Dani Goffstein, Senior at Yeshiva University High School for Boys, Takes First Place at Shakespeare Competition

Dani Goffstein, a senior at Yeshiva University High School for Boys/Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy (YUHSB), won the English-Speaking Union New York regional competition held on Thursday, March 3, at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City. Dani impressed the judges with his performance of Shylock from The Merchant of Venice and his recitation of Sonnet 138.  He will go on to represent the New York City area as a semi-finalist at the English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition, which will be held on May 2 at Lincoln Center in New York City.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2pCrkIMUc8

“It was an incredible opportunity,” said Goffsetin, a resident of Teaneck, NJ. “I worked really hard and it was great to see that all that work really paid off in the end.”

In the national competition, Dani will be competing for amazing opportunities this summer in both the United States and aboard. The first place winner will receive a full tuition scholarship to study acting in Shakespeare’s homeland, England.  The second place winner will receive a full tuition scholarship to attend the American Shakespeare Centre’s Theater Camp in Staunton, VA.  Third place winner will receive $500 from the Shakespeare Society.

The program is part of the English-Speaking Union (ESU) National Shakespeare Competition in which the students interpret Shakespeare without props, scenery or costumes. Ten school winners from the New York City area, who had already advanced through a semi-final round of competition, participated.

The English-Speaking Union National Shakespeare Competition is a curriculum-based program designed to help high school students develop their speaking and critical thinking skills and their appreciation of literature as they explore the beautiful language and timeless themes in Shakespeare’s works.

“Dani’s win reflects his hard work, intense dedication and his individual interpretation of Shylock,” said Harriet Levitt, who teaches English and public speaking to senior and sophomore students at YUHSB. “As teachers, we hope to recognize the special quality of our students.  G-d willing, he will continue to represent the best in himself and us.”

Goffstein has written several plays and screenplays and aspires to be a filmmaker. He spent the past summer at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts studying writing, and credits Shakespeare with being a tremendous influence on his work. “I honestly don’t think anyone can appreciate the beauty of words without Shakespeare,” said Goffstein. “Some of the descriptions and words Shakespeare uses are just the most beautiful thing that man can create.”

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YU Unplugged, Recyclemania and Environmental Clubs Promote Sustainability on Campus

The table standing in the Stanton Hall lobby in Stern College for Women is covered in a green tablecloth, holding on display a row of green rubber ducks covered with recycling symbols.  Behind this table is Abby Vishniavsky, the Beren campus president of the Yeshiva University Environmental and Energy Club, promoting two ongoing programs—Recyclemania and YU Unplugged.

Recyclemania, a national competition between universities to recycle the most paper, plastic, glass and metal during the course of eight weeks, has also been turned by the club into a competition between floors in the Beren campus residence halls to increase students’ enthusiasm for the project.  The competition, which began on February 6 and is running until April 2, has received an enthusiastic response.

According to Vishniavsky, the competition between floors has been most successful in Brookdale Residence Hall, which has seen an increase in competitiveness this year.  In fact, students have become so excited about the project that there have been reports of “stolen recycling” as students try to collect more recycling for their floor in preparation for Wednesday nights, which are known as Recyclemania weighing nights.

In addition to all the altruistic reasons for recycling and the thrill of competition, the Environmental Club offers another incentive:  a free pizza party for the floor that collects the most recycling on the Beren campus by the end of the eight-week competition.

YU Unplugged, on the other hand, is limited to Yeshiva University (involving both the Wilf and Beren campuses) and is not part of a national competition. The goal of the project is to reduce energy use on campus by doing simple things such as turning off lights and appliances when they are not in use, relying on natural light during the day, and washing and drying full loads of laundry, among other things.

Each dormitory’s energy reduction during this competition is calculated against the previous year’s energy usage, earning the dorm with the biggest decrease in energy use the grand prize of a foosball table.

While students have different reasons for participating in Recyclemania and YU Unplugged, the ultimate result has been an increase in awareness and recycling efforts throughout the University. To learn more about how you can make a difference visit the YU Office of Energy and Sustainability blog.

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