Oct 26, 2006 -- In two Town Hall meetings on the Beren and Wilf campuses, President Richard M. Joel addressed faculty, students, administrators, and staff on a wide array of issues important to university life. At both locations, the president opened with a brief overview followed by questions and answers that covered, among other things, the recent $100 million gift by Ronald Stanton to the university, ongoing campus renovations, tuition increases, course offerings, space considerations, and YU students’ job prospects upon making aliyah. Students on both campuses asked about the administration plan to add 1,000 students in the next five years. On the Beren Campus, where space is at a premium, one student wondered where the new women would be housed. On the Wilf Campus, students asked about the additions in light of tuition increases. “I think the world needs the Jewish people,” President Joel stressed. “I feel a sense of urgency to bring more inquisitive, committed Jewish young people to our university.” President Joel also stressed that it will be easier to bring a wider variety of course offerings to both undergraduate campuses. Several students on the Wilf campus asked about tuition increases. President Joel assured the students that the tuition increase for the 2007-2008 school year will be less than in past years, but predicted tuition would still rise. “Tuition will be the lowest we can make it,” President Joel said. On the Wilf Campus, one student asked about the content of some of the liberal arts courses and whether they are compatible with Torah. “There is a challenge of how to make Torah and Madda alive and vibrant,” President Joel acknowledged. “How to weave those together is challenging. Space concerns were a key issue for women on the Beren Campus. One student asked if there was a quiet place where students could study in the Brookdale Residence Hall. Rachel Kraut, director of residence life, announced that a lounge would open on the second floor of Brookdale for studying. Other students pressed President Joel on the planned renovations of the Beit Midrash, complaining that people learning in the study hall are crowded and the space does not provide an area for women who want to daven quietly. President Joel said space for studying and davening were high on the list of Beren Campus priorities. Student on both campuses were concerned about whether their YU degrees would be accepted in Israel. President Joel explained that the problem is primarily a bureaucratic one in the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance. He said most of the problems reported on previously have been resolved favorably by the government, but he believed there would be more problems in the future because of the bureaucracy. President Joel highlighted several new initiatives on campus, including the new line of school pride clothing. He also spoke about the new Tenzer Garden on the Wilf Campus, where student will be able to relax outdoors on state of the art Astroturf. Other highlights included the announcements that Commencement 2007 will be held at Radio City Music Hall and that Sen. John McCain of Arizona will be the keynote speaker at the upco