Colleges for the Jewish "B" student (Part 1)

<p>So sorry to hear about boysx3. She gave me some great advice while I was looking at schools for my business major son. I have always been Impressed with the relationships she has maintained with her adult sons. It’s clear they are a loving, supportive family. I hope she fully recovers from this. </p>

<p>I am so saddened to hear the news about boysx3. She has been such a great contributor on our Class of 2009 thread. She is so kind and helpful. will keep her in my prayers.</p>

<p>Returning to our more typical conversation - turtleneck had asked about Elon - I would suggest the website for more information on the undergraduate business program:</p>

<p><a href=“Elon University / Martha & Spencer Love School of Business”>Elon University / Martha & Spencer Love School of Business;

<p>new, state of the art facility, numerous majors/minors and an emphasis on internships characterize the program.</p>

<p>Many students from the northeast - particularly MD, NJ and MA.</p>

<p>School spirit is generally good - but the football team is not strong - so that aspect of the college experience might be a little lacking - but there are other sports to cheer on besides football.</p>

<p>So sorry to hear about our friend. 13 years ago, my husband started to have excruciating headaches with exertion. He was checked and told neck strain from water skiing. He insisted on an MRI and what was found was a brain aneurysm ( same thing just without it having burst yet). He was diagnosed on 9/11 ( the 9/11). Had a full craniotomy on 9/15 of that year and luckily came out of surgery with no repercussions. I sat in that waiting room for days with other spouses who’s loved one did not catch it before bursting, all resulting in strokes and a long road ahead. So scary on every level. Big take away is to listen to your body and be your own advocate. Many times there is no warning with these things as im sure is the case with our friend. She and her family is in my thoughts and prayers.</p>

<p>My uncle had a similar experience with a different outcome - went to the ER with the “worst headache” of his life - and was sent home with a migraine diagnosis. Returned later the same day - aneurysm was diagnosed too late - he died that evening. </p>

<p>I have no idea of the events leading up to boysx3 medical crisis - what she was doing - if she had any warning signs, etc., - but agree completely that we all need to be aware of our health, in touch with how we are feeling and not hesitant to seek treatment agressively. I always thought that if my aunt and uncle had insisted he be admitted and receive a full battery of tests, he might have survived.</p>

<p>A few of you in the DC area have pm’d me asking how to help boysx3, and the truth is I have no idea. Her spouse has been in limited contact and I don’t want to bother him further. I’ll try to get an update next week. I don’t think the family wants visitors for her at this point - if she improves to fully conscious and wanting visitors - I’ll find a way to communicate her location privately to those who want to visit.</p>

<p>One of my sisters also had the ‘worst headache’ of her life at age 30 and proceeded to also have a stroke. Because she was 30, she was able to make an almost full recovery…she lost her eyesight in one eye and limited use of one of her arms, but today she is living “normally”, working and driving and independent.</p>

<p>My mother, who had the same as boysx3 (actually I think it was a left, not right stroke) but much older, did not have visitors for at least 6 months. They wanted to stablize her and that took time. My mother DID have warning signs and was told to go to the ER, which she prompty ignored and brushed off. Had she heeded their advice, there is no doubt the outcome would have been different. :(</p>

<p>BoysX3 will be in my thoughts and prayers. With a son also in DC, I passed along her advice to him for maintaining a Jewish life there and finding a place to live. </p>

<p>Oh wow, I’m sorry to hear about the dx for boysx3. Thanks for keeping us in the loop!</p>

<p>Adding my thoughts and prayers for boysx3. Thanks for updating on the board - it truly does feel like I know many of the people here even if it’s only a “CC connection.”</p>

<p>So sorry to hear this. I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers. </p>

<p>Wishing, hoping and praying for the speedy recovery and good health of our friend, boysx3…every day.</p>

<p>Re: Goucher College - Here’s another article about the video app option: </p>

<p><a href=“Colleges Make It Easier for Students to Show, Not Tell, in Their Applications - The New York Times”>Colleges Make It Easier for Students to Show, Not Tell, in Their Applications - The New York Times;

<p>Regarding tracking, President Bowen states, "“This is an experiment, and there are plenty of reasonable objections,” he said. “We’re going to track these students, and we’ll really know in a year. If the kids who did video apps do worse than others, we’ll stop. If they do just as well or better, colleges around the country will be doing it.”</p>

<p>Adding my thoughts and prayers for boysx3. Though I don’t know her in real life I feel like she is a good friend. With my oldest being 27 I have shared this journey of CC for a long time with her. She is a voice of kindness, good knowledge and warm support. </p>

<p>Nice article about Chabad at a variety of campuses:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/2721057/jewish/College-Students-Book-Their-Stay-at-Chabad-for-the-Holidays.htm”>http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/2721057/jewish/College-Students-Book-Their-Stay-at-Chabad-for-the-Holidays.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>A positive update on boys3x from her husband:</p>

<p>“She is making slow progress. She still is in a “mild” coma, where she obviously knows when I am there and smiles (a closed mouth smile) when I tell her that I love her, and is moving her arms, legs and head purposefully. She gets physical, occupational and speech therapy during the week.”</p>

<p>I have his permission to release more info to those who have communicated with boysx3 directly and especially those who have met in real life. If you want the address of the facility caring for her, please pm me. Please use her real name in your pm so that I know you know her. Thanks.</p>

<p>Thanks for he update.</p>

<p>Wishing everyone a good holiday; if fasting, may your day go smoothly.</p>

<p>Glad to hear boysx3 is showing is some improvement . Tough times for her family.</p>

<p>Hope everyone here has an easy fast.</p>

<p>ShawD went to Chabad for Kol Nidre (and goes there most Friday nights). She says it is a very nice community and they serve meals on Friday night (but there services are segregated by gender). She went to a fancy Reform Synagogue right around the corner and hated it (doesn’t like choirs, wants a cantor who gets everyone to sing communally rather than being a performer, and feels live instrumental music on Yom Kippur is inviting her to sin (even though she doesn’t think the Torah is the literal word of G-d but is repenting just in case) on Yom Kippur). She hasn’t found a synagogue near her that fits her.</p>

<p>I’ve heard students assume that Chabad is for Orthodox students but this isn’t the case at all. I’ve found the Chabads on campuses to be very accepting and welcoming to students with a range of observance- including little to none- and the students who attend are not all Orthodox. </p>

<p>The services are in Orthodox tradition, but all students are welcome and they don’t have to be dressed in Orthodox custom. I would just say be respectful- no shorts or revealing clothing but what someone would wear to their own services would probably be fine. </p>

<p>So glad to hear that boysx3 is doing better. </p>

<p>I think the degree of Orthodoxy of Chabad is partly a reflection of how well established the Hillel is on campus (if it’s there at all). At Emory the Hillel is very well integrated into campus life, and it seeks to attract all Jews, ranging from the secular to the Orthodox. Because of this, certain compromises need to be made in the services and expectations of prior Jewish knowledge. As a result, Chabad seems to have stepped in for the more orthodox and conservative members of Emory’s Jewish community. When I went to a Chabad service last spring with an Oxford friend, I felt extremely out of place whereas I never felt that way at Hillel (I was raised in the reform movement).</p>

<p>By contrast I’d imagine at schools which have less established, or even non existent Hillels, the Chabad houses have more lee-way in getting Jews from all movements to participate in religious life. I have no idea if this hypothesis is true or not.</p>

<p>I agree that Hillel/Chabad seems to vary in size and participation from campus to campus. I’ve heard students express a difference in preference too- not just by level of observance but by atmosphere. Since Chabad houses are family run- there is a more family style to it. Many Chabad rabbis have young families- so there are children as well. Hillel is focused on an all student atmosphere too. Some students attend both- depending on what they feel like doing at the time. Some students feel a better “fit” at one or the other.</p>

<p>This is something prospective students might want to check out when they visit campuses.</p>