JSO elects new officers to executive board
Most of the executive board is composed of former board members.
Published April 27, 2010
The Jewish Student Organization elected its 2010-2011 executive board, including a new president and vice president, Friday night.
Outreach Coordinator Sherman Fabes will be the next JSO president, and JSO President Daniel Brick will become the Social Action coordinator.
Most newly elected JSO officers switched from the position they held during the 2009-2010 school year. The exceptions are Emily Marx, who will remain secretary next semester instead of changing positions, and next year's religious coordinator, Asher Kantor, who is new to the board.
"Some decided to use their talents and abilities elsewhere, so they ran for a different position," Fabes said.
During the elections, candidates gave a speech to accept their nominations, Social Action Coordinator Emily Shyken said.
JSO members then discussed the pros and cons of each candidate. Officers were elected after winning a majority vote, Fabes said.
Fabes said he plans to make programs more consistent and create new excitement about the Jewish faith.
"We want to make things consistent and become a well-known campus organization," Fabes said. "We're starting to be a younger, revitalized board with a lot of passion we want to show."
Shyken, who will be vice president next year, said being on the JSO board allows her to shape other students' JSO experiences.
"It's made my college experience better, so I just want to help in that aspect, to make everyone else's just as good," Shyken said.
Four Front Chairman Andrew Weil, who will be Outreach coordinator next year, said he wants to increase freshman participation in JSO by reaching them early in the academic year through welcome back events and Friday night dinners.
"We're just going to try to get people to show up, to show them why Hillel can be such a great experience to be a part of," Weil said.
To encourage freshman involvement, JSO will advertise more and use Facebook to find other Jewish students, Weil said.
"It's just a matter of finding the students and contacting them," Weil said. "Once we get those students to show up at a Friday night dinner, they'll come back every week."
Fabes said JSO would continue programs, such as Bubbe's Kitchen, a gathering to make Jewish food, and Pizza and a Parsha, a discussion of a parsha, or section of the Torah, over pizza.
"We want to make programs where people feel comfortable whether they know people or not," Fabes said. "That goes into outreach and recruiting for incoming freshmen."
Kantor, who will lead the Shabbat services at Hillel, said he wants to get everyone in the community involved in the services, instead of leading them by himself. He said he would invite students to lead prayers and share D'var Torahs, or lessons that apply parshas to students' lives.
"I think it will just create a more friendly environment, so people will want to come back and participate in prayers, and it will make the service more fun to attend," Kantor said.
Fabes said the positions of Four Front chairperson, media chairperson and Israel chairperson will not be filled until a later date, either at the end of this semester or the beginning of next semester.
"It will probably be a semester-long position," Fabes said. "Starting the spring semester, freshmen will be invited to apply."
The three positions make up the minor JSO board, which is a separate entity from the executive board, Fabes said. He said candidates should show an interest in their specific positions and be ready to take the initiative.
"We're looking for people who have personality and want to make Hillel a better place," Fabes said.