2008 Woodie Awards
Desta Tedros and the Missing YU Administration
Immanuel Shalev
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: Opinion
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With the ridiculously long line at a Tuesday night's dinner at the caf for an appetizing plate of gruel, I opted to take my chances for nourishment at the caf-store. I grabbed a turkey sandwich, a bottle of soda, and went to wash my hands. I bit into the sandwich, past the delicious rustic roll, the layers of lettuce and turkey, and discovered that something was off: my sandwich tasted strangely dry. It was missing the juicy layer of tomato that always made my turkey sandwich a delight.
Feeling greatly deprived, I wracked my brains for someone to rectify the issue. I knew that the polite cashiers could not help me; though they happen to be the nicest service people at YU, they are not empowered to rectify such am emergency. And that's when it hit me: I had no one to turn to! There is no visible member of food services to whom I can make comments, or suggestions. And this, folks, is the unfortunate truth about Yeshiva University.
Our administration is invisible. The rules are many, and contradictory. Whether YC or MYP, food services or student affairs, rules are, more often than not, unknown, made up, or observed in the breach.
Last semester, I needed to incorporate a certain Jewish History course into my History Major. The YU website led me to advising, who in turn, led me to the head of the History department. She signed a note and sent me to the registrar for the official changes. The registrar pointed me to the dean, and after a three-day wait, I could return to the registrar. There, I was informed that I should make multiple copies of this valuable document, because it was not a sure-thing that my request would indeed be honored. After getting my note signed, notarized, copied, and hid in secret locations across the globe, I now have a fair shot of success.
Such stories are a dime-a-dozen at YU. We are the client! How many times have students complained about the bank jobs they and their parents had to perform in order to attend our university? The students here have so many silly problems and even more valuable solutions. Would it not make good business sense for the administration to create a public face, to truly hear the plight of their students, and to address them?
Feeling greatly deprived, I wracked my brains for someone to rectify the issue. I knew that the polite cashiers could not help me; though they happen to be the nicest service people at YU, they are not empowered to rectify such am emergency. And that's when it hit me: I had no one to turn to! There is no visible member of food services to whom I can make comments, or suggestions. And this, folks, is the unfortunate truth about Yeshiva University.
Our administration is invisible. The rules are many, and contradictory. Whether YC or MYP, food services or student affairs, rules are, more often than not, unknown, made up, or observed in the breach.
Last semester, I needed to incorporate a certain Jewish History course into my History Major. The YU website led me to advising, who in turn, led me to the head of the History department. She signed a note and sent me to the registrar for the official changes. The registrar pointed me to the dean, and after a three-day wait, I could return to the registrar. There, I was informed that I should make multiple copies of this valuable document, because it was not a sure-thing that my request would indeed be honored. After getting my note signed, notarized, copied, and hid in secret locations across the globe, I now have a fair shot of success.
Such stories are a dime-a-dozen at YU. We are the client! How many times have students complained about the bank jobs they and their parents had to perform in order to attend our university? The students here have so many silly problems and even more valuable solutions. Would it not make good business sense for the administration to create a public face, to truly hear the plight of their students, and to address them?