It is hard to accurately make overarching statements about a place like Yeshiva University; a place that has so many different people doing many different things. Perhaps this admission is the only overarching statement one can make about this place. So come to YU, so that you may cultivate your senses of hope and cynicism, for this dichotomy will serve you well. Here, you will find people who believe in varying ideas on the orthodoxy spectrum, and some that don't believe at all. While some will get more of a platform than others, none are denied it. This is true even when many people wish it were not. Therein lays the magic formula that made YU successful, the accepting of the right of the other to his/her opinion, and supporting them…show more content… However, that can only be true where support is offered. That is why it is so vital that YU provides both. In his college application essay, Rob Henderson describes this idea well. In his essay, Henderson tells the story of his life. Henderson’s struggles began at the age of two when he was taken from his mom because of her drug addiction. He then endured the ugly divorce of his adoptive parents (which resulted in his adoptive father breaking all contact with him), the emotional pain of almost losing his mother’s new partner, and was then further tested when the home he lived in was foreclosed. All of this led Henderson to the Army, where Henderson joined the Air Force. Such a hard life could have easily broken many, but Henderson used his hardship as motivation. Henderson concludes his essay by saying that: “My trials as a youth along with my military service have inspired me to help others overcome adversity.” While that certainly sounds like a happy ending, one should not ignore the statement he says earlier which describes how he reached it. A few paragraphs earlier Henderson says: “the Air Force provides an organized setting that contrasts with the chaos of my upbringing.” Therein lies the key. It is true that opposition made him stronger, but the support he received made sure he didn’t break. That is why it is important that YU provides the support that comes along with its
