Yum Yum High Schoolers Mysteriously Converge On Closes Doors YUNMUN VII Story, Page 4 Story, Page 11 Wffi\11wr.m ,�r,._ •-ii: , ' - ...,, -• ' •·\ ;, • .,f February 19, 1997 / 12 Adar I 5757 Official Undergraduate Newspaper of Yeshiva College Volume LXI No. 8 I Repairs, Renovations Disrupt Classes in Furst Jlall Professors Forced to Cancel Lectures BY Yoss1 LEw1s cancel classes. "It really was impossible to properly concen­ Over the past few weeks, Ye­ trate on the lecture." shiva University's Facilities Marrin cited the height of the Management has_ been putting disturbance to be one instance the finishing touches on an up­ in which the workers were bang­ grade of the campus computer ing a sledgehammer into the and phone networks, a project first-floor ceiling right below his which according to Dean Nor­ desk chair. While Lee didn't \ manAdler, "willlead us into the mention such a disturbance, he educational technology of the did interrupt his class to inquire oe twenty-first century." whetherthe work could be done � However, to professors like at a different time. Dr. Albert Marrin, the construc­ "Teaching is something that � tion necessary to install the new should be done in a university telecommunications systems and it's not good that this noise has come at the expense of more prevents us from doing just traditional methods of learning that," declared Lee. "On the oc­ like the teacher lecturing and casion that there will be such students listening. Both History disturbances, the faculty should professor Dr. Marrin and En­ be informed ahead of time." glish professor Dr. William Lee "The purpose of a university YU Rabbi Speaks Out at have complained that the noise is to learn and it's difficult to creates an environment that is · learn in this setting," affirmed not conducive to academic en­ Marrin. "There must be a way to Con/ere nee on Feminism and richment. schedule the work so that the "Therewas drillingand ham­ worst noise doesn't i�pede in mering above and .below; it's the midst of classes." · impossible to conduct a class According to Assistant Direc­ Orthodoxy with that background ofnoise," tor of Facilities Management BY BENJAMIN BALINT sueofwomeninJudaism;a sold Judaism, climaxed this week said Marrin. "It's disturbing to Pedro Gonzalez, standard pro­ out 92nd Street Y panel discus­ with the InternationalConfer­ both the students and the pro­ cedure for coordinating con­ Itseemsthatanotherfronthas sion on Jewish feminism; a front ence on Feminism and Ortho­ fessoras it jars one's thoughts structionwith classes is to look opened on the conflictbetween page article in the Metro Section doxy, the firstof its type, held and forces one to raise one's at the course schedule and at­ traditional Judaism and the val­ of the New York Times last Sun­ February 16 and 17, at Manhat­ voice." tempt to schedule the work dur­ ues of modernity,onethatisonce day on the subject, echoing ma­ tan's Grand Hyatt Hotel. Itwas Indeed, the disturbance ing times when there are few more testing the boundariesand jor pieces in many Jewish news­ sponsored by AMIT, the Ortho­ proved to be so distracting that classes. However, Gonzalez allegiances of Orthodoxy. papers; all these indicate that dox women's association; The Dr. Marrin was forced to cancel pointed outthatbecauseofunion Last month's ruling of the something is afootin contempo­ Drisha Institute, a New York his classes on Friday, January regulations,constructionduring Queens Vaad Harabonim raryJudaism, somethingthathas institute for women's Torah 24, and attempted to relocate his the night is difficult to schedule, against women's prayer groups, managed to penetrate even the learning;EDAH, a modern Or­ classes for the following week. and therefore,on occasion,there and the intense response it sub­ insular walls of Yeshiva Uni­ thodox think-tank; and the Theattempted relocation result­ are resulting disturbances to sequently evoked; public com­ versity. Women's Tefillah Network. A ed in the cancellation of his two classes. ments made by various YU rab­ This trend of growing public bustling, overcapacity crowd of large survey classes on Monday, Gonzalez mentioned that he bis, Rabbi Twersky prominent awareness and debate of the is­ approximately 1,000 partici- January 27, as the registrar was did not knowthe particulars of among them, regarding the is- sues which concern women in continued on page 12 unable to locate an empty room the situation and referred such to accommodate classes of that questions to Director of Facili­ size. ties Management JeffreySocol. TwoSchools Nixed from "Tolli.Marrin'scredit, there Socol, for his part, refused to was nothing else to do," said provide any·details, declaring History major Joel Kruger in de­ that he doesn't give interviews fense of Marrin's decision to continued on page 12 Joint Israel Program --- Anti-YU Stance Deemed Unacceptable BY GIL BLOOM for students planing on matric­ pleting their studies. "That is ulating to the University. their prerogative, of course," In a bold show of force to Ye­ The JIP plays an important Kranzler said, "But then the stu­ shivot in Israel who continue to role in the yeshivas it accredits, dent and the parent, before they inculcate their students with namely YU oversees collection go [to yeshiva in Israel] should anti YU rhetoric, Yeshiva Uni­ of tutition for every yeshiva on be able to assume, at the least, versity's S. Daniel Abraham its list. Additionally, affiliation that they are not going some­ Joint Israel Program has severed with Yeshiva University has where that is anti-YU." ..., its relationship with both Yeshi­ increased enrollment in many While these Yeshivot do not [ vas Beis Yisroel and Yeshivas yeshivas on the JIP. flout YUpublicly, Kranzler has ;::, Toras Moshe. According to Directorof Un­ received numerous complaints � TheJointlsiaelProgramOIP), dergraduate Admissions Micha­ about the indoctrination that which allows students to attend el Kranzler, the yeshivot were occurs at the schools. "By being various yeshivot in Israel and nixed because they recommend on the Uoint Israel] Program, it is ; tor.-.- ·. U!JUirs ro,:., ar. er an . yon ate,:a mire art wor on receive credit for their learning that their students not continue communicating to the prospec- . dis itt· at YC's 1rst annual Arts Festival. Sto on a e 5. hasfastbecomethepathofchoice at Yeshiva University upon com- continued on page 12 a..;;;._2e 7 P _g _______________,tlf�e 11111 dr menbd11rl1- ----------�F..;..be ..;.;..r..;.;..ua�r,.._y_19..;....,_19_9 What camefi �st, the facilities orilieeducabon? ��t C!Ie:tn:tntttfUfut 500mi.. West I 85th Street, New York, NY 10033, E-Mail: [email protected]. Telephone and Fax: (212)740-2155. Published bi-weeklyduringtheacademicyearby the Yeshiva Yeshiva University was not designed by the likes of Herod College Student Council. The views expressed in the signed columns are those of the or Frank Lloyd Wright. The buildings on the undergraduate writers alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Commentator, the student body, the faculty, or the Administration of Yeshiva University. We do not endorse any uptown main campus are old and are in need of constant of the products or services advertised in these pages. Copyright 1996, The Commentator. attention and repair. Facilities Management's mission is to One issue free, $1.00 for each additional issue. provide continual upkeep and perform the upgrades neces­ sary for the entire campus, but not at the expense of any JOSHUA M. FELDMAN ARNON STORFER individual student's education, let alone the education of a Editors-in-Chief classroom full of students. ARIGRUEN Over the past several weeks, Facilities Management has Executive Editor displayed a complete disregard and lack of concerntowards NOAH STREIT ARI KAHN the YU student's education. At any moment, a YC teacher's News Editor Features Editor voice is being drowned out by the banging of sledghammers and the screechings of dr!lls. Classes h,ave suffered because of JOSHUA FINE JEREMY IVES Copy Editor Business Manager the excessive noise pollution. The disturbances have become so overwhelming that one ASSOCIATEEDITORS professor, unable to teach over the ruckus, cancelled his class News Adam Moses outright. To avoid any further noise disturbance, he attempt­ Photography Etan Walls ed to relocate his next class. Unable to find a suitable alterna­ Art Ari Steiner tive room with the aide of the Office of the Registrar, the Business YosefLevine professor was forced to cancel his next dass too. STAFFCOLUMNISTS These activities can not continue.While any upkeep and Daniel Anziska upgrade is important, especially technological upgrades which Benjamin Balint will enhance the productivity YU, all maintenance and con­ J.J. Sussman struction should, under no circumstance, conflict with sched­ STAFFWRITERS SPORTSEDITORS uled classes. If, for some bizzare reason, there is no other Matityahu Balas, GaryStrong Ron Markovitz, Steve Zombek alternative, professors and students deserve the courtesy of being notified about the pending noise prior to repairs and be ADVER11SINGMANAGER DISTRIBUI'IONMANAGER relocated to quiet classrooms. Edon Hirt Mark Hecht EDITOREMERITUS NickMuzin Member: Associated \ AMERICAN • ., JEWISH • •collegiate ·(F-.}, PRESS ASSOCIA­ • Press l,�!1/.:J TION R '•noc.\• .. ., . Thursday May22 11:00 a.m. The Theater .:>·Madison Square Garden '. ·· ·.v.··••··.•, ::�i�/l�,1 i·N.••·••·i·i-¥-�}!i\.i· }::,, . :... ,pu.. .•.·,-�·r;M�1;t,'B ·. .. •. •> (Y.P�1.tf�i� 1�ttt�i:J�,,�tiW/1 lfy�µ . ' . · . .. /. h��,: :.., inPtlfi(�el. ·. , .... ·•.·'. ·fi!r·gifaijµ21�lo...... · ... ..·n...•·· . g . 'tr . wlth::'bht,J�e. lstrar. I :,'i,rr.. .. :vour' . .•·•cam.. ·· . p. .· . ue. .. J I 12Adar/, 5757 ___;A�cge=3 I W�e <trnmmenbdnrl-________ FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK MESSAGE FROM THE Y CSC PRESIDENT JOSHUA M. FELDMAN JASON BUSKIN I was interviewing for a job this past are tested on theprocessoflearning,and week, answering the typical myriad of not just knowledge.