Volume 67, Issue 8

Yeshiva’s Political Science Journal Arrives on Campus

by Benjamin Shlomo

Recently, the free campus Poli-Sci news journal, The Clarion, hit the Yeshiva newsstands.  The glossy, 96-page mammoth document is packed to the brim with black and white photos, interviews, editorials, and 24 articles organized and written by Yeshiva’s undergraduate students and faculty.  The periodical also features a submission written by former Israeli Prime Minister and current Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an interview with New York Times columnist Clyde Haberman.  The Clarion’s 2002 edition represents the latest offering by the prolific J.P. Dunner Political Science Society of Yeshiva University.

The Society has promoted civic duty consistently for 35 years, minus a lull two years ago where there was no executive board running the club.  To prevent this sort of reoccurrence, elections for new board members are now held after a selection process by the sitting leaders and the faculty advisor, Political Science professor Dr. Ruth Bevan.  The Poli-Sci club boasts branches at both Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women, and hosts a multitude of events throughout the year.  Originally, the J.P. Dunner Society charged a membership fee to support its events, but this was dropped to encourage attendance.  Now anyone, whether a political science major or not, may freely enjoy any of its benefits.

“The purpose of the club is to supplement the classroom with some activities that have to do with practical politics,” Bevan explains.  Typical events hosted have included voter registration drives prior to an election, guest lectures, assistance preparing for the Political Science MFATs, trips to Washington D. C., screening related films, and of course, publishing The Clarion.

Astute readers will remember the club recently hosted a talk by Germany’s New York Deputy Consul-General Stefan Schlueter.  The PolySci club is considering sponsoring a solidarity event with Israel if Iraq decides to punish them for a war with America.  Additionally, there are plans in the works for a Young Leadership mission to Europe.  Recently, the Society co-sponsored a lecturer with the Israel Club, Professor Meir Litvak, and is preparing a joint forum with the Stern section of the club sometime in February to discuss the possible upcoming war with Iraq.

“Dunner represents first and foremost a forum where ambitious poli-sci students can meet each other, gain critical experience and find an outlet for their talents and interests,” says club president Dovid Michaels. “In a lot of ways, I really think Dunner is Yeshiva’s best-kept secret.”  If you would like to join the Political Science club, you may contact its president at DMichaels1@juno.com.  Alternatively, if you would like to contribute to the next issue of The Clarion, please e-mail The_Clarion@juno.com.

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