Food Lure at YU: Preparation for Life

Nostalgia.

Probably one of the first words that comes to mind to the alumni of any college, as good memories usually wash over the challenging or difficult events experienced as a student. My Yeshiva College experience is no different, and I routinely chuckle and smile fondly back at events that transpired almost 2 decades ago.

Yeshiva College helps reinforce nostalgia through their "keep in touch" email list, and I occasionally scan through their emails to see what's going on.

Yesterday's email from YU to their alumni was a "back to the future" moment:

Dear Alumni,

The Yeshiva University Office of Alumni Affairs and the Career Development Center are hosting a free Speed Networking event on January 12th, 2009 7:00pm at 245 Lexington, New York City.

Speed networking is a networking event with an accelerated twist. It is a way to improve your business networking techniques and grow your business by expanding your contacts and building relationships with other people. In this structured environment you will interact with many individuals with whom you may have never otherwise had the chance to network.

During speed networking you will have the ability to:

• Reunite with your former classmates and meet fellow alumni
• Make more business contacts in one night than most make in a month
• Network face-to-face while perfecting your "30-second" pitch
• Find a mentor / become a mentor to others
• Meet YU's Career Development Center (CDC) team
• Eat free food sponsored by YU

We are in tough times. If you aren't personally feeling it affect your life I assume you know someone who could use a helping hand. Whether you just graduated or are 20 years out of college you have the power to help someone else and benefit from meeting people who could help you achieve what you want

Wow -- Free Food!

Nothing ever changes at YU...

A cursory search of the Yeshiva College student newspaper, The Commentator revealed:

4/10/03

Many times people go to YSU events just for the free food and then leave. This is not the goal of the events. I would like to have free food, but I would also like to hire entertainment that will do just that: ENTERTAIN !!

10/29/03

Students enjoyed free food and live music, while browsing through Israeli vendures.

12/27/04

A formula to pique the interest of its students to partake in Chanukah festivities: some sort of music or promise of faculty embarrassment coupled with the advertisement of free food. So it came to pass that during this past Hanukah, aside from the daily jelly doughnuts and latkes sold in the cafeteria, this formula was applied repeatedly in SOY's (Student Organization of Yeshiva) "Eight Crazy Nights."

Many students showed up on the unseasonably warm, first night of Chanukah for a Kumzits and free Dougies in the Morg lounge. An early gorging of the famous Dougies Buffalo Wings by those that were punctual left little or none for latecomers, so the music of Yacov Young, who led the intimate Kumzits with slower, Carlebach type singing, was the only treat left for those who stayed.

And then I gave up copy/pasting.

Were we all so famished, that the siren song of "free food" caused us to drop everything, and swoon over doughnuts, french-fries, wings, or latkes? (or were we just poor?)

Getting an email from YU offering free-food just makes me laugh.

It's not like it's a hot-fleishiks-kiddush...


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד

Election Day kiddush

Jameel has expressed reservations about Gidon Sa'ar's new bill that would dock a day's pay from anybody who doesn't vote on election day. Jameel is not so comfortable with punishing non-voters, and neither am I.

There are other, more creative ways to address the problem of declining voter attendance, however: We can try using a carrot instead of a stick. How about providing free food at the polling stations? Of course, that would require funding for the food, so we've got to find a way to come up with the money. Well, how about we have the political parties provide the free food, out of their campaign budgets? They can each set up refreshment tents near the polling stations. Election day would become just like a big shul kiddush -- everyone will want to come. In fact, each party should recruit a sponsor for their Election Day "kiddush": Morris Talansky can sponsor the "kiddush" for Kadima, Ronald Lauder can sponsor it for the Likud, Octav Botner's estate for Labor...


Imagine: You could get hamin at the Shas booth, kugel at the UTJ booth, humus at the Arab parties, borsht by Lieberman, geriatric food at Gil, and sushi at Meretz. (If the Third Way was still around, I'm sure they'd serve bread in a pita, and Shinui would offer a spread of shrimp and lobster.) Kadima can offer free drinks from their mini-bars, and they'll probably promise the most "fun" food to eat (but everyone who does will develop an upset stomach by the time they get home...).

So how about it? It's a sure-fire way to boost election attendance. (Unless, of course, Jameel is serving waffles at the Muqata that day.)


Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael טובה הארץ מאד מאד