Seeking to fill a void that has been left vacant for over four months in the Office of Student Services, Dean of Students David Himber recently announced the hiring of Avi Rosman to the fill the position of Yeshiva College Coordinator of Student Services. A 23-year-old graduate from the Sy Syms School of Business and currently a student in Yeshiva's Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Rosman, a Hillcrest native, will formally join the Yeshiva family on May 21st.

In order to qualify for the position, Rosman and a second candidate underwent interviews with the Acting Associate Dean of Students, Dr. Chaim Nissel, and Himber. "I was very specifically looking for a 'nice professional' who could be helpful and supportive to the student body," recalled Himber.

After effectively meeting the espoused administrative criteria, the candidates were then interviewed for a second time by an exclusive student committee. The first candidate, excellent qualifications notwithstanding, was rejected, in the words one anonymous committee member, "because she did not fit the position." Although he did not possess equally distinguished credentials, Rosman was nevertheless deemed more "fitting" by the student group.

Clarifying the criteria utilized in constructing the committee, Yeshiva College Student Council President Pinchas Shapiro recalled having "attempted to synthesize a committee worthy of accurately representing the varying interests of the student body. I sought a combination of both 'in-towners' and 'out-of-towners' while taking the different Judaic aspects into account," he continued.

Shapiro also revealed that the student committee was specifically seeking a candidate capable of filling the posture relinquished by Andrew Leibowitz, and he asserted that "no one can replace Andrew except Andrew himself." Nevertheless, the committee was in search of a person who exemplified an aptitude far greater than the requisites of the job description.

When asked about how he intended to adequately fill Leibowitz's demanding and venerable position, Rosman averred, "Andrew has a wonderful reputation. I intend to learn from his success and do my best to fill the role sorely needed by students." Rosman's paramount aim in the Office of Student Services lies in "opening the lines of communication" between the student leaders, the student body, and the administration. "Ultimately, I think I am going to be a facilitator of student requests to the administration, and I hope to meet as many student needs as possible."

Among other things, Rosman expressed a keen interest in "streamlining" the process of student activities. He intends to exploit the Internet as a means of easing the lines of communication between himself and the student body. Foremost among his Internet goals is the posting of a monthly calendar on Yeshiva's website outfitted with all upcoming events and links detailing the minutiae of various school-wide functions.

Additionally, Rosman insisted, "it is rational to have problems during this very difficult period in your life, when you want to be an adult but are continuing to develop the skills necessary to live independently. My role, as someone not too far removed from this era but having gone through it, will be to help alleviate some of the stresses and pressures of being a student."

Rosman's focus on the advantages of his age tell only half the story, however. Some students, including members of the interview panel, have expressed discontent with the hiring of a fairly young person with diminutive professional experience. In Rosman's defense, Himber downplayed the problem by maintaining that "Avi had all the attributes that I was looking for on behalf of the students. He had that 'helping need' and professional goals which came out in the interview. As a result of his marketing major, he developed the skills and talents necessary to working with people. He seemed to be very much 'in tune' with the student population."

Despite Rosman's qualifications, Himber did admit that he was "not looking for someone so young." Moreover, according to Himber, since the students played the "most significant role" in the evaluation process and unanimously confirmed him, Rosman was duly hired. Although differentiation amongst the committee members exists as to the extent of opposition voiced, committee members disagreed with Himber's characterization of their stance on the hiring. "We clearly delineated the concern that we had in the inability to replace Andrew," one student vividly recounted.

Despite the controversy, Shapiro expressed marked optimism, "I met with Avi [Rosman], and I sincerely hope that he lives up to the very high expectations that have been set by the student body for that position."