Getting to know your future president: Josh Hochman

We’ll just say what everyone else is thinking: no one really cares about the YCC candidates’ campaigns. Sure, those empty promises might convince a handful of voters, but the rest of us choose our president based off of them as actual people, not as PC robots.

He’s a tour guide, a mentor, and a brave soul who dares to venture further than 2 blocks away from campus. This is The Tab Talk with YCC candidate, Josh Hochman.

Describe to me your ideal night out.

It would probably start with a pre-event pregame with my suitemates in either my suite or my friend’s suite. I’m in Berkeley South Court, so oftentimes that would entail going to Berkeley North Court because it’s more fun. Then we’d maybe go to a place like the 12 Pac, or maybe a bit more fun would be to go to an event that’s going on. So maybe a college screw-type idea! I’m a big fun of having a nice, intimate get together beforehand, then going to a big, preplanned event.

And then, of course, we’d end up at Yorkside. Always end up at Yorkside. Last year I used to always try to lead everyone back there. No matter where we were, I would always try to lure them in!

What are you involved in on campus?

Surprisingly enough, YCC isn’t what I’ve been most involved with the past few years. I’m really involved in Yale College Democrats, I was the membership coordinator for them for a year, and that was really one of the most rewarding experiences here because it gave me a chance to meet a lot of freshmen, both this year and last year. A lot of those people are really good friends of mine now! Being someone who is charged with greeting a ton of people puts you in a position where you learn a lot about the different facets of Yale, which I was really excited about.

I also do a couple of Dwight Hall activities. One is I do Volunteer Tax Assistance. And I kind of know French, and one time there was a Senegalese immigrant who had only been in the US for about a year and was more comfortable speaking French. So I had a half hour conversation with him about American politics in French, which I had no idea I’d be able to do! But the people you meet there are just incredible. I also mentor high school students in Civics every Friday morning. So I go to this school called the Sound School and tell them how they have agency and that they can be advocates. Right now we’re working on a project to bolster their resources for college because a lot of them are juniors and feel like they don’t know if they’re ready yet! Oh, and I’m also a tour guide.

Shit, that’s noble… Well on a completely unrelated note, what is your favorite frat?

Sig Ep, for sure. My roommate and a ton of my really good friends are in Sig Ep, and their basement is just so nice!

Where is your favorite place to cry on campus?

In the shower. On my floor.

What is your dream job?

I think my dream job would probably be an ambassador to a pretty consequential country in a position where I speak the language. I wouldn’t want to be holed in the embassy, I would want to get out into the country and really understand it.

If you could be on any Disney TV show, which would it be?

I think I would be on Phineas and Ferb.

What do you plan to do about the fact that the YCC doesn’t do anything?

I would partly contest that, partly qualify it. This year the fees for students on financial aid have been lowered by $450, so that was big. Also the people on it have been divided into two categories: highest need and everybody else. And if you’re highest need, then your self-help is reduced to $1350 as opposed to over $2000. So that’s been huge.

But there are a couple of things I think I’d do. One is to sufficiently mobilize people not in the YCC because sometimes the YCC can be an unrepresentative representative in that we don’t really get a good enough cross-section of Yale. And so I think that we have to align our agenda with the agenda of the student body, which I don’t think is always the case. So I feel that next year we should focus on racial equity and a positive sexual climate, which I think would make people much onboard with the YCC because our mission will be supporting theirs. You know, this year I worked on a project with Credit/D/Fail, but that was not the priority of the student body. I also worked on dining, but again, not the priority of the student body. So we didn’t have sufficient engagement.

What is the most important relationship you’ve made at Yale?

For my own sake, I won’t give a name, but I have one very good friend who I bonded with over our shared frustration with certain aspects of an organization we were a part of. Since then, we’ve bonded over a shared frustration over mutual friends we’ve had, certain redundant nighttime experiences, etc. And I think those are some experiences you can really create a solid relationship over.

A relationship based on being pissed.

It’s underratedly a really good adhesive!

Who is your celebrity crush?

Jennifer Aniston, probably. I love Friends.

If you could be in any college other than our own, which would you choose?

I always wanted to be in Branford, actually. Mostly because I think it’s the most beautiful college. I even took pictures for my campaign in the Branford courtyard!

What is your favorite thing about Yale?

I think probably it’s being surrounded by other people with talent in areas where I have talent that exceeds my own talent, and people who have talents in areas that I don’t have talents. It makes me be a better person, but that wouldn’t necessarily be the case if this was a more competitive atmosphere, but I find it to be a little more collaborative.

What’s your least favorite thing about Yale?

Canada Goose jackets. I say this because I have a Patagonia and want a Canada Goose.

What’s your most embarrassing Yale memory?

Freshman year I woke up 15 minutes late into a class, and was freaking out. I run to the seminar with everything a mess and arrive 37 minutes late, instead of just skipping it and emailing my professor saying I was sick!

That’s a pretty not-embarrassing embarrassing memory.

I don’t know, I thought it was pretty humiliating.

What is your deepest darkest secret?

Well, this isn’t a secret to my close friends, but if I see a spider – even if it is on screen – I will visibly recoil and crumple into a ball.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Hmm… Sometimes I stuff my face with gummy bears. Actually, gummy letters! I think they’re a lot more satisfying and harder to get through.

What was your first AIM name?

joshuamax6000 because my middle is name is Max and I got my account when I was six.

Box or Toad’s?

Toad’s.

Blue State or Starbucks?

Blue State… on York.

Sushi on Chap or Kumo?

Sushi on Chap.

Sterling or bass?

Always Sterling music library.

Why he’s convinced The Tab:

Try to find the skeletons in this kid’s closet, I dare you. Josh’s most embarrassing story is that he was once late for a seminar. I’m lucky if I go to my seminar. He’s got his shit together and likes Friends, so he must be a pretty trustworthy guy.