Meet Your New Student Council Leadership
Natan Szegedi - President, YSU
Commentator Staff: What is your major/minor? Planned year of graduation? Plans after YU?
Natan Szegedi: I'm majoring in Business Management (Human Resources track) and minoring in accounting. If all goes well, I will be graduating in May '15. My immediate plan after YU is to find a job somewhere in business. In the long run, I'm hoping to go to law school and work in business law.
CS: What is your most important, specific, goal as president of your respective council?
NS: As President of YSU, I think it is essential that we foster a seamless and fast system that allows our clubs to create the events they plan. I see facilitating this system as one of my primary responsibilities.
Second, I want to make sure that miscommunication with regards to changes in campus life or any other issue does not happen between the administration and the student body. YSU will make large efforts to make sure that students are always clear on the facts, should anything come up next year.
CS: What specific challenges do you see yourself facing moving forward?
NS: With the restructured YSU Board, it will definitely take some time for everyone to understand and be comfortable with their newly created positions. Personally, I must make sure that every Board member is fulfilling his assigned responsibilities and is comfortable doing so.
CS: How will budget cuts affect your respective council's funds?
NS: Since Student Council funds are raised from the student activity fees as part of tuition, we are not expecting any significant cuts to our budget. Regardless, being fiscally responsible will always be one of our top priorities.
CS: What are you most worried about as president of your respective council?
NS: That YSU will fail to become the entity students are comfortable approaching whenever they want to share their concerns or issues.
CS: What are you most excited about as president of your respective council?
NS: I'm eager to see the materialization of the many ideas I have already heard from other students. Many of them had tremendous merit and would serve the student body well.
CS: Questions, comments, thoughts? Favorite ice cream? Lactose intolerant?
NS: Great question! To my knowledge I'm not allergic to anything, thank G-d. Except maybe to ineffective government.
Shai Berman - President, YCSA
Commentator Staff: What is your major/minor? Planned year of graduation? Plans after YU?
Shai Berman: I am majoring in history and minoring in economics. Upon graduation, I hope to attend law school and get semicha as well.
CS: What is your most important, specific, goal as president of your respective council?
SB: My primary goal as president of YCSA will be to gather information from students regarding their classes and bring that input to the administration. To accomplish this, I hope to hold monthly open-door meetings where students can bring any grievances or suggestions regarding their classes and meet with the Dean's office on a consistent basis.
CS: What specific challenges do you see yourself facing moving forward?
SB: I must work very hard to try to establish a good relationship with the Dean's office. I truly believe that Deans and students working together can help to deliver the best possible undergraduate academic experience.
CS: How will budget cuts affect your respective council's funds?
SB: Luckily, our funds will not be affected by the budget cuts. Our funding comes directly from students' activities fees. Unless enrollment drops dramatically, student government will continue to provide the same continually improving rich extra-curricular experience it has in the past.
Leo Korman, President, SSSBSC
Commentator Staff: What is your major/minor? Planned year of graduation? Plans after YU?
Leo Korman: Major: Finance. Expected Graduation May 2015
CS: What is your most important, specific, goal as president of your respective council?
LK: My biggest goal is to create a better social environment with in the Syms business school. In the past there have been very few social events catered to the students of Syms. I hope to change that and create events targeted to those students.
CS: What specific challenges do you see yourself facing moving forward?
LK: I think the biggest challenge I will face is the student body itself. It will take a lot of work and marketing to get students to come out to our events, especially the newly implemented social events.
CS: How will budget cuts affect your respective council's funds?
LK: Although most of university is cutting back and saving money, Syms Student Council will not be. Student council's budget comes from the actives fee paid by students that is part of tuition. That being said Syms Student Council still most be responsible with how it uses its funds.
CS: What are you most excited about as president of your respective council?
LK: I am most excited for a chance to work hand in hand with the student body to create a better campus life and educational experience.
Jacob Bernstein, President, SOY
Jacob Bernstein: Next year, after my fourth year on campus, I will - God willing - graduate having majored in Mathematics and Jewish Studies (with a concentration in Jewish History), and minored in Business. I am currently enrolled in both Revel and Azrieli Graduate Schools, and hope to begin semicha at RIETS this upcoming year as well. After graduation I plan to enter the Rabbinate, and to use the knowledge and skills that I have gained and developed throughout my experiences at YU in this field.
CS: What is your most important, specific, goal as president of your respective council?
JB: The overall goal of SOY as a council is to ensure that the religious needs of all students on campus are met, and that is therefore my most important goal as President of this council. In that direction, I hope to increase student involvement in all aspects of SOY and the Yeshiva. Involvement can range from attendance at guest lectures or special shiurim, to creating and being involved in SOY managed clubs, and to discussing how Shabbat, the holidays, and day-to-day experiences on campus can be improved. YU might be a "big tent," but every student is as integral to that tent as the next; we should all feel a real responsibility to get involved and to make our tent stronger, louder, and brighter.
CS: What specific challenges do you see yourself facing moving forward?
JB: Student council budgets are dependent on student activity fees, not the institution, which is why SOY and all other councils will not be directly impacted by overall budget cuts in the University. That being said, budget cuts impact all departments on campus, which is why various events might cost more to program, given the constraints on other offices at this time.
CS: What are you most excited about as president of your respective council?
JB: As President of SOY, I am most excited to work with other student councils, YU's unbelievably devoted staff, and the student body as a whole to make this place a better one for all of us, and for those after us.
