Yeshiva Confiscates New York Times

A recent Commentator probe has revealed that Yeshiva’s Department of Facilities Management has been allegedly confiscating New York Times vending machines from their respective Uptown campus locations. The machines, which are the sole property of The New York Times and have been missing for months, were found this week in a restricted access Facilities storage room.

According to Eric Schubert, an IBC/YC Senior and the previous New York Times Sales Manager for Yeshiva, the machine confiscation began in October 1998 when a machine that had been chained to a post at 185th Street and Amsterdam Avenue mysteriously disappeared during Sukkot vacation.

“When I came back,” explains Schubert, “the machine was gone and no department in YU would take responsibility for its disappearance. I found it hard to believe that anyone from the neighborhood would steal a seventy-five pound vending machine that was chained to a metal post”

The Times was immediately informed of the machine’s alleged confiscation, promptly replacing it with a new machine that was chained to 186th and Amsterdam because security would not allow it to be placed on 185th. “Security told me that Facilities wouldn’t let The Times put the vending machine on 185th. I don’t understand that at all,” said Schubert. “They don’t even own the land.” In April 1999, Facilities moved the vending machine from 186th and Amsterdam, placing it in Rubin Hall, and an additional machine was brought in for the Morgenstern Hall lobby. During Passover vacation, however, the machine from Morgenstern was allegedly removed by Facilities, once again without the permission of Schubert or The New York Times.

“This time I was very upset,” asserted Schubert. “It was removed from inside a building, so I knew it had to have been Facilities.” For the next few weeks, Schubert tried unsuccessfully to contact Jeffrey Socol, Director of Facilities Management, and Jeffrey Rosengarten, Director of Supporting Services Administration. “I scheduled several meetings with Rosengarten, but he didn’t show up to any of them.”

Both Socol and Rosengarten denied that the machines were removed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” responded Socol to a reporter’s query. But The Commentator this week gained access to a well-secured Facilities storage room on the “C” level of Belfer Hall, where the confiscated machines currently reside. After taking pictures of the stolen machines, The Commentator again approached Socol and Rosengarten, both of them refusing to comment on the situation.

Jane Cook, New York City Education Account Manager for The Times, said, “If for some reason Yeshiva didn’t want our machines on campus, we should have been notified. The machines are Times property, and don’t belong to Yeshiva University.” “Yeshiva has to learn that they can’t go around confiscating Commentators and New York Times vending machines whenever they feel like it,” stated Schubert. “It’s just not normal."

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