YC Club Fair A Success

Are you worried about security finding that bottle of vodka in you dorm fridge? Have you ever expressed a desire to arm the student body of Sy Syms? Are you a closet botanist? All of these interests were well represented at this year's YU Club Fair, along with more conventional clubs, such as Debate, Chess, and Philosophy.

A significant portion of the student body attended the event, held in Belfer Commons on October 12. The fair's goal was to offer information about various student-run clubs in an effort to recruit new members. "Clubs are a great opportunity for students to get involved in the various hobbies and activities that exist on campus," explained Dov Branstatter, the Vice-President of YCSC and organizer of the fair. He noted that he was "very pleased" with the turnout, and that there were over 40 clubs represented this year.

The clubs ran the gamut from familiar to offbeat. The newly established Mental Illness Awareness Club attracted many interested students. Co-founder Ezra Levine discussed the club's two-tiered format. "We have people who have relatives and friends that are mentally ill, and we have a whole slew of members who are themselves mentally ill in some way." The club's literature included plans of field trips to exhibitions of art by mentally ill artists.

The Botany Club, another new entry, struggled to get the requisite twenty members in order to maintain status as an official club. Ami Sanders, the founder of the club, appeared unconcerned with the low level of interest, maintaining that the true lovers of botany would eventually emerge. His optimism was well grounded, as the club finished the evening strongly, securing well over the required amount of signatures.

Predictably, the mainstays of the club scene, such as the YU Student Activity Club, generated the most interest. "We have had more people attending our past events than any other club," remarked YUSAC President Moishe Singer, "and we hope to have activities such as games at MSG, Broadway shows, and other cultural items such as the circus." Another well established club, the Debate Society, plans to continue its intermural competition. "YU had a debate society in the 60's," said Greg Samuels, the president of the society, "but it was discontinued since most debates were held on Shabbos. We want to offer Yeshiva students a forum for good speakers to compete against one another, as well as help people to overcome their fear of public speaking." Samuels predicted that the first debate would be held in a few weeks.

A few clubs on hand were not actually registered participants in the fair. The Beer Bingeing Club attracted an overwhelming response after setting up shop midway through the evening. Club founder Isaac Kreiger defined his group's mission to successfully lobby for alcoholic beverages permitted in the dorm rooms. "This issue is as important as mental awareness," he asserted. After further questioning, Krieger admitted to being underage himself, but insisted that the club supported only legalized drinking. Another libertarian upstart was the YU chapter of the National Rifle Association. YC Sophmore Ryder Dain, representing the club at the fair, envisioned trips to area shooting ranges. "American Jewry is not sufficiently armed," he warned, "we need to establish the Jewish right to self-defense, especially in light of recent Anti-Semitic attacks."

Other clubs used sound marketing to attract members. The Backgammon Club table featured a marathon match between Mike Shimensky and Donny Falik (Shimensky is up one hundred tournament points on the year) next to its sign-up sheet. The Philosophy Club distributed handouts entitled "The Value of Philosophy." The Physics Club advertised a contest called "The Cardboard Boat Race."

The evening included a touch of controversy, too. Ashkenazi students were surprised to discover that the Sephardic Club refused to admit non-Sephardim. Brams Moyal, the President of the Moroccan Club, expressed dissatisfaction with the Sephardic Club's position. "I think the purpose of the clubs is achdut, and this is not helped by keeping Ashkenazim out of the Sephardic Club," he complained. He contrasted this policy with that of his own club, which encouraged non-Moroccan students to join. Shimon Klayman, a visitor to the fair, echoed Moyal's position. "Clubs like these should not be exclusive, they should be open to everyone," he said. "There is no point for them to be insulated, they should allow students from other cultures to learn that other valid forms of Judaism do exist."