Spring Break
In these troubling times, don't lose sight of those who helped keep Brandeis great
by Zachary Matusheski
Forum | 5/19/09
Posted online at 6:09 PM EST on 5/18/09
This spring, Brandeis had quite a semester. With the closing of the Rose Art Museum and many budget problems, it is hard to see anything truly positive in all that happened this year. However, beneath the surface, there have been good things to talk about. Selfless people have loyally aided Brandeis in this difficult semester. With so many negative stories in the press, it is easy to forget these great people. Their contributions are strong votes of confidence in uncertain times, something this University community desperately needs and should remember as it takes stock of this semester.
On March 3, 2009, the Justice reported that an anonymous donor offered a donation to cover the operating fees for the Rose Art Museum. It was reported as a "substantial, low-six-figure gift" according to Joe Baerlein of Rasky Baerlein Strategic Commun-ications, Inc. Here was a much-overlooked nugget of good news as Brandeis continued to struggle over the undying Rose Art Museum issue from January.
More recent stories came from our own community. The golf team raised the $22,000 necessary to fund its continuation for another season from 80 donors. With donations at around $500 a pop, people rallied around the team to keep it afloat. Other universities have not been as lucky. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology cut eight varsity teams, golf included. Quinnipiac University also cut its golf program. Pepperdine University, the University at Northern Iowa, the University of Vermont and Western Washington University cut nongolf athletic teams. Whether these teams will weather the storm as Brandeis' golf team has is yet to be seen.
In the same issue as the golf team success story, the April 7 edition of the Justice reported that a $1 million gift had been given to the University for scholarships. Half of that amount will be given to current and future students in the humanities and fine arts. The other half will be added to the endowment. This good news was buried under the larger negative stories about the "resumption of hearing of grievances" with the Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee report, an influential editorial on need-based acceptance policies and continuing issues with the Rose controversy.
On March 3, 2009, the Justice reported that an anonymous donor offered a donation to cover the operating fees for the Rose Art Museum. It was reported as a "substantial, low-six-figure gift" according to Joe Baerlein of Rasky Baerlein Strategic Commun-ications, Inc. Here was a much-overlooked nugget of good news as Brandeis continued to struggle over the undying Rose Art Museum issue from January.
More recent stories came from our own community. The golf team raised the $22,000 necessary to fund its continuation for another season from 80 donors. With donations at around $500 a pop, people rallied around the team to keep it afloat. Other universities have not been as lucky. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology cut eight varsity teams, golf included. Quinnipiac University also cut its golf program. Pepperdine University, the University at Northern Iowa, the University of Vermont and Western Washington University cut nongolf athletic teams. Whether these teams will weather the storm as Brandeis' golf team has is yet to be seen.
In the same issue as the golf team success story, the April 7 edition of the Justice reported that a $1 million gift had been given to the University for scholarships. Half of that amount will be given to current and future students in the humanities and fine arts. The other half will be added to the endowment. This good news was buried under the larger negative stories about the "resumption of hearing of grievances" with the Curriculum and Academic Restructuring Steering committee report, an influential editorial on need-based acceptance policies and continuing issues with the Rose controversy.
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