Brandeis University's Community Newspaper — Waltham, Mass.
On the night of May 19, after a whirlwind day of caps and gowns, diplomas and subtle donation requests, I left my friends at the Alpha Delta Phi house as a college graduate. But rather than smile at my accomplishments, I was struck with paralyzing fear. As I walked across the street on the 100-foot […]
While I was at my favorite sub shop picking up dinner, I was irritated to hear the song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke come on the radio behind the counter. Before I even had time to think about how much the song irritated me, the muscled man making my sandwich grumbled, “I hate this song […]
As the summer of 2013 ran its course, the music world exploded with huge new albums, singles, concert tours, deaths and lawsuits. Amid all the drama, however, one conversation in particular has risen above all: the comparison of new releases by Jay Z and Kanye West, two of the biggest names in hip-hop today. Jay […]
I spent my summer surrounded by children, working at both a musical theater summer camp and for a nanny company. Spending nine or more hours a day with kids was a learning experience in more ways than one. What surprised me the most was learning about the way that children perceive and experience gender. I […]
When most people hear that Quidditch, the fictional sport in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, has been adapted for real world play, they are skeptical and mocking. Many think that Quidditch players are not true athletes and cannot be taken seriously. As a player of the sport myself, I have to say that the naysayers […]
As my time at Brandeis draws ever more quickly to a close, a separation anxiety of sorts is finally starting to grip me. The odd thing about this is not so much my growing sentimentality, but rather the strange ways in which it seeps into my life. I have found myself feeling a pang of […]
The objective of psychiatric institutions in the United States has changed dramatically during the last half-century due to overcrowding, economic burdens and human rights. This has had both positive and negative consequences on the mentally ill. I was recently able to experience the atmosphere of a psychiatric hospital as a patient and began to see […]
Last month, I published an article criticizing the now non-existent Brandeis Hookups Facebook page. The people who ran Brandeis Hookups wrote a public response directly to me on their page the following week, and when I wrote a response to their comments on the wall, a heated debate ensued. One of the first comments on […]
“I got you, brother!” exclaimed Matt as he gripped Eric by the waist. We were climbing up a steep, iced-over, 50-yard stream to the summit of Mount Mansfield, and Eric was wearing Nike sneakers. He had no traction. Matt, donning a sleek pair of Timberlands, straddled the four-foot wide luge track and found his footing […]
The United States Constitution, first adopted in Philadelphia in 1787, is now more than 200 years old and today there are many people, myself included, who are impressed with the Constitution’s vitality and durability. The rules, frameworks and guiding principles of America’s founding document still define and shape modern American politics. Yet, one can’t help […]
