As the unopposed candidate for YCC Events Director, Jaime Halberstam ’16 said she will use University events to form a sense of community both on campus and with the Greater New Haven area.
Currently a Silliman College YCC representative, member of the YCC events committee and two-year consecutive member of the Spring Fling committee, Halberstam said she plans to apply her experience toward maintaining some of Yale’s most cherished traditions while also considering new opportunities to better allocate funding for events.
“I don’t just want [to] do something because it happened in the past,” Halberstam said. “Especially when those resources could be better funneled into making new traditions.”
Halberstam served as a project manager for Yale Dining’s Final Cut competition in February and is currently helping to plan the Mr. Yale competition, which will take place later this spring.
Throughout her experience on the events committee, Halberstam said she has looked to the leadership of current Events Director Eli Rivkin ’15 as a model for proper conduct in the role.
The best way to overcome potential obstacles and to host successful events is through learning from past experiences, Halberstam said. Rather than simply applauding what may have been successful following an event, there needs to be greater post-event evaluations to determine what could have been improved, she said.
Halberstam said she hopes to use events to bolster support for various YCC initiatives, citing the Insomnia Cookie study break to unveil the new YCC logo as a past example of this type of effort. She said events can be a unique tool for conveying YCC initiatives because they unite students in a communal space.
Halberstam said she hopes to implement new events, such as a “New Craven” series in which local chefs host private dinners and talk about living and working in the Elm City. In addition, she would like to host group outings to explore the art scene developing in areas of New Haven such as the Ninth Square District.
“Some people may feel uncomfortable venturing off on their own,” Halberstam said. “But once you rally the troops to break from Yale, we’ll take advantage of an opportunity.”
For Spring Fling, she said there remains some uncertainty about budget due to the continued debate about the student activity fee. Still, she said she hopes to provide students with the best possible performers and improve the nonmusical aspects of the day, including organizing food trucks and carnival stands for those “who want a break from the mosh pit.”
Alex Desronvil ’17, a co-project manager for Mr. Yale, said Halberstam is highly organized and will bring creative ideas to the position.
Megan Ruan ’17, who worked with Halberstam for two semesters on the events committee, said Halberstam’s greatest strength is thinking on her feet during the most stressful of situations.