The Rampage Volume XXXXIV Number 3
The Ramaz Upper School
Halacha vs. U.S. Law: No Objection Here! Raffi Snow ‘13
The junior class recently had the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom when they partook in an interdisciplinary program headed by Rabbi Sklarin. The program was centered on the theme of how Jewish law and halacha fit into the grand scheme of American law. Overall, the program proved to be a tremendous hit with the junior class. The program was divided into two sessions. In the first session, the juniors were
divided into smaller groups of 10-15 kids. In these groups, the students learned about specific topics that they had previously selected. Students heard from many expert speakers on a variety of topics all centered on the major theme of comparing Jewish law to American law. The topics included an analysis of several American court cases that fundamentally involved Jewish law, a modern reassessment of the ancient agunah crisis, and a comparison
of the halachic view of child support that of the American law. Some juniors only looked forward to the program because of the missed class time. However, a majority of the students found the program to be very interesting and informative, a tremendous success, and not only because they missed periods two through four. “I really liked the program a lot. My smaller group session speech and the larger grade-wide speech were both really interesting,” said Seth Finkelstein ‘13. Kids from all different group sessions seemed to really enjoy and learn a lot from their respective sessions. “My session with Rabbi Jeremy Stern was very good. It was just very interesting to hear about all the different cases of agunah,” said Eitan Rudansky ‘13. Andrew Gurewitsch ‘13 agreed that his speaker was also very informative. “I had Rabbi Alex Kaye, [the Assistant Rabbi at KJ]. He spoke about the connection between the First Amendment and Israel’s Declaration Continued on Page 8
December 2011/Kislev 5772
How Freely Can We Speak? Jon Herman ‘13 On December 5, a controversial piece about premarital sex was published in the YU Beacon, an online newspaper run by students at Yeshiva University. An anonymous Stern student wrote the piece, titled “How Do I Even Begin to Explain This,” describing a sexual encounter she planned and fulfilled with a boyfriend, but later regretted. The article, featured in the literary section of the paper, is not explicitly true or fictional. The article sparked heated responses from YU students, who felt it was excessively graphic and misrepresented the YU community. One student commented online that the article was “not an appropriate article to publish in a YU publication;” another wrote, “This article is the most disgusting thing I have ever read! ...Why do they even go to Stern?” In response to the uproar, the YU Student Council cut funding for the Beacon and revoked its status as a school club. The justification for this decision, voiced via massemail to the student body, was that “it is not the job of a student club to shock their audience, but rather to cater to their needs.” Since the
majority of students did not support the publication of this article, it was agreed by the administration and the editors of the Beacon, that it did not merit student body funds. In defense of the publication of the article, the editor of the Beacon, Simi Lampert, stated, “Nothing we do at the Beacon is intended to create controversy. We instead focus on publishing pieces that will lead to open and thoughtful conversations…and allowing all students to access a public forum in which they can voice their opinions—not just the mainstream ones.” This issue sparks a broader debate over the nature of free speech in schools, or whether it exists at all. Jonathan Deluty ‘12 supports the publishing of the article but understands why the Student Council would not encourage such an article. “[The Student Council’s] issue was that the article presented a negative image of YU,” said Deluty, “and they aren’t going to pay to have someone misrepresent them.” Rabbi Schimmel, who teaches JLT and Tanach, agrees, approaching the dispute from a religious angle. Continued on Page 5
A Miracle in Stamford: Freshman Shabbaton Isabella Korchnoy ‘15 The Freshman Shabbaton was themed miracles, in correlation with Hanukkah. On Friday morning, December 16, after davening, the freshmen gathered their luggage on to the buses and were off on their way. The first stop was the headquarters of The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, an organization that packages and distributes food to needy families. The students were divided into two groups. The first group watched a video about families’ struggle to provide food for their children and the second group worked together to package food to distribute to those families. The students then proceeded to the next activity: ice skating! The freshmen had a blast skating and
twirling around the rink. After a full day everyone headed to the Stamford Plaza Hotel to start preparing for Shabbat. However, the freshman shabbaton really started on Monday, December 12, when the freshmen left class fifteen minutes early and assembled in the auditorium for an amusing video presentation made by the senior advisors. Then the students took a walk to Eighteen (the restaurant), where they were treated to a dinner. One might ask why they would be having a dinner before the actual shabbaton.
“The activities we had before the shabbaton was
like a trailer to the movie,” said Ms. Benel. “A feeling of
community isn’t 1,2,3 poof it’s here. You have to build towards it. It’s a challenge to create that sort of avirah. So you eat together, do a ma’aseh chesed together, skate together, welcome shabbat together, and ultimately appreciate one another and recognize each other’s own unique styles. For that, we are stronger as a grade.” At 3:30 on Friday the freshmen came downstairs to the main lobby in their dresses and suits, to light candles and welcome Shabbat for the first time as grade. The students
and teachers stood around the table with arms and shoulders linked as Rabbi Stechler announced that the students were now “married” to Shabbat. Everyone then danced their way over to the shul for Kabbalat Shabbat. The students played a few group games followed by Shabbat dinner, where there were zmirot, singing and dvrei torah from Zahava Presser ‘12, Hannah Schwarz ‘15 and Rebecca Herring ‘15. Afterwards, the students had a learning program and proceeded with a night of fun activities. Lastly the students were all welcomed to eat at the tisch. Everyone sat around, eating their desserts Continued on Page 4
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Jeremy Hoffman ‘13
As most of you may have noticed, for the past several weeks I have been sporting a stylish sling. I’m sure many of you have been marveling at my fashion statement, wondering to yourself, where can I get one of those? How can I look as cool as Jeremy AND get unlimited time on tests? Some of you might have gone so far as to theorize about the
Raffi Snow ‘13 Is it just me, or does it seem that most Ramaz students believe that the only competitive teams we have here are the basketball and hockey teams? A few people may also add in the volleyball team. But that’s pretty much it. This is, however, a serious misconception. In fact, Ramaz has a number of competitive academic teams, all of which have enjoyed tremendous success against other schools. In fact, some of these teams even have better records than the better known sports teams. For example, the chess team won both the championships in the yeshiva chess league in the past two years, a feat unachieved by the school’s basketball, hockey or volleyball teams. Still, hardly anyone knows the chess team exists! If teams are given attention per measure of success, then recognition for the chess team is long overdue. “We’re one of the best teams in the entire school,” said chess team captain Zach Weiner ‘12 “We definitely deserve a little more recogni-
The RamPage Features
December 2011/Kislev 5772
Recovery at Ramaz various ways you could tear your labrum so that you’ll need an operation too. Before you do anything drastic, though, I feel honor bound to provide full disclosure on why surgery should always be your last resort. 10) Anesthesia Hangover: When you wake up from being under for two hours and nobody is around, you don’t know where you are, and haven’t a clue about what has just transpired. Your depth-perception is skewed, and anything within a five foot radius will seem like it’s 20 feet away. Furthermore, the staff holds you hostage until you urinate. That’s right-- your only ticket out of there is #1. And it is no easy task to drag your limbs to the bathroom and nearly
impossible to focus on the task at hand when a nurse walks in on you since you’re not permitted to lock the door. 9) Hallucinations: There is a strong likelihood that you will hallucinate in the middle of the night due to the excessive amounts of Percocet in your system. You might, for example, believe you are working for a British imperialist in Africa and that you are struggling to make your quota. This could lead you to then proceed to call your mother a liar and accuse her of “being in on it.” P.S. The “it” in question is never revealed. 8) Emasculation via Kipling wheel-y backpack (like a primary schoolgirl): While there is the upside of not contracting scoliosis anymore, you will be surprised to discover how challenging, not to mention unmanly, it is to maneuver through the frenetic hall-traffic with a sissy, Sisyphean bag rolling behind you. It tends to bruise the ankles. Furthermore, it’s a rolling insult magnet. 7) Parrot Effect: While the attention is nice at the begin-
ning, eventually everyone, and I do mean everyone, will ask “How is your arm?” or, “How did that happen?” and then proceed to pitch in with a personal surgery story. After about two days, you’re reduced to monotonously reciting a script of why you received surgery, and that yes, you do miss the basketball team. 6) Make-up tests: Spending time with Ms. Chechik can be fun, but it does not compensate for the painful make-up test. After a day of school, severe lethargy along with a crushing exhaustion sets in around 3:30. Nevertheless you’ll still have to wait until after school at five to finally take a test, when all you’ll want to do is ice your shoulder while taking a nap. 5) Elevators: It seems ideal to have an elevator pass that enables you to take it whenever you want. But then you realize that if you have to wait one more second just so you can take the elevator from the 5th floor down to the 4th only to get in to go back up to the 6th, you’re going to jump out
a window. Not to mention that after a while, elevators get depressing and claustrophobic. And lonely. 4) Sleeves: If you get operated on in the summer or even late-spring this need not concern you. However, in the winter, when the malicious Canadian fronts swoop down through the concrete canyons, short-sleeved shirts are your worst enemy. 3) Cutlery: In the event that no one is around to cut your food for you, be prepared to struggle (like a seal trying to type on a keyboard) for several minutes just to make one cut. 2) Sleeping sitting up: most of you, like me, are stomach and side-sleepers, so the backflat sleeping method will be a tad frustrating. However, if you do not oblige, ze stitches vil be ripped out. 1) Not being able to comply with the dress code: it will pain and haunt you to disobey the holy Preludes.
Mind Games tion.” Members of the College Bowl team, which was very stressful last year, from another team with tremendous success last year, the college bowl team, also feel that they are not as well respected as some of their basketball playing peers. Last year’s JV college bowl team made it to the championship while no Ramaz sports teams made it to the final games. That is certainly an impressive feat, but very few people were aware of it. In fact, five out of the five juniors I asked didn’t know that, and three of them didn’t even know we had a JV college bowl team! The lack of attention to these teams is somewhat understandable. Practice time may be a factor for academic teams’ lack of popularity. For example, college bowl doesn’t have formal practices and doesn’t require the time commitment of a sports team, so some people may say it doesn’t merit the respect of a sports team. However, the lack of publicity around the school frustrates some of the academic team members.
“I understand why we aren’t given so much attention,” said a varsity college bowl team member Andrew Weiss ‘13 “We don’t have so much practice. But, I still feel that we are not mentioned enough.” However, this lack of “practice time” or “effort” excuse for not giving attention to a well-deserving team cannot be applied to all academic teams. Mock Trial is actually one of the most time-consuming clubs. With weekly practices after school and even on Sundays these aspiring lawyers are logging more practice time than even some of Ramaz’s most time-consuming (and popular) sports teams’ players! The Mock Trial team has also done very well in the past and therefore absolutely deserves respect and attention within the student body. Mock trial is thought of to be as one of Ramaz’s most prestigious clubs, but it is not publicized much. One Mock-Trialer, suggested that fans should come to the courthouses where the competitive trials are held
to appreciate the thrill and excitement of this battle of words. “We should start getting more attention around the school,” said Dan Korff-Korn ‘14. “Especially this year, when we’re going to destroy Marymount and win the whole thing.” Another reason students may give for their lack of interest in Ramaz’s academic teams is that the teams’ competitions are less intense or dramatic than sports games are. To the naïve observer, these academic teams’ competitions are not exciting, and can even seem boring. However, this conception is definitely not accurate. The academic teams’ competitions, pitting Ramaz’s intellectual warriors against their counterparts at other high schools can be just as fierce and dramatic as sports games, sometimes even more so. Aren’t Ramaz students supposed to respect and admire “the pursuit of knowledge” as stated in the school’s Mission Statement? One would think that members of these knowl-
edge-based teams would receive respect in a school like Ramaz, but that’s certainly not the case. Some students don’t think of these academic teams as being “real” teams. Team members certainly don’t feel this way. “We’re definitely a real team,” said Weiner. “After all, we’re even getting jerseys!” So even if these teams don’t fit the traditional mold for high school teams, they still actually are “real” high school teams, and deserve to be treated as such. Sure their competitions may be a bit harder to appreciate and some of these clubs may not meet regularly, but these subtleties should not take away from the fact that they are still real, hardworking Ramaz teams. And in order for school unity and achdut, I think it is vital that Ramaz as a whole starts showing these teams the respect they deserve. Watch a practice or go to a competition- after all, you may learn a thing or two.
December 2011/Cheshvan 5772
The RamPage Opinions
Taking Issue With Step
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Step Up! Esti Flamenbaum ‘14
Rachel Huebner ‘13
“We look pathetic,” my friend complained as prospective Ramaz students approached the gym. I had to agree with her. There we were, a bunch of sixteen year olds, repeatedly jumping on and off of a little step to the beat of All the Single Ladies. As part of the physical education curriculum for girls, multiple weeks of gym classes are devoted to preparing for the step aerobics presentation. We rigorously practice and perfect a two (or three for juniors) minute routine. After picking the song to which we would like to dance, we incorporate a list of mandatory aerobics moves into our performance. We are graded on presentation, routine memorization, and coordination with the pulse of the music. Many girls fiercely object to these step routines for a variety of reasons. For those who have grown up devoutly running, training, and exercising in order to perfect their
basketball or soccer skills, dedicating an entire month of gym class to learning a dance routine seems pretty useless. Others take issue with being graded on the memorization of a written down list of moves, because after all, it’s gym, and not history class. A large majority of students also object to step on the premise of sexism. Many regard the notion that girls would enjoy step aerobics but not boys as a blatant demonstration of inaccurate gender stereotypes. There is no reason why boys should be excluded from learning a dance as part of their gym curriculum, especially if it is mandatory for girls to do so. It is quite sexist that only we girls must stand for hours jumping on and off a step while practicing moves such as hesitation (when we have to stand on the step, lift our knee up, tap on the floor three times, and then lift up our knee again). It is simply unfair that while Mr. Dulny
is vigorously commenting on the boys’ performance on the court, we are prancing around a little black elevated platform. The whole idea of step is a little ambiguous. This year, our periods of gym class have already been reduced by a third. Instead of the usual three periods per rotation, we have only two. Now that we’re already starting with a mere one or two periods of gym a week, why set aside so much time for step? Why not focus instead on athletic improvement, teamwork, and sportsmanship during our limited physical education periods? Ramaz’s education system is premised on equal treatment and education for boys and girls. However, this ideal has failed to reach SC. Why should the girls’ curriculum entail a dance routine while the boys spend the year focusing solely on sports?
The Prayer Approach Sam Feldstein ‘14 Everyday, after showing up promptly at 8:00 AM usually after an insufficient amount of sleep, the students are ushered into davening. Since Ramaz is a Modern-Orthodox yeshiva, this routine doesn’t come as a surprise to anyone. But no matter how much a student tries to say every prayer with true kavana, many seem to tired or too distracted to do so. Now it has long been Ramaz’s policy not to force students to say the actual words of davening. Nevertheless it seems many of the yoetzim will do as much as they can to get kids to daven. This includes forcing students to be on the correct page, forcing them to stand when the tzibur is standing, giving students a very disapproving look until they start davening, davening loudly in their ears, and giving them siddurim. I find some of these actions very offensive. The yoetzim should try to encourage the students to daven, but
if a student is not talking and not being disrespectful, he or she shouldn’t be browbeaten. Davening is a personal action between man and God, and if someone decides that they do not want to pray to God, then they definitely should not be coerced by anyone to do so. Occasionally, a yoetz will tap a student and point to his siddur or something of the sort as a way of reminding that student that he should be davening. What that yoetz does not realize is that the student probably hasn’t forgotten that he is in davening, but he is rather consciously deciding not to daven and someone pointing at his siddur or turning his to the right page will not motivate him to daven. Some students even say that it has the opposite effect. “If anything, having a yoetz breathe down the back of my neck or a siddur thrust in my face makes me want to not daven even more,” said Josh Frohlinger ‘13. The yoetz’s intentions are
good ones, and I don’t expect them to stop trying to encourage kids to daven, because Ramaz believes in tefilah, and in trying to get students to participate in the mitzvah. But perhaps the yoetzim need a new approach to this. At best the current approach will get a student to say the next paragraph out of intimidation. A gentler and less condescending reminder might work. In certain situations, laying off the students altogether could work more effectively because then the students wouldn’t feel like tefilah is being forced on them. If the yoetzim are so concerned about students being spiritually productive, they could do what some camps do, which is offer Jewish books to the students to read during davening. In any case, they do need a new system, because the current one undermines their purpose. We don’t want it to reach the point where they choose not to daven out of spite.
Step aerobics is exercise, and it is not useless, as so many Ramaz girls like to believe. Aerobic exercise gets your blood pumping and strengthens your heart. Step aerobics is not a sport, but just because something isn’t a sport doesn’t mean it is not good exercise. If one tries, step aerobics can make one sweat, and it does so without the requirement of catching a ball, making a basket, or scoring a goal. There are some girls who would rather play sports than do aerobics, but we play sports most of the year; step aerobics is a welcome reprieve for the athletically challenged. There would be a better alternative to sports: dance, yoga, or any offshoot of the two. However, as those classes aren’t available until senior year, step aerobics is the closest we will get before then, with its music and lack of required hand-eye coordination.
Step aerobics is great for many reasons: it’s good exercise, it’s easy, and doesn’t require athletic ability. There is one thing about step aerobics in Ramaz that isn’t right, though, and that is that it is only for the girls. There is nothing about step aerobics that boys can’t do and I doubt there is a halachic source that could be used to justify only the girls having a step aerobics unit. Without any valid reasons, the lack of step aerobics for the boys becomes sexist, and that goes against all our school’s values and mission statement that has been posted in almost every classroom. I enjoy step aerobics, but that joy is undercut by the sexism the unit represents. So, while I will go against the grain and put myself in favor of step aerobics, I ask of the school to please make it equal. Choose: everyone or no one.
The RamPage Editorial Staff Editors-in-Chief Zahava Presser Michael Schumeister Associate Editors Rebecca Brill Jake Sarachek News Editor Zach Eckstein Arts Editor Carly Stern Opinion Editor Ariella Lerner
Photo Editors Daniella Deutsch Andrea Edelman Junior Editors Jeremy Hoffman Rachel Huebner Nina Rohr Faculty Advisor Dr. Steven Milowitz
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The RamPage Photospread
December 2011/Kislev 5772
Pippin’s Glory
Freshman Shabbaton Continued from Front Page and singing beautiful shabbat melodies. After that, and a little bit of cholent, the students had some free time to lounge around in the lobby or in their rooms. “One of my favorite parts was the chill time. It gave me time to connect and get to
know those who I wasn’t necessarily close with before,” said Helena Lustig ‘15. With that, Friday evening came to a close. Shabbat morning began with shacharit followed by Kiddush. Afterwards the freshmen were paired into
learning groups to further delve into the miracles of Hanukkah. The students then made their way to Shabbat lunch, where Jonathan Deluty ‘12 and Joyce Harary ‘15 presented dvrei torah. Following this was Mincha and Menucha. By late afternoon it was
time for Seudat Shlishit, the students ate, sat around in a circle and sang beautiful, slow songs to say goodbye to Shabbat. Eddie Mattout ‘15 and Andrew Merczynski-Hait ’15 gave speeches about miracles, and Rabbi Stechler delivered a speech of his own person-
nel miracle. The freshmen then gathered into the shul to daven Ma’ariv, followed by a speech from Rabbi Goldmintz and Havdalah. The room then erupted with dancing and spirit, post shabbat ruach. The room was filled with enthusiasm, and laughter.
December 2011/Kislev 5772
The RamPage News
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Letters to the Editors To the editors: I would like to thank Rebecca Brill for taking note of the “maariv advertisement” and for her thoughtful reflections on the design and substance of its message. Rebecca sensibly struggles with her perceived gender exclusion and wonders whether a similar guarantee of olam haba exists for women as well. I believe that the very same promise is made to women. Although the text of the sign does use the word “ben” (which is a direct quotation of the Talmud) this is a grammatically generic form, similar to the term “Bnei Yisrael.” That was my certainly my understanding and intention in the usage of “ben” in this sign. The opportunity to participate in the mitzvah of maariv is open to men and women alike, and is in no way meant to be an “exclusively male affair”. Indeed, female faculty members and students
have often been spotted in attendance at this minyan. I sincerely apologize to anyone who similarly misunderstood this message and I hereby invite everyone to join this minyan. Additionally, Rebecca wonders whether the path to olam haba can be so simply understood and so easily attained. Indeed, Rebecca’s teachers, who taught her that olam haba is difficult or impossible for us to comprehend, are correct. It is my hope that many Ramaz students understood that this sign paraphrases a statement of the Talmud in Masechet Brachot (4b) that is currently being studied in many of our Talmud classes: Who is a ben olam haba? One who juxtaposes the redemption blessing with tefillah at arvit. Many of the medieval commentators similarly struggled with this seemingly overly simplistic formulation and offer insightful interpretations. Most
likely, the Talmud means that one who internalizes the significance of these prayers and their values are certain to be enriched and directed towards the path of olam haba. The commentators suggest their understanding of the uniquely significant value that is represented by this daily prayer. I found Rabenu Yona’s two concepts to be particularly inspiring, though beyond the scope of the advertisement and this letter. If you have not studied this issue in Talmud class, I urge you to ask your teacher to study it with you or please approach me and I would be happy to do so. I very much look forward to seeing all Ramaz students, male and female, at upcoming maariv minyanim, if you so choose to do come. RABBI SCHIOWITZ Head of Beit Midrash Ramaz Upper School November 29, 2011
To the editors: Perhaps you have seen the articles on the Art News bulletin board about the death, last summer, of two important painters, Lucian Freud and Cy Twombly. While I wait for the elevator I often look up at the images these artists made, sad that they are no longer with us and marveling at the work produced by these two, very different, special men. I noticed a tear in Lucian Freud’s Self-portrait, but didn’t think much about it, after all it is newspaper. Last week, however, I looked at the images of Twombly’s last paintings, those vibrant, swirling lines, full of life and energy. I wanted to look at the little, old man who painted
these mammoth paintings. The photograph was tiny. As I got close to it I was horrified to see that it had been mutilated. Someone had poked holes in the artist’s eyes with a ball point pen. The holes penetrate the paper and go into the board. It was as if he had been blinded. Then I realized that the Freud image was torn across the eyes a well. It is frightening that someone at Ramaz could do this, in a sense symbolically blind an artist. It’s one thing to deface public property, it is quite another to deface memory. As Jews, we of all people should know better. MS. ELLEN ROSEN Art Department Chair Ramaz Upper School December 2, 2011
Individual opinions expressed in this or any issue of the RamPage do not reflect the view of the paper itself.
Free Speech? Continued from Front Page “We as Americans have this idea of freedom of speech. There is no freedom of speech in the Torah,” Rabbi Schimmel says. He explains that one cannot flippantly make a neder without having any intention of following through on his word; this shows that according to the Torah, there are times at which people cannot just say whatever they want to say. He adds, “YU follows the Torah, so they don’t have to allow [freedom of speech].” Rabbi Schimmel believes the same is true from a societal perspective. “People can’t just say whatever they want through a school [publication],” said Rabbi Schimmel. “That’s what blogs are for.” But as an American institution, surely YU should have to follow American law; doesn’t the first amendment protect the student’s freedom of speech? “Students do not have absolute first amendment rights,” explained Dr. Jucovy. “If something is regarded as undermining the learning atmosphere, the school has power to limit or censor [a student newspaper].” School newspapers have
a different role from professional newspapers; they have an educational function. Since school newspapers are designed to serve as a “learning tool,” the school’s administration can monitor what is published. “What makes this case interesting,” adds Dr. Jucovy, “is that it was not the administration [censuring the paper], but the students themselves.” Essentially, even if the students had no problem with article, but the administration took it down, this would have been completely legal. And what if students funded their own paper maligning the school, or even just stapled together a pamphlet traducing their administration? “You have the right to print your own paper,” explains Dr. Jucovy, “but the school can in fact take action against students who [act on those rights].” Another case regarding free speech for students occurred in The Dalton School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The administration approved a poll including the stat that 80% of Dalton students do not drink; the published version of the poll
stated that 80% of Dalton students do not drink regularly. As a result, the administration confiscated the paper and ran a new, edited version with a revised poll along with an editor’s note explaining what had transpired. The message the students received, based on their comments in the New York Times article covering the occurrence, was that the school compromised their freedom of speech in order to protect the schools image. Dr. Milowitz offers an alternative to censorship: “Instead of censoring, publish an alternative form of opinion.” “There is a saying,” said Dr. Milowitz, “‘the answer to unpleasant speech is more speech.’” For example in the case of the YU article, the piece should have been published along with responses, both for and against it. With our school newspaper, the RamPage, says Dr. Milowitz, “There have been consequences for controversial articles,” such as assemblies, but nothing was censored. He adds, “Here, the faculty advisor makes sure what is printed is accurate and
thoughtful without crossing the line of offending or hurting people, but is as open as it possibly can be. A good student newspaper will push as far as it can while maintaining appropriate standards,” what Dr. Milowitz calls, “Freedom of responsible speech.” Two more aspects worth noting about the YU article are that it was published anonymously and that it was published in a literary section of the publication and was not necessarily nonfictional. According to Rabbi Schimmel, students do not have the right to defame an institution anonymously. “You’re hiding yourself from shame,” said Rabbi Schimmel, “why not hide the school? There’s a certain double standard there.” Dr. Milowitz agrees. “Anonymous is no good,” he said. “If you can’t put your name on something, you can’t [publish it].” Regarding the notion that the article is possibly fiction, Dr. Milowitz says, “[The whole thing] seems to be a non-issue, the girl could say ‘I made up a story.’” Another question of student journalism rights is over a quoted person’s right to
review and modify his quoted statements. This issue also arose in The Dalton School after Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who, ironically, is recognized for his defense of the first amendment, spoke at Dalton. His office asked Dalton’s school newspaper if the office could review the article covering the event and modify quotations. The students were outraged over this breach in their rights of press, but they did what the school advised them to do, which was to keep quiet. Dr. Jucovy defends the Justice’s right, saying, “If school authorities agree to a condition, then he can read [and edit] the article.” The school can make any arrangement it wants prior to the assembly, even arrangements that limit the rights of the student paper. No student likes to hear that his right of free speech can be compromised at the will of his superiors, and conversely, no administration would like to be slandered. In regard to the YU controversy: the press sensationalized the piece as an issue of freedom of speech, which it is not.
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The RamPage Arts
It’s Pippin’ Hot! Rachel Huebner ‘13 For weeks, the cast of the play assiduously practiced and perfected their performance of Pippin’; they stayed late on Mondays and Thursdays and even spent weekends in school rehearsing. However, when looking back on the experience as a whole, many agreed that their hard work paid off. “Working in the play is a labor of love… but the results were well worth the effort,” said Isabel Dicker ‘13 When originally presented with the script of the play, many cast members were surprised and apprehensive. “At first I was curious as to how we would pull it off because the material is quite heavy and sophisticated,” said Shoshana Edelman ‘14, “[but] as the rehearsal process went on, I began to realize how well everything was coming together and I was amazed at how we were able to execute such a difficult show.” Michal Segall 13 thought that because of the play’s difficulty, “it actually turned out to be a much more enjoyable setting because we all had our props onstage and could always start a scene over if we were a bit confused or made an error.” She spoke on behalf of her cast mates when she stated, “we all loved the ability to put on a different kind of show than Ramaz usually
sees and we had a ton of fun doing it!” Some of the main controversies that surrounded the play were its racy lines and scenes. Pippin’, which was written by the Stephen Schwartz, the same writer who composed the Broadway musical Wicked, has a reputation for being a bit risqué. Jessica Gruenstein ‘14 felt that “although the original version of the play was a bit racy, our rendition was completely appropriate. Ms. Goldberg removed or changed any lines or scenes that she thought anyone might possibly find offensive.” However, she believed that “Pippin’ was a risky choice because of its difficulty-- not for reasons of appropriateness.” Despite the changes made to the play, some students and teachers were shocked that the school allowed such a production to be performed. Many believed that while Ms. Goldberg could remove as many unsatisfactory lines as needed, the fact that the original included any sexual references made it unfit for a school performance. Although many students were disappointed with the choice of show, a number of viewers agreed that the cast’s talents and diligent work were evident from their presentation. “The play was
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1. Author of novel on which Daniel Craig movie is based 6. “Worst movie of the year” 8. New Polanski movie 9. Popular holiday season ballet 10. Movie for youngsters 11. Diablo Cody new film _____ Adult starring Charlize Theron 12. Hilarious new Jonah Hill movie 13. Young rapper voted off X Factor 14. Popular Thanksgiving movie for teenage gals 16. New sidekick to Cruise in Mission Impossible Jeremy _____ 17. Writer of Two Broke Girls and star of NBC show titled her first name
1. Rapper of “Get Back,” actor in New Years Eve, and name that means “foolish” 2. Played Charlemagne 3. Movie DiCaprio might win Oscar for 4. Kutcher’s girl in New Year’s Eve and Glee star Lea 5. City in which The Dark Knight Rises was filmed 7. Spielberg Movie based on Tony Award winning play 10. Movie based on actress who sang “Happy Birthday Mr. President” 15. Hit new comedy series starring Summer from 500 Days of Summer
very entertaining! The set was beautiful and I could tell that the cast really worked hard and put a lot of effort into the production,” said Sophie Mintz ‘12. Dan Korff-Korn ‘14 agreed that “The acting was great,” but he confessed that he “was confused by the plot and was unable to follow it.” “Because Pippin’ is a confusing show, I got mixed reviews from people, which was expected,” said Rachel Kastner ‘14. “People would have understood it better if the school had shown the DVD of the original Pippin’.” However, she reasoned that despite hearing negative remarks, “when you love to perform and you have that incredible ‘on the stage moment,” it’s all worth it.”
December 2011/Kislev 5772
More Muppets Please! Sam Feldstein ‘14 They’re back! It’s been 12 years since the Muppets last released a movie in theaters and their new movie was definitely worth the wait. The Muppets is sweet, witty, wacky, and overall just a fun movie to experience. Most amazingly, it suits all ages. The story follows Gary (Jason Segal), his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams), and his somehow Muppet brother Walter (Peter Linz), as they attempt to bring all the Muppets back together for one last show in order to save Muppet Studios from being acquired by the evil Tex Richman (Chris Cooper). They run into a lot of problems along the way including Miss Piggy’s refusal to come back, trouble finding a TV network to broadcast the show on, and difficulty finding a host, but in the end each one is resolved hysterically. The movie is smart and funny, especially with its constant breaking of the fourth wall, but of course the true genius and hilarity of it comes at the climax during the first Muppet Show in 20 years. And what a show it was. Seeing Kermit, Fozzie, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo back together could have been enough for anyone, but Jason Segal wrote a great script to accompany the Muppets’ kookiness. And he amazingly wrote a script that could satisfy all ages. Adults loved
Productions
seeing their old pals again as well as all the allusions to the original Muppet Show and all the other Muppet productions. Children loved the Muppets silliness for the same reason that adults fell in love with them over 30 years ago. While adults and children alike enjoyed the movie, the demographics hardest to please were teenagers and young adults. The Muppets have always been a part of my life, so I enjoyed just seeing them together, but I know that I would have enjoyed the exuberance and cheerfulness of the movie as well as many of the jokes whether or not I had seen even one episode of The Muppet Show. This movie was delightful and refreshing. As always, the Muppets were wacky, the guest stars were great, and the show was spectacular. I‘m just hoping that this new mainstream success will prompt a revival of the classic and hilarious Muppet Show.
December 2011/Kislev 5772
It’s Just Junior Year Jonathan Koptyev ‘13 Junior year, notorious for its loads of work, standardized test anxiety, and lingering notions of college, commonly seems to send a dreaded sensation to most underclassmen that stand next in line to experience it. However, in my opinion, this sense that junior year is very stressful is a misconception. In simpler terms, eleventh grade is overrated. “I’ve never had more time to watch “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” re-runs than in junior year,” remarked James Goldberg ’13. “Junior year gives me time to watch all the movies on my Netflix queue.” Firstly, work is just work. Each and every Ramaz student experiences a load of work multiple points throughout the year. While one may say that junior year has an egregious level of work, it seems that by such a late stage in high school, that a student would already have acquired serviceable time management skills, allowing the student to handle things with more of a sense of composure. Thus, even with the load of tests and assignments that juniors face, it shouldn’t be as difficult as it would be in, let’s say, freshman year. “You just go into this mechanical mode where you handle everything, and get it all done,” said David Dellal ‘13. “And then when you look back at it, you realize how crazy it was that you got through it.” Because of this, coupled with the fact that our school values academics very highly, students already have an understood amount of work that they will face, meaning that it should be a regular thing for everyone. However, according to most people, the most difficult aspects of eleventh grade are the significantly long history paper and standardized tests. The history paper, at a minimum of about ten pages, is very time-consuming. It requires an immense amount of time put into research and writing. Additionally, standardized test preparation could take a couple of hours per week. Because of this, 11th graders have two considerable undertakings that require a lot of work throughout the whole year. What many fail to realize is that the junior year history paper is not at all different from the freshman and
sophomore ones. It may be longer and require more work, but it’s essentially the same assignment that Ramaz students go through in their first two years. Also, in regards to the standardized tests, most juniors start studying for them only after receiving their PSAT scores, because it allows them to properly evaluate the amount of ground they need to cover for the real thing. Since most people take the test for the first time in March, and usually for the second time in June, the stretch of ‘studying’ for the assessment test actually only lasts for a few months, so it’s really not that grueling. Secondly, while most would say that the year is terrifying due to its stress and anxiety, I believe that students may regard it differently if they viewed it from a more objective perspective. Students’ apprehension of eleventh grade is in fact just the result of the rumors that upperclassmen spread about the year. To take a clear example of this, there is a general consensus among upperclassmen and alumni that Honors Physics is the toughest class in all of Ramaz. Classic ‘honors kids’ generally say that physics was the only subject for which they remained in the accelerated level. The seniors frighteningly talked about the class to the extent that some juniors were considering moving down as soon as they learned they were placed in honors, even before the first class assessment. Interestingly, as the class progressed, most people realized that it wasn’t as bad as many said it would be, and decided to stay. This shows that actual personal experience can alter one’s pre-notions resulting from rumors. Being stressed over school is the unfortunate status quo in Ramaz. In my opinion, however, it’s a little unreasonable. School shouldn’t be a place where people feel stress; rather, it should be an anxiety-free social and learning environment. If Ramaz students would just take a step back and look at school from a more objective and rational angle, their high school experiences could be far less stressful, and possibly even stress-free.
The RamPage Opinions Jon Herman ‘13
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Shakespeare Shakes Up Ramaz
This month, students from every grade competed in the qualifying round of the 29th annual National Shakespeare Competition with the hopes of progressing to the national level and competing for an all-expenses-paid trip to England as well as a scholarship to a prestigious acting institution-- or at least to gain some extra credit in their English classes. The purpose of the competition, according to the website of the EnglishSpeaking Union of the United States, is for students to “communicate their understanding of the Bard’s timeless language and messages.” The night was a success, especially in terms of attendance. “The Shakespeare competition had more participants than I can recall in all of my years here at Ramaz,” said Mr. Kuck, one of the judges of the event. The winners of the round were David Schwerdt ‘13, in first place, and Rachel Katsner ‘14 in second, but Mr. Kuck insisted that the contest was competitive, “with several students receiving first place
nods from the judges.” “Aside from memorizing, most of the time goes into the thought process for developing a sense of how to convey the text - which for each person is different,” he said. “In terms of time it takes to prepare it’s sort of hard to measure, but it’s a significant chunk of time.” From a judging perspective, memorization, personalization, and other criteria are all weighed in picking a winner. “As a judge, I look first to see if the student understands the speech,” said Mr. Kuck. “Unless there is comprehension, the delivery and the body language tend to be all off key.” “I think that a major part of the competition, and what makes it an exciting challenge for students, is being able to personalize the text while still keeping true to Shakespeare’s intentions,” said Schwerdt. It can be difficult for participants to individualize a monologue that has been written for another character to which they may not be able to relate, but that is all part of the challenge of a competition
like this. According to Mr. Kuck, “If students bring the role to life, they succeed using the minds, hearts, and bodies they have.” What is interesting about the demographics of the competition is that there was a notable attendance of students who had not previously participated in school dramas, especially among juniors. Naturally, many of them were after the extra credit, which was offered by some of their English teachers, but others had more sentimental explanations. “Seeing all the great actors made me nervous,” said Steven Bentolila ‘13. “Theatre plays a big part in my life. I live not far from the Englewood Theatre. As a kid, my father and I would always go, whether it was a show or just a rehearsal.” Whether their reasons for participating were because of nostalgia, a penchant for theatre, a love of Shakespeare, or just extra credit, the many students who participated made this year’s Shakespeare competition a success.
Whose Line is it Anyway? Rachel Huebner ‘13 A few weeks ago at lunch, many of my classmates and I waited restlessly on the lunch line for about seven minutes. It was eighth period lunch, and only one line was open, instead of the usual two. Just as the food was being brought out to be served, two teachers abruptly approached the front of the line in order to get a serving of the popular lunch. The students who were waiting on line erupted with groans and whispers. We had been waiting in the lunch line for almost ten minutes, while they simply walked straight up just as the hot, steaming food was placed on the table. This story demonstrates a recurring pattern that bothers both students and faculty alike. To many students, it is quite frustrating to have their educators cut them on the lunch line. Faculty members who rarely cut the line also notice their coworkers’ behavior and are sometimes bothered by the apparent lack of consideration that they express. Some students think that teachers should not be allowed to cut the lunch line under any circumstances. If students have only one lunch period almost every single day and they need to schedule a meeting with a teacher,
they are forced to schedule their meeting in their free forty minutes during lunch. If they are unable to cut the line when they have to rush to go over a test with a teacher, why should the teacher be able to cut the line if he or she is rushing to meet a student? Other students don’t see an inherent right of teachers to cut the line whenever they come to the lunchroom; rather, they believe that if teachers are bombarded with meetings and classes and have only a few minutes to eat lunch, it would be fair for them to cut the line. These students believe that one of a teacher’s privileges in the school is to not have to wait on a chaotic lunch line if he or she is pressed for time. Mr. Deutsch believes that while teachers should be permitted to cut the line, they shouldn’t abuse this power. They shouldn’t go to the front of the line if they are in no hurry because “Teachers are supposed to be modeling behavior for students. It’s a matter of common courtesy,” Mr. Deutsch said. Continuing he said “I never cut the line,” but “If I had to cut the line, I would at least ask first.” When asked if Mr. Deutsch thought that most teachers were stressed for time when they cut the line, he replied
that he thinks that usually “most teachers have time.” Some students believe that because of the status of a teacher, he or she should be allowed to cut the line no matter what the circumstance. This group believes that just as teachers are able to use the elevator after davening when students are forbidden to do so, teachers can cut the line if they prefer to, while students cannot. In my opinion, it is important to take into consideration the dedication and time-consuming effort that our teachers put into their work. Although it may seem as though our schedules are tight and stressful, many teachers have it rougher than we do. That’s not to say that teachers should cut the line even if they have two periods of lunch, because students are also pressured to do everything that they have to do in their free forty minutes. But if teachers have a day lined up with meetings and classes, if need be, they should cut the line. Although teachers “should have the right to do cut the line if they have to,” they should keep in mind that “It’s midah kineged midah– if you don’t want to be cut, why would you cut other people?” said Mr. Deutsch.
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The RamPage News
Varsity Hockey Update Raffi Snow ‘13
December 2011/Kislev 5772
Winning Streak Elliot Beretz ‘15
The boys’ varsity hockey team has started off its season with a bang. Going 5-3-1 in their first nine games, the Rams have asserted that they are one of the elite teams in the league. Defenseman Jon Herman ‘13 attributes the team success to excellent goaltending, “our goalie, Reuben [Adolf ‘12] is playing really well. Our games are usually pretty low-scoring, so he really keeps us in the game.” The team is currently in second place and has a great shot to make the playoffs. According to Adolf, who is in agreement with various other team members, the team’s
overall success thus far has been due to “great teamwork, we really pick up for each other. I think our success is really all about our offense and defense.” In addition to the general team cohesiveness and unity among the all of the players, another major factor for the team’s success has been its veteran leadership. Led by captains Josh Schub ‘12 and Adam Amsalem ‘12, the hockey team gets really energized for games. “Trust me, we get pretty pumped up for games,” explains Defenseman Ryan Shore ‘13. “I’m not going to give names but somebody,
Schub, goes nuts! As a team we all really get into it and want to win.” Members of the team have also expressed the need for more fans at home games. “We could always use more fans. Honestly, they really impact the game. Fans showing up is key,” said Adolf. Maybe we should all listen to the team goalie, and start attending the boys’ varsity hockey team’s games and show our support for the team. The team’s next home game is January 4 against their divisional rival, the Frisch Cougars.
The Boys JV Basketball team is off to a very strong start this season. In just a few weeks of play, they have already beaten Maor, Hillel, Frisch, JEC, and Kushner, leaving them with a 5-0 record. Two of those wins had margins of victory exceeding 30 points. Although many of last year’s rising stars such as Nathan Tauber ‘14, Daniel Berg ‘14, and Jamie Cappell ‘14 decided to play Varsity basketball, a strong core of Sophomore players still remains. Other than Adam
Bandler ‘15, the starting five consists of Sophomores like Simon Jemal ‘14, Aaron Cohen ‘14, James Weiss ‘14, and Bennett Epstein ‘14. “I’m excited about our team. I think we are a strong unit with the potential to go all the way” said Point Guard Samuel Merkin ‘15. The players are not the only ones who are enthused about this season’s prospects. “The fans are excited. I think I speak for all of Ram Nation when I wish them good luck” said Ori Goldring ‘15.
Ramaz Takes Tournament Ben Nissim ‘15
Halacha vs. U.S. Law Continued from Front Page of Independence. It was really interesting,” said Gurewitsch. After the smaller group sessions, the entire junior class reconvened in the au-
ditorium to hear a speech by Professor Michael Helfand, a graduate of Yale Law School
and a current professor at Pepperdine Law School. Professor Helfand spoke about “How the Constitution Fails to Protect Religious Groups,” a topic that appealed to many Ramaz students. Most of the kids felt that this was the highlight of the day. Professor Helfand’s presentation impressed many Ramaz juniors. “I think that he was a really good speaker and knew how to get teenagers to be interested,” said Sabina
Tilevitz ‘13. “He was funny and it was very impressive that he was able to get kids to actually answer questions, unlike most other speakers.” Others also noted the originality and boldness of his speech. “Professor Helfand presented us with an alternative view on how religion, especially Judaism, is freely practiced and even how it is viewed in American society,” said one student who would prefer to remain anonymous. “It was a real change of pace from the usual everyday curriculum.”
The Ramaz Varsity Boys Basketball team brought home the trophy after an exciting four days of basketball. Ramaz competed with six other schools in the Weiner Tournament that took place at Yeshiva Beth Tfiloh in Baltimore. Going into the tournament, Ramaz was ranked in fourth place, but the team played as if they were the #1 seed. Ramaz was dominant from the first night of the tournament and they showed no signs of stopping. On Wednesday night, the first night of the tournament, Ramaz beat Chicagoland, 58-28, and then Heschel without much difficulty, 40-30. Ramaz then went on to beat CHATWallenberg, Hanc, and then Beth Tfiloh comfortably to advance to the semifinals. The team felt confident going into the semifinals after coming off of five impressive victories. In the semifinals Ramaz went on to defeat
Hanc and, in the other matchup, Chicagoland defeated Heschel. The championship game was set and Ramaz would play Chicagoland on Saturday night. On the night of the championship game, the Ramaz varsity basketball team defeated Chicagoland, 44-33, and took the championship. Not only did the Ramaz Varsity Basketball team win the championship, but Jamie Cappell ‘14 was named the MVP of the entire Weiner Tournament. This was Ramaz’s first time being the Weiner Tournament champions, and the team accomplished this by going undefeated (7-0) throughout the tournament. The Ramaz Varsity Boys Basketball team are now officially the 2011 Weiner Tournament champions and Ramaz is proud to have the trophy being displayed in the front lobby.