Commentator Back On-Line

New Site Independant of University Server

On Oct.25, the Yeshiva University Commentator once again ventured into the realm of cyberspace with the launching of a new World Wide Web site. The site's address is http://www.yucommentator.com. It contains the full text of the most recently published edition of The Commentator along with an archive of recent back issues.

Towards the end of last year, The Commentator went on-line under the umbrella of the student-operated 501 Internet server. However, on July 8, the MIS department terminated the student server, rendering the newspaper's site inaccessible and creating a void in cyberspace where The Commentator used to be.

To compensate for the loss of its technological window to the world, the Governing Board of The Commentator decided to create a website independent of the official YU server and removed from the possibility of administrative tampering. A domain name was purchased, and two students, Josh Yuter and Ben Sandler, were enlisted to design the webpages and serve as webmasters.

Yuter and Sandler invested their talents and energies to create a site that Editor-in-Chief Ari Kahn called "entertaining and informative." Visitors to the site are greeted by a spinning graphic of the YU "Torah U'Maddah" shield, and The Commentator's newspaper banner. The homepage consists of concise summaries of the current edition's leading articles and links to the various sections of the newspaper. The complete text of each article is online and accessible from anywhere in the world via a computer and phone line.

Student reviews have been extremely favorable, with students and alumni logging on from all corners of the globe. Comparison to other YU webpages impelled one student to say, "It makes the YU Today site look like it is being run off an old calculator." Executive Editor Ari Gruen said, "The Commie website provides a fresh alternative to the staid pages of the interactive Times and Journal."

The ability to access the newspaper from anywhere cannot be underestimated, according to News Editor Adam Moses. "Many alumni, especially those in Israel, will find this new service to be of immeasurable benefit as they are not presently afforded access to the printed version." Prospective students can log on and get a feel for what happens on campus as well. Editor-in-Chief Noah Streit expressed his pleasure at being able to reach these potential students through the cybersite, and said "The online edition provides people en masse the opportunity to access what really transpires at YU."

Attempts were made by the Commentator to find space on one of the officially sanctioned YU servers, but the administration rebuffed all requests to create the student newspaper webpage. Unlike virtually all other American universities, YU has a formal policy prohibiting student publications from appearing on the University's central server. David Rosen, the former director of the Yeshiva University Department of Public Relations, strictly forbade any type of uncensored student literature from being posted on-line. This policy officially extended to The Commentator.

Commenting on the possibilty of changing Rosen's guidelines, Yvonne Hudson, the publications director of the PR Department, said that "We have had an established policy of not putting any student work, and we do not plan on moving ahead in this area." She indicated, that in her personal opinion, it is a good idea for The Commentator to be available on the web, however, she does not want to tamper with preexisting University policy.

Webmaster Ben Sandler said, "Most major universities have sites on-line; however, Yeshiva University's site will remain stagnant until it allows The Commentator onto the official university Internet site, and creates a forum in which students can voice their opinions without having to contend with censorship."

Future plans for the site include an interactive forum, where students will be able to post bulletin board messages and participate in student debate. Links to other sites are to be added, and comments and death threats can be e-mailed to various staff members.