Volume 51, Issue 8 (April 2018) - The Rampage

The Rampage The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 51 • Issue 8 • April 2018 • Nissan/Iyar 5778

Josephine Schizer '20

The Search Concludes: Mr. Jonathan Cannon Chosen as Head of School

“It is with great excitement that I announce the appointment of Jonathan Cannon as Head of School of Ramaz, effective August 2018,” read an email to the Ramaz community from Dr. Phil Wilner, Chairman of the Board, on April 13, 2018. Mr. Cannon will be serving as Ramaz Head of School for the next three years.

“Everybody I meet is extraordinarily passionate about Ramaz,” said Mr. Cannon when asked what he is most excited for in his time at Ramaz. “This seems to be more than a school to the people who are here; it’s kind of in their DNA and it’s very contagious in a positive way.”

Mr. Cannon emphasized the importance of learning from the students, noting that he wanted to be a “student of the students” to get to know the school. He has spent several days at Ramaz doing exactly that. “The more authentic the problems are that we invite students in to solve with us, the more exciting it will be to be a student at the school,” said Mr. Cannon. In schools Mr. Cannon has worked with in the past, students been involved in creating the curriculum, giving out student honors, and sometimes even addressing cases of discipline. “I have always learned the most from the students in a school,” said Mr. Cannon. “They’re best at identifying the challenges, and they’re

best at identifying some of the ways in which we can solve those challenges.

In the next three years, Mr. Cannon hopes to accomplish a lot. The division heads in the Middle and Upper Schools are both new, while the Lower School is looking for a new head, so Mr. Cannon will be working to support them. Additionally, he hopes to help the school become more STEM-oriented, from an educational standpoint as well as technological and financial standpoints.

Mr. Cannon originally studied computer science and planned to become a computer programmer, so he is well versed in technology. “The world is much more interconnected—you’re not isolated where you are,” said Mr. Cannon, who hopes to bring a glob-

al view of education to Ramaz using modern technology. Overall, Mr. Cannon hopes to work closely with the students in accomplishing these goals.

“The school is proudly Modern Orthodox; I am proudly Modern Orthodox.

One of the greatest opportunities, which probably has challenges associated with it, is to continue making the Ramaz mission effective in the 21st century.” He notes t h a t today “it’s almost like being a mensch has become counter-cultural, which is ridiculous.”

Further, Mr. Cannon explains that in working with high school and college students, he has noticed that as time passes, students are less and less interested in categorizing themselves based

on denominations. Rather, students prefer to identify their Judaism by their specific practices. Mr. Cannon’s

“I feel quite honored that that school I’d heard of with such a good reputation believes that I can play a part in its future. It’s exciting and humbling.”

-Mr. Jonathan Cannon challenge is then: “how do we build our values and our mitzvot into what is a healthy reimagining of the world?”

Mr. Cannon first became involved in the search for a new head of school as a consultant to the board.

“Somehow, the conversation morphed into the possibility of me doing it,” said Mr. Cannon. “My goal is to help the school find a long term Head of School.

I’m hoping in three years we will have somebody to take the school for the next—hopefully—very many years.”

Mr. Cannon has traveled extensively, living in London, Oxford, Hong Kong, and the Washington D.C. area. He has served as head of school at Charles E. Smith Day School in Rock-

Continued "New Head of School" page 2

Zach Buller '20

Celebrating Israel at 70

Yom HaAztmaut at the Upper School is a day filled with singing, dancing, and fun, wherein all regular classes are suspended to fully celebrate Israel’s independence. This year’s festivities were particularly special given that it was Israel’s 70th anniversary. Throughout the day, students were exposed to a wide variety of Israeli films, food, and culture, learning about the many facets of Israeli life while at the same time celebrating a momentous event in modern Jewish history.

The day began with a schoolwide tefilla in the auditorium. The entire student body sang along to a musically-accompanied Hallel, holding hands and dancing around the room. Tefillah included a blessing for the welfare of the State of Israel. During the short Community that followed,

the school learned about the High School Choir’s

recent trip to Israel and watched a video about how

they used their music to perform acts of chesed.

Following a lavish breakfast, the students proceeded to gradewide learning sessions, in which they listened to various speakers talk about what the State of Israel means to Orthodox Jews today. The sophomores heard from Rabbi Weinstock, a KJ rabbi and Ramaz parent, who spoke about the importance of Israel in the lives of modern Jews. He emphasized the privilege that the Jewish state has bestowed on Jews of the 21st century, since the Jewish state of today provides a home for any Jew who needs or wants one.

Meanwhile, the seniors learned from Rabbi Stochel about Zionism from a halachic standpoint, and the other grades split up into smaller groups and learned about the importance of making aliyah. “Ms. Krupka showed us a video about Nefesh BeNefesh and Continued "Yom Ha'atzmaut" page 2

Inside this issue...

Rabbi Slomnicki as a Student...Rabbi Slomnicki experiences life as a junior page 6 Cyberbullying...Bullying in the 21st century discussed page 7 An Interview with Mr. Dwight Johnson...Getting to know Ramaz's beloved security guard page 7 Free Speech...Should Ramaz be limiting it? page 9

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Yom Ha'atzmaut continued from cover led a discussion about what it means to make aliyah,” said Rebecca Massel ’21.

Next came what was perhaps the most anticipated event of the day for the students: Moadon HaAtzmaut.

A unique performance, Moadon HaAtzmaut consists of Israeli songs, poems, and skits and is the only time during the year when the entire student body has the opportunity to hear their fellow students perform exclusively in Hebrew. In addition to the individual student performances, the program featured two songs from Choir and a performance by Dance Team. “I really enjoyed watching my friends perform,” said Massel. “The poems were very meaningful and highlighted the purpose and feeling of the day.”

The students then broke up into their advisory groups and watched two Israeli films. Each of the films demonstrated the complexity of Jewish and Israeli culture by highlighting both conflicts in the IDF and family challenges. The first film, “Barriers,” focused on a fictitious but frighteningly authentic scenario that occured at at a checkpoint on the Israeli border. The film, which was awarded Best Short Drama in the 2011 Jerusalem Film Festival, highlights a moral dilemma that a group of soldiers face at a checkpoint: they must

decide whether they should allow an undocumented ambulance to pass through. The higher-up officers have demanded that the checkpoint be closed due to a bombing threat, and so allowing the ambulance to pass through is a risky business, as it might involve a trap to harm civilians in Israel. However, at the same time, the soldiers must concern themselves with the health of the little girl inside of the ambulance.

In this way, the film showed the nuance and complexity of an issue that is often reduced—by both sides—to a simple black and white one, portraying the soldiers neither as saints nor as barbarians. The second film, entitled “The Little Dictator,” was the winner of the 2015 Jewish Film Festival, and it tells the story of a history professor who overcomes the pressures of his overbearing family and manages to stand up to them by the end of the film. “Both films

were thought-provoking and beautiful in their own individual ways,” said Elizabeth Newman-Corré ’20.

“On Yom HaAtzmaut it is important to remember the people who built and continue to build Israel and be thankful to them; these films helped me do just that.”

The school day ended with an energetic chagigah in the auditorium, followed by a Ramaz block party sponsored by the Parent Council. As DJZJ blasted music, the students danced and sang along to the Israeli tunes that they recognized and loved. “I think the whole school collectively had a great time,” said Gabi Potter ’20. While the rainy weather got in the way of the annual Ramaz tradition of dancing outside on 78th street, the room was still filled with spirit and liveliness, as the entire Upper School danced together, celebrating the Jewish state and embracing Israeli culture and festivities.

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New Head of School

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ville, Maryland; head of school at Carmel School in Hong Kong; assistant head of school at Carmel College (grades 7-12) in Oxfordshire, UK; and has started his own educational consulting practice: EduCannon Consulting. “I’m probably a better person for having traveled to different places—it’s broadened my respect for cultures, it’s broadened my awareness of how little I know, and it’s broadened my awareness of how different each and every person is. I try to bring that [awareness] to the schools I work at—a recognition that no student is the same, no teacher is the same—to help each student be successful in their journey through Ramaz.”

In the past, Mr. Cannon has worked in both Modern Orthodox and pluralistic Jewish day schools. “I think one of the most beautiful things about a pluralistic school, which doesn’t have to be unique to a pluralistic school, is a non-judgmental environment,” said Mr. Cannon.

“I don’t want anyone to feel that their Judaism is seen by the school as less accurate or less authentic than someone else’s.”

Mr. Cannon described himself growing up as being a “curious student and… a very difficult stu-

dent in the Judaic studies classroom,” asking questions that teachers at the time didn’t believe should be asked. These experiences were one of the factors that led Mr. Cannon to become involved in the world of Jewish education, reforming Jewish education so that students today don’t feel the same way that he did as a student. “We need to engage students—it needs to be relevant to them. People need to be able to form their own ways of engaging with Judaism, and we need to celebrate them,” he said.

Describing himself as a high-school student, Mr. Cannon joked, “Were you able to track my Facebook page—which you’re not— one of my friends from my school wrote, ‘I can’t believe that the guy who locked me in the classroom in 12th grade is now the head of school at Ramaz,’ so probably gives you some idea!”

On a more serious note, Mr. Cannon reflected, “When I was growing up in the UK, and also when I began working in Jewish day school education, the only North American school we’d heard of was Ramaz,” said Mr. Cannon. “I feel quite honored that that school I’d heard of with such a good reputation believes that I can play a part in its future.

It’s exciting and humbling.”

Jewish Heritage Museum Paola Mattout '19

It is an annual tradition to send the juniors to the Jewish Heritage Museum on Yom Hashoah, where they hear the stories of some of the few remaining survivors. The juniors felt privileged and inspired to spend their Yom Hashoah in this way. From the time that they boarded the six train and headed downtown to the museum, the students felt that this year’s Yom Hashoah would be a particularly meaningful one. As soon as they walked into the museum they felt the somber and serious mood of the day.

The students were split into groups led by different tour guides.

Each group walked through the museum separately and stopped by Holocaust survivors to hear their stories. The first survivor the groups heard was Ruth Zimbler, a grandmother of some Ramaz graduates. She began her story by telling the students exactly where she lived and how comfortable her life was before the war. She was only 10 years old when the atrocities of the Holocaust began.

She had a very strong connection to her shul in Austria and felt particularly attacked on the night of Kristallnacht when the glass of her shul was shattered right outside of her window.

“You know what it’s like to have glass under your feet?” Mrs. Zimbler asked.

“I still feel that every day of my life.”

After hearing Mrs. Zimbler speak, the students continued to see

York area, New Dimensions in Testimony allows visitors to have “virtual conversations” with Holocaust survivors Pinchas Gutter and Eva Schloss. Students were able to ask questions and lifelike pro-

the rest of the museum and hear from other survivors. One exhibit was particularly impactful and interesting for many students: New Dimensions in Testimony, an interactive testimony installation. The first of its kind in the New

jections of Pinchas and Eva answered those questions in real time—offering personal reflections about life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The students were shocked by the technology of this and were left with a feeling of

relief and satisfaction knowing that the stories of the survivors will live on even once the survivors themselves are gone.

At the end of the trip some of the students remained in the museum to be interviewed by the news. The reporters asked them what their connection was to the Holocaust and why this is so meaningful. Danya Jacobs ’19 said, “I think it’s important because we’re the last generation to hear and see Holocaust survivors and it is extremely important for us to pass down their stories.” Jonah Scherl ’19, who was also interviewed, said, “I was put on the spot without any preparation, but the words kind of came naturally to me. It was so easy for me to talk about Yom Hashoah and the impact it had on me as I was surrounded by the amazing survivors and hearing their unimaginable stories.”

The juniors felt a deeper connection to Yom Hashoah this year; the opportunity to hear first-hand from multiple Holocaust survivors was an experience that touched everyone, and enabled them to understand and feel Yom Hashoah on a new level.

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Commemorating Yom Hashoah: Brundibár

Samantha Sinensky ’21

A children’s opera should not be more than an entertaining diversion, at least in the eyes of the Nazis. In Theresienstadt concentration camp, secretly tucked away in the Czech Republic, or Czechoslovakia as formerly known, the Nazis intended to deceive Red Cross visitors into thinking that all was well for the Jewish children by showcasing their performance of the opera Brundibár. The reality of the situation lends itself to a much darker plot.

Ramaz presented two theatrical pieces in commemoration of Yom HaShoah and in homage to the Jewish artists and musicians who fought to keep their work alive during the Holocaust. Brundibár, the second piece, was written for the children of the Prague Vinohrady Jewish Boys’ Orphanage, where it was performed twice under Rafael Schachter’s direction in honor of the orphanage director’s fiftieth birthday. The show, originally written by Adolf Hoffmeister and composed by Hans Krása in 1938, was performed in secret, because Jews were no longer allowed to engage in cultural activities at the time. Hans Krása was then sent to Theresienstadt during August of 1942, along with many of the

children who took part in the original performance.

The show’s plot is reminiscent of the themes of the Holocaust, as it tells the story of two siblings who fight against injustice and tyranny in their quest to find

milk and heal their mother. The children, constantly the underdogs, represent the Jews in their struggle, and they can only succeed with the help of talking animals.

Prior to Brundibár, Ramaz students performed a short piece entitled “But the Giraffe!”

Israel Information Night Harry Shams '19

On April 23rd, the Ramaz Upper School hosted its annual Israel Information Night for junior parents. The night serves as an opportunity for the parents of Ramaz’s rising seniors to learn more about the benefits of spending a gap year in Israel following graduation. The year serves as an opportunity for outgoing students to continue learning Torah before they likely attend a secular college.

Ramaz describes the importance of considering a gap year on the “Israel Advisement” page of the school’s website. “The year in Israel can be a life-changing event, impacting one’s life in college and beyond,” says the website. “It has become a mass movement which has literally changed the character and face of modern Orthodox Jewry and has transformed Jewish life on campus throughout the country. The Ramaz Upper School sees itself as a 5-year program, with the 5th year being spent in Israel.”

Junior parents were supposedly

pleased by the school’s presentation. According to Sara Shemia, mother of Tom Shemia ’19, the school did a “great job explaining the process to parents,” noting that the program gave her a “much better understanding of the different yeshivas and seminaries available to students.” She stated that the school mostly spoke about “the different types of programs available for kids who want to spend a gap year in Israel, along with the benefits of spending a year in Israel in general.”

Taking a gap year is a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in Israel. It’s a chance to discover oneself, make new friends, and spiritually grow as a Jew. With those benefits in mind, the school believes that juniors should seriously consider the idea of spending a year in Israel. Whether one is interested in studying in a yeshiva or seminary, attending an Israeli college, or even enlisting in the IDF, there is definitely an option for everyone.

which presented an imaginative account of how the musical score of Brundibár might have come to be smuggled into Theresienstadt. “But the Giraffe!” is a modern play by award-winning playwright Tony Kushner, who created the companion piece to Brundibár in order to give a greater understanding of the historical context.

It was Rudolf Freudenfeld-Franěk who managed to sneak the piano score of Brundibár into the camp and continued to rehearse with the children. The actors were constantly changing as children were relocated from Theresienstadt to other concentration camps in the east and new children arrived. After over two months of rehearsing, the play premiered on September 23, 1943.

Brundibár became a sensation and was performed about fifty more times until 1944, when the last of the Jews were transferred out of Theresienstadt (also known as Terezin).

The Nazi’s exploited the success of Brundibár, using it to support their false public image. Under Hitler’s orders, Terezin was meant to serve as a model ghetto for outsiders and organizations who came to inspect the condition and treatment of the Jews, such as the International Red Cross Committee.

Since the camp would be hosting visitors, the prisoners at Terezin were treated slightly better than those at the average camp, yet conditions were hardly livable. Already a successful play, Brundibár was chosen as propaganda to convince the Red Cross that Jews were living happily within the confines of the dismal concentration camp. The infamous propaganda film entitled “The Führer Has Given the Jews a Town,” filmed in the summer of 1944, included footage from Brundibár as additional proof that the Jews were being treated well in Terezin. While watching emaciated children perform a cheerful play, the Red Cross did, according to many, indeed understand the terrible reality of the situation, yet they turned a blind eye.

“We have to keep in mind that the children were excited,” said Director Jason Robinson, who organized and staged the entire Ramaz production. For the children, Brundibár was much more than a Nazi ploy; the show was close to the hearts of the kids involved. These children took part not just because they were forced to, but also because it provided them with entertainment and distraction. Nevertheless, as Jason said, “I think it’s a very sad thing. Particularly because the kids did not know that it was for spectacle.” All but one of the child performers eventually died in the Holocaust.

The gravity of the piece required the Ramaz students involved in the production to understand and discuss its significance. “We sat and talked about how we live in this luxurious world, we have the luxury to worry about putting on this piece,” said Jason of the educational process. As a creator, he was truly impressed with the artistry of the opera. “There are some elements that are amazing,” he said. “The man who wrote the opera resurrected the orchestra from memory.”

The Jews in Theresienstadt were forced to reconstruct many elements of the show with minimal resources, leading to modifications in the orchestration.

Continued "Brundibar Performance" page 4

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April 2018/Nissan-Iyar 5778

Speaking for Those Who Can't: KJ Yom Hashoah Program Rebecca Massel ’21

According to Ms. Tova Friedman, the speaker at this year’s KJ Yom Hashoah program, the Nazis’ motto was to “leave no witnesses.” But Hitler clearly did not succeed: on April 11—Yom Hashoah—Ms. Friedman stood before the KJ community to testify to what she witnessed. The crowded sanctuary that evening was evidence to the importance that the community places on the remembering and retelling of the stories of those who were lost. The KJ event began with Mincha and Maariv, followed by a candle lighting ceremony, songs performed by the Ramaz choirs, and Ms. Friedman’s remarks.

The survivors, their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren all set the tone of the evening as they walked down the aisles of the synagogue, carrying the flames to light the yahrzeit candles. In the background, music played while photos of children from the time of the Holocaust flashed across the screens. Many people found it most touching to see families carrying very young children in the candle-lighting procession, viewing this as a symbol of the continuity of Jewish life.

Throughout the evening, three Ramaz choirs—High School Choir, Chamber Choir, and Kol Ram, the adult community choir—sang songs of remembrance and hope. All three groups together sang “Esah Einai” at the beginning of the program and “Ekrah” at the end. Zach Buller ’20, a member of High School Choir, said, “Singing with other generations made me feel united in what we believe in and what the night was all about.”

Chamber Choir performed “Kol BeRama,” which fit in perfectly with the other two songs, as the lyrics from all three of them come from Tanach and discuss turning to Hashem for help.

Kol Ram also performed “Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen” (“Raisins and Almonds”), a Yiddish lullaby by Abraham Goldfaden (1840-1908). In this song, a mother is singing to her son, Yidele, encouraging him to fall asleep. She comforts him by telling him that a little white goat stands under his cradle and carries out trade in the night with raisins and almonds. The mother tells Yidele that when he grows up and becomes rich, his job will be to trade these goods.

Mr. Henkin, director of all three choirs, said that the Yiddish song was the result of a special request to sing Yiddish songs for the survivors. The lullaby was meant to comfort the survivors and remind them of their childhoods. Mr. Henkin said, “The music adds an emotional component. Instrumental and vocal music speak to the soul, and even if you cannot understand the words, the music itself can change an experience.”

Ms. Tova Friedman was the keynote speaker, and the majority of the program consisted of her sharing her story.

Originally from the Polish town of Gdynia, Ms. Friedman miraculously survived Auschwitz at five years old. She is one of the youngest survivors to have real memories of her experiences. Ms. Friedman currently lives with her husband in New Jersey and works as a therapist. She is blessed with four grown children and eight grandchildren, with whom she is very close.

Ms. Friedman spoke about her wartime experiences.

She survived the Holocaust together with five children from her town. All of the other children from her town perished. Ms. Friedman believes that only two of the other children are still alive today: Michael Borenstein, who recently wrote a book about his own experiences, and a woman

named Sarah, who turned out to be one of Ms. Friedman’s grandchildren’s teachers. Ms. Friedman explained that she wanted to share each part of her experiences in detail, because that was exactly what Hitler feared. “Children were his enemies,” she said. “Children will grow up and remember and tell.” Hitler wanted to “leave no witnesses,” so Ms. Friedman wants to repeat her story now as often as possible. She said, “I am speaking for all those who can’t.”

Ms. Friedman told the audience about the first miracle in her life. For her first birthday party, her entire family went to her grandparents’ house. According to Ms. Friedman, when they returned, “nobody was left alive,” because her town had been bombed.

Ms. Friedman and her parents were moved into a ghetto. They lived in a small room with her grandparents and other families. Ms. Friedman remembers the day that her father came home and told her and her mother of how he had been forced to take his parents on a truck and bring them to a grave which he dug for them. Ms. Friedman clearly remembers the tears pouring down her father’s face as he retold this story. One day in the ghetto, Ms. Friedman remembered, the Nazis called the Jews outside and made them all stand in the street for an entire day as they randomly shot people. Ms. Friedman and her parents were lucky enough to survive. After this terrible day, she remembers clutching onto her mother’s skirt as the few remaining Jews had to clean up the dead bodies from the streets. Ms. Friedman was too afraid to leave her mother, so she was forced to take in the terrible scene as her mother cleaned the dead bodies of their neighbors.

Ms. Friedman and her parents were put on a truck and

Continued "Yom Hashoah At KJ" page 5

continued from page 3 However, when it came to set design, the final product was even more impressive than the original. Zelenka, the set designer for Brundibár at the time when it was being performed in the camp, was asked to create a set similar to the one that had previously been crafted for the play in Prague. Supplied with materials to produce an even better set and costumes, Zelenka completely transformed Brundibár overnight. For the Ramaz version, Ms. Abramson, along with students, created beautiful backdrops that fit the atmosphere of each piece. Taking inspiration from Marc Chagall’s art, they painted whimsical hues with fluid lines.

“When Jason proposed Brundibár, I thought of Chagall—his European and

Lockdown Drill Caitlin Levine ’21

In light of recent gun violence and school shootings, schools across the country are beginning to implement lockdown drills and rehearse emergency procedures. Ramaz is among these schools, and had its first (and so far only) lockdown drill of the year on Tuesday, March 27. Although students were not warned that the lockdown drill was coming at that specific time, they had been told, in detailed

the school, banged on classroom doors, and checked to see if they were all locked.

The drill lasted around ten minutes and ended with Rabbi Stochel saying the secret code over the loudspeaker.

Rabbi Stochel considered the drill a success in multiple ways.

He felt that it was conducted well and with seriousness. He noted that the drill was also helpful toward improving the school’s protocol, say-

"...each drill has been reviewed immediately afterwards to achieve more effective and efficient results in case of an actual lockdown.” -Rabbi Stochel instructions from their grade deans, what to do in such a situation and were prepared. Teachers and students followed instructions well and the drill was successful.

In the middle of first period, Rabbi Stochel suddenly announced on the loudspeaker that a lockdown drill was beginning. Teachers and students immediately moved into action.

The teachers first checked the hallways outside of their classrooms and then returned to their respective classrooms and locked the doors.

They then turned off the lights and shut the blinds. The students found the the designated spaces within the classroom to wait during a lockdown; a “safe space” is clearly marked in each Ramaz classroom. Students waited quietly and turned off their phones, as instructed, while a faculty member went around

ing, “We did discover a few challenges in some parts of the building and have been working with our maintenance and security departments toward perfecting our procedures. We have changed our protocols over the last few years as each drill has been reviewed immediately afterwards to achieve more effective and efficient results in case of an actual lockdown.”

Students were grateful for the opportunity to practice a lockdown and didn’t mind the ten minutes of silence. Gigi Ashkenazy ’21 said, “I think there is a great importance in having lock down drills, just in case.” Alex Zemmol ’21 agreed, saying, “It’s a serious and important drill which will only enhance our safety.”

Overall, the lockdown helped many students feel safe after all that has happened this year.

Brundibár Performance Jewish roots,” said Ms. Abramson. “The dreamlike atmosphere of his paintings just felt appropriate.” In contrast, the set for “But the Giraffe!” used a grayscale. Ms. Abramson explained that this was because this play was “a little more bleak.” The stage design of the performances was in a three-flat structure, causing the audience to see the whole show on a smaller scale—as one might look at a fantasy world. “When you see it, it seems happy,” Ms. Abramson said.

Nonetheless, the production contained elements of a dark reality, including the concluding lines of the show. The evil character Brundibár yells the final line, shouting that although the children think that they have won,

he will be back. He asserts that the war against evil has not yet ended and that

there will always be another bully waiting to stop them. This ending was chill-

ing, especially for a children’s opera, and it hints to the Nazis’ relentless effort to destroy Jews all over the world.

After watching the play, Ramaz parent Mrs. Judith Dupont said, “It was very cynical. It makes us suffer even more. It was a strong moment being in my kids’ school—those young kids wearing a yellow star makes me more aware.”

Mr. Olivier Dupont, her husband, added, “Brundibár is the face of authority.

Brundibár represents the grip of the Nazis, and death was awaiting their victims.”

“When I am working on [Brundibár], I am not thinking about the aftermath,” said Jason. “With no context, I think it speaks for itself. We are just trying to do justice to the piece.”

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News 5

A Meaningful Yom Hazikaron

Natalie Kahn ’19

On Wednesday, April 18, Ramaz students listened in solemn silence during the school’s traditional hour-long Yom Hazikaron assembly, which commemorated the wounded and fallen IDF soldiers as well as victims of terror. This assembly focused on honoring specific names and faces, including those of Ilan Ramon z”l, Yitzchak Rabin z”l, and Hadar Cohen z”l.

The assembly commenced with a siren sounding for roughly a minute, accompanied by clips of Israelis standing and stopping their cars on the highway during the annual sounding of the siren in Israel, in solidarity and remembrance. Afterwards, Mr. Dubi Lavi, who now works for the Israeli Ministry of Defense, spoke to the Ramaz student body. Mr. Lavi, a former Israeli Air Force commander, spoke about his experience making aliyah from South Africa at the age of six and then eventually joining the airforce. “What made the speaker particularly interesting was that he wasn’t just some kid who grew up in Israel and fought; he came from outside of Israel, making aliyah at a young age, and sacrificed so much for the state,” said Rabbi Albo.

During Mr. Lavi’s time as pilot in the air force, he became close friends with fellow pilot and future as-

tronaut Ilan Ramon z”l. Mr. Lavi discussed his experiences working as a pilot with Mr. Ramon and his pride in having been friends with the first Israeli astronaut of NASA. Mr. Lavi then talked about the effects the tragedies that the Ramon family experienced—including Ilan Ramon’s death on the Columbia in 2003 and the death of his son Asaf Ramon z”l in a warplane crash in 2009—had on his family and those who knew him.

“Rather than learning about Ilan Ramon as an astronaut and just about his public life, we all had the lucky opportunity to hear from a good friend of his about his private life,” said Danya Jacobs ’19.

“I never even thought about his time in the army and only thought about his time as an astronaut.”

In Hebrew and English respectively, Naomi Freilich ’18 and Abigail Huebner ’18 read excerpts from a speech

by Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin z”l, who joined the newly formed IDF in 1948. Offir Cohen ’18 and Michael Kishon ’18 recited the poem “Magash Hakesef,” or “The Silver Platter,” by Natan Alterman, about the fight for a Jewish state and the sacrifices made along the way. Recited at every Yom HaZikaron assembly by different students each year, the poem is based on a

Dance Team Performance

Daniella Symonds ’21

As members of Dance Team spent months preparing for the Israeli Folk Dance Festival and Festival of the Arts, they could have hardly imagined how large and attended the performance would end up being.

When the Ramaz dance team arrived bright and early on Sunday morning, April 15, they were surprised to find that the venue was a huge public high school called the Martin Luther King Jr. Educational Campus. The stage was much larger than they had expected, and when dance troops began to arrive from all over the world and the United States, including Israel, Brazil, Canada, Florida, and New Jersey, the Ramaz dancers began to understand just how significant the performance was.

Upon arrival, the Ramaz

Dance Team began rehearsing their dance. After hours of intense practice and team building activities, the Ramaz dancers were given their costumes and asked to change. Before doing so, however, the Brazilian dance troupe treated them to a performance. The Ramaz dancers were blown out of the water by the impressive performance quality and synchronization of the dancers from Rio. “We understood that it was no longer just a small performance, but a real representation of Jewish dancing for our larger Jewish community,” explained Becky Tauber ’19.

After changing into costume, the Ramaz team began the full run-through of the show with all of the different dance groups, feeling a little in-

timidated after watching the impressive performance by the Rio dancers. Together they learned the choreography for the opening of the performance, which would feature all of the dancers, as well as the finale. "The experience of dancing on stage with Jewish dancers our age from all around the world was an incredible opportunity, and I feel so grateful to have been a part of it," said Isabel Ellman ’21 after the conclusion of the performance.

After a long day, the Ramaz dancers headed home, exhausted but looking forward to the Yom Ha'atzmaut performance they had coming up in a few days. "The festival was fun," said Rina Marlowe ’20, "but I can't wait for Yom Ha'atzmaut!"

Yom Hashoah at KJ

quote from Chaim Weizmann in 1947: "The state will not be given to the Jewish people on a silver platter.”

Another poignant component of the assembly was the student performances. Rebecca Araten ’18 and Cameryn Guetta ’19 sang Bab-el-Wad, written by Chaim Guri, who passed away this year, to honor those who fought in Jerusalem in 1948. Hyatt Aronoff ’18 and Offir Cohen ’18 performed a touching rendition of “Million Kochavim,” originally sung by Amit Farkash at the funeral of her brother Tom Farkash z”l, who died in 2006 in an aircraft accident during the Lebanon War. In the lyrics, Farkash reflects on the connection that she built with her brother through music, and with the words she begs him for one more moment to say goodbye. Farkash moved so many with her “Million Kochavim” that it eventually became the official song of the Lebanon War. As Nathan Haron ’19 said, “The song ‘Million Kochavim’ was especially powerful because it is a song with such a deep and strong message.”

The assembly connected the students to the overall sad and dismal atmosphere of Yom Hazikaron, perhaps most emotionally with the story of Hadar Cohen z”l, a 19-year old border police officer killed in a terrorist attack in February 2016.

On patrol, her squad noticed three Palestinians behaving suspiciously and demanded that the men show their ID cards. As one took his out, the other two opened fire on Hadar. She succumbed to her wounds only hours afterwards at Hadassah Hospital.

Interviews of Hadar’s family and friends depicted not only her love of Israel and her determination to play an active role in the IDF but also her caring personality: she was a doting daughter, and her friends described her as the one to always make sure everyone was okay, even up to the last moments of her life. Her death, of course, still brings tremendous pain to those who knew her. Her parents and sister couldn’t hold back tears while being interviewed. A particularly jarring moment in the video was a clip from Hadar’s father’s eulogy: “I have four words for you: I’m proud of you, proud of you and I salute you,” he cried. “Rest in peace.”

“I was moved to tears to see how much the army meant to her,” said Daniella Symonds ’21, “how she was living her dream and her parents were so proud of her.” “The video showed how a girl who isn’t much older than we are, right out of high school, can die so heroically and have such a personal effect on those around her,” said David Adler ’19.

The room was silent as students listened attentively and absorbed the pain of those who had fought and died for a Jewish state and the suffering of those who had been left behind. Some were even crying as they walked out. “There was a touching atmosphere in the room that was the result of the seriousness and maturity of the ceremony,” said Haron.

Said Adler, “Honestly, that was one of the most meaningful assemblies I’ve ever attended in Ramaz.”

continued from page 4

sent to the next stop. At this stop, they stayed in a small room. Here, her parents were taken every day to a factory to make ammunition for the war. According to Ms. Friedman, “it was complete slave labor.” Her parents were gone from five in the morning to the night. Ms. Friedman said that starvation began to set in.

Everyone was always hungry. During the day, Ms. Friedman would play with the other children “terrible, terrible, angry games.” The children played “I am a German, you are a Jew.” As she explained, “Children mimic what they see.”

Even at her young age, Ms. Friedman exhibited tremendous strength during her time in Auschwitz. On one specific day, a female Nazi tore her out of the line and hit her across the face repeatedly while yelling, “You have to learn to stand still!” Ms. Friedman, who was all of five years old at the time, thought, “You can kill me, you can just kill me, but you will never know how much you hurt me.” She did not let one tear escape her eye as she was being beaten. She was ready to die, but she had tremendous inner strength that kept her going.

Ms. Friedman made sure to

tell the audience about kindnesses that were shown to her while in Auschwitz.

One woman gave Ms. Friedman a pair of shoes. Another woman who was tasked with applying the young girl’s tattoo on her forearm said, “I am going to give you a very tiny number, because you are such a little girl.” To this day, Ms. Friedman is thankful for the small, neat number. Despite the horrors she endured, Ms. Friedman is appreciative of any help she received.

The final story Ms. Friedman told in graphic detail was about her avoidance of the death marches as Auschwitz was emptied out. Ms. Friedman’s mother hid her amongst the corpses lying in hospital beds. The image of a young girl lying among dead bodies was heavy for many people in the audience, but it was poignant and difficult to erase. When the Nazis came to the hospital to see if anybody was left inside, they found many corpses but did not discover all the living bodies hiding in those beds. The Nazis lit the entire hospital on fire, but Ms. Friedman and her mother were able to escape.

Sadly, even though the Russians came to liberate the camp, “death doesn’t know it

is liberated,” and the Russians were unable to save those who had already perished. Ms. Friedman was still very happy to be amongst those who survived.

Ms. Friedman ended her story by talking about her gratitude towards her mother. Ms. Friedman credits her mother for her survival. She said, “My mother was very unusual. She never lied to me. She showed me everything and told me everything. Because of that, I trusted her.” They came to America after the war, but her mother died when Ms Friedman was only eighteen. She explained that once her mother knew she was safe, she was able to die knowing she had accomplished her goal.

Ms. Friedman said that the lesson she hoped the audience would take away from her speech was that they should “remember and learn from the Holocaust to be very careful of hatred and prejudice, because if you don’t kill the hatred, it will spread. A person who sees evil has the obligation to do something about it.”

Ms. Friedman spoke for sixty-five minutes, but nobody in the audience stirred. The feedback about the program was overwhelmingly positive.

Many students were particularly struck by the comparison between Ms. Friedman’s upbringing and their own. Keren Kubersky ’21 said, “Her stories were heartbreaking. I can’t believe someone had to go through that as such a young child and thought it was considered normal. I have to be grateful for everything I have.” Other students found that her speech changed their perception of Yom HaShoah and imbued it with greater meaning. Levi Lesches ’21, a singer in High School Choir, said, “During rehearsals, this was just another one of our performances, but after Ms. Friedman spoke, it made my feelings about the day and my singing more intense.”

The lessons of strength and appreciation ran through Ms. Friedman’s remarks. Ms. Benel urged students to incorporate these lessons: “The challenge we have now,” she said, ‘is to teach that even though this was a singular experience that happened 70 years ago, is still very, very relevant. People should not view Yom HaShoah as a memorial day. It is a part of their living history. This is true today more than ever.”

Features

The Rampage • April 2018

The New Kid: Rabbi Slomnicki Spends the Day as a Junior Harry Shams '19

It’s 8 AM on a muggy Tuesday morning and Rabbi Eli Slomnicki, Dean of Student Life at the Ramaz Upper School, has just entered the lunchroom for davening. As Junior Grade Dean, davening with the juniors is a part of Rabbi Slomnicki’s normal routine. On any given day, Slomnicki’s “responsibilities” during davening include quieting talkative students, delivering morning announcements, and ensuring that the juniors begin their day on a healthy spiritual note. Today, however, Slomnicki will undertake a different role. Today, he joins the juniors in davening not as an administrator, but as a fellow student.

“I often joke that I’ve never truly left high school as I’ve essentially been stuck here since my early twenties,” said Slomnicki. “However, I came to realize that although I may still be in high school, I was not living the life of a high school teenager until I returned to school last week and followed the schedule of a junior student from 8 AM through 4:45 PM.” Slomnicki first got the idea from an article written in the Marshal Memo, a weekly publication that reviews important ideas and research in K-12 education. “I read an article describing a principal in Houston who decided he was going to spend the day in the shoes of his students. And it struck a chord with me, because part of my own personal mis-

sion here is to improve the student experience. So as much as I can talk with students and try to understand their experience, perhaps ‘living’ the life of a student for a day would be helpful.”

Properly inspired, Slomnicki informed juniors that on April 10th, he would enter Ramaz not as their Grade Dean but as their peer. “In truth, I cheated in three ways. I stole a muffin after davening with the kitchen staff yelling at me thinking I was a student. I also scheduled myself for a free during 4th period, which students can’t do.

And finally, on two occasions, I went back to my office to simply sit for a moment, just to relax between periods. Otherwise, I was a student, with notebook and iPhone in hand. I did my homework, had my materials with me, tried to get to class on time, participated in discussions, and even tried to make friends at lunch and during homeroom.”

In a written statement to faculty, Slomnicki outlined the main lessons he took away from his most unusual day. First, he noted that is was difficult for him to maintain focus in his classes. Sometimes, that lack of focus stemmed from a lack of understanding of the material being taught while at other times, it stemmed from exhaustion. “I found my mind wandering with so many other concerns that I couldn’t stay focused even when the lesson was engaging.

I wonder how many of our students have a similar experience.”

Slomnicki also noted that he felt crunched in terms of time and space throughout the day. “I went from desk to desk to the crowded lunchroom having to actively think about when I would use the restroom so as not to be late to class.”

And while the lounge pales in comparison to an office on the sixth floor, Slomnicki noted that whenever he “just wanted to sit in the lounge for a moment and unwind, the spaces had already been taken by territorial seniors.”

Finally, Slomnicki expressed surprise at his discomfort with his separation from technological devices during the day. “I discovered how tied I am to my device. Knowing that I couldn’t answer or simply check my messages, I could feel my body tense up as I became increasingly anxious about all the work that awaited me that evening.” Slomnicki stated that he was most surprised by this lesson in particular, noting that he felt “physically unnerved” by how distracting his phone became throughout the day. And while Slomnicki conceded his low tolerance for technology “may have been generational,” he found that not being able to check his phone prevented him from being attentive.

Slomnicki is certainly not the first “student” to experience these types of concentration issues. Indeed, juniors at

“We are indeed training hard working young adults.”

-Rabbi Slomnicki Ramaz, in particular, often complain about how difficult it is to maintain focus on a consistent basis. “It can be very hard to stay focused in classes,” said Daniel Levy ’19. “With the amount of work this school requires of its students, sometimes staying attentive is almost impossible.”

Additionally, a lack of physical space in common areas is a known issue, especially for lowerclassmen. Sammy Aschendorf ’20 said, “It’s very hard to find a place to just sit and relax in this school. During free B4 periods, for example, it’s almost impossible to either sit in the lounge or work in the library – all the seats are taken the moment the bell rings.”

While Slomnicki acknowledged that these issues were worth discussing, he emphasized the fact that his experiment was “not something that would result in a concrete response.” He stated that his main hope was “that adults in the building would notice me and begin to ask why I would do something like this.

From there, I hope to initiate a dialogue around that question.”

Slomnicki thought that his exhaustion at the end of the day may have stemmed from that fact that he is “not a regular stu-

dent at Ramaz, and as a result has not developed the stamina for this kind of day.” Nevertheless, he noted that while the day was certainly strenuous, both mentally and physically, he left the building with a greater understanding of and appreciation for the challenges students at Ramaz face. The closing line of his memo reads: “We are indeed training hard working young adults.”

In any educational setting, some “disconnect” between the educators and the educated is bound to exist. If a school’s administration is smart and caring, then they will make an effort to bridge the divide between themselves and the student body.

Rabbi Slomnicki’s effort to live in the shoes of a Ramaz student for a day was intuitively a thoughtful one, and may have inspired a better understanding of the student body. Everyone can agree that the lessons Slomnicki learned as a student may shed some light on challenges faced by the student body every day. What remains to be seen, however, is whether Slomnicki, and the administration generally, will take those lessons to heart and use them to institute positive change at our school.

Spring Break with Mr. Lupinacci

Suzi Dweck '19

Spring break is a time when students and teachers receive a much-needed week off from school. Ramaz becomes empty and desolate as everyone takes time to be with family–wherever that may be.

There are those who remain home for a relaxing staycation, while others travel to new cities, states, countries, and even continents. However, no matter how far you travel, the Ramaz community has unexpected ways of remaining with you.

Imagine wandering through an unknown and unfamiliar place with thousands of people surrounding you. If you make one wrong turn while walking, you become lost in a foreign country full of

people who don’t speak your language.

Now imagine, in that moment of bewilderment and chaos, bumping into someone you know. All the feelings of perplexity and discomfort you just felt are now replaced with a sense familiarity and ease.

This past spring break Mr. Lupinacci had a similar experience in Spain with three Ramaz juniors. While roaming the streets of Barcelona and exploring the beautiful mosaics of Park Guell, Mr. Lupinacci ran into multiple Ramaz students.

Nicole Bensadai ’19 and Tali Fouzailoff ’19 both unexpectedly encountered Mr. Lupinacci in the midst of Barcelona. Mr. Lupinacci said, “While in Park Guell I

saw someone that looked just like Nicole, but I walked away because it seemed too unlikely that it was actually her. I kept looking back because the resemblance was amazing. Then, I heard someone call out my name, turned around, and saw that it was indeed Nicole and her family.” Mr. Lupinacci encountered another student while in the Old Synagogue in Barcelona. Mr. Lupinacci said, “I heard someone call out ‘Mr. Lup!’ and it was the Fouzailoffs!” Mr. Lupinacci had the opportunity to connect with his students’ families and to learn more about the history and culture of Spain through these unexpected encounters. Sophie Dahan ’19, another

student who saw Mr. Lupinacci in Spain, said, “Seeing Mr. Lupinacci in such a huge and busy place like Barcelona made the world feel so small, and really made me appreciate the Ramaz community that I am fortunate enough to be a part of.”

Mr. Lupinacci explained, “Experiences like these are what make you feel like you are part of a community. The feeling that we are not just here for business, but to share experiences together in a new city. The fact that Ramaz doesn’t have thousands of students and is a relatively small school makes it even more unlikely to run into each other; that was the beauty of it.”

Features 7

Becky Tauber '19

The Rampage

April 2018/Nissan-Iyar 5778

Bullying Through Social Media

It is no secret that bullying has become one of the most prevalent problems in schools across the world. Although an extremely sad reality, it is usually safe to assume that every school has some type of bullying going on within its walls, whether it be physical bullying, verbal bullying, or social bullying. Most children, students, and even adults have all suffered from some form of bullying in their lives.

However, with new technology surfacing and new social media platforms to accompany these advances, bullying has reached levels beyond what it has ever been before.

The purpose of social media is far from anything destructive. Outlets such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter are meant for sharing pictures, jokes, news, and messages.

But over the past couple of years, bullies have used the internet as a tool to hurt people. Bullying was once something that people faced during the day, which they escaped while at home throughout the night. Nowadays, bullies are capable of following their targets everywhere. Due to the far-reaching effects of the internet, being in what one calls a personal “sanctuary” no longer provides a salve for the pain endured by targets of bullying.

There are plenty of reasons why bullies would prefer to use the internet as a form of bullying, as opposed to face-to-face interactions. Mainly, the internet acts as a shelter for bullies, allowing them to hide behind their screens, using fake names and anonymous messages. The idea that people can post things on the internet without having to use their real identities makes it a lot easier to attack people without suffering any consequences. On a different

note, cyberbullying is much easier because the bully does not see the initial reaction that a target has to a comment, image, or video that he or she posted. What might be considered “fun and games” to the bully might actually be extremely hurtful to the victim. “With cyberbullying, people have this whole new platform where they feel the freedom to say what they want, because they don’t see the immediate reaction of the person they might be hurting,” said an anonymous source. These factors make cyberbullying a whole different ball game. What makes this form of bul-

ber one rule for victims is to resist the urge to respond back to harassers. By responding back, a victim simply gives a bully exactly what he or she wants: attention and an excuse to keep going. The next key step for a victim is to save the offending messages and to gather hard proof of the cyberbullying. That way, when approaching a trusted adult, or in some cases the legal authorities, legitimate evidence is present.

It is important to ensure that students know how to respond to cyberbullying, but what are the techniques that can reduce and prevent it from occurring alto-

"It’s very hard to control, but the best way to minimize cyberbullying is to stop it as soon as the first hurtful comment is made... If you just let the questionable comments be said without intervention, it will very quickly snowball out of control into a much worse situation."

-anonymous student

lying even worse is that once something goes on the internet, it can never truly be erased. Hateful things that are posted on the internet can follow a person for many years to come, a scary but true reality.

The question of cyberbullying lies in the different manners in which it should be dealt with. How should we approach it? What should we advise children to do when they are confronted with bullying on the internet? Students might be seeing hateful comments almost everyday, but many might not know what to do.

Cyberbully specialists teach that the num-

Security Guard Feature: A Q&A with Mr. Dwight Johnson

gether? It is extremely difficult to prevent cyberbullying, as not all social media platforms are regulated for abusive content.

Of course, the obvious thing to do then is to make sure to secure all personal information and to understand privacy settings on all social media accounts. Additionally, one should never encourage or support other bullies, but rather should shut down an abuser as soon as there is hate. “It’s very hard to control, but the best way to minimize cyberbullying is to stop it as soon as the first hurtful comment is made,” said an anonymous student. “If you just let the questionable comments be said without intervention, it will very quickly snowball out of control into a much worse situation.

This is because the bully will see how far he or she can go without a reaction indi-

cating that he is doing something wrong.”

With bullying, as well as cyberbullying, being one of the most severe problems for students, it is important that all schools take strong stances against bullying and make clear how badly a bully can affect a person’s life. At Ramaz, it is clear that bullying is not tolerated in any of its forms. However, the school doesn’t actively inform students about the different forms of bullying and how they can have an effect on students. It might seem like everyone knows what bullying is, but not everyone knows the different types of bullying, what to do when put in a position where you are forced to stand up to a bully, or how to proactively oppose bullying. It is important for this generation of students to learn about both the safe and the unsafe aspects of using the internet, even when they believe that they already know how the internet works. The reality is that there are many things that students don’t know about bullying, and schools must be informative and proactive in order to prevent it. For example, some people believe that jokes can never be taken literally and are therefore not a form of bullying. However, it is true that not everyone can take a joke the same way, and people must learn to be cautious about what they say or send out on the internet, even if it is a “joke.” The most important thing for schools to teach is how students should speak up when they or somebody that they know is the subject of bullying. In order to stop bullying, it must be known to everyone that there is no shame in speaking up, while it is also essential that there be a safe way to do so without the fear of being the next target or worsening the situation. Cyberbullying is an extremely difficult and complicated problem, so all schools should make it a priority to do as much as they can to inform people of the harmful consequences.

Gabrielle Ostad '21

Mr. Dwight Johnson is definitely a familiar face, as he guards the Ramaz building from the lobby and is always sure to greet students and engage them in conversation. His great work, along with that of the entire school security team, does not go unnoticed and cannot be taken for granted. Additionally, the seniors nominated Dwight as one of their top picks for an award given to the best faculty member in the school. When he found out he was nominated for this honor, Dwight was so surprised, because he did not consider himself to be part of the Ramaz Upper School Faculty. The Ramaz community appreciates Dwight and values the work that he does to protect it and to brighten the day of all who walk into the building. I had the opportunity to ask Dwight a few questions in order to learn more about his life and to help us further appreciate the story of the man we see every single day of school.

Gabrielle: Where is your family from?

Dwight: North Crolina.

Gabrielle: Where did you grow up?

Dwight: In the South, in the Rocky Mountains of North Carolina.

Gabrielle: Can you tell me about your family?

Dwight: I have eight siblings, five brothers and three sisters. I myself have seven kids. I have five boys and twin girls. The youngest child is 24.

Gabrielle: What activities did you play growing up?

Dwight: I played basketball.

Gabrielle: : What did you do after high school?

Dwight: I [enlisted] in the military.

Gabrielle: What was your position in the military?

Dwight: I became a combat engineer.

Gabrielle: How many years did you serve in the army?

Dwight: Eight years.

Gabrielle: What inspired you to serve our country?

Dwight: I was seeking education.

Gabrielle: Where have you previously lived?

Dwight: North Carolina, Virginia, New York, and Germany.

Gabrielle: What previous job did you have before working at Ramaz?

Dwight: I was a caseworker.

Gabrielle: What do you like to do in your free time?

Dwight: Catch up on sleep.

Gabrielle: What is your favorite food?

Dwight: Shrimp.

Gabrielle: What is the best part of your day?

Dwight: The handshakes and personal greetings I have with each student.

Gabrielle: What advice would you give to the students of Ramaz?

Dwight: To keep up the good work, because everyone is doing a great job.

Gabrielle: Is there anything else you want to tell us?

Dwight I want to let you guys know that I really do enjoy working here.

Blackout Days at Ramaz

Hannah Slager '19

For most Ramaz students, checking the Schoology calendar is not particularly enjoyable or relaxing. The calendar presents students with all of the stressful deadlines that they will have to meet for homework assignments and papers, and it displays the upcoming tests that they will have to complete.

Recently, however, new—and admittedly much more relieving—events have been popping up on the Schoology calendar, squeezed in between all of those deadlines: blackout days.

So what is the purpose of these days? Ms Krupka explained that “blackout days are put in the test calendar on days that we want to ensure that there aren’t any tests or any major assignments due...whether it’s because it’s the day after a standardized test or after a Shabbaton. They’re chosen carefully; we obviously can’t have too many of them.”

Many students are thrilled with notion of blackout days. Amit Daniel ’19 said, “I believe that blackout days are a great opportunity for the kids to take a breather, recuperate, and get ready to take on the next challenges that we face at Ramaz. Whether they’re tests or homework, we can fully prepare for them.”

However, some students are critical of the way that the blackout

days are executed and enforced. “The school should stop saying [that there are blackout days], because no teachers seem to care about it anyway,” said Laura Lancman ’19. “They should stop pretending that it's a thing.” “Even though the school says there are blackout days, there really aren’t,” agreed Matan Makharadze ’19. “The school should put more emphasis to make sure they are enforced, because I do feel that blackout days are very important.”

In response to this complaint, Ms. Krupka explained that “the teachers know [about these days]; everyone once in a while…[and] not by fault of their own...may not realize this, in which case I really encourage students to come talk to me.” She continued to say, “We’re really working to be a place where just because we are a rigorous environment doesn’t mean that we are crushing you guys.”

Opinion

The Rampage Ramaz Upper School

New York | Volume 51 | Issue VIII | April 2018 / Nissan-Iyar 5778

Editors-in-Chief: Rebecca Araten* Abigail Huebner* Julia Levi* Faculty Advisor: Dr. Milowitz Contributing Writers: Paola Mattout Zach Buler Natalie Kahn Samantha Sinensky Harry Shams Rebecca Massel Caitlin Levine Daniella Symonds Josephine Schizer Gabi Potter Yasmine Sokol William Kremer Suzi Dweck Gabrielle Ostad Hannah Slager Becky Tauber Daniel Levy The Rampage is the student newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School. It is published on a monthly basis. Letters to the editor may be submitted to rampage@ramaz.org.

Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Rampage style and format.

The opinions expressed in the Rampage are of the author’s alone, and do not represent the views or opinions of Ramaz, the Rampage, or its Editors.

Denotes member of the Rampage Editorial Board. *

The Rampage • April 2018

A Few Final Tweaks to the Lateness System

Natalie Kahn '19

The crackdown on student latenesses this year has certainly been effective. Given IDs that require two tap-ins, one at arrival and one upon entering minyan, students are now allowed to come late a maximum of eight times per quarter, with detention for half an hour after school for every three lates. On the ninth late, the student receives social probation, where he or she is prohibited from participating in school programs—such as after-school clubs, shabbatons, and retreats— and, though this doesn’t apply to freshmen, not permitted to leave the building during the day.

The system has improved davening attendance. While last year it could sometimes take five or ten minutes of pointless

waiting to even get a minyan in the morning, now there is often no delay, and with the second minyan tap-in five minutes after arrival, students are careful to actually come into davening around eight rather than arriving on time and then waiting twenty minutes before going into davening.

What makes the lateness system fair is that it allows for error: the subway system can be totally unpredictable, sometimes there is bad traffic, and getting out of bed in the morning can be a slow process. Eight allowed lates per quarter doesn’t seem terribly unreasonable, given that there are only around 35 days of school per quarter, and if one has a good excuse he or she can communicate with the grade dean to

get the lateness removed.

The detention punishment with social probation as an extreme, especially for students who are in clubs, is enough to incentivize students to try to come on time.

Of course, nothing is perfect. My issue with the lateness system—and I know I’m not alone in this—is that it makes no note of how late you came in. A lateness is overlooked if it’s only a couple minutes after eight, but past 8:05, every lateness is marked exactly the same. You just get an email from noreply@ ramaz.org captioned first, second, or third strike.

There’s a big difference between walking in at 8:07 because you got stuck in a traffic jam and coming in at 9:45, and yet, on record, these two situations

are treated equally. In fact, once it’s 8:07, you might as well take the morning off and go relax at a coffee shop, because the consequence of entering the building now will be the same as if you enter the building in an hour.

There is a solution. My suggestion is that students be allowed more lates per semester— maybe ten or eleven— but that each significant late, defined as an arrival past 8:25 or so, should be counted as two strikes, and detention could be

the consequence for four lateness rather than three.

This way the school would maintain a stringent attendance system but also not penalize kids who are making a solid effort to be punctual but are hindered by the transportation system: it still encourages these kids to get to school as soon as possible and be there for at least some of davening. However, ten or eleven latenesses still leaves room for an accidental occasional sleep-in.

Nine Ramaz Seniors Attend the J Street Conference Yasmine Sokol '19

On April 14-17, J Street hosted a conference for pro-peace, pro-Israel Americans who want Israel to be secure, democratic, and the national home of the Jewish people. Working within American politics and the Jewish community, J Street advocates for policies that advance democratic and Jewish values as well as shared U.S. and Israeli interests, hopeful-

ship between the U.S. and Israel.

Max Lindenbaum ’18 and Hyatt Aronoff ’18 encouraged the administration to allow a few seniors to attend the conference.

They received permission to miss class for the conference, but not to attend as an official Ramaz delegation. Every J Street conference offers an opportunity for J Street activists to meet with and lobby members of Congress in support of a two-state solution and diplomacy-first foreign policy. Sarah Is-

said that she was not particularly left or right wing. She went in with an open mind: “the trip was more about educating myself and hearing the argument of a different side (one we don’t really hear at a modern orthodox day school). The conference itself wasn’t as left as people made it out to be. But it did focus on how to make a two state solution work. For example, I heard from a wide range of people. I heard from Merav Michaeli, an Israeli

dents to attend the conference.

In reality, we rarely ever hear the other side of the argument about whether or not Israel should be divided into two states, a Jewish one and a Palestinian one.

Regardless of my or the school’s beliefs or thoughts, it is important to get a taste of the argument being brought forth by the other side. It is often intimidating and confusing to figure out what you truly believe if you are only being taught one side of an argument,

It is often intimidating and confusing to figure out what you truly believe if you are only being taught one side of an argument, and this conference gave students the ability to explore and arrive at their own conclusions. ly leading to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

J Street states its goal as promoting American leadership to end the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflict peacefully and diplomatically, and aims to transform the national conversation about what it means to be pro-Israel.

They speak up in Washington, in political campaigns, in communities and on college campuses. By transforming the conversation, the goal is to make political space for elected leaders to advocate for policies that make for a secure, Jewish and democratic future for Israel and reflect the common values that underlie the relation-

sever ’18 said that “My goal going to J Street was to see activism. I saw this in some of the grassroots from Israel that attended. My hope was to not only see people standing up with a voice, but to hear concrete actions that would make people not be consumed with despair about the conflict, but rather take part in the moral commitments that we as a people always own for ourselves. I saw this only slightly at J Street. The speakers who stood on their own were jarring against one another, and I would’ve liked to see THEM speak to one another in a panel.”

Noa Attias ’18, who also attended the conference,

Knesset member (labor party), Tzipi Livni of the Hatnua party to the PLO Dr. Husam Zomlot.

Throughout the whole conference I was hearing logical and plausible ideas. The conference in no way shape or form denounced having a Jewish state, it just included the idea that the Palestinians should have a home and a state as well”.

Ilana Steinmetz ’18, who attended both AIPAC and J Street conferences, found it “extremely interesting to see the two different conferences and how they both strived to create the best state Israel can be”.

I think that it was a good idea for the school to allow stu-

and this conference gave students the ability to explore and arrive at their own conclusions. It was probably especially influential for the students who attended who do not know yet where they stand in this conflict. The conference could have swayed them to now believe in a two-state solution, or they could have found it so preposterous that they now completely disagree. Either way, attending the conference was important to help students become more educated about the issue and figure out where they truly stand.

Opinion 9

Harry Shams '19

The Rampage

April 2018/Nissan-Iyar 5778

Should Ramaz Limit Acceptable Speech?

Participation in political discourse is a staple of everyday life at Ramaz. Every week, students attend a variety of extra-curricular programs whose primary focuses are on current fiscal, social, and political issues. If you want to talk about the economy, you go to BIC; if you want to talk about women’s issues, you go to Feminist Club; if you want to talk about politics in general, you go to RamPo. Historically, students have been accepting and respectful of different points of view present at the school. But with political correctness on the rise in America, perhaps the time has come for Ramaz students to examine what is and isn’t acceptable speech. Perhaps, there should be limits on

what can and cannot be said in the name of making an argument.

In the eyes of many students, setting limits on acceptable speech is a danger to free speech.

By outlawing the expression of certain facts or statements that might be considered offensive, the school would be obstructing the First Amendment rights of its students. According to Alex Glasberg ’19, who has attended RamPo on a weekly basis for nearly three years, “When one is engaged in a political argument, he or she should focus on discussing actual policy rather than insulting who they are debating personally. With that being said, I still think that in the realm of political discussion there should never be any limits on freedom

of speech. If the school limits speech because it is ‘not politically correct,’ then they are putting the student body on a slippery slope. To do so would be to turn a blind eye to what our founding fathers believed when they conceived the Constitution.”

Other students asserted the difference between repressing free speech and repressing insults and callous behavior. David Gad ’19 said, “Winning an argument is not always more important than respecting someone. People can believe whatever they want to believe, but to express that belief in the face of someone who would clearly be insulted by it is just cold-hearted.”

To a majority of students, however, the limits of ac-

"...I believe that we at Ramaz have an elevated obligation to be even more careful with our speech, even if we might not understand why someone might be offended by something.”

-Rabbi Slomnicki

Gabi Potter '20

Rabbi Slomnicki went on to explain that most examples of unacceptable speech are necessarily driven by subjective judgments—in other words, some people would consider certain speech to be insulting, while others might find the same speech to be acceptable. “The critical question here is who has the right to decide when someone has been slighted,” said Rabbi Slomnicki.

“I don’t have a good answer to that question, but I will say that as Jews whose morals and ethics are guided by the Torah, we need to be counter-cultural sometimes.

That is to say, I believe that we at Ramaz have an elevated obligation to be even more careful with our speech, even if we might not understand why someone might be offended by something.” Rabbi Slomnicki noted that although he personally believes people “don’t always have the right to just be offended,” he nonetheless maintains that the students and faculty at Ramaz “have a broader obligation to be sensitive.”

Are 50 Minute Friday Periods Effective?

While the school adheres to a complex schedule to allow for a rigorous dual curriculum, there is a point at which must stop and ask ourselves about the practicality of some of the school’s decisions in regards to this schedule. I would ask to look specifically at the decision to hold 50-minute periods on Fridays. Friday classes already prove challenging in terms of focus; the short schedule and approaching weekend keep students’ minds off of schoolwork, while the exhaustion from a week’s work makes it even harder to be pro-

William Kremer '21

ceptable speech and politics in general for that matter, are of no concern. In a poll consisting of sixteen students (four students from each grade), eight said they didn’t care about politics whatsoever, five said they didn’t believe in setting limits on acceptable speech, and three said Ramaz should enforce boundaries on acceptable speech. Noah Brill ’18 said, “You’d be surprised by how many kids just don’t care about politics. Sure, everyone has an opinion that they usually just pick up from their parents, but very few kids take the time to develop their own opinions—especially on issues like free speech.”

The administration’s stance on the limits of acceptable speech is relatively simple. According to Rabbi Slomnicki, the Upper School Administration believes that “how we speak should be guided by Halacha. When we say things that are hurtful to people, to the extent that those statements violate the Halacha, then we simply can’t allow it.”

ductive. Yet to add to these impediments to learning, the periods have been designed to be 50 minutes, an excessive amount of time for students to withstand under normal circumstances, and an unbearable amount under the circumstances I’ve described.

An overwhelming number of students have pleaded for these 50-minute periods to be reduced in length, and it has been a point of contention between some teachers and the administration. According to a teacher who asked to remain anonymous, “seeing more classes in the day” with

shorter periods would be far more effective for teaching. The teacher added that the school used to have a policy of 29-minute Friday periods, a setup that wasn’t practical. However, the alternative has not been working well either. The teacher concluded that by cutting the extra 5 minutes that are alloted at the end of davening, more class time could be added to the schedule, allowing for extra periods to be squeezed in and for the class duration to be shortened. The bottom line is that the school has a lot of room to improve an old system

made under a previous administration.

Hannah Doft ’20 agreed that the periods were not conducive to learning, saying, “I burn out 20 minutes into the periods just knowing how much more time I have to go for.” Many students have said that this is an issue for them and would like to see action taken. Fortunately, progress appears to be in the works, as the administration is reportedly planning on making changes to the Friday schedule. Hopefully, their amendments to the system will resolve these outstanding flaws.

Natalie Portman Stands Against Israel

Jerusalem-born Natalie Portman, the Academy Award-winning actress known for her roles in several Star Wars films, has publically snubbed her hometown in protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the escalating Gaza conflict. Due to accept the Genesis Prize, a one-million-dollar award that many consider to be the Israeli equivalent to the Nobel Prize and that recipients donate to charity, Portman on April 20 announced her controversial decision not to attend the ceremony.

According to its website, the Genesis Prize “honors individuals who have attained excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields, and who inspire others through their dedication to the Jewish community and Jewish values.” Portman, born Natalie Hershlag, is a Harvard graduate who went to a Solomon Schechter Day School.

She holds dual Israeli-American citizenships and has publicly said that she is “proud of [her] Israeli roots and Jewish heritage.” She is well-respected and known for supporting important causes.

Portman posted a message on her Instagram page, saying that she “treasures her Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema and dance.”

This statement is reasonable and sweet, but the rest of her message was more problematic. “Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust,” she continued, “but the mistreatment of those suffering from today’s atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power.” In a second statement, Portman said that her reasons for skipping the ceremony had been “mischaracterized” by others. Re-

gardless, Portman’s post received over 150,000 likes in one day from her 1.7 million followers.

The problem with Portman’s statement is that her name and fame have turned her skipping of the ceremony into a huge news headline, printed on the front of papers like The New York Times and written at the top of digital news feeds across the country. Many members of the international community and many of the decision-makers in Washington are more deeply affected by what celebrities like Portman think than they are by real news, which a lot of them probably don't even follow when it comes to Israel. So Portman’s voice has all the more power, and she should have thought of that before lashing out online against her birthplace and the only democracy in the Middle East

The question is what can be done to counter harmful moves

like this one. Is Israel keeping up with the Times and showing that they understand the power of influencers? Are they doing what they can to embrace other famous people who have shown they are supportive of the Jewish state, like Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot and the successful model Bar Refaeli? Because what is at stake is a lot worse than simply bad press.

One of the first to react to Portman’s announcement was Omar Barghouti, a co-founder of the Palestinian-led global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement. Barghouti could not wait to jump on the chance to beat Israel while she was down, and he wrote an email to The New York Times saying, “This latest rebuff to Israeli cultural events and accolades, coming from an Israeli-American superstar, is arguably one of the strongest indicators yet of how toxic the Israel Brand has become, even in some

liberal circles in Hollywood.”

Although Portman replied with a statement to clarify that she does not support the BDS movement, it’s easy to understand how this major public blow against Israel by a well-respected star can be framed. It’s Israel’s economy that’s at stake, not just its image. So the time has certainly come to up the game, so to speak. Israel’s supporters should recognize the influence that celebrities have and possibly harness this power in order to sway the public’s and even Congress’s opinions of Israel.

The Rampage • April 2018

Arts & Entertainment

Mean Girls Makes it to Broadway Josephine Schizer ’20

The movie Mean Girls is a classic teen film, well known among middle and high school students today. In March, previews opened for an adaptation of the movie as a Broadway musical. At first, I was skeptical of turning the movie, which has no music, into a musical, but after seeing the show I concede that it was clearly a smart idea.

The show was very much true to the movie, with an almost identical plot line and script. The actors followed their counterparts in the movie but also made the show appropriate for Broadway.

Some of the best were Grey Henson as a very funny Damien, Kate Rockwell as an extremely stupid Karen, and Cheech Manohar as rapping Kevin Gnapoor.

The main difference between the movie and the show, of course, was the music. In my opinion, the musical numbers were the best part of the production. They were high energy and exciting, complete with catchy songs

and lyrics that had you singing along. The choreography was some of the best I’ve ever seen. The whole cast was

in sync, moving across the stage in complicated forma-

Tomb Raider: Reviewed

Harry Shams ’19

Lara Croft made her debut as the central character in the 1996 videogame Tomb Raider, which follows her adventures as an English archaeologist in search of ancient treasures. The game was universally praised by reviewers, with some critics declaring it one of the greatest video games ever made. Since the release of the 1996 game, Lara Croft has become the premise of a multimillion-dollar franchise. The Tomb Raider games (numbering 16 in total) have sold over 45 million units, and two Lara Croft films, both of which starred Angelina Jolie, jointly grossed over 300 million dollars in the early 2000’s.

The 2018 Tomb Raider film reboot, in which Alicia Vikander takes the lead as the tomb-raiding hero, is based on the plot line of a 2013 video game of the same name. The film depicts Croft’s transition from an unbecoming bike messenger to a treasure-hunting, bad-guy-stopping hero. The movie is notably different from the 2001 and 2003 Jolie installments. For starters, it tries to be more mature. The Jolie films are memorable for hilariously unrealistic stunts and an even more hilariously unrealistic plot. In contrast, Vikander’s Croft film seeks to separate itself from the old films by opting for semi-realistic action sequences and a semi-realistic plot. For instance,

when Vikander’s Croft picks a fight with a muscular villain, she doesn’t win with a single punch (like Jolie’s Croft did). Also, without spoiling anything, lets just say the “treasure” in this film’s tomb is another example of the movie’s commitment to realism.

Vikander does a great job playing Croft. The star re-

portedly gained 12 pounds of muscle for the role and worked with a trainer for four months leading up to production. Vikander especially deserves praise for her commitment to performing stunts on her own. Anyone who sees the movie will undoubtedly appreciate the effort that must have gone into performing some of

Croft’s stunts without a double.

Aside from Vikander’s performance, however, there is nothing special about this 2018 reboot. Whereas the old Croft films didn’t take themselves seriously enough, the new Croft film takes itself too seriously. The plot has some unexpected moments, but for the most part the movie is entirely predictable. Some sections of the movie will leave you entertained; others will leave you wishing the credits would roll.

As far as critics are concerned, it’s very rare for an action movie to be worthy of acclaim.

Occasionally, a movie comes around and manages to redefine the action genre itself. Movies like Die Hard, Indiana Jones, and The Matrix (to name just a few) are members of that prestigious subcategory of acclaimed action films. Films like these manage to do more than just blow things up—they blow things up in an unconventional and original way. Entering the movie theater to see Tomb Raider, I half expected to leave the movie very impressed. With a star-studded cast, impressive-looking visuals and stunts, and an intriguing plot as far as action movies are concerned, Tomb Raider seemed like the type of movie eligible for entry into the pantheon of great action movies. Unfortunately, however, Tomb Raider just manages to reach the benchmark of a “passable” action film.

tions and clearly enjoying themselves. Choreography for the song “Where do you belong?”, the lunchroom scene where Damian and Janis explain the cliques to Cady, was one of the best, complete with students dancing on tables with their lunch trays in perfect formation.

The audience also seemed to be having a good time, with several wearing pink for the occasion. The show chose to use “Don’t be fooled by the pink,” as a motto on most of its promotional material rather than a direct line from the movie such as the classic “On Wednesdays we wear pink” or “You can’t sit with us,” though both lines did appear in the show.

Overall, Mean Girls fans won’t be disappointed. This high-energy show will leave “What’s Wrong with Me,” “Stupid with Love,” and various other songs stuck in your head for the rest of the night, and you will admire its loyalty to the plot and characters that so many people know and love.

Midnight Sun: Reviewed Suzi Dweck ’19

Tucked away behind thick UV-protected windows, Katie (Bella Thorne) has been homeschooled nearly all of her life by her overprotective father (Rob Riggle) because of her rare genetic condition. Xeroderma Pigemtosum makes Katie unable to be exposed to the sun. Her father encourages her self-taught interest in music, and allows her to take her guitar to a train station and sing after dark on the night of her high school graduation.

For Katie, who has only her father and best friend Morgan for company, this venture to the train station opens up a whole new world from the darkness. On the night of her performance, Katie’s longtime crush, Charlie (Patrick Schwarzenegger), notices her. She has secretly watched him from her bedroom window throughout her entire childhood, so this is especially exhilarating for her.

Although initially clueless about how to act in front of Charlie, Katie quickly develops a connection with him, and the two embark on a passionate romance in the dark. She finally feels like a normal teenager and can’t bear to tell Charlie about her condition or why she can only meet after the sun has set. Through her relationship with Charlie, Katie is able to experience adolescence without feeling like a diseased person: she goes to her first party, and her first live show, and she embarks on her first train ride. However, Katie is not a normal girl, and when she loses track of time, the results can be disastrous.

Midnight Sun ably captures the beauty and thrill of an unlikely romance, showing how it becomes the ray of hope in the life of one who has almost given up on her dreams. Even though some see Midnight Sun as a copy of many popular films that fall into the genre of finding love during sickness—such as The Fault in Our Stars and Everything Everything—it is nonetheless a movie that will leave the viewer in tears and with the hope that Katie will somehow be cured. Midnight Sun makes audience members anticipate miracles and hope for the couple’s eternal happiness, even if death does them part.

Arts&Entertainment 11

The Rampage

April 2017/Nisan-Iyar 5778

The Miracle Season: Reviewed Becky Tauber ’19

The Miracle Season, directed by Sean McNamara, is based on the true story of a girls high school volleyball team that fights to defeat the odds after facing tremendous setbacks. The movie takes place in Iowa City, where the girls of West High work to become state champions for the second year in a row. Just as the season begins, the team captain and star setter tragically dies in a moped accident while visiting her sick mother at the hospital. Caroline Found, known by her nickname “Line,” was considered the heart of the team with her charismatic, energetic, and playful attitude. While at first the players believe they can not go on without Line, the girls learn to channel their sadness and anger into playing the game that their teammate loved. Under the guidance of their tough coach, the girls establish one goal for themselves: win for Line.

The Miracle Season will most likely have you crying in your seat. Even people who see through the manipulative strategies of movie writers will have a hard time holding back tears. This is because the movie is ca-

Becky Tauber ’19

For decades, the world of special effects has grown alongside several transformative films that have pushed the art to new boundaries. These masterpieces have represented the evolution of our technological abilities as they have developed over the years. In 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was the first movie to introduce special effects of its kind. It was not until 1977 when the first Star Wars film again brought new advancements to the playing field. The 1980’s saw films such as E.T. and Blade Runner, which famously depicted a futuristic city with flying cars. In the 1990’s, Steven Spielberg brought the world of visual effects (also known as VFX) into a whole new dimension with Jurassic Park; many of today’s leading visual effects artists cite this movie as the very reason why they entered the industry. Later movies such as Avatar and Matrix, with its trademark bullet-dodging scene, have demonstrated that the world of special effects has entered a realm of endless possibility and creativity.

As each and every decade has bolstered films that contribute to the art of filmmaking and visual effects, Ready Player One very well might be one of our decade’s visual masterpieces and greatest contributions to the art form. Visionary director Steven Spielberg has arguably been instrumental in the evolution of VFX with his previous films such as E.T., Jurassic Park, Adventures of Tintin, and BFG. However, yet again, he has outdone himself.

Based upon Ernest Cline’s 2011 science fiction novel, Ready Player One, brought to the screen by Spielberg, takes its audience on a visual joyride while also subtly delving into the depth of modern gaming culture.

The setting is a dystopian one: by the year 2045, the world has been ravaged by political and natural disasters, leaving society in a dim and helpless state. In this post-apocalyptic society, most people seek to escape reality through the digital paradise known as the Oasis. A creation of tech mogul James Halliday, the Oasis offers humanity a virtual reality experience that is less than a game and more like an entire world of its own.

After Halliday’s death, it is revealed to the world that he has hidden three Easter eggs

tered to getting a rise out of its audience. Whether the emotions come from the dying mother in the hospital, the “Daddy’s little girl” tragically passing away, or the loss of a beloved classmate, teammate, and friend, this movie will make you feel something. For the most part, the plot sticks to the true events that the movie is based on.

During the credits, the audience gets a glimpse of the real Caroline, and the team that dedicated their season to her.

However, if you are looking for a suspenseful, unpredictable, plot-twisting movie, The Miracle Season is probably not for you. The movie does have a feel-good, sentimental, and inspirational fervor that many people look for in a movie, but it is far from unpredictable. The movie contains the classic ending of overcoming the odds and accomplishing something unimaginable. Although not many people prefer this type of predictability in a movie, it is difficult to criticize because it relays a true story. The movie does have good messages: accomplishing the impossible, overcoming hardship, and the power of a

team are among a few of the many.

Although the character of Caroline Found, played by Danika Yarosh, was not on screen for long, her charming persona and the impact she had on her peers is deeply felt throughout the film. Line’s best friend Kelly, played by Erin Moriarty, relay’s to the audience just how inspiring Line was to her peers.

The Miracle Season is somewhat cliche, and if you are someone who does not enjoy movies where the underdog comes out on top, or a group realizes they are apart of something much greater than themselves, this movie is not for you. But if you are someone who enjoys a good tear jerker, sentimental film once in awhile, this movie is a go-to. There is something to be said about the reality of the movie, where, although its efforts to make the audience cry are apparent, the film uses true information and presents it in a way which truly shows the vulnerability of the circumstances.

Ready Player One: Reviewed throughout the Oasis universe; any player to discover all three keys would win control of the entire Oasis, along with Halliday’s stock in the company, worth approximately 500 billion dollars. And with this information begins a worldwide race, comprising of millions of players. Consequently, real-world greed finds its way into the Oasis, as a company called IOI seeks to win the 500-billion-dollar prize and to bring the paradise under corporate control. The movie takes us along the journey of Wade Watts, one of these many “egg hunters,” as they are called.

In his search for the Easter eggs, we experience firsthand just how thrilling the game is for its players through various breathtak-

ber of society holds little importance, the Oasis, a place where he or she can be absolutely anyone and do absolutely anything, offers obvious appeal. Spielberg explores this quite extensively, as it is not far from reality. In fact, since the movie’s release, many gamers have reportedly commented on various gamer pages and blogs about their frustration with Spielberg’s representation of the stereotypical gamer. While Spielberg surely exaggerates the extent to which video games have consumed our youth, it holds a certain degree of truth in today’s society.

Another entertaining aspect of the film is its insight into modern pop culture.

The movie is riddled with famous pop cul-

ing sequences and competitions. Spielberg purposefully switches between reality and the Oasis so often that, in part due to the life-like nature of the game, the viewer often gets lost in between the two worlds, creating a magical and genuinely “trippy” experience.

The visual effects are masterful, making it an experience that is truly made for IMAX.

While the film guarantees a thoroughly entertaining experience, the movie is more than just a video game brought to life. The film deals with various hot topics, such as the obsessive nature of video gaming. In the world of the Oasis, players admittedly eat and sleep in the real world and spend every other waking moment in the game. In a world where the average mem-

ture references, such as a killer King Kong replica in a New York City car race or a simulation in which Wade and his friends are thrust into the horror film The Shining and forced to fight off evil spirits and witches.

Ernest Cline’s original novel created a world of these references, but Spielberg truly took it to a new level, adding some more relevant ones and bringing them to life in such a vivid manner. These witty gems throughout the movie, some hidden and some very blatant, will resonate differently with each and every person; many people will catch most, often evoking a grin, but many of them will slip past even the most culturally attuned.

The most insightful aspect of the film, however, is its portrayal of an intensi-

fied class struggle. Wade represents the masses who have fallen into poverty; he lives in “the stacks,” a vertical pile of small trailer cars where the poorest members of society reside.

These people make up much of the target audience of the Oasis, as they relish the possibility of starting fresh in an artificial world.

They can race cars, fight wars, play their ways towards riches, and can then turn around and spend lavishly on their game avatars; furthermore, in the world of the Oasis, where the experience allows players to feel the sensations of the game, players can spend their virtual coins on multitudes of exciting experiences.

The game offers them a chance at a better life.

Much of the Ready Player One world into this level of poverty, while an increasingly smaller group of people benefit from the world’s growing economic inequality.

Corporations such as IOI seek to bring the paradise of Oasis under their control, and back in the real world, IOI encourages Oasis players to run up debts which they then collect, enabling them to force these players into service and turn them into “egg hunters” on behalf of the company. At the helm of the sinister corporation stands the ambitious Nolan Sorrento, who sends the full force of IOI to combat Wade and his crew in search of the eggs. The two worlds clash, but they are more than just two separate realities; the shared desire of man to seek power and wealth intertwines the two, leaving Wade with no escape from human nature.

Ready Player One is so much more than just a thrilling adventure through playland. While Spielberg throws the audience through his vast and creative universe, a creation that leaves all other fantasy universes in the dust, he somehow, in genius fashion, adds depth to a video game. He deals with issues of incredible relevance in today’s society: class struggle, corporate greed, identity, and the growing, and often dangerous, prevalence of video gaming in modern society. For a mind-twisting journey through a land of endless imagination, with a touch of genuine human sentiment creatively infused into a world of truly game-changing special effects, the Oasis awaits.

Sports

The Rampage • April 2018

March Madness

Becky Tauber ’19

Every year, college basketball fanatics anxiously await the Division One Men’s Championship Basketball Tournament in March. Known to be one of the most exciting and intense sporting events of the year, the tournament is referred to as “March Madness,” dubbed for its crazy games with unexpected outcomes. Millions of people across the world attempt to predict the outcomes of all 63 games, many of whom enter bets with friends over whose bracket will be the most accurate.

March Madness is different than any other sporting event because even people with no prior knowledge of the teams participating get excited to make tournament brackets. Some of these people even end up having better brackets than college basketball experts due to the numerous upsets that occur each year.

The 2018 tournament kicked off on March 15, with crazy upsets happening on the first day of the first round. The 11 seed, Loyola Chicago, took down the 6 seed, Miami, with a three pointer that was made with 0.4 seconds left on the clock, stealing the lead in the final moments. The 13 seed, Buffalo, knocked out the 4 seed, Arizona, by twenty one points.

ESPN revealed that as much as 18 percent of all brackets had Arizona heading to the Final Four in San Antonio.

The following day, the remaining games of the round of 64 took place. Another 13 upset a 4 as Marshall University beat Wichita State by 6. The 11 seed, Syracuse, also beat the 6 seed TCU to head to the round of 32.

Additionally, for the first time in March Madness history, a 16 seed took down a 1 seed in the first round of the tournament. UMBC destroyed the top team in the country, Virginia, in a 20 point victory. The loss of the Virginia Cavaliers was historic. Just a week before the tournament, the team had been celebrating their record breaking season, winning their conference champion-

ship against UNC after a 17-1 record. In an interview following the game, UVA coach Tony Bennett said, “We got thoroughly outplayed and that is the reality of it. If you play this game and step into the arena, this stuff can happen.” Only 2.18 percent of all brackets predicted this upset, with around 20 percent picking Virginia to make it all the way to the Cham-

pionship. The first round of March Madness exceeded the expectations of viewers with intense games, buzzer beater shots, and some of the most unbelievable upsets of NCAA history.

In the round of 32, top teams such as Villanova and Duke easily defeated their opponents and advanced to the sweet sixteen. Loyola Chicago defeated the 3 seed,

Alex Bregman: Baseball's Next Jewish All-Star

William Kremer ’21

Ever since Sandy Koufax, the Brooklyn Dodgers’ legendary pitcher of the late 1950s and early 60s and the youngest player ever to be elected to the Baseball Fame, Major League Baseball has not seen a Jewish all-star. But we may just have the next super Jew: Alex Bregman, who serves as the current third-baseman for the Houston Astros.

Bregman, age 24, was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and had his Bar Mitzvah at Albuquerque's Congregation Albert. In an article in The Times of Israel, his mother, Jackie Bregman, tells a story that he was made fun of by a fellow student for attending lessons with the synagogue cantor, which as she said, “taught him what it was like to be marginalized.”

She also recalls his drive and passion for the sport from a young age. “I don’t just want to play baseball; I want to be the best,” she remembered her son saying. “He was determined.”

And so far, Bregman is on the right track. Bregman signed with the Astros in June 2015 with a $5.9 million signing bonus at the age of 20. At age 22, he started his 2017 baseball season as the youngest member of Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, which won its first gold medal in the WBC. He has also been invited to play for Team Israel, which finished sixth at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, as WBC rules allow all Jewish ballplayers to play for the team and said that in retrospect "I

probably should've" played for Team Israel "because I got [just] four at-bats" playing as a backup for Team USA. He made records again as the youngest opening day third baseman in the Astro team history. During the May 14, 2017, game versus New York at Yankee Stadium, Bregman hit his first major league grand slam off Masahiro Tanaka in a 10–7 Astros win. During the fifth game of the 2017 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bregman hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning off Kenley Jansen to give the Astros a 3–2 series lead. Bregman became the second player to drive in a run in each of his first five World Series games, joining Amos Otis. The series lasted seven games, and the Astros won it for the first time ever.

In addition to his athletic prowess, Sandy Koufax is considered one of the outstanding Jewish athletes in American sports, perhaps best remembered for his decision not to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur, which even at the time made headlines and captured national attention as an example of a conflict between professional pressures and personal beliefs.

While there is no way to predict where Bregman’s talent will land him, the hopes are that the sky’s the limit and that he will serve as an inspiration, just as Sandy Koufax did.

"I don't just want to play baseball; I want to be the best."

-Alex Bregman

Tennessee, by one point, making them the first double digit seed of the tournament to enter the sweet sixteen.

Syracuse also beat their No. 3 opponent Michigan State by two points. Many people had incorrectly predicted Michigan State to move forward to the elite eight, upsetting Duke University in the sweet sixteen. University of Michigan had one of the most memorable games of this round. The No. 3 Wolverines took on the No. 6 Houston in one of the craziest games of the tournament. Michigan defeated their opponent with a buzzer beater three pointer shot by Freshman shooting guard Jordan Poole. Not only did this shot advance the team to the sweet sixteen, but they ended up going as far as the Championship game in San Antonio Texas. No. 1 Xavier, and No. 2’s UNC and Cincinnati were all defeated in the second round, leaving no 1 or 2 seeds left in the tournament from the South and West divisions.

In the round of 16, some underdog’s winning streaks continued. Loyola Chicago soundly defeated the 9 seed Kansas State in a 78-62 victory. Other teams, such as Syracuse, put up tough fights but ended up losing to the higher ranked teams. In a close match, Duke University was victorious over Syracuse 69-65. Top teams like Michigan, Kansas, and Villanova also advanced to the elite eight after the end of round three on March 23.

What made this year’s elite eight very interesting was the difference between the teams from the South and West regions and the teams from the East and Midwest regions. The lowest ranked team left from the East and Midwest regions was No. 3 Texas Tech, while the highest ranked team left from the South and West was No. 3 University of Michigan. Loyola Chicago and Villanova both advanced to the final four with victories of over ten points. However, Michigan and Kansas had tougher games. Both teams won by four points, but Kansas’s victory happened in overtime, with a back and forth fight with Duke University. With two seconds left in the second half, team captain of Duke, Grayson Allen, had the final shot to win the game for his team 74-72. The shot went around the rim, but ultimately did not go in, taking the game to overtime. In OT, Kansas simply out played Duke, and won the game to advance to the final four. Grayson Allen said about his final shot in regulation in an interview following the loss, “I had to get a shot up over him [the defensive player on the other team], and I tried to bank it in… It was right there and it rolled out.”

In the last two games before the championship, Villanova and Michigan continued their winning streaks against Kansas and Loyola Chicago. On Friday April 2, the No.1 Villanova played against the No. 3 University of Michigan in what was a well fought battle by both teams. After a long and respectable season by both teams, Villanova defeated Michigan 79-62 and claimed the title of NCAA Champions for the second time in just three years. Villanova was the fourth team in NCAA history to win all six games of the tournament by double digits. Donte DiVincenzo of Villanova was awarded most outstanding player of the final four, as he erupted in the finals with a career-high of 31 points. Coach of Villanova Jay Wright said after winning the national championship, “The beauty of this team was they got better each night. I feel like we played our best game in the last game… As a coach I feel so blessed to be able to have these kids around me.” Villanova was picked to win the tournament in about 15 percent of all brackets, and the team proved to be well deserving of the esteemed national title of the men’s NCAA college basketball champions.