From The Editor’s Desk: By Zack Streit

In this year’s Book Project text, The Plague, Nobel Prize-winner Albert Camus tells an unnerving tale about a plague that ravages Oran, a small coastal town in North Africa.  Although much of the book is devoted to scrutinizing the inexorable physical and emotional suffering engendered by the epidemic, Camus also makes some intriguing points on human nature. 

From The Editor’s Desk: By Yehoshua Levine

            We all remember Yeshiva’s disclaimer on each of its public documents or legal forms: “The University encourages applications from qualified students regardless of sex, religion, age, race, handicap, color, or national origin.” And we’ve all criticized our administration for so blatantly shying away from public self-identification as an exclusively Orthodox Jewish institution. But without further criticizing this statement - itself a mere attempt at preventing discrimination lawsuits - I’d like to discuss its obvious irony. Yeshiva may not discriminate, but the demographic characteristic of any non-discriminatory institution, diversity, is clearly not one of our traits. The student body of our undergraduate schools is the most monolithic, the most similar-thinking and similar-acting group of any other top-tier university. Relative to nearly any other U.S. college, most of us share with each other the same familial and social background and identify with similar religious beliefs and, by extension, similar value systems.

From The YSU President: Shai Barnea

When the spring semester concluded earlier this year, the weather was oppressive, the dormitories were overcrowded, and the Search Committee was still looking for a new University President/Rosh Yeshiva (maybe).  As we embark on the start of a new school year, not much has changed: the weather is sweltering, the dormitories are still overcrowded, and President Norman Lamm is still in charge of our grand institution.

Communal Responsibility and Personal Growth: by Rabbi Yosef Blau

The years spent at Yeshiva are a time for growth. It is an opportunity to deepen knowledge of Torah, broaden intellectual horizons and to make lifelong friendships. As such, the starting of a new academic year should be a time for optimism. When the first classes take place before Rosh Hashana these feelings are mixed with the more somber mood of Elul and the approaching Days of Awe.

From the SOY President: Joshua Goldman

People come to YU for many different reasons.  With apologies to the Department of Communications and Public Affairs, I don’t think the 41st ranking is one of them.  Our sports teams don’t win national championships, and our campus exists only in name.  If you came looking for parties, you’re at the wrong tip of the island, and if you came for academics, the honors program is only in its formative stage.

From the SSSBSA President: Gabriel Jacobson

Welcome back to all of the previous and incoming Yeshiva University students. I hope that your summer was fun, relaxing, and successful. 
As we enter into the academic year with new challenges, we must focus on situations that surround students. The American economy is struggling, and it is difficult to enter the workforce.

A Message from SSSB Dean Charles Snow

Welcome to the Sy Syms School of Business for what we hope will turn out to be a most exciting year for you.  
Our enrollment at the school is the highest it has ever been and many challenges await us.  
As always, we are proud to have an outstanding faculty that offers a quality education.  Some of our faculty have been very busy making many appearances on TV, radio and in the print media..  The fact that they are so sought after attests to their quality and should enhance your learning opportunities.  You should all endeavor to get the most out of their expertise.

RAMBLINGS:  AN INTERACTIVE COLUMN
by Avi Mermelstein

Until I started this sentence, I was garnering golden nuggets of information from the blank screen looking back at me. A cursor blinks at about the pace of a windshield wiper at its fastest setting (the windshield wiper’s). Of course, the cursor blink rate can be adjusted, according to Help, by 1. opening the Keyboard Properties dialog box by clicking here (please don’t try to do so in public—people will probably stare at you. While I’m at it let me also warn you not to read my column while driving or operating heavy machinery. Thanks for letting me. I do not discourage you from reading my column while intoxicated—it will only improve the quality of the humor and perhaps contort your mind into the shape (#24 in the Boy Scouts’ knot manual) necessary to understanding this column). AND 2. On the Speed tab, dragging the Cursor blink rate slider. Of course, you can also open the Keyboard Properties dialog box by clicking Start, pointing to Settings, clicking Control Panel, and then double-clicking Keyboard. That beats clicking here on a piece of paper.