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The cold is unrelenting, but we refused to let it put a damper on our Purim celebration.

We got off to a rollicking start, barely waiting for alumnus Melech Berlove to finish reading the Megillah on Motzei Shabbos before breaking into spirited dancing in the Beis. While the cafeteria was being set up for the chagigah, students took to the streets of Kew Gardens Hills, dancing, singing and collecting tzedakah. Over the course of the week we raised a few thousand dollars for members of the community who could use a little help.

By her own admission, Ann E. Shinnar is a tough professor. She even sees it as a “badge of honor,” because in her mind, that means her students are well prepared for a life in science and “understanding how they can take observation and make conclusions.” As a Lander College for Men associate professor of chemistry and deputy chair of the chemistry department, Dr. Shinnar’s main goal is to show those in her lab “what kind of mastery they need to accomplish” to find order amid the universe’s randomness, in the hopes of their doing groundbreaking work. That’s why Dr. Shinnar takes such pride and responsibility in her job. “The mark of a teacher is someone who not only knows the material, but can explain it in detail and convey the important and beauty and excitement of that particular discipline.”

Miami, Memphis, Dallas, Detroit, Toronto, Ramat Beit Shemesh, Baltimore. Lander alumni traveled from far and wide to attend the 5^th Annual LCM Alumni Shabbaton this past President’s Day weekend. The theme was “Scattered Across the Nation” and the shabbaton was truly an ingathering of the masses.

All it took was a little magic to rev us up for the Spring semester after winter break disappeared. The Amazing Alex Mehl was up to the task and, as the saying goes, we could not believe our eyes. Among the highlights:

It was the first time the Super Bowl was played in NY/NJ, in a cold weather outdoor stadium, but Super Mishmar was a return in Queens, in the warm beis medrash at LCM. While some watched the disappointing game, many headed to the beis medrash. Mimon Mamane says the turnout was awesome, and the room was packed. Rabbi Meir Shalem’s shiur on “Halachos of Gambling” was a great success and especially apt with active fantasy football betting pools nationwide. Rabbi Moshe Crystal gave his navi shiur on Sefer Shmuel Alef about Eli who would travel to the mishkan for the regel.

As finals dwindled down, Lander Men headed off campus for a couple of weeks vacation. Some traveled home to see family, some stayed local, some continued learning at Lander, and some set off in search of sun or snow (yes, despite the winter we’re having, snow).

The first thing every prospective LCM student ought to know is that he will receive a top-notch education. But as 75 students who came to the recent melave malkah in Israel learned, they can also expect Torah, chevra, ruach and a whole lot of food.

Aaron Benia won the Lander College Stock Market Challenge. Again. This is not a recording.

Benia, a psychology major, has now won three of the last four contests, this time coming out on top with a ridiculous 28 percent return on investments.