The Justice- May 19, 2009

Page 1

TRACING THE ROSE

ARTS Studio Art theses displayed 28 SPORTS Softball loses in ECAC final 24

A timeline of key events from this semester 12

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

the

OF

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY SINCE 1949

Justice www.theJusticeOnline.com

Volume LX, Number 29

Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

BUDGET

Board passes retirement fund plan

58TH COMMENCEMENT

Booker advocates responsibility ■ Mayor of Newark, N.J

Cory Booker told the graduating class to face challenges in life. By JILLIAN WAGNER JUSTICE EDITOR

Dr. Cory Booker, mayor of Newark, N.J., challenged members of the graduating class of 2009 to make a choice when he delivered the keynote address at Brandeis’ 58th commencement ceremony last Sunday, asking, “Do you resign yourself to what is, or do you commit yourself to being a part of what can be, what should be, what must be?” Booker spoke to the members of the graduating class of 2009, which consisted of 783 undergraduates, 84 Ph.D. students and 681 master’s degree recipients along with family members and friends who filled the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center to support and celebrate with their graduates. He offered gratitude to the audience for not behaving like his family on graduation day. Booker maintained a humorous tone throughout much of his speech. He began by describing the overbearing enthusiasm his

See GRADUATION, 5 ☛

■ The plan to suspend

contributions to faculty and staff retirement funds will save Brandeis $7.4 million. By HARRY SHIPPS JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSITANT

The University Board of Trustees unanimously approved a plan at its May 15 meeting to suspend University contributions to the retirement fund for faculty and staff for one year, effective when fiscal 2010 begins July 1, according to Faculty Budget Committee Chairman Prof. Peter Conrad (SOC). The plan will save the University almost $7.4 million, Conrad said. The projected budget deficit for fiscal 2010 will remain at $8.9 million, according to an e-mail from Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Peter French.

JULIAN AGIN-LIEBES/the Justice

ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY: In his address, Cory Booker encouraged the graduating class to be advocates of change. See TRUSTEES, 8 ☛

ROSE ART MUSEUM

Financial figures in the Rose interim report are incorrect, Rush says ■ Current museum director

Michael Rush specified that the indirect costs figure does not match old records. By ALANA ABRAMSON JUSTICE STAFF WRITER

The interim report released by the Committee on the Future of the Rose April 30 was met with criticism by Michael Rush, the current director of the Rose Art Museum, who questioned the accuracy of the financial figures presented in the report. The interim report is a compilation of the research the committee has gathered about the Rose, particularly regarding the museum’s budget as well as the legal concerns of selling art and operating as a public museum. Committee chair Prof. Jerry Samet (PHIL) wrote in an e-mail to the Justice that the report was

released with the intention of informing the Brandeis community about the committee’s process. “We wanted to let the Brandeis Community know what we were up to. More specifically, we were able to share some general information about the legal situation, make clear the the Rose itself was not in any sort of budget crisis, and outline the sorts of outreach and consultation,” he wrote. The committee, formed in March by the Faculty Senate Council and the provost, is composed of professors, students, alumnae and members of the Rose Board of Overseers. It is charged with devising options for the future of the Rose. The monetary figures about the Rose’s endowment and revenue from fiscal 2008 were included in the section of the report concerning budget information. One of the figures in the report states that the Rose’s indirect expenses—money allocated from the University’s budget for the museum—in fiscal

2008 were between $500,000 and $600,000. In a phone interview with the Justice, however, Rush said that those figures were inaccurate. Rush explained that when he assumed the position of director of the museum in 2005, the indirect costs were approximately $200,000. “There is no way that indirect costs have risen $400,000 in three

If there are significant errors ... we will correct them. PROF. JERRY SAMET (PHIL)

years. The money quoted in the report is not concordant with the records we have been operating with at the museum,” Rush said. Samet went on to explain, howev-

er, that the main idea behind releasing the figures was to show that the decisions regarding the Rose were a result of the University’s fiscal challenges, not the museum’s. When asked if the committee stands by the figures reported, he responded that the figures presented in the report did not misrepresent the information the committee had received about the Rose budget. “We received the figures in a presentation from one of the staff members in the budget office. That staff member reviewed the budget section of the interim report before it was released, and confirmed that it did not misrepresent the information we were given in the presentation,” he wrote. The interim report stated that Vice President for Budget and Planning Fran Drolette provided the committee with an overview of the budget. However, Samet acknowledged that the figures in the report were incomplete, explaining in an e-mail,

“We provided a summary—an accountant would provide a much more detailed report.” Rush said that he offered several times to appear before the committee and provide the correct figures but did not receive a response from the committee until May 14. When asked if Rush had previously offered to appear before the committee, Samet responded May 13 was the first the committee had learned of his offer but that Rush had previously mentioned to Samet that he would be able to clarify some of the budget inaccuracies. “If there is an error, we need to know that, because understanding the budget is critical for thinking about the future of the Rose,” Samet wrote. “I’ve invited Michael to communicate with us about this. If there are significant errors or inaccuracies we will correct them,” he added. The committee acknowledged in

See ROSE, 13 ☛

History of radicalism

Comeback story

Words of wisdom

■ In 1970, three Brandeis students were charged with murder and robbery.

■ Men’s basketball forward Steve DeLuca (GRAD) returned for a fifth season at Brandeis this year.

■ For inspiration at graduation, simply look towards our University’s namesake.

FEATURES 10 For tips or info call Let your voice be heard! Submit letters to the editor online (781) 736-6397 at www.thejusticeonline.com

INDEX

SPORTS 24 ARTS

25

EDITORIAL FEATURES

14 9

OPINION POLICE LOG

15 2

SPORTS LETTERS

FORUM 14 24 15

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