As the academic year comes to a close, it is time once again for Yeshiva University's Athletic Department to hold its annual Sports Awards Dinner. The gathering will take place May 8th in Weissberg Commons and will honor the finest athletes in our institution. Each team that Yeshiva and Stern field will bestow Coach's awards upon its most valuable player, and the men's basketball, wrestling, and fencing teams will present additional awards to exemplary athletes. The highlight of the evening, however, is the presentation of the Graduation awards.

Dr. Richard Zerneck, Yeshiva's Athletic Director, explains that "the Graduation awards are bestowed upon students who we [the Athletic Department] feel have dedicated themselves to Yeshiva athletics and best embody what the respective awards stand for." The two male graduation awards include the Norman Palefski Scholar Athlete Award, bestowed upon the student-athlete of the year, and the Offenbacher Award, which is presented to the best male athlete. The recipient of the Scholar Athlete Award, YC pre-med senior Joshua David Sisser, will also receive a small stipend from Yeshiva College.

According to Zerneck the dinner "is by invitation only. In addition to the student-athletes from Yeshiva and Stern, I have invited all of the undergraduate deans. In past years, we have had guest speakers - in fact, Dr. Lamm spoke last year - but this year, only I will say a few words."

Zerneck also added that the dinner is very popular among the student body. "In fact, every year, we fill Weissberg Commons." Elly Goldenberg, a member of Yeshiva's golf team echoed Zerneck's statements, adding that "this gives closure to the year. It's nice, after all the hard work that the students have put in, to see some recognition."

Another benefit of the dinner is that it enables athletes to fraternize in an informal setting. "I think that this will be a great opportunity for myself and for others to interact with those that are on different teams," explains Yehoshua Levine, a member of Yeshiva's fencing squad. "With my hectic schedule, I have not been able to meet most of the athletes and hopefully at the dinner, I'll be able to get to know them better."

In addition to presenting the Graduation Awards, Zerneck will also present the individual honors that members of Yeshiva's teams have accrued this year. Among a host of other accomplishments, Zerneck will announce Yossy Gev's naming to the Sky Line Conference First Team. Also, the basketball team will present the Bernard "Red" Sarachek Award to guards Jack Yulzary and Eli Hami, while the fencing team will present the Arthur D. Tauber Award to Steve Mellner and the wrestling team will confer its Henry Wittenberg Award upon Yoni Ellman.

In the area of Coach's Awards that honor the team's most valuable player, the Basketball Macs will present Yossy Gev with its prize. The cross-country team has selected Zion Orent and Joseph Zimbalist to receive awards, and the men's fencing team will honor Greg Samuels and team captain Lawrence Tewner, who will share the award. Micha Porat is the men's tennis team's most valuable player, and Josh Platt and Michael Finkelstein are the golf team's most valuable players. The volleyball team's Michael Bernstein and Benjamin Beer will also receive Coach's Awards, as will wrestling team captain Richard Woolf.

In addition to the Sports Awards Dinner, the Yeshiva Athletic Department will also hold a dinner honoring the Intramural league champions from both schools. Honored teams will include the winners of the flag football, basketball, and softball seasonal competitions. The dinner will take place on May 3rd inside the Rubin Hall game room. According to Zerneck, the reason for the seemingly odd location is simple. "The Intramural leagues are informal," he explained. "After all, they are run by the students themselves, so we decided to hold the dinner in the game room. It is our chance to honor the intramural champions from both schools." Zerneck also added that for both events, "the food will be great. Food services really outdo themselves every year."