the
Justice www.thejustice.org
The Independent Student Newspaper Volume LXXV, Number 9
of
B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Waltham, Mass.
COMMUNITY RESPONSE
SHUTTLE ACCIDENT
Support sessions held by Univ. spiritual orgs.
■ Brandeis religious
organizations hosted multiple events for students and other community members in the wake of Saturday’s tragic shuttle accident. By NATALIE KAHN, ISABEL ROSETH, JANE FLAUTT AND ARIELLA WEISS JUSTICE EDITORS
In the aftermath of Saturday’s bus accident that devastated the Brandeis community, Jewish student groups and the Center for Spiritual Life hosted gatherings on Sunday and Monday to offer a space for students to come together, process emotions, and support one another. On Sunday evening, Brandeis Orthodox Minyan held a service, followed by a service by Brandeis Reform Chavurah and Masorti. Hillel made clear in their Instagram post announcing the events that “everyone is welcome” at any of the services and gatherings. Later that night, following the services, Hillel hosted a gathering at the Berlin Chapel. Around 50 community members came together to sing nigunim, or Jewish meditative melodies. Nigunim are wordless melodies sung in a group setting. There are no lyrics, but instead, repetitive sounds which everyone follows in turn. Noah Simon ’25 and Zac Gondel-
SMILEY HUYNH/the Justice
#BRANDEISSTRONG: Community members added messages of condolence, support, and well-wishes to a banner.
man ’26 played guitar and led the group in song at the front of the chapel. Community members in attendance called out requests for nigunim to play. Attendees joined in the harmonies as they picked up on each new melody. Some cried and comforted others as they sang. Several students had their arms around one another. Gondelman said during a break between songs that he’s “so full of love and gratitude” for the Brandeis community. In an email interview with the Justice on Tuesday, Simon, a t’filah coordinator for Brandeis Reform Chavurah, said the purpose of the gathering was not to say words. Rather, he said, “the goal of the evening was to feel feelings, and that’s what nigunim are best at.” Simon told the Justice that while Hillel often comes together to sing, it is “never with such raw emotion or such urgency” as during Sunday’s event, which was planned that same afternoon. “I’ve never seen the Hillel community so close, with people of all denominations and levels of involvement present in the same space, feeling part of the whole,” he said. University President Ron Leibowitz and his family sat in the audience and participated in the nigunim. The University’s Senior Chaplain and Brandeis Hillel’s Executive Director Rabbi Seth Winberg sat beside students as well. The gathering lasted for around an hour.
Tragic shuttle accident shakes Brandeis community Resources available in ■ A Boston/Cambridge shuttle
crashed on Saturday night, resulting in one fatality and leaving dozens wounded.
By LEAH BREAKSTONE AND DALYA KOLLER JUSTICE EDITORS
Editor’s note: Justice editors Jen Crystal and Jane Flautt contributed to the reporting in this article. Content warning: The following article concerns recent tragic and traumatic events directly relating to members of the Brandeis community. A Brandeis Boston/Cambridge shuttle carrying students back to campus crashed on South Street on Saturday, Nov. 19, at approximately 10:30 p.m. Initial reports by the Boston Globe, WBUR, and the New York Times stated that students on the bus were coming back to campus from a Northeastern University Hockey game, but the shuttle is part of the regular transportation services offered by the University. In a press release on Facebook posted at 9 a.m. on Sunday, the Com-
monwealth of Massachusetts Middlesex district attorney reported the following details regarding the accident: Of the 28 people on the bus — 27 riders in addition to the driver — 27 were transported to varying hospitals in the area, and one student was pronounced dead at the scene. In a Nov. 20 email to the Justice, Assistant Vice President of Communications Julie Jette told the Justice that as of 7:50 p.m. on Sunday, two people remain in the hospital. The identity of the individual who tragically passed away as a result of the accident was disclosed to the Brandeis community in an email from University President Ron Liebowitz on the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 20, following the identification by the Waltham Police Department. Liebowitz wrote that the individual, Vanessa Mark, was an “active and cherished member of the Brandeis community.” Vanessa was an undergraduate student, and though was on leave at the time, was still living in Waltham. Liebowitz emphasized that the University will remain in contact with Vanessa’s family over the coming days and will update the rest of the community regarding “the ways we will honor Vanessa’s memory.”
resources available to students, faculty, and staff at Brandeis for anyone who needs support at this time. By DALYA KOLLER AND JANE FLAUTT JUSTICE EDITORS
Students can contact the Brandeis Counseling Center 24/7 at 781-736-3730. The Golding Health Center can be reached at 781-2391948. If students need urgent care, they can reach the Brandeis University Emergency Medical Corps 24/7 at 781-736-3333. The nearest emergency room is Newton-Wellesley Hospital at 2014 Washington Street, Newton, Massachusetts 02462. The National Suicide Hotline can be reached by dialing 988. The Dean of Students Office and the Office of Graduate Student Affairs will be open Monday through Wednesday this week. The Division of Student Affairs will be open the whole week through Thanksgiving break, per a statement from
Editorial
The Justice editorial board
various Brandeis organizations, clubs, and departments for words of support and advice in light of Saturday's tragedy.
speaks on Saturday's shuttle accident, expressing our condolences and elaborating on the journalistic ethics of covering traumatic breaking news stories.
By MEGAN LIAO AND NATALIE KAHN
FEATURES 4
■ Below is a list of
See CRASH, 2 ☛
The Justice reached out to
SMILEY HUYNH/the Justice
wake of bus accident
All classes on Monday and Tuesday have been canceled to allow students to go home early for Thanksgiving break and be with their families as they process Saturday night’s events. Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Carol Fierke clarified in a Nov. 20 email that any assignments and class activities are postponed until after Thanksgiving break. In the aforementioned email, Liebowitz empathized with the Brandeis community, acknowledging that in addition to the “difficulty of absorbing such painful news,” the reality that many facts remain unclear and many questions remain unanswered causes the situation to be even more distressing. Liebowitz wrote that the University has been and will continue to work with the Waltham Police department throughout the investigation. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our students,” he stressed, “and we are committed to learning all that we can about how this happened. University leaders will continue to share information as we learn more.” No charges have been filed as of
#BrandeisStrong
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
JACK YUANWEI CHENG/the Justice
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Make your voice heard! Submit letters to the editor to forum@thejustice.org
See GATHERINGS, 2 ☛
FORUM 3
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Andrea Dine on Sunday. Students can reach out to Student Accessibility Support at access@ brandeis.edu. Director of Student Accessibility Support Cara Streit and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Kim Godsoe encouraged students to reach out to SAS, their specific academic advisor, and/ or individual faculty members to answer any questions and get support. Brandeis Health and Wellness Promotion will have therapy dogs, snacks, and arts & crafts at the Shapiro Campus Center TV Lounge across from the Carl J. Shapiro Campus Center Theater on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and there will crafts and coloring in the SCC on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Center for Spiritual Life will be open Monday through Wednesday this week. Students can reach the multi-faith chaplaincy at 781736-3570. Students can also contact the Center for Spiritual Life via email at slife@brandeis.edu. Both
See SUPPORT, 2 ☛
EDITOR’S NOTE In light of the recent bus accident, the Justice editorial board decided to make a one-time, special edition of the Justice to solely highlight the tragedy and the Brandeis community’s response. We will be back to a full issue Dec. 6.
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