staying home when you are sick. In the event that COVID-19 does make
its way to Brandeis, the Health Center is prepared to respond, even adding a page to its website with information about COVID-19. According to Administrative Director of the Health Center Diana Denning in an email to the Justice, “the Health Center is following guidelines from [the] CDC for screening, testing, transportation, quarantine etc. The school has protocols for supporting quarantine and isolation if needed.” In addition to these health measures, Provost Lisa Lynch wrote in emails to the community on Feb. 9, Feb. 26 and March 1 that the University administration is restricting students, faculty and staff from traveling to China, South Korea, Italy and Iran on “official university business.” This board also condemns the recent spike in racism against Asians and AsianAmericans as a result of the spread of the illness, as COVID-19 was first identified in China. Since then, coverage of the virus has exploded in the media, with U.S. press publishing between five and seven thousand articles on the coronavirus per day by January, according to a Feb. 25 Columbia Journalism Review article. “Viruses spread. Racism even faster it seems,” a Feb. 11 Forbes article noted. The Brandeis community is stronger for its diversity of students. During this time of uncertainty, this board urges the Brandeis community to reject these harmful stereotypes against our Asian peers and colleagues.
On March 4, the Student Union and the Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center will launch their new SipChip initiative. SipChips are drink-testing devices which, upon contact with a cold drink, will indicate whether it has been tainted with any common “date-rape” drugs. SipChips will be available in numerous locations around campus, and this test run will help determine future supplies. This board applauds the SipChip initiative and sees it as a positive step forward in sexual violence prevention. SipChips are a measure designed to allow potential victims to save themselves from danger, and the leaders bringing this initiative to campus see this project as working to change campus culture so that people know sexual assault will not be tolerated. This board commends the way that PARC and the student leaders involved have framed SipChips as working to change campus culture surrounding sexual assault. We hope the campus will keep this sentiment in mind and avoid victimblaming that would result from putting responsibility solely on SipChip-users to protect themselves. SipChips should be implemented as a University norm alongside other sexual violence prevention measures to shift the responsibility away from potential victims. This could mean incorporating SipChips into the Department of Community Living’s event registration process and making them available for people hosting parties offcampus. Event organizers should be able to pick up a supply of SipChips from their Quad Office, have them available throughout the party and be required to return extras the next day. In a March 2 email to the Justice, Ricki Levitus ’20, one of the students leading the SipChip initiative, explained that many campus organizations, including all 10 Greek Life organizations, will receive
educational presentations about “what Sip Chip is, how to use them, why they are important on both a national and campus scale, and where Sip Chips will be available on campus.” This board commends these efforts to educate campus about the initiative. We hope that these training sessions will also include information about how to use the Chips within specific situations, such as how to test a drink subtly to avoid detection, how to escape a situation if a drink is drugged and how to inform an authority figure of the danger. Moreover, this board hopes that the University is thinking about more ways to implement prevention education and create a culture where sexual violence risk is mitigated as much as possible. This board beseeches the University to continue the initiative permanently. Currently, SipChips are not being implemented experimentally using CEEF. This board hopes that the University continues to supply SipChips, funding it as needed based on initial popularity. Community Emergency and Enhancement Fund funding is one way to do this, but more sustainable methods might include allocating money from the Student Activities Fund or creating a joint spending plan between different University parties. Regardless of how it is funded, this board hopes that the University will continue to respond to student voices around SipChips and other sexual violence prevention initiatives. We applaud this program and hope to see its expansion in the future. In order to create a culture of protection and prevention, we also encourage students to pick up a SipChip at the PARC office, Union office, Student Sexuality Information Service office, Health Center, the Stein, the C-Store, Gender and SexualityCenter, Intercultural Center, Gosman, all DCL Quad Offices and at Greek Awareness Council events.
Commending University’s SipChip intiative
HARRISON PAEK/ the Justice
Views the News on
On Feb. 22, United States Democratic Presidential candidates competed for the votes of 36 pledged delegates during the Nevada Caucus. Sen. Bernie Sanders won the caucuses, which demonstrated that he could expand his platform beyond white liberal supporters to minority groups such as Latinos, African Americans and Asian Americans. Does this performance build momentum and prepare him to come out ahead on March 3, Super Tuesday? Of all the current presidential candidates, who do you believe is best equipped to succeed on Super Tuesday, and what is their most likely path to the nomination?
Prof. Maura Jane Farrelly (JOUR) I’d like to see all news outlets do less “horse race” journalism when it comes to campaigns and more reporting that delves into the costs and possible consequences of the candidates’ various proposals (and also interrogates the cultural, economic, bureaucratic, and political challenges candidates will face in making those proposals a reality). Granted, the kind of journalism I’m calling for IS getting done; when people say “the media” (a vague term…) aren’t covering something, it often means they just haven’t been paying close attention. Good work on the candidates’ policy proposals is being done by journalists. But so long as the horse-race stuff is out there, I’m afraid it’s going to be what attracts people’s attention. Human beings like competitions —and Americans, in particular, seem to like “winners” and “underdogs.” Nevertheless, we might get better elected officials if we weren’t allowed to be distracted by such things. Maura Jane Farrelly is a professor of American Studies and Journalism.
Nathanial Walker
Of the remaining candidates, Bernie Sanders is best equipped for success on Super Tuesday. Having the grassroots funds from earlier months, he’s already been campaigning there, while other candidates have been in the first four states. Despite Joe Biden’s impressive win in South Carolina, this will likely not materialize into success soon. Unless Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s dropping out throws a substantial wrench into calculations, Sanders is more likely to compound on a strong Super Tuesday showing. That said, the likelihood of a contested convention is very high. Fewer candidates in the race may potentially lessen the margin between Sanders and the others; Sanders has a clear path to the largest number of delegates and/or votes, but not above the needed 50%, so the Party can easily award the nomination to someone else. However, there are two considerations increasingly being accepted. First, the Sanders bloc is demonstrated to be the largest constituent group in the Democratic Party, and it has less loyalty to the party elites. Second, awarding a second or third place candidate with the nomination undermines the Democratic Party’s democratic argument, especially considering frustration with the electoral college in 2000 and 2016. Without including the Sanders bloc, a Democratic Party victory in November is considerably less likely. Nathanial Walker is a Ph.D. student studying International Relations at Brandeis University.
Prof. Gary Samore (POL) With 1,357 delegates at stake on Super Tuesday, Bernie Sanders will win more delegates than any other candidate, with Joe Biden in second place and Mike Bloomberg in third. Based on his strong win in South Carolina, Biden may deny Sanders a majority of Super Tuesday delegates, if moderate voters rally to Biden as the party’s best chance to stop Sanders. Going forward, the nomination will be largely determined by whether third-tier candidates, such as Mike Bloomberg, stay in the race (good for Sanders) or drop out (good for Biden). Gary Samore is the senior executive director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies and professor of the practice in politics at Brandeis University.
Daniel Ruggles This question is the question that many voters, pundits, and political scientists are asking: who will be the Democratic nominee? Had I a crystal ball, perhaps this would be easier to answer. We are far too early in this unusually crowded process to make any real predictions about the eventual nominee. For a prediction as to a specific candidate, please refer to the opinion section of any major newspaper. While this drama is compelling, Democrats must contend with the existential crisis gripping their party: a move either towards the left or the center. A progressive candidate and their supporters must accept the reality that they will vie for votes in battleground states in November, potentially jeopardizing a more progressive campaign. Conversely, centrists must contend with a growing progressive faction whose support may be crucial in the primary stage — especially troubling as moderates have not yet coalesced around any one candidate. Regardless of the outcome on Tuesday, a fraying Democratic Party is a liability in November, not an asset. Daniel Ruggles is a Ph.D. student studying American Politics at Brandeis University. Photos: Noah Zeitlin; Justice file photo/Brandeis University File Photo
