Klein, Traiman Elected Commentator Editors

For the sixth time in seven years, two people will share the helm of this newspaper. Late Monday night, the Governing Board of The Commentator elected Aaron Klein and Alex Traiman, the current News Editor and Layout Editor respectively, Co-Editors-in-Chief for Volume 64.

Wave of Thefts Sweeps Campus During Passover Break

Supply and demand are not foreign subjects to economics major Ariel Sloan. With just one month remaining before his graduation, he learned the hard way that excessive demand could lead to corruption. During Pesach vacation, a treasured two-week hiatus from the rigors of college, someone entered Sloan's locked room in Morgenstern Hall, sifted through his personal belongings, and lifted his laptop computer.

Hecht to Assume Reins of Floundering MTA

As MTA continues to recover from a tumultuous past four months, the University appointed Rabbi Dr. Michael Hecht to the post of Acting Dean at Yeshiva University High Schools, effective July 1. The move came as a pleasant surprise to many faculty members, students, and parents who have awaited indications that MTA's situation would stabilize. Hecht, current associate dean of Yeshiva College and TMSTA Rebbe, has been hailed by many as a polymath whose vision can spell success for the floundering institution.

Measures Taken to Advance Honors Program

The students, faculty, and administration of Yeshiva College have taken significant steps to assure that the school's Honors Program begins by the 1999 fall semester. The program, under the direction of Dr. Frank Felsenstein, will require new students to enroll in first year honors survey courses (Honors 1 and 2) and then complete a minimum of six honors electives. Honors students must also write a senior thesis, participate in co-curricular activities such as summer courses or internships, and complete 108 credits at Yeshiva College.

YC to Offer Summer Physics and Culture Course in Italy

As part of the new Yeshiva College Honors Program, a physics course is being offered this summer that will allow students to spend two weeks in Florence, Italy to study both the physics of Galileo and Italian Jewish Culture of the Renaissance Period. The five credit course will satisfy one of the science requirements of YC and SSSB (3 credits) and will count as an Humanities elective (2 credits). The course will commence on the Main Campus of Yeshiva College (June 14 through July 2), and will be followed by a second component in Florence, Italy (July 12 through July 25).

YU Chess Club Eyes Creation of Regional League

Although never as popular as intramural basketball or a Thursday night Simpson's episode in Rubin, the Yeshiva University Chess Club has always maintained a lively presence on campus. Over the past year, visitors to the second floor Morg on Wednesday nights have been greeted by the endless clicking of the brand-new game clocks the club has purchased. More than twenty-five students congregate each week to test their skills against one another, and, recently, the club even sponsored a college-wide chess tournament with substantial cash prizes for the winners.

Palestinian Addresses YU students

On March 17, the Middle East Society invited students to participate in an interactive discussion with Samir Awad, a Palestinian graduate student in political science at Columbia University. The event was thought to be without precedent at Yeshiva University. Yishai Fleisher, head of the Middle East Society, explained that the society's function is to provide an intellectually honest forum to discuss issues vital to the Jewish people and the Middle East.

Yom HaZikaron/Yom HaAtzmaut Ceremonies Rock Belfer Commons

On the fourth of Iyar, 5759, Yeshiva University celebrated the independence of Israel with the 12^th annual Yom HaZikaron Tekes /Yom Ha'Azmaut Chagigah. The function, held in Weissberg Commons, was sponsored by the Israel Clubs of YC and SCW, YCSC, TAC, SCWSC, SOY, and B'nei Akiva. The program recognized Israeli politics and religion, and celebrated their synthesis as a defining element of contemporary Jewish culture.

Rewriting History

In a refreshing change from years past, this year's volume of YU's undergraduate yearbook, The Masmid not only exists, but is actually on schedule to be published in September, and distributed to graduated seniors soon thereafter.

Dorm Talks

The second Dorm Talks of the Spring 1999 Semester took place Monday evening, April 26, 1999. Featuring Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, the Dorm talks were moderated by Rabbi Yosef Blau and Coordinated by Rabbi Joshua Cheifetz.

YUCS Hosts Game Developer

On Monday, April 19, the Computer Science Societies of YC and SCW hosted an evening with Eric Goldberg, CEO of Crossover Technologies, in the Ivry Center on the Midtown campus. Goldberg is the founder and driving force behind Crossover, the only pure developer of computer games in New York City.

Commentator Web Site Approaches 150,000 Hits

One-and-a-half years since its inception, The Commentator's web site, www.yucommentator.com, has garnered nearly 150,000 hits. Created by webmasters Ben Sandler and Josh Yuter, the web site has steadily increased in popularity among its readers, attracting hundreds of new subscribers to its instant update list. The site also provides a connection to readers around the world, including many from Israel, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, France, Germany, and the former Republic of Macedonia.