Volume 8 Number 25
www.thebrandeishoot.com
Brandeis University’s Community Newspaper • Waltham, Mass.
December 2, 2011
Class of 2015 mirrors diversity of past years Room for improvement on class, socioeconomics By Nathan Koskella Editor
photo by ingrid schulte/the hoot
mayor jeannette a. mccarthy
Mayor seeks new dialogue with ’Deis By Jon Ostrowsky Editor
As Brandeis emerges from the economic recession onto stable financial foundations, Waltham Mayor Jeannette A. McCarthy said she hopes to begin a conversation with President Fred Lawrence, opening new lines of communication about renewing the university’s commitment to the
Waltham community through investments in its economy and students in its schools. “I’d like to outline what exactly do you do for Waltham. I want to put it on a piece of paper,” McCarthy said in an hour-long interview from her City Hall office Thursday morning. “I think they should do more.” McCarthy, who has served as mayor since 2004 and just won re-election
for a third term, met with former President Jehuda Reinharz several times during his tenure and plans to meet with both Lawrence and Bentley President Gloria Cordes Larson together. She spoke of the optimism and spirit she sensed about Lawrence at his inauguration in March and spoke with high regard for Reinharz, See WALTHAM, page 4
When President Lawrence announced last spring that the class of 2015 would be accepted on a completely need-blind basis, it begged the question what the class would look like if this were the case. New Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel said that the university’s new class profile, which he will formally present at the December faculty meeting next week, almost exactly resembles that of the past three years in terms of racial and geographical diversity. Socioeconomic diversity, a more difficult achievement at any elite institution in higher education, is more difficult to measure. But the possibility of looking at need for some students has not, apparently resulted in a narrowing of Brandeis’ class makeup. The policy of the last few years, which Brandeis calls need-sensitive, Flagel said “for the vast majority [of students], we don’t even look at it and financial need at all.”
Still, we are not completely needblind. “We are need-blind within our resources—there is a tiny number on the periphery where there would be some need-sensitivity,” he said. Flagel estimated that ability to pay is looked at for “most likely 1 to 2 percent, maybe as high as 5 percent” of the 850 students. The decision to look at some students’ ability to pay may conflict with the goals of the institution: admitting the most qualified student regardless of how many will need aid under all circumstances or allowing funds to go to aiding all of those who are accepted. Flagel is committed to “allowing every qualified student who is admitted to Brandeis to come here,” which he admitted is different than saying Brandeis admitted every qualified student. But Flagel says that is the point—no university accepts every “our-school qualified” student, and added that qualified is a malleable term. It does not exactly mean accepting the “smartest” applicants—“If this was a simple matter of IQ and test scores, then we wouldn’t need an admissions office at all, we’d simply See ADMISSIONS, page 12
A Brandeisian commitment to overcommitting By Josh Kelly Staff
When people think of Brandeisians, they think of students who are passionate, driven and deeply connected to a variety of activities. Brandeis does have approximately 250 student-run clubs and organizations on campus, ranging from community service to performing arts to Quidditch. Sometimes, however, students feel they can get a little too attached to their clubs and organizations—students frequently bemoan their masochism for committing themselves to so many things. There are different ways, however, in which Brandeisians commit themselves. Jordan Rothman ’09 is one student who pushed himself to take part in a wide variety of activities rather than focus full-force on one thing. Over the course of his four years at Brandeis he took part in 23 extracurricular activities including varsity indoor and outdoor track, being a Community Advisor, a tour guide, and taking part in 19 other clubs, of which he became an officer in 10. Rothman explained that these activities—including Debate, Union Judiciary, Company B and Waltham Group—combined would generally take up anywhere from 40 to 60 hours per week, and that in the thick of the track season it might add up to even
more than that. Erica Haas ’14 presents a different method of taking part in activities. She has focused primarily on activities relating to theater and has taken part in five main-stage shows since arriving at Brandeis; she seems intent on taking part in more as her college experience continues. Haas explained that this commitment generally takes up 10 hours per week when averaged out over the course of the semester, while emphasizing that “tech weeks”—the week prior the opening of a show—are vastly more demanding than “non-tech weeks.” While 10 hours may seem low in comparison to the staggering 60 spent by Rothman, when divided by all 19 clubs and organizations, Rothman spends far less time for each individual club. Rothman explained his motivations for taking part in his activities, “I was involved in a wide range of things just because I had a lot of interests and wanted to satisfy all of these passions.” He denies, however, pandering to extracurriculars for the sake of his resume. “I did indeed think that the magnitude would affect my resume, but not any clubs in particular.” Andrea Dine, associate director of career development at the Hiatt Career Center, reiterated the push of Brandeis students to participate in See CLUBS, page 3
restricted access Occupy Harvard camp, which has been closed to all but Harvard students.
photo courtesy of summer shafer
‘99 percent’ occupy Harvard Yard By Connor Novy Staff
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — For three weeks, Harvard students have inhabited tents, occupying their campus not only in solidarity with other protests around the country, but also to demand changes to their own university, which is one of the ivy-covered institutions that have historically educated the children of the top 1 percent or less. Protesters have, however, been placed under intense scrutiny by the university, removing the public ele-
ment from the protests and requiring a Harvard ID to enter the campus, which has always been open to the community. “They’re keeping the community out,” said Gargo Chatterji, a Harvard protester, “which is unfortunate, because we should have the greatest possible dialogue between Harvard and the community at this point.” The university claims that the heightened security is meant to keep the first-years, whose dorms edge the occupied yard, safe. In a published response, the occupiers said, “The de-
cision to only grant entry to Harvard ID holders has reinforced the institutional exclusivity and elitism that Occupy Harvard seeks to change.” Summer Shafer, a Harvard graduate student and Occupy Harvard organizer, explained: “Legally, they’re worried about vagrancy, which was a big problem with Occupy Boston. We’ve had other occupations before, and they’ve never closed the gates. By keeping the gates closed, it keeps the opinion of the movement negative.” See HARVARD, page 4