YSU Presidential Candidates Bios and Plaforms

Solomon (Shlomo) Anapolle

I have been on this campus for what seems to be a millennium. This is currently my 7th year on campus and every second has been nothing short of jubilant. Washington Heights, although not your typical neighborhood, has played a huge role in my growth from a short ninth grader into a not so short Junior here at YU. However, this would not have happened if not for a piece of advice I received from my friend back in the 10th grade. His words truly shaped my outlook on life, "If you have the opportunity to do something in life, do it. Because otherwise you will regret it." Though this  quote doesn't sound very profound, these words hit me hard. I set out to make a difference in MTA, and subsequently YU.

YU is not perfect. For those of you who know me, you know that I love to hear how you are doing and how you are personally enjoying YU. As someone who has been here longer than PJ (President Joel), well almost, I am well aware of what needs to be fixed and am more than fit to make the renovations. I want to put the U (YOU) back in YU.

Over the past three years I have worked tirelessly to tackle the atmosphere of YU. So many students here aren't happy and feel they have to get in, get the A, and get out as fast as possible.

I believe YU is so much more than that, yes you should work to get the A, but without the rest of the YU package, one is missing the bigger picture. During my time here, I have served as president of YUPAC, the Sephardic Club, and the Israel Club; three large clubs that run a multitude  of programming on campus. Statistically, some of the biggest events over the past 3 years have been the YUPAC trip to Washington DC - 200 YU Students and high school students from 10 different high schools, Sephardic Mega-Selichot event - over 300 men and women which ran past 2 AM, Kumzitz for Israel in Times Square - over 1500 people, and just 2 weeks ago, Israel Week here at YU with the Shuk and various other events throughout the week. These events just scratch the surface of what we have run over the past 3 years. Each of them alone, shows the drive and passion I have for the students and for the atmosphere of this university. YU is something that is dear to me as I have been working hard to fix it and really hope you will continue to help me in helping you make change.

"When something is broken-fix it"- I'm sure someone said that once. YU is not the place it once was. I have been here for the last 7 years and have noticed that YU is changing. The atmosphere is no longer as conducive as it once was to student growth. That is the reason why I am running- I feel that by addressing the issues head on I may be able to fix what is broken.

#NoOneButShlomo

Jacob Herenstein

I have been on the Yeshiva Student Union for two straight years now. The first position I held was as Sophomore Class Representative, where I set up various class activities and events. This past year, I served as Vice President of Classes, where I overlooked the work of the different class representatives, and assisted the President in making sure the council as a whole ran smoothly and helped brainstorm and execute many different on-campus activities. When elected, I plan on continuing the legacy that I learned while serving under the previous two presidents, Natan Szegedi and Noam Safier. I plan on running fun and exciting events; welcoming more clubs to campus in order to offer a wide array of options for the student body; and continuing the help the student body in every way possible.

Akiva Marder

I would be lying if I told you I was always “presidential material.” Growing up in White Plains, New York, I was more likely to come home with participation awards than MVP trophies (though I am a two-time youth softball sportsmanship award recipient), and the closest I came to celebrity was being confused for the giraffe in Madagascar. While I did have my moments, it’s safe to say I lived my childhood hoping I would end up a “late bloomer” when it came to leadership.

Turns out I was! Today, I stand before you a junior in Yeshiva College, majoring in psychology with a minor in business. After serving as president at Westchester Day School, TABC and Yachad Israel, I am now a YU student ambassador, YUNMUN committee chair, Commentator writer, and the lead anchor for Shield News. I am also heavily involved in Bnei Akiva, both during the year as director of the Israel-focused School Programming initiative and over the summer as a returning division head at Camp Stone. My interests include intramural ultimate frisbee and ukulele, and I have spent a disproportionate amount of time watching reruns of the The Office.

These experiences and more have instilled in me a drive to help cultivate a community built on both unity and diversity, one that embraces our differences and serves all its members equally. As YSU president, I will create venues and events geared to students who may not currently be serviced fully by developing diverse programming. At the same time, I will foster a larger sense of community through events that bring the entire student body together, supplementing staples like the Chanukah carnival and Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations with new events like a school-wide color run, dodgeball tournaments,  paint nights, and more class programming.
Why am I running? Because being YSU president means more than just efficiency and determination; it requires vision, and it requires understanding. To me, that vision is a YU where each student can express themselves, and feel they are a part of our community as they are. Our student body deserves a chance to find its voice, and it deserves a leader who will make sure to hear it. I hope to be that leader. Be smarter, vote Marder.