Commencement reactions continue
by Miranda Neubauer
Senior Writer
News | 5/4/10
Posted online at 4:20 AM EST on 5/4/10
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Friday afternoon, between 10 and 15 students opposing Oren's selection gathered in front of Bernstein -Marcus with banners that claimed statements such as "Brandeis doesn't have a foreign policy," and called attention to their presence by beating on Source/ReSource buckets distributed throughout campus and using a loudspeaker with cries of "One, two, three, four, Oren just divides us more! Five, six, seven, eight, hate we will not advocate!"
Last Wednesday approximately 12 students who opposed Oren's selection had participated in the opening of the Festival of the Arts. After participating in the festival by using the buckets to fill the water sculpture Source/ReSource in front of the Rose Art Museum, they lined up their buckets with signs taped to them that read, "Another Brandeis Student ALIENATED By Michael Oren ..no alumni donations here."
"Our thinking was that the event that we participated in on Wednesday … was a very subdued event. It wasn't really cathartic in the sense of letting people scream, shout and get their opinions out," protester Mariel Gruszko '10 said in an interview with the Justice at the start of Friday's demonstration.
During her meeting with Reinharz after the protest, Gruszko said she and other protestors were not creating a division but that the selection of Oren itself was inherently divisive.
Reinharz said in the meeting with students that he thought of Brandeis students as "willing to listen to any opinion any time" and told students, "None of you know what [Oren's] going to speak about." Stressing commencement as a learning opportunity, Reinharz asked whether students would rather have "Commencement speakers who are bland and will tell you nothing."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 14
batami
posted 5/04/10 @ 5:48 AM EST
My friends and I will now be discussing whether Brandeis is the kind of place our children should apply to. J Street brought Brandeis to a dead end.
Peter Brand
posted 5/04/10 @ 1:07 PM EST
Both Brandeis and the state of Israel were established in response to the scourge of anti-Semitism. While these actions alone have not solved the problem they have empowered the Jewish people and offered some measure of recourse. (Continued…)
Larry Bigio
posted 5/08/10 @ 4:13 PM EST
As a Brandeis graduate from '86, I am very dissapointed to see students actually protesting against having the Israeli ambassador, Michael Oren, speak at commencement. (Continued…)
Ex-brandeis
posted 5/08/10 @ 11:20 PM EST
As someone who got the hell out of brandeis after 1 year, these actions are not surprising. I had enough of Obots, girls with fist sized pimples and bad breath, and kapo wannabees. (Continued…)
Larry Bigio
posted 5/10/10 @ 1:37 AM EST
I strongly suggest reading the related the Jerusalem Post piece by Daniel Gordis called "If this is our Future":
http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=174863
Israel bashers like J-Street who would actually protest the Israeli ambassador clearly have no clue whatsoever as to what Israel is really all about. (Continued…)
Judith Sloan
posted 5/10/10 @ 8:08 AM EST
This may be the proverbial "three strikes and they're out" as far as my continued, generous support as an alum and a Fellow. First, Jimmy Carter, whose book was universally panned and whose anti-Israel positiions are well-known was invited to speak at Brandeis. (Continued…)
Joseph Cohen
posted 5/12/10 @ 3:30 PM EST
During my time at Brandeis, and in the years since my graduation, I?ve grown increasingly amused by the unoriginality of commencement controversy. Each and every year the speaker seems to be viewed in one of 2 lights: too divisive or too obscure. (Continued…)
Josherman
posted 5/16/10 @ 5:35 AM EST
What is the matter with Brandeis that you cannot graciously host the Ambassador from Israel...or any other country, for that matter?
And to those who oppose him, honestly. (Continued…)
David Zucker
posted 5/24/10 @ 1:08 AM EST
As an alumnus (class of 99') I'm thrilled that a brilliant scholar and proud Zionist will be speaking at graduation.
Arafat
posted 5/24/10 @ 7:54 PM EST
The road Brandeis is following leads here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-93IlMI0qEE
Islam and free speech are like oil and the Gulf of Mexico. (Continued…)
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