7 Up, 7 Down

7 Up

1. Shimmering Waters. Congratulations to Eli Grunblatt and Gilad Barach on receiving the extremely prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for advanced scientific study. Baruch Hashem. IMYH by you.
2. Eastern Europe. The wonderful region is excited to add to its list of incredible resources: grain alcohol, timber, rivers, and now CJF ambassadors. Every year at least one freshie-faced YU student will gladly dive into the cold his ancestors fled only several years ago.
3. Repeats. The Maccabees have done it again; the Volleyball team grabbed the crown as HVMAC champs this year, reclaiming their 2010 glory. Victory, sweet, sweet victory.
4. Israeli Politicians. A crowd of YU students was lucky enough to hear from MK Dov Lipman on our very own campus just the other day. Rabbi Lipman is quite an impressive man, and his everyman story of ascent to political achievement is inspiring. Let the honorary degree countdown begin.
5. Blue and White Cookies. Expect a lot of these less-racially-charged cookies than you’re used to the rest of the year. Also expect more women on campus, more sun, and more fin de siècle nationalist pride from your Semitic compatriots. Yom Haatzmaut is a special time here, don't miss the celebration.
6. The Shidduch Crisis. In a momentous step towards mending the current crisis, The Commentator and The Observer got back together this past weekened at the annual shabbaton, thank God. Also thanks to Gary Rosenblatt and his wonderful wife Judy for telling a mutual friend they thought it would be a good match.
7. Syms. The man, the company, the school—all featured in The Wall Street Journal’s “Donor of the Day” column this week. With all the media scandals (and even an obscure downer mention in the New York Times about YU’s credit rating) this should give CPA and President Joel a reason to smile. And to breathe. For the first time in a while.

7 Down

1. Global Warming. After months of erratic weather, the weather has continued to be erratic. But at least it’s been a bit warmer! Thanks Rafi Miller!!
2. Nom de Plum. French for pen name, pseudonym, or false identity. Rabbi Michael Broyde has been at the center of a controversy due to his own alter ego, Herschel Goldwasser, which has besmirched the reputation of a respected figure in our community.
3. Shavuot. Somehow God figured out how to give us the Torah at the worst possible time. Really? Right in the middle of reading week?! Come on, man.
4. Haunted House. “Strenger than Fiction,” a recent remake of Mark Foster’s classic film, follows several YU students through their day-to-day lives in the weirdest building on any YU campus. Spoiler alert: the protagonists never get out. Not alive, at least.
5. Ups and Downs. Perhaps if Belfur elevators had only seven floors they would do better at going up and down, but in their current state they beat even the 1-train elevators for worst vertical oscillation in Washington Heights. If nothing else, at least it makes Furst look good.
6. Protesting Free Speech. It appears some alumni of Yeshiva University’s law school would rather the administration muzzle its students than tolerate a view different than their own. Thank God for the first amendment, and thank President Joel for standing up for his belief in academic freedom.
7. Gold, Wall Street. After reports of sudden economic slowdown in China, has repeatedly dropped—first by 5% and then by another 9%—bringing it to multi-year low price—this week, while the Nasdaq and S&P 500 stock indices, and Dow Jones industrial average all sunk between one and one-and-a-half percent each. We’re not stock experts, but that just can’t be good.