national 20% 20 asian 15% 15 hispanic 8% 8 other 7% 7 black 6% 6 economic diversity low-income 16% 16 affluent 84% 84 undergraduate admissions center shapiro campus center the university has an active student government, the brandeis student union, as well as more than 270 student organizations. fraternities and sororities aren't officially recognized by brandeis university, as they are contrary to a central tenet of the university, namely, that student organizations be open to all students, with membership determined by competency or interest. according to an official handbook, "exclusive or secret societies are inconsistent with the principles of openness to which the university is committed.". brandeis has 11 a cappella groups, six undergraduate-run theater companies, one sketch comedy troupe (boris' kitchen, founded in 1987), four improv-comedy groups, and many other cultural and arts clubs, as well as student activism groups that advocate for causes including environmentalism, immigration reform, lgbtq rights, feminism, and anti-racism. brandeis is also home to what has been cited as one of the country's few undergraduate-run law publications. of particular note is the brandeis academic debate and speech society (b.a.d.a.s.s.), which consistently ranks as one of the top 10 debate teams in the united states, and participates across the globe in the world universities debating championships each year. during the 2012–2013 school year, b.a.d.a.s.s. was the second most successful team overall on the american parliamentary debate association circuit. cholmondeley's coffeehouse, commonly referred to as "chums", is located in brandeis' usen castle. chums is a popular site for student performances and concerts, including tracy chapman, bob dylan, joan baez, matt pond pa, and genesis (notable as their first american performance). early footage of chums appears in the short documentary film, coffee house rendezvous. cholmondley's is named after a notoriously ill-tempered basset hound that was the on-campus pet for ralph norman, the campus photographer during the first years of brandeis. the dog roamed the campus after dark, growling at students, often nipping at their cuffs and making a general nuisance of himself. after his death, the coffee house was named for him, not so much in remembrance but in celebration. in 2015, in an email to student workers of the coffee house, brandeis administration announced the immediate closure of chums coffeehouse, leaving said student workers unemployed. after significant pushback from the student body and alumni alike, the administration determined to make the closure temporary while the space underwent renovations. brandeis university's campus sustainability initiative seeks to reduce the university's environmental and climate change impact. the university's accomplishments in the arena of sustainability include the creation of a student-organized on-campus farmers' market, the implementation of a single-stream recycling program, and the transition to greene certified wind power for 15% of the school's electricity needs. brandeis also offers an environmental studies academic program, which includes courses such as greening the ivory tower: improving sustainability of brandeis and community, which serves as an incubator for student led sustainability projects. student projects have included greening campus offices, running after-school environmental education programs for children in the waltham schools, and cleaning up local streams and ponds. in addition, a student-led project in 2014 established a rooftop farm atop the gerstenzang science building consisting of 1,500 potted milk crates. students also have the option of taking courses with a "community engaged learning" (cel) aspect. community-engaged learning is an aspect of the university's broad-based commitment to experiential learning. emergency medical services are provided by the brandeis emergency medical corps, nicknamed bemco, a massachusetts-certified emt-basic volunteer student organization which does not charge a fee for any of its emergency services. security escort services are provided around the campus and into waltham by the student-run "branvan," which runs on a daily schedule from 4:00 pm to 2:30 am on weekdays and from 12:00 pm to 2:30 am on weekends. the university is 9 miles (14 km) west of boston and is accessible through brandeis/roberts station on the fitchburg commuter rail line, a free shuttle that services boston and cambridge (harvard square) thursday through sunday, the nearby riverside subway station (above ground) on the green line, and the 553 mbta bus. wien international scholarship the wien international scholarship program was instituted by brandeis university for international undergraduate students. it was established in 1958 by lawrence a. and mae wien. the family had three objectives: to further international understanding, to provide foreign students an opportunity to study in the united states, and to enrich the intellectual and cultural life at brandeis. the wien scholarship offers full or partial tuition awards; these awards are need-based and require the applicants to present outstanding academic and personal achievement. each year, the recipients of the scholarship take a week-long tour of a destination in the united states. in previous years, the students have visited the united nations in new york city, and did relief work in new orleans following hurricane katrina. in april 2008, the university hosted a three-day-long celebration for the 50th anniversary of the program.