Dear Fellow Students,

Well it has been a while since I have written to you. A lot has happened since then and I would like to bring you up to date on it all. Firstly, we are very happy to announce that the TV Lounge in Rubin Lobby will now be open 24 hours a day. Additionally, the Sephardic Beit Midrash will now be cool in the summer with the instillation of two air conditioning units.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the tremendously successful Yom Ha' azmaut Carnival. Thank you Howie Mazin, Andrew Leibowitz, the entire office of Student Services, Bracha Schiffmiller, and all those who helped out with the booths. I would especially like to thank Dr. Richard Zerneck and Mr. Jeff Socol for all their advice and help with the logistics for the event.

With all the thank you's out of the way, I would like to address you as a student of Yeshiva College. As you will undoubtedly read throughout this paper, the student elections are upon us. You might read different opinion pieces from people about the candidates. I implore you to meet the different candidates, read their ideas for the future, and come to your own opinion. Only you know whom you voted for, so make an intelligent informed choice. There will be a formal debate on Wednesday, so I urge all of you to come to Morg Lounge and hear what the candidates have to say.

Finally, I would like to state a personal opinion. We are all fully aware of the impact that the shootings in Littleton, Colorado has had on the American public, but how has it affected us? Two boys, toting Nazi dogma and semi-automatic weapons opened fire on their classmates. It is hard for some to believe that in this day and age, anti-Semitism of such a caliber can exist. Well let us all wake up and smell the coffee. We cannot let down our guard. The longer we brush off events such as these as a freakish happenstance, the easier it is for such attitudes and action to become acceptable. We must continually realize that our actions are, and always will be, the focus of media attention and scrutiny. The arrests of individual Jews cheating the government from money, hiding behind a dogma of protecting Jewish education does not help our cause. There is absolutely no Kovod Hatorah involved in this but a clear and apparent Ziyuf Hatorah. We are held accountable as a nation, not as individuals, when it comes to being judged by the world. I implore those graduating this year to keep this in mind when they enter their professional lives.

I would like to wish all of you luck with your final papers and your studying. Don't forget to take a break every once and a while and enjoy the nice weather!!!

Sincerely,

Dror Barber

YCSC President '98-'99