Yeshiva University - Masmid Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 15 text:

In 1984, Orwell showed how a totalitarian scate can control all aspects of life, down to the individual ' s every thought. Newspeak, the of- ficial language of Oceania in 1984, was lesigned to limit creative thought and eliminate possible heresy or thought-crime. The en- tire philosophy of the society in 1984 could be expressed in one Newspeak word — doublethink. This concept explained that it was possible for a person to believe in an ob- vious contradiction, such as 2-t-2=5. War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength, is an example of the slogans used to condition the citi2ens of Oceania. Examples of this type of thinking are present in our society as well. As Russel Baker pointed out, the American war machine is run by a Defense Department. The deadly MX missile has been nicknamed The Peacekeeper by President Reagan. The communist government of East Germany calls itself the German Democratic Republic. The USSR, which also has the audacity to call itself a republic, is itself involved in totalitarian oppression of Jews and other minority groups . . . n

Page 17 text:

We at Yeshiva have had the best of both worlds. Both a fine college curriculum and superior Judaic studies programs have been made available to us. This dual training, that of both Torah and Maddah, prime us for our dual purpose in the outside world. In addition, we have forged lasting bonds of friendship with our peers and teachers that will help us take the atmosphere of Yeshiva wherever we go. Orwell questioned democracy ' s ability to sur- vive in a technologically advanced environment, such as ours. Indeed the outlook seems bleak. WE as graduates of Yeshiva, must take the lessons we have learned here, the sense of pur- pose honed here, and the precious relationships begun here and use all of these to make a Kid- Jush Hashem in the world around us, and truly fulfill our role as Jews in our 1984 and beyond. vy I ' %r I ' 1 1 1