HE OMMENTATOR T The Independent C Student Newspaper of Yeshiva University VOL. LXXXV MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020 ISSUE NO. 12 Rynhold Appointed Dean of Revel as Berger Steps Down Prof. Rynhold will understand why I am By Avi Hirsch pleased by this, and those who do not will soon share that pleasure.” Dr. David Berger will be stepping In a statement to The Commentator, down from his position as dean of YU’s Berger elaborated that although he had Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish “resisted major administrative positions” Studies, effective June 30, to be replaced in the past, when he assumed a profes- by Professor of Jewish Philosophy and sional Chair at YU 13 years ago, he found Director of Yeshiva College’s (YC) Jay and himself in “an institution that [he] cared Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program about deeply for reasons that transcended Dr. Daniel Rynhold. Berger will continue the fact that it was [his] employer.” teaching as a professor of Jewish History “I accepted the vigorous argument at Revel. by the Provost at the time [Dr. Morton According to Dean of the Undergraduate Lowengrub] that it was my obligation to Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dr. Karen undertake this position,” explained Berger. Bacon, Dr. Eliezer Schnall, clinical profes- “After a dozen years, and well past the sor of psychology at YC, will be replacing normal age of retirement, I told the cur- Rynhold as the new director of the Honors rent Provost [Dr. Selma Botman] that it Program. “We anticipate appointing an was time to return to the simple status of Associate Director as well,” explained Dean Professor. I hope that I am leaving Revel in Bacon in an email to The Commentator. a position to build on its stellar status in the “Our goal is to continue to make the pro- academic world through its extraordinary gram as robust and engaging as it has been constellation of world class professors and in the past.” students who are conversant with the texts The news that Revel would soon have a and teachings of the millennial Jewish new dean was first publicized in an email tradition.” from Berger two months ago informing When Rynhold was called into Berger’s Revel students that he would be stepping Dr. Daniel Rynhold will be assuming the position YESHIVA UNIVERSITY down. In the email, Berger announced his Continued on Page 4 of Dean of School at YU’s Bernard Revel Graduate successor, adding, “Those of you who know School of Jewish Studies beginning July 1. New B.S. Computer Candidate for Syms Treasurer Barred Science Degree Offered at From Running Yeshiva College, in Student Council Election Stern College Stays two days after he had presented HaTorah, an institution affiliated By Elisheva Kohn more than the requisite 179 sig- with the S. Daniel Abraham Israel with B.A. natures to run for the position, Program. Commenting on this and 22 days after he submitted untraditional arrangement, Stark program in the spring. Diament The Wilf Student Court ruled in favor of the Canvassing his “Intent To Run” form to the explained that he had received By Sruli Fruchter explained that some employers, two scholarships, one which re- like Google, “assume that ambi- Committee on May 4 by a major- ity of 3-2, terminating Michael quired him to attend his freshman Yeshiva College’s (YC) tious C.S. [computer science] stu- "The signatures are Stark’s (SSSB ‘22) candidacy year of college on campus, and Computer Science department is dents are in a B.S. program,” and for Sy Syms Student Council all from students who the other which required him to offering its students a four-year while students with a B.A. can still Treasurer in the upcoming Wilf attend a yeshiva in Israel. Stark track to receive a Bachelor of compete for those same jobs, a B.S. student council elections on May want to see me on the intends to return to campus as a Science (B.S.) as an alternative to “is assumed in top C.S. industry 7. Majority and dissenting opin- junior for Fall 2020. the three-year track for a Bachelor contexts.” Additionally, students ballot for this election ions of the court have not yet been Commenting on his reasoning of Arts (B.A.). The new B.S. track pursuing a B.S. degree have a released due to the “time-sensi- behind the decision to remove is effective immediately and was smaller set of required “general period" tive nature of the case,” according ___ Stark’s name from the ballot, officially announced to Wilf com- education courses” than a B.A., to an email from Chief Justice Shiner said, “He's currently in puter science students via email such as a writing intensive course, Michael Stark Phillip Dolitsky (YC ‘20). the S. Daniel Abraham Israel on April 7. and can instead focus on taking Stark sued the Canvassing (SSSB ‘23) Program, as opposed to regis- Wilf students enrolled in the more major-related courses. Committee and the Office of tered as an on-campus student. 4-year tracks of either data science “I hope all parts of Yeshiva Student Life (OSL) on April 30 Canvassing Committee on April 7. Only on-campus students vote or distributed systems will receive a will continue to put in the effort after he was informed by Jacob Unlike the majority of YU in on-campus elections, and only B.S. while the unspecialized 3-year and resources, and be given the Shiner (SSSB ‘21), a member of students who attend a gap year on-campus students can run.” track will earn a B.A. According to indispensable siyata Dishmaya the Canvassing Committee, that program before coming to YU, According to Shiner, the decision Chair of the YC Computer Science [help of heaven], to continuously his name would be removed from Stark spent his freshman year to terminate Stark’s candidacy was Department Judah Diament, expand and improve our C.S. offer- the ballot due to his current en- in the 2018-19 academic year made “after a discussion between the New York State Education ings and services to our students,” rollment in the S. Daniel Abraham on the Wilf Campus, where he Department enabled YU to offer Israel Program. Stark was first had served on the YSU Student the B.S. track this past fall, but the Continued on Page 4 informed that he was disquali- Council. Currently in his sopho- YC faculty officially approved the Continued on Page 4 fied from running on April 29, more year, Stark is attending Lev NEWS | 7 FEATURES | 14 OPINIONS | 16 BUSINESS | 23 Undergraduate Student Government Election Results Commentator COVID-19 Survey As Jews, We Must Support the Corporations Taking a Stand: Results: An Analysis Anti-Discrimination Policy Should They Care 2 From the Editor’s Desk Monday, May 11, 2020 THE COMMENTATOR 2019-2020 Editor-in-Chief AVI HIRSCH Managing Editor YOSSI ZIMILOVER News FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK Senior Editor Junior Editors YITZCHAK CARROLL ELISHEVA KOHN SRULI FRUCHTER Features Senior Editor Junior Editors YOSEF LEMEL JACOB ROSENFELD TEMMI LATTIN Opinions Senior Editor Junior Editors CHANA WEINBERG MICHAEL WEINER In Retrospect: AHARON NISSEL Takeaways from a Tumultuous Year Business Senior Editor Junior Editor students, calling out the administration decision made with little to no student ELI FRISHMAN EITAN LAVIAN By Avi Hirsch for not communicating sufficiently time feedback and every semester with no pub- and again. Although not always success- lic forums or town halls by administrators Layout ful, we have worked to influence the ad- to hear from the students they purport to Following a relatively calm and un- Senior Editor Junior Editor eventful year, in which a rosh yeshiva ministration to further prioritize students’ serve. As long as administrators fail to denouncing a coed Shabbaton was per- concerns. reach out to the student body to demon- ROCKY PINCUS MICAH PAVA haps the most controversial and widely Many undergraduate students at YU strate their support and actually convey to discussed news story, one might have cherish their time here. They appreciate the students that they have been working Social Media Manager expected that this year would be no the close relationships they form with many long hours for them, their attitudes SHIRA LEVITT different. their rabbeim and mashgichim, whose fo- won’t change. cus on each individual student’s spiritual That’s not to say this is a problem But as early as August, there were signs Website Manager that this year would not follow the same and emotional well-being is unrivaled by across the board. Those administrators path. Beginning with the lawsuit brought any other university. They acknowledge who have not only been responsive to ELAZAR KRAUSZ by nearly 40 former students against YU, the benefits of YU’s small class sizes and student concern but have gone out of week after week brought with it new major enjoy the social atmosphere of a predomi- their way to engage personally with their Business Manager nantly Jewish undergraduate student students have overwhelmingly positive events. The LGBTQ march in September Senior Manager Junior Manager body. Often these students arrived at YU impressions among the student body. was followed by the rejection and subse- SAMUEL KATZ MEIR LIGHTMAN quent reinstatement of the YU College with friends from yeshiva, seminary or Dr. Noam Wasserman, in his first year Democrats club. In November, student high school, but many more met their as Dean of Sy Syms School of Business, group of friends for the first time when has been perhaps the most extraordinary Programmer backlash to the restructured dining plan OMAR FARUK saw it quickly reverted back to the previ- they arrived at college, pleasantly sur- example of an administrator with univer- ous year’s system, and December brought prised by the warm and inviting atmo- sally positive impressions among students with it a much-discussed break-in and sphere they found here.