Volume 51, Issue 4 (December 2017) - The Rampage

The Rampage

The Newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 51 • Issue 4 • December 2017 • Kislev/Tevet 5778 • the-rampage.org

High School Musical: A Ramaz Production

Maya Chaovat '21 and Gabby Ostad ’21

“This feels pretty real...a fun version of real,” said Elizabeth Newman-Corre ’20 about the 2017 winter musicale. On December 20, the Ramaz students and faculty were given the opportunity to watch their classmates and friends perform in the show High School Musical, and the story truly was about a heightened version of high school realities.

The High School Musical production comes from a film of the same title released in 2006, and its plot revolves around high schoolers who have very different interests, which at times creates conflicts. Despite these differences and the social pressure to “stick to the status quo,” students begin to express their true interests and all come together in the end to support one another.

The story is a familiar one to most of the students and some faculty members as well: Troy Bolton, played by Michael Kishon, is the captain of the basketball team. He unexpectedly finds his hidden musical talent while singing karaoke with

science whiz Gabriella Montez, played by

tion for the school musical, yet they face

Basia Fellner-Dublin. Troy and Gabriella step out of their comfort zones to audi-

the plans of sabotage made by Chad Danforth (Hadley Kauvar ’19), Taylor McK-

Commemorating Albert Missry Z"L

Paola Mattout ’19

After the terrible tragedy of the passing of Albert Missry z”l, the Ramaz community decided to come together for a day of chesed in his memory. Albert was a graduate of the class of 2015 and was known for his energetic personality and love of helping others.

Albert was a friendly, encouraging, respectful, and warm-hearted young man who was taken from his family, friends, and communities way too soon, causing many missions around the Syrian and Ramaz communities to be initiated in his memory with the goal of helping to better the

communities and those surrounding them. These missions include small but significant deeds and are

sponded when he felt the pain of another, and his kind-hearted nature, compassion, and sensitivity had

carried out in Albert's memory to elevate his neshama. Whether he was using words of encouragement or being proactive towards another person for no other reason than that there was a need to fill, Albert re-

no bounds. When his peers saw how Albert reached out to others, they were influenced to do the same.

On Wednesday, December 6, the Ramaz Upper School held a day of service in memory of Albert.

The next day, December 7, marked Albert’s shloshim, the end of the first 30 days of mourning. The members of the Chesed and Tzedakah Committees worked to design meaningful activities that would help a diverse community of people whose specific needs could be served by our projects. Respecting Albert’s heritage, the members reached out to Sephardic Bikur Holim, SBH, an organization that services the Sephardic community in Brooklyn. The projects included packaging ingredients for a family’s dairy meal, gift wrapping games and books for

Continued "Albert Missry Z'L Day of Service" page 2

essie (Hannah Dubroff ’21), and Sharpay Evans (Elizabeth Newman-Corré ’20), and they face the distaste of most of the student body. In the end, the students at the school recognize that they should be supporting their friends, rather than tearing them down, and they all join together to sing “We’re All in This Together.”

The show was very dependent on a vibrant energy, which both the cast and the audience delivered: the performance was filled with lots of energy and crowd participation that lasted from beginning to end. The performance was very relatable to the audience because of their connection to the characters, who are about the same age as they are. Additionally, the students had a connection to the original movies, which were a staple of many of their childhoods. The show, the plot, and the music were familiar to many, which helped the audience engage in singing, clapping, and dancing along with the actors and actresses.

While there was a certain seamContinued "Fall Musical" page 2

Finals Showdown Hannah Slager '19

The initial announcement of a break system for final exams caused quite the frenzy. Lounges and lunchrooms were filled with heated debates among both students and teachers. News of the administration’s new plan, changing the way finals have long been conducted at Ramaz, had spread around the school. The 90-minute final exams, students were told, would be taken in one section, with no bathroom breaks allowed. The plan for the two-hour exams, however, was what caused the frenzy. Two-hour exams would all be given in two sections, a 75-minute section and a 45-minute section, with a 15-minute break between the two. Students would have to hand in their first section before the break and then be unable to return to this section after beginning the second section following the break.

Students like Yonatan Weitzner ’19 explained, “I don’t

really like the idea of breaks, because there is a level of continuity when you’re taking a test, you’re getting in the groove, and a break would ruin that.”

Other students complained of how much longer the system made the finals process, especially since they would have to wait for the official break to end before starting the second part of their exam. Natalie Trump ’20 commented, “As someone who has to sit on the bus for an hour after each final, I find the new system very frustrating. It means I have to stay in school for even longer and have less time to study for the next final.”

Rina Marlowe ’20 added that “kids allocate time to different things—some people spend more time on multiple choice, some spend more time on an essay. If the final is split into parts, students lose the ability to choose how much time they get for each section.” According to

Continued "A New Look for Finals?" page 2

Inside this issue...

Speakers about Truth... Students hear about honesty in the professional world page 4 Celebrating Chanukah... Assemblies, programming, and trips pages 4, 8 Trump recognizes Jerusalem... How does Ramaz react? page 11 Crossword... Check out the Rampage crossword! page 16

News 2

The Rampage

Fall Musical

continued from cover

lessness to it, this play could not have happened without a lot of hard work and dedication. Jason Robinson put a lot of time and effort into directing the show, making alterations to the script, and organizing the different elements of the production, with Rebecca Araten ’18 as the assistant director. Araten was in charge of scheduling and communications between students and members of the faculty, the administration, and the cast. The playbills were made courtesy of Elizabeth Newman-Corré. Ms. Barbara Abramson designed the sets and worked with members of stage crew to paint them, while Sam Gordon and the lighting crew added ambiences to the different scenes. Musical director Oded Lev-Ari and Director of Music Technology Rami Yadid helped the cast sound their best.

In addition to all of these contributions, a huge amount of work came from the cast members themselves. The cast members had a full schedule, with practices on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays. Sunday practice was generally from 12 PM to 4 PM, but it became lengthier by the week. Practices on Mondays and Thursdays were from 5:00 to 6:30. During the week of the play, the whole team practiced every night until 9 PM. The hungry cast members were fed

by Five Star Caterers during some of these long rehearsals, and Offer Biton, owner of Mocha Burger, generously contributed.

The dedication and commitment of the cast made the play a huge success, and the extensive time spent preparing together caused the cast members to feel like they were developing into a family. Newman-Corré ’20 said, “Given how much time we spend together, it forces us to become close. That's really great because [we] wouldn't always be friends with these people, so the play creates the

opportunity.” Michael Kishon ’18 said, “It was a lot of fun working together and I think I could speak for everyone and say that we all enjoyed each other's company and would love to work together again.”

High School Musical was an exciting choice of a show and also a practical one. Last year there weren't enough people who wanted to be a part of the musical, so this year’s High School Musical was chosen because of its fame and familiarity, which attracted more people to join and caused lots of excitement. Additionally, the familiar music made the learning process go a little more quickly, turning more focus to the choreography and the harmony. Furthermore, the show’s inherent liveliness helped the cast members embrace their roles. “A lot of the time, a hard part about making a show look good is infusing a sort of energy into it,” said Araten, “but that's not at all an issue with High School Musical.

Because the show in itself is so much fun, the cast is really able to get into it.”

However, an obstacle that arose when casting the show was the lack of male cast members. In order to address this issue, many male characters were played by female cast members. For example, Rebecca Araten played the role of Ryan Evans, changing the character to be Sharpay Evans’s sister, rather than her brother. Additionally, Naomi Levy ’19 played the role of Troy’s mother, Coach Bolton, who was actually Troy’s father in the original script.

The whole cast was so in character that they made their roles come to life. For a couple of hours, Ramaz was transformed into East High. The students watching the play attested that everyone who participated did an amazing job and caused the audience to feel that it truly was the start of something new. Go Wildcats!

December 2017/Kislev/Tevet 5778

A New Look for Finals? continued from cover

the new system, students would have to answer their exams in sequential order—if they remembered a piece of information from the first section of an exam during the second section, they would be unable to return to that section and change their answers.

President Richie Hafif ’18 felt especially passionate about these issues and created a slideshow to present his points at the SFAC meeting, where a compromise was finally reached. He spoke about “cognitive fatigue,” the ultimate performance time, and the “Yerkes Dodson Law,” a theory that people perform best at intermediate levels of arousal. Hafif used science as well as students’ opinions to make his case, showing polls that he had conducted in the senior and junior Facebook groups. Sixty seniors had voted against the new plan, and zero had voted in favor. In the junior grade only three students had voted in favor of it, two of whom no longer actually go to Ramaz.

Hafif then argued that this seemingly small change would have a domino effect and throw off students’ entire studying routine. He said that students would not know how to prepare for these finals that differ so greatly from the ones that they have been taking for the past few years. He also commented that the bathrooms would be extremely hectic during these breaks, creating a very stressful environment.

Elana Shalomoff ’18 added that

students would most likely use their breaks to compare their answers from the previous sections, most likely causing anxiety which would affect their performances on the second half of the exam. Kyla Mintz ’18 added that students committed to cheating would always find a way to do it, regardless of how the administration chooses to restructure the exams. Hafif concluded his presentation by saying that the policy was unfair to the majority of the Ramaz students who do not cheat.

The administration responded to the presentation by explaining the original intent behind the change.

“We’re working to create an environment….as equitable as possible,” said Ms. Krupka. “Students who are leaving multiple times during the final were creating inequity and noise…so we came up with a system where we don’t allow bathroom breaks. It’s a really good preparation for adulthood….and standardized tests as you get to college. It makes much more sense for you to take the responsibility of a test seriously by not having those breaks.”

Rabbi Slomnicki added, “Especially as the new administration, we are trying to see things anew. We’re not satisfied with the status quo, and our hope is that this will…improve the overall experience for the students. We’re going to reevaluate.” Other administrators agreed that the amount of cheating is simply unacceptable.

The administration, however, was

willing to listen to the students and work with them. They listened to the students’ feedback and responded, attempting to find a solution that would satisfy everyone.

SFAC finally reached a compromise when Kyla Mintz suggested a simple yet effective solution.

She proposed that the administration give students an option of whether or not to take a break.

After discussion, the administration announced its conclusion about the official policy for January finals: all 90-minute exams will be one part, with no breaks allowed. The two-hour exams will, in fact, be divided between part one (1 hour and 15 minutes) and part two (45 minutes). The tests will be created with the assumption that students will work on one part at a time. If a student taking a two-hour exam chooses not to leave the room after the first section, he or she may keep it and work on both parts simultaneously. However, if later on the student decides to leave the room, he or she will have to submit both sections and will then be unable to get them back.

This plan addresses the worries of both the students who were distressed about the break as well as the administrators who were concerned about cheating in the bathrooms. Hopefully, an efficient finals system, free of cheating, disruptions, and crowded bathrooms, will ensue.

Albert Missry Z"L Day of Service

continued from cover

50 teenagers, and packing winter packages for 100 people. Along with these projects, there was also a lunchtime chesed opportunity with Yachad.

Ramaz hosted ten adults from Yachad Day Habilitation, which provides an individualized program to help adults with developmental disabilities reach their full potential. Students helped these Yachad members bake Chanukah-themed cookies that were then included in the

family packages. These service projects enabled the Ramaz community to come together and grow as a community, marking the observance of the shloshim in ways that Albert would have appreciated.

Rabbi Albo began the program with an inspiring Dvar Torah that sensitively addressed the talmudic discussion of tzedakah versus chesed.

In his inimitable manner, Rabbi Albo captured the students' attentions with

his engaging speech, discussing which of these two tenets of Judaism takes precedence. Ultimately, after citing several sources, Rabbi Albo explained that each is a fundamental Jewish value but that chesed is the broader value, because it can be done not only with money but also with one's person. He concluded by saying, "You are angels, and your work today will surely elevate the soul of Albert z"l."

Although such

tragedies affect the Ramaz community deeply and sadly, the community is growing and learning to help each individual through the difficult time. A shiur was given

by Rabbi Yedid, a Rabbi in Albert’s community, in which he said that “during this time we are all filled with a lot of energy that can either be constructive or destructive.” One of the points he stressed was the importance of continuing this positive energy

and involving each person in positive actions such as tzedakah and chesed.

This resonated with Sharon Bensadigh ’15, a close friend of Albert’s, who said that “coming together to make packages for Sephardic Bikur Cholim was so meaningful because it was a constructive act done in Albert's zechoot, as so many other things have been these past few weeks. I know that we will continue to keep Albert’s memory

alive by continuing to do chesed as he so often did.”

Many students and faculty members who were close with Albert felt that chesed opportunities such as these allow the tragedy to shape each person involved and to help them grow in positive and life-changing ways.

December 2017/Kislev/Tevet 5778

Recognizing Jerusalem Rebecca Massel ’21

On December 6, 2017, in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, President Donald Trump changed the United States of America’s relationship with the State of Israel. Trump, a general supporter of Israel, announced, “Today we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.” He declared that the US officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and then went a step further, announcing that the US would begin making plans to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This statement made America the first Western country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and was a turning point for American-Israeli relations. The US has embassies in 136 nations, 135 of which are located in the nation’s capital. Once America moves its embassy to Jerusalem, it will have embassies in all 136 of these nations’ capitals.

Jerusalem has been Israel’s stated capital since 1948. The IDF, Israel’s defense army, fought against attacks from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria and subsequently captured Jerusalem for the Jewish people, bringing forth the famous exclamation of “Har HaBeit B’Yadenu!”—“The Temple Mount is in our hands!” Israel victoriously named Jerusalem as its capital. For decades, however, numerous US presidents did not officially recognize Israel’s designation of Jerusalem as its capital.

On December 7, President Trump tweeted, “I fulfilled my campaign promise—others didn’t!” President Trump was referring to his presidential predecessors, Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, each of whom announced their support for the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, yet none of whom took actions to follow through with their statements and campaign promises. Prior US presidents felt that recognition of Jerusalem as the capital would be detrimental to the peace process in the Middle East. Trump broke with this precedent to “deliver” what had been promised for so many years. He was, however, careful not to recognize an undivided Jerusalem and also said that he still supported the peace process.

President Trump was not totally clear about his view on the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians. Trump stated, “After more than two decades of waivers, we’re no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be a folly to assume that repeating the same formula would produce different results.” President Trump noted that “there will, of course, be disagreement and dissent regarding this announcement,” yet he hoped for “calm, for moderation, and for the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate.” Trump reasonably predicted an outpouring of violence from upset Palestinians, yet he made clear his hopes that his decision would bring the Middle East closer to a functioning peace process.

President Trump’s bold decision posed a danger for the Israelis. Hundreds of Palestinians protested and burned pictures and posters of Trump, furious about his decision. During this time, Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted multiple missiles shot from the Gaza Strip, probably launched as a protest to Trump’s declaration. Many fear that another intifada will begin as a result of the decisive move.

Joining those who reacted unfavorably to the decision was the United Nations Security Council, which on December 17 advanced a resolution demanding that the US retract its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The US exercised its veto as a permanent member of the Security Council to defeat the resolution. On December 20, the General Assembly of the UN voted to condemn the United States’ decision by a vote of 128 to 9, with 35 abstentions. In reaction to the United Nations’ response, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said that the US was “exercising our right as a sovereign nation” to move the American embassy wherever the people and president of the US chose to move it.

The Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun rabbis, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, and Rabbi Elie Weinstock, issued an email reacting to Trump’s announcement. The rabbis wrote, “We commend President Trump and his administration for formally recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.” In the email, the rabbis emphasized Jerusalem’s role as one of the core elements of Judaism. They quoted Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ response to Trump’s statement, “Mentioned over 660 times in the Hebrew Bible, Jerusalem was the beating heart of Jewish faith more than a thousand years before the birth of Christianity, and two-and-a-half millennia before the birth of Islam.”

The-rampage.org

News 3

Return of the Snack Cart

Natalie Trump ’19

In early December, Ramaz brought back the after-school snack cart, providing snacks and food to the students who were hungry. Every Monday through Thursday, the kitchen staff now sells a variety of snacks in the lunchroom from 4:45 until around 5:00.

On the first day, Monday, December 4, there were pizza bagels, mini potato knishes, and churros, sold at $3 for two, $2 for four, and $1 for one.

That Tuesday, the kitchen staff sold General Tso chicken ($5 for five pieces) and mini pastrami egg rolls ($2 for four). On Wednesday they sold deli sandwiches for $5, Franks ’n Blankets ($5 for three) and beef empanadas ($3 for four). Thursday brought with it tuna, pesto, and mozzarella wraps for $5, hot pretzels for $2, and churros for $1. Additionally, the cart sold a different salad each day for $5, cookies ($1 for three), and either lemonade, tea, or punch for $1. Since the cart’s first week, the Five Star kitchen staff has been taking notes of which snacks have and have not been successful, and based on those results, each week’s menu has included some of the same foods that sold well in previous weeks, along with some new options.

So far, the snack cart has been very successful this year, and many students find it to be very convenient and enjoy the snacks that are sold. Hannah Doft ’20 said, “I am a big fan of the snack cart. I stay after school so often, and it’s so convenient to get food in the lobby instead of rushing out to get food quickly in the fifteen minutes between school ending and my club/practice starting. Also, I love how each day the menu is different so I never get sick of it.”

Becky Tauber ’19, the G.O.’s associate vice president of operations, said that the snack cart is unique this year because “it is much more orga-

nized. In past years when it was in the lobby there were so many people pushing and shoving to be first and make their buses.

I think with the snack cart on the side it is so much easier to buy your food faster, without all the people who are leaving the building in the way.” Maxine Pravda ’20, food and beverage chair of the G.O., loves the positive attention the snack cart has been receiving. She said, “Along with the other food chair and G.O. members, I worked hard to help come up with a menu for the snack cart that included suggestions from my peers, and also more real food items,

rather than small snacks that won’t keep you full for so long.

I’m so happy the snack cart has been so successful so far and especially that so many students appreciate the new menu.”

However, there are students that have negative opinions about the snack cart for different reasons. Alyssa Garbulsky ’20 says, “The food selection is great, and it’s always good to be able to rely on in case I need to stay after school, or even if I’m just in the mood for a snack one day after school. However, I do think it would be even better if these snacks were sold during lunch.” David Adler ’19 says “I really love the snack cart, especially this year with the amazing selection, but I do think the prices are too expensive.

Rabbi Steinmetz added, “We never forget Jerusalem…. in good times and in bad, in the Kovno Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto, in the Soviet Union and in Syria.”

As a show of their support, the rabbis said, “Today’s action reaffirms what has been clear since the founding of the State of Israel: Jerusalem is Israel's capital.”

At Ramaz, reactions have seemed favorable to Trump’s announcement, even though many people have expressed mixed feelings about the Trump presidency.

Although many teachers generally prefer not to share their political opinions, some students have expressed strong views. Many students feel that President Trump’s decision constituted a positive shift for Israelis. Tamar Gobalak ’21, the daughter of an Israeli delegate to America, said, “Israel has always recognized Jerusalem as its capital, and now that the US, such a strong country, is recognizing it as its capital, it is very helpful and good for us.” Other students feel that although the decision may hold political beneficial for Israel, it does not drastically affect the Israelis, who have always felt that Jerusalem is their capital. Zachary Buller ’20 said, “I think it’s strange that the United States thinks they can arbitrarily decide when Jerusalem is a part of Israel. The entire concept is kind of ridiculous.”

Even though they are probably still cheaper than food you can buy outside of school, I don’t think it’s fair that they charge this much for the snacks.”

Tauber understands these two concerns and addresses them. First, she says that “despite what people think, the snack cart isn't for revenue; it's just to give students the opportunity to buy food after such a long day, whether it's for the bus, or before a club. That's why there isn't really a need to have the snack cart during lunch — because the school offers food.” Responding to Garbulsky’s concern, she says, “If people want to have the food that is being sold at the snack cart for lunch, that is a different idea that can be discussed, but considering there is food offered already, it doesn't make sense to have the snack cart.” She adds that “the cart doesn't really make any money for the school.

It just covers the costs (to make the snacks), and it can't be free because it comes out of Five Star’s money.” The current prices are about as low as they can get, but they do not seem to be impeding much the success of the enterprise as a whole.

Some Ramaz students have expressed concern about the aftermath of President Trump’s decision, what with the high amount of tension already surrounding Israel. Some students feel that Trump’s decision is the last straw for Israel’s enemies and that it will cause violence to drastically escalate. Jacob Bengualid ’19, Captain of the Ramaz Model United Nations Team, wondered what the decision would mean for Israel’s relationships with other countries, predicting, “There will be protests. There will be violence. That is inevitable….There is definitely a potential of intense rioting.” However, he continued, “ I really do not think that any global conflicts will arise from this.

And if they do, they will be fairly limited. The only real conflicts I see happening are Palestinians rioting—that’s it.”

As Gobalak summarized, “It is very dangerous and hard, but I think it’s worth it.”

News 4

The Rampage

Community Candle Lighting

Becky Tauber ’19

In addition to attending the gradewide B4 programming (consisting of Kahoot! for freshmen, a scavenger hunt around the building for sophomores, and a game of panoply in the auditorium for juniors and seniors) and Chanukah excursions, the entire Upper School congregated for a last Chanukah celebration as a community. At the end of the day, all students made their way to the auditorium to light candles for the seventh night. Although this assembly was not a fun trip to High Exposure or a scavenger hunt around the building, an assembly where the entire school can come together to celebrate the meaning of Chanukah can be special in its own way.

“In addition to the recreational programming of Chanukah as well as the formal education that took place in classes, there is a beauty in having a shared religious experience of celebrating a chag as outlined by halacha,” said Rabbi Slomnicki. “In addition to the mitzvah of lighting the chanukiah in one’s home, there is a minhag of lighting the neirot in shul within the context of Tefilat Maariv. It is both educational to expose our students to this, as well as exciting to have a tefilah b’tzibbur and public lighting with our entire yeshiva.”

Before Maariv took place, the students listened to a short speech from Ms. Krupka, in which she spoke about the power of light and perspectives. She had accom-

panied the freshman class on its Chanukah trip to the senses exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, and there she saw how the power of light affects how people see things.

Speaking from her experience, she described her realization that everyone has different perspectives and that learning is what can ultimately change people’s perspectives.

To finish off the gathering, President Richie Hafif ’18 presented a slideshow that he had created using pictures from all of the fun events of first semester. From the Central Park trip and the Freshman and Sophomore Shabbatonim to spirit week, the student body has enjoyed many great events this semester. “I made the slideshow so the G.O. can show you how much fun we’ve had so far this year and build hype for the rest of the year,” said Hafif. “We as a G.O. have already worked so hard to make you guys happy and can’t wait to work even harder second semester to continue to achieve that goal.”

With all of the communal events that the Upper School students have shared together this semester, it was important for the school to come together to celebrate what is many people’s favorite holiday of the year.

December 2017/Kislev/Tevet 5778

Talmud Today: Speakers About Honesty

Becky Tauber ’19

The Talmud curriculum of this year for the 11th- and 12th-graders consists of the rigorous learning of Masechet Sanhedrin, the breakdown of the Jewish court system. Masechet Sanhedrin discusses the actions which would make someone an invalid witness and focuses on the characteristics that determine a person’s integrity.

There are guidelines determining who can take the stand in court and establishing rules as to when a person is obligated to testify for another person.

These rules are set in place so that we can uncover the truth and employ strict justice as a means to a peaceful society.

Rabbi Schiowitz, the Talmud department chair, decided to bring in a series of speakers, who were each asked to discuss the topic of honesty in their respective careers. Over the course of about a month, both the junior and senior grades heard from three speakers who hold three completely different professions. The goal of these speakers was to introduce new topics of conversation as the students learn about the criteria of a reliable witness. “It is taught to us as kids that ‘honesty is the best policy,’ but this value is often not reexamined in a more sophisticated way

as we get older,” said Rabbi Schiowitz. “We know that it is not always so simple, so when do we think about the parameters of truthfulness as adults? There are instances in life that are complex, and this simple adage may not suffice for guidance. Moreover, there are pressures that can make this decision extremely difficult to execute, including in the areas of business, politics, relationships, and academia.”

The first speaker, Jacob Doft ’87, father of Dara Doft ’18 and Hannah Doft ’20, spoke about the value of truth in business and management. Jacob Doft attended Ramaz and was a proud member of the Business Investment Club, one of the most popular clubs at Ramaz today. Doft is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager at Highline Capital Management, a firm that he founded in 1995.

Doft spoke about the temptation of lying on the job, as well as the risks of being caught cheating. Ultimately, he taught that the road to success is through integrity and honesty. With a good reputation, more clients will trust a company with their money. In an honest firm, an employee who lies or cheats in any way is bound for termina-

tion, as a company's credibility is on the line with all of its employees. “I thought it was very interesting to hear how the business world works,” said Rebecca Douer ’19 about Mr. Doft’s speech. “He taught me the importance of truth and how one little lie or even hearing information that you are not supposed to can get you in a lot of trouble.”

The next speaker, Seth Lipsky, spoke about truth in journalism. Mr. Lipsky used to work for the Wall Street Journal but later founded and became editor of the New York Sun, an independent conservative daily in New York City. Lipsky spoke about how finding absolute truth in journalism can be extremely difficult, considering the biases of the authors. Journalists have one goal: to be the first one to publish an important story. With that, there can always be an urge to stretch the truth when writing, in order to spark the interest of the public. However, a good journalist should always stick to the absolute truth. “Mr. Lipsky spoke engagingly and intelligently, opening up the talk with a funny anecdote.

His talk allowed me to understand the challenge of journalism as a profession, and it was clear he was a skilled writ-

Continued "Integrity in Business" page 5

Sophomore Shabbaton: A Great Choice

Josephine Schizer ’20

Two buses of excited sophomores departed from Ramaz on Friday morning, December 8, headed for their Shabbaton and a morning of ice skating at the Jersey Shore Arena.

Students eagerly piled off the buses and pushed to be first to exchange their shoes for skates. Experienced skaters were on the ice first, gliding around the middle of the rink, while other students started off clinging to the walls in pairs. After skating, students were treated to pizza for lunch and then returned to the buses.

Arriving at the Berkley Oceanfront Hotel in Asbury Park, New Jersey, students davened Mincha and then were given their room keys to get ready for Shabbat. For Rabbi Frazer, “The Shabbaton brought back memories of my own teenage years, since New Jersey NCSY used to hold its annual winter Shabbaton in the same hotel.”

By 3:15 PM, many of the girls had returned to the lobby to take pictures before the 3:40 pre-Shabbat ruach. A flurry of pictures ensued, cul-

minating in many Instagram posts after Shabbat.

Once the students had returned their phones to their rooms, they danced and sang with their grade

to two truths and a lie, in which students found out that Rabbi Frazer has shot an M-16 and Ms. Mitnick is a black diamond snowboarder. At Shabbat din-

before Shabbat. Many students lit candles, and then the grade davened Kabbalat Shabbat together. Before dinner, the sophomores heard a Dvar Torah from Ms. Brachot about the theme of the Shabbaton: choices, and how even small choices are important. This message is meaningful to Ms. Brachot on a personal level, as she explained, because the small choices she made in high school led her to meeting her husband.

On Friday night, sophomores had ample opportunity to get to know their teachers better. Students played a game similar

ner, students sat at tables with faculty members and their families, giving them an opportunity to interact outside of a classroom setting. After eating dinner with Ms. Krupka, Elizabeth Newman-Corré ’20 said, “It was a great opportunity to get to spend time with Ms. Krupka in a different setting. Meeting her family was really amazing as well.”

Rabbi Frazer, experiencing his first Ramaz Shabbaton, said, “One of the things that drew me to Ramaz was the opportunity to know my students better than I did in the more formal atmosphere of college. So the Shabbaton

was truly a highlight of my first semester at Ramaz. I enjoyed interacting with my students in a less formal atmosphere than the classroom, as well as meeting some sophomores whom I don't currently teach.”

At dinner, class president Aliza Freilich ’20 delivered a Dvar Torah.

According Freilich, “Sophomore Shabbaton was a great success. Between the balance of sessions, games, singing and hanging out with each other, it really made the students appreciate their sophomore class.

As class president, Jack and I made sure all the games were set and cleaned up, and we each wrote a Dvar Torah about the Shabbaton’s theme: choices.”

er they would rather be able to share their opinion and always be wrong, or whether they would rather always be right but never share their opinion.

Until Sophomore Shabbaton, no one knew that Jenga was a competitive sport. During free time on Friday night, many students gathered to play various board games, including heated games of Jenga, Codenames, Bananagrams, Settlers of Catan, and Connect4. Some students talked on the couches in the lobby, some headed up to their rooms to relax with their friends, and others took a walk on the beach with Rabbi Dov Pianko.

For many students, free time is the best part of

"Between the balance of sessions, games, singing and hanging out with each other, it really made the students appreciate their sophomore class" -Aliza Freilich '20

After dinner, students had their first session, discussing the choices they would make in difficult situations. For example, students were asked wheth-

the Shabbaton because “it is an opportunity to spend time with your friends in a relaxed setting,” as Zach Buller ’20 said. For Alyssa Hackel ’20, “The only sort

of negative thing I have to say about the Shabbaton was that they didn’t really give us so much free time on shabbat to hang out.”

After free time, students headed up to their floors to relax with friends in their rooms before going to sleep. “This Shabbaton was so much better than Freshman Shabbaton, and I think it was because we are all closer as a grade now,” said Alyssa Garbulsky ’20.

Shabbat morning started with Shacharit, followed by a Dvar Torah from Dr. Rotenberg and kiddush.

After that, students participated in the annual sophomore Dvar Torah contest.

In each of the six session rooms, pairs of students came up with and delivered Divrei Torah, and the best Dvar Torah from each room was then delivered in front of the entire grade and a panel of faculty judges.

Aaron Solomons ’20, one of the second-place winners, said, “I didn't expect that we would have to present our Divrei Torah in front of everyone, but it was definitely a good experience for the presenters. It built up

Continued "Sophomore Shabbaon" page 6

December 2017/Kislev/Tevet 5778

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News 5

Integrity in Business

er and very well spoken,” said Natalie Kahn ’19. “I’m not sure I walked out of the talk with such a clear sense of how to channel honesty into journalism. I understand that writing unbiased articles is basically impossible no matter how hard you try.” Ultimately, what most students took away from Mr. Lipsky is that readers should always be careful with what they read. Although it was more difficult to understand exactly how to combat the issue of dishonesty in journalism, students are now more aware of this issue.

The last speaker, David Schizer, father of Josephine Schizer ’20, spoke about truthfulness in academia and nonprofit fundraising. David Schizer was Dean of Columbia Law School from 2004-2014 before assuming the position of CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the world's leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization. Each student was given a sheet filled with many scenarios that might lead to a person needing or wanting to lie. The students spoke with Mr. Schizer about how there are some scenarios in which one might need to lie. However, it is important for each person to analyze the situation and figure out a way for them to ensure that nobody comes to harm in the process. Mr. Schizer opened the floor to the

students, allowing for an engaging conversation about what to do when faced with one of these difficult situations. “I thought the speaker was pretty interesting,” said Max Lindebaum ’18. “He really gave me an insight into how often we come across moral gray areas in our lives.”

These three speakers were an interesting extension to the Talmud curriculum, addressing issues that otherwise might not be clear to students in high school.

When asked about continuing this new program, Rabbi Schiowitz responded, “I hope to build on the successes and also improve on the weaknesses. I am eager

"The idea of truth and integrity is an important aspect of almost every profession and is not usually addressed in high school." to hear feedback from everyone. I do plan on having at least one other speaker in the spring who will have a very unique perspective. We will have a Ramaz alum who is a senior in college and has had a lot of experience with academic truthfulness (or lack thereof) in college.”

Gallery Crawl

Basia Fellner- '20

The sophomore students taking art this semester had the opportunity to go on a gallery crawl on Tuesday, December 5, which Ms. Rabhan organized. The exhibits that the sophomores attended included the Ordovas Gallery, the Gagosian Gallery, the Mnuchin Gallery, and the Gerald Peters Gallery.

The Ordovas Gallery brings together a group of artists called the “London Painters,” which include artists Michael Andrews, Frank Auerbach, Francis Bacon, Lucian Freud, David Hockney, R.B. Kitaj and Leon Kossoff. They are called by this name because they have been distinguished frequently as the main advocates of the “School of London.” “School of London” is a term made up by R.B. Kitaj to describe a group of London-based artists who mainly focused on conducting forms of figurative painting during a time when abstraction was widespread.

The gallery shows self portraits, London scenes, and paintings of people. “The story of the supposed School of London is a story of friendships, an intimate tale,” said founder of the Ordovas Gallery, Pilar Ordavas. “With that in mind, London Painters unites pictures that highlight these relationships and the circles of shared acquaintance, as well as London itself, the city that provided such a thrilling backdrop to so much of their development. It feels fitting to bring London to New York for my third exhibition in the city, to celebrate the work of artists that have defined much of what I do.” The goal of the London Painters was to produce a relationship between artists that allows each side to express emotions and internal conflicts, not to show Abstract Expressionism.

The Gagosian Gallery, on the other hand, features Rudolf Stingel, an Italian abstract artist. He works with many different materials such as rubber, carpet, painted aluminum, styrofoam, and paint. Stingel questions the way one understands and observes art. His artwork constantly reflects the representation of legitimacy and context in contemporary art. Many of his paintings shown in the gallery are influenced by the murals of the Carlyle Hotel’s Bemelmans Bar. The work of Sam Gilliam is shown in the Mnuchin Gallery. This exhibition presents Gilliam’s “Beveled-edge” and “Drape” paintings from 1967 to 1973. To make his “Beveled-edge” paintings, Gilliam would pour paint onto a canvas that wasn’t stretched and would then fold and crumple it. He then would stretch the canvas onto stretchers with a beveled edge. The beveled edges would create a three-dimension-

al view when hung. When Gilliam was preparing for an exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, he accidentally discovered a new way of creating art, which led to the creation of his “Drape” Paintings. Instead of using stretchers, Gilliam gathered and knotted his canvas material and hung it on a ceiling or wall in folded and bunched-up forms. He then stood above the suspended canvas and poured and sprayed paints onto it. Because he stood above the canvas while pouring the paint, gravity and the folds controlled the way in which the paint arranged itself onto the canvas. “The suspended paintings began by celebrating the working process and ended with the involvement of the wall, the floor and the ceiling,” said Gilliam about his work. “The year 1968 was one of revelation and determination—something was in the air and it was in that spirit that I did the drape paintings.”

The final gallery that the sophomores visited, the Gerald Peters Gallery, promotes the artwork of Georgia O’Keeffe, an American Modernist. The exhibition looks at O’Keeffe’s relationship with the Northeast and Southwest regions. The Northeast and Southwest, specifically Lake George and then later New Mexico (where O’Keefe moved in 1949), were places where O’Keeffe did a lot of her work. Her work examines her natural surroundings in the different landscapes and environments of the two regions.

This art trip was very educational and allowed the sophomore art students to look at art in ways differently than they might when studying it in the classroom. Many students are looking forward to more trips like these that will help them experience learning in less traditional manners.

The idea of truth and integrity is an important aspect of almost every profession and is not usually addressed in high school. “I thought the speakers were interesting, since [they] dealt with a common issue in many different career paths,” said Jonah Berman ’19. “It brought together what we are learning in Talmud class [and] what goes on in many different professions.” The three speakers spoke about integrity from a broad and universal perspective, and their discussions about these difficult situations regarding honesty can prepare students for the professions that they would like to pursue after high school.

Lower School Adopts US ID System Daniella Symonds ’21

When you enter any of the three Ramaz buildings, you will see a security guard watching each person who enters and making sure that any unfamiliar person procures some sort of identification.

When you exit, whether in the middle of the day or during the dark hours of the night, a member of the security staff will still be there, still protecting the building. Every school day of every week, the security staff is looking out; Ramaz prides itself on this top-notch security that keeps our school safe.

One of the security procedures requires security personnel to check the bags of parents before admitting them into the building.

While this type of procedure is not such an inconvenience in the Upper and Middle Schools, where the number of parents entering and exiting the building is not exceedingly high, this protocol is taxing in the Lower School.

The Lower School has over 300 students, each of whom must be picked up by an adult. This means that once the school day ends, parents or babysitters of 300 children must wait to have their bags checked before they can retrieve their children, with security going through every single one of their bags in order to adhere to the regulations. This process is not only time consuming, but it has also proven to be rather inefficient and exhausting.

In order to solve the Lower School pickup problem, security has decided to borrow one of the procedures that is now being used in the Upper School

for the Lower School as well: the ID card system. The Upper School ID system requires students to “tap in” to special monitors in the building with customized ID cards, both when they enter the building in the morning and when they leave it during the day. Since all Upper School students have these cards, admitting students into the building in the morning and keeping track of them throughout the day has become a speedy and efficient process.

A modified version of this ID system is now being used for the Lower School, but for parents as opposed to students. This new system requires parents to have their customized Ramaz ID card with them in order to gain entry to the Lower School building. Security guard Mohammed Ali called the new system both “reliable and effective,” and it certainly has the potential to cut out a lot of the time that was previously required to enter the school. No longer will parents have to wait outside the building in the rain or the snow, while fumbling to open their bags—all it will take is a few seconds for the guard to check each person’s new Ramaz ID.

News 6

The Rampage

December 2017/Kislev/Tevet 5778

The Vote That Counted Seniors Remember the Partition Plan

Emily Stemp '18

On November 28, the senior class was privileged to attend the commemoration and re-enactment of a significant event in Jewish history: the passing of UN Resolution 181, which recognized a Jewish state in Israel. The 70-year commemoration of the UN Partition Plan establishing the Jewish state of Israel celebrated the existence of the Jewish state, which is now a reality and not just a dream, thanks to support from countries around the world

After davening, the seniors boarded buses and headed to the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows, where they were greeted by long security lines and received personalized name tags. Upon entry, the seniors anxiously endured a lengthy wait for the program to begin.

When bells finally signified the commencement of the program, the students had already been waiting for hours.

The event, which took place in the location of the actual UN declaration that took place 70 years ago, consisted of speeches from esteemed figures such as Israeli Ambassador to the UN Dan-

continued from page 4 my self esteem.” James Auerbach ’20, one of the firstplace winners, said,“I was excited to win. Josephine and I won for Ms. Benus’s group, meaning that Rabbi Albo (who lost his bet with Ms. Benus) needed to take care of the fish in their office over winter break!”

“As always, I think that students liked the Dvar Torah competition,” said Rabbi Dov Pianko. “Even if giving Divrei Torah is not people's go-to activity on a regular basis, I think the forum and atmosphere allowed for this to be a pos-

ny Danon, President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder, and even Vice President of the United States Mike Pence.

Each of the designated speakers gave spirited messages about the current strength and resilience of the Jewish nation, as compared to the nation’s weak state before having its own country—a helpless position that resulted in tragedies such as the Holocaust.

The speakers saw UN Resolution 181, which was passed on November 29, 1947, as a pivotal moment in the Jewish fight for Israel and in Jewish history as a whole.

Following several speeches, there was a detailed reenactment of the vote to establish the state of Israel, just as it occurred in 1947. The room was decorated to look as it had in the 1940s, when the ambassadors of each country participating in the UN decision sat around to determine Israel’s fate. Naomi Freilich ’18 said, “It was so meaningful to be in the exact location where the UN decision took place.”

The Ramaz seniors and other audience members sat at the edges of their seats as each country’s name was read, followed by

its vote either for or against the establishment of the Jewish State. Black and white videos accompanied this reading, showing the hopeful faces of the Jews in 1947 and transporting each audience member back in time. When the votes were finally counted and Israel was officially declared the state of the Jewish people, the audience roared with applause. Israeli dancing and performances of “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav” and the Israeli national anthem added spirit and excitement to the program.

Mike Pence, who spoke on behalf of the United States Government and President Donald Trump, firmly affirmed America’s support for Israel and the Partition Plan. He stated, “The United States of America was proud to support Resolution 181. We were proud to be the first nation in the world to recognize Israel’s independence soon after. And we were proud to stand by Israel and the Jewish people ever since…America will always stand with Israel.” Johnny Beretz ’18, co-president of the AIPAC club at Ramaz, felt passionate about Pence’s remarks on the Israeli-Amer-

Sophomore Shabbaton itive experience that the grade got [excited about].”

The Dvar Torah competition was followed by lunch, Mincha, and a short period of free time before seudah shlishit. At seudah shlishit, students sang together and heard Divrei Torah from Rabbi Slomnicki and Class President Jack Fisher ’20. Then, students davened Maariv together.

According to Ms. Maryam Rahmani, who works for Five Star at Ramaz and also took care of the food on the Shabbaton, “I was excited to see the

kids outside of school! They were the most well behaved pack of students I have ever done a hotel job or a Shabbaton with, and it was nice to see them enjoying their meals with their friends, especially on Shabbat.”

After Maariv, students heard an inspiring dvar Torah from Ms. Krupka and sang havdalah together, accompanied by Rabbi Albo and Jeremy (from Kollel) on their guitars. Havdalah transitioned immediately into loud singing and dancing with a lot of ruach. “I loved the

pre- and post-Shabbat ruach!” exclaimed Hackel.

Then, students returned to their rooms to pack before departing for the last part of the Shabbaton, a trip to SkyZone. Students jumped on trampolines, did obstacle courses, played dodgeball on trampolines, and climbed rock walls. “I really enjoyed ice skating and Skyzone, and I thought that there was a perfect balance between fun activities and a meaningful Shabbat experience,” said Buller.

“This year, Shabbaton was a far better expe-

Puerto Rico Mission

Paola Mattout '19 The Ramaz Upper School has been planning a student mission to Puerto Rico “to help repair some of the devastated areas and interact with the community, on many different levels,” as stated in the email informing students about the mission.

In early September, at the very start of the new school year, students in all grades immediately responded to the requests made

by Hurricane Harvey and Irma Relief Coordinators in Houston and Florida, donating the products that they had requested. Hygiene products, canned foods, cleaning supplies, underwear, socks and baby products were loaded on to doz-

ican relationship. “It was a great feeling to see the Israeli-American bond in action,” said Beretz. “As president of AIPAC, I have participated in the mission to establish a strong relationship between America and Israel, and this event was truly a statement as to what AIPAC is all about and everything it has accomplished. Israel needs America to stand with them, and this event proved that that relationship was and will continue to be as strong as we need [it to be in order] to protect our homeland.”

ens of huge pallets and trucked down to Houston and Florida warehouses for distribution.

When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the island was in desperate need for help.

More than a third of the island still has no power, and electricity probably won’t be restored before May. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is overwhelmed by the massive challenge of reconstructing Puerto Rico, and Ramaz has decided to respond to this disaster as well, inviting students in grades 10-12 to apply for a mission to Puerto Rico over February Break. Ramaz is choosing twelve determined and eligible students to go on this trip and

take on a difficult task.

With the help of Ms. Benel, students contacted Rabbi Zarchi, the Chabad rabbi of San Juan, and his guidance and support made the mission possible. His warm response left the Chesed Committee and Ms. Benel confident that their efforts can make a difference. The students will be working hard and in a hands-on manner, repairing, painting, and resurfacing devastated areas. They will be coordinating with PR4PR, an organization that seeks to help children who live in shelters and young residents of low-income and highrisk communities, who were especially affected by the devastation and displacement. Stu-

dents will visit homebound elderly people and displaced families.

Before leaving, the Ramaz students will meet with relatives of several community members who live in Puerto Rico, in order to learn more about the conditions of their families.

The school and its students are responding to a call for help, standing by the Ramaz hineini value that has been a constant theme for the year.

rience than freshman year.

Going in as a freshman I was too nervous to really enjoy it. (I also fell hard on my tooth that infamous day and had to deal with it the whole time.) This year I made sure not to hurt myself again and got closer with a lot of my friends, and I had a great time! I’m looking forward to many more trips and Shabbatons!” said Ethan Morali ’20.

Dov summarized the Shabbaton, saying, “Overall I think it was a resounding success. All the faculty that I spoke to

thought it was great. They were happy to be able to spend time with the students and co-workers in a more informal environment. I only heard positive things from students, many of whom thought it was better than their Freshman Shabbaton. I think that as the grade gets older and matures, Shabbaton evolves also. Students know each other better, and are able to have unique experiences each time.”

December 2017/Kislev/Tevet 5778

The-rampage.org

News 7

Behind the Scenes: Preparing for the Ramaz Dinner See the next issue of The Rampage for a report on the 2018 Annual Ramaz Dinner!

Zachary Buller '20

The Ramaz Annual Dinner is a highlight of the year for student performers as well as for the Ramaz fundraising endeavor. Unlike the annual dinners of many other schools, the focal point of Ramaz’s dinner is not the speeches or the food, but rather the acclaimed student performances that take place on the extravagant and expansive stage at the Marriott Marquis. Over 150 students from grades 3 to 12 join together to celebrate the school through expressions of music and dance. While this performance is observed and appreciated by the hundreds of Ramaz parents and faculty in attendance, the amount of time and effort that goes into planning the dinner and preparing for the show is often overlooked.

Mr. Kenny Rochlin ’86, Director of Institutional Advancement, explains that each annual dinner is carefully

planned and thought out by the Development Office to ensure that each year there is something new and exciting for the audience. “We start planning for the dinner the day after the previous dinner ends,” he said. “During the dinner, we take notes and listen to feedback to ensure that next year’s dinner is even better than before.” According to Rochlin, Ramaz has never had two dinners that are the same.

From a fundraising perspective, the performance at the dinner plays a significant role in attracting possible sponsors and donors. According to Mr. Rochlin, the student performance is the “main event of the dinner and the highlight of the annual campaign. It is always served as an opportunity to give people an inside view of Ramaz.” In Mr. Rochlin’s words, “the students make the school,” so showcasing the students at an event meant to gain the

support of members of the Ramaz community is the most natural thing to do.

While rehearsing for the student performances is very time-consuming and labor-intensive, all of the work results in a spectacular performance.

Reflecting on his decades of experience with Ramaz dinners, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein ’49 said, “The time and effort expended by students from the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools is so impressive. The talent of the students is almost beyond belief.

The entire production is so professional. It is a glorious display of what Ramaz students can do for the love of their school and in celebration of the arts.”

On Sunday, December 10, 2017, over 150 Ramaz students spent six hours rehearsing the songs for the upcoming performance at the January 7, 2018 dinner. Students from the Lower, Middle and Upper School Choirs, along with members of the Chamber Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Band, and Dance Team, all

Vending Machine Theft Esti Beck '19

In an incident that occurred about a month ago, a teacher caught a few students stealing from one of the school’s vending machines. Ms. Krupka, faculty dean, confirmed the incident and spoke to the administration’s surprise about how much of the student body knew about thefts but did not report them. The resulting outrage reached students, as various faculty members decried the theft and rumors of punishment for those involved were circulated.

Vending machine theft, while undeniably wrong, has become an ingrained part of Ramaz culture.

It’s even something of an art form: students with longer arms attempt to reach up through the flap at the bottom of the machine, dislodging snacks on the bottom row— often cakes or other similar pastries. Students without the necessary armspan use pencils or pens to make up for the missing length. During classes, when there aren’t many teachers in the halls, or during events like student-teacher conferences, trying to get “free” food from the vending machine is nearly a competitive sport. The few students who were caught in the act do not represent the beginning of the problem; they simply threw

the issue under the school’s spotlight.

“I think it’s wrong, because stealing is stealing, even if it’s just a snack,” said Ariel Alboher ’20. The faculty agreed; grade advisors gave speeches to their re-

spective minyanim in the morning, denouncing the practice. Rabbi Gober broached the issue with one of his Talmud classes. “There are two things at play here: one is that the vending machine is someone else’s property, so taking from the vending machine is like taking money out of somebody’s wallet,” Rabbi Gober said. “And I was upset—and a number of teachers were upset—when they heard that other students were around and saw it happening. That reflects that it’s not an individual issue; there’s a cultural issue here.”

He, along with other faculty members, believes that Ramaz has an even greater pressure to uphold a strong moral standard because it is a religious institution. Beyond reprimanding the students and raising awareness about the issue, however, the solution is not so obvious. Rabbi Gober, for one, feels there’s a two-part obligation here: “One is the responsibility of the vendors to make sure that their stuff is not able to be stolen. I think the other issue—and to me, as an educator, the bigger issue—is to be concerned about the moral education of our students,” he said, indicating that the best way to fix an institution so deeply ingrained into Ramaz culture is to change the student body’s values at their core.

worked together to practice their respective parts of the performance. Students typically become even more absorbed in the preparations as the event approaches: the students rehearse on the Thursday night and the Friday prior to the dinner, as well as for eight hours on the day of the event itself, on stage in the Marriott Marquis.

Mr. Daniel Henkin ’85, head of the Lower School and Upper School Choirs, as well as the Chamber Choir and Kol Ram, the Ramaz Alumni Choir, is in charge of many of the student performances. Mr. Henkin, among others, is in school for countless hours working for weeks and even months with the various ensembles. While the major rehearsals for the dinner begin in December, Mr. Henkin, along with the other ensemble leaders including Chaya Glaser, Randi Wartelsky, Oded Lev-Ari, Rami Yadid, and Ruth Goodman, have been preparing for the dinner since last summer. “Even before the summer, people were beginning to work on the details of the dinner,” said Mr. Henkin. “This year’s dinner theme, “Hineini,” was chosen by the Development Office almost a year ago.

Personally, I began working on choosing and organizing songs at the end of the summer. I met with the other ensemble leaders to choose the songs we were going to sing. We had to make sure the songs we chose were an even balance between Hebrew and English, popular and traditional music, and that they fit into the theme of the show and of the dinner.”

Mr. Henkin and the other ensemble leaders are not the only people involved in coordinating the event.

Hours of time goes into planning the staging, lighting, and sound, as well as simply making sure the production runs smoothly. Ramaz hires a stage director to ensure that every aspect of the performance goes as planned. According to Mr. Henkin, there are additional aspects of the rehearsals that need to be coordinated, and various individuals working behind the scenes attend to tasks such as making sure the food for the students is nut-free and booking changing rooms for the student performers at the Marriott.

While planning the dinner requires a tremendous amount of time and effort, the participants invest their time willingly, as a successful dinner highlights the students’ and faculty’s appreciation of Ramaz. For Mr. Henkin, the most impressive part of the performance is “when we all show up that Sunday and we have all of the bells and whistles together that go with the performance. This is the first time, and only time, where all of these ensembles come together in harmony.”

News 8

The Rampage

Chanukah Excursions

A Grand Donation

Hannah Doft ’20

This year, Ramaz celebrated Chanukah both in school with a community candle lighting and special programming as well as outside of school with individual grade trips. These grade wide “excursions” took place on the second day of Chanukah, December 14.

Classes on that day met periods from 2-5, and later in the day for periods 10 and 11 for everyone except for the juniors.

The freshmen were taken to the Our Senses exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. A freshman who preferred to remain anonymous said, “I wish they had not taken us to the museum. I would have rather have gone somewhere like the juniors and seniors did.” When asked if most of the kids in the freshman grade came on the trip, anonymous responded, “Definitely more kids than I thought stayed in school, but there [was] a significant amount of people missing.”

This seemed to be true for the sophomores, who went to the Museum of Natural History as well but went to the Hayden Planetarium instead of the senses exhibit. “A good amount of people either just did not show up to school or left during the trip to go study,” said one of the sophomores. “I think mainly because we had so much work over Chanukah, so students saw this a time to study.”

“My favorite part of the whole trip was actually walking to the museum. It had just snowed the night before and we walked through the park. It was so nice to walk with my friends and teachers,” said Gabby Schwartz ’20. “However, I did not enjoy the movie we went to in the Planetarium. I walked out of the movie nauseated.” Another student agreed with Schwartz and said, “I had to close my eyes during the movie in order to prevent myself from throwing up.”

The juniors and seniors had less formal trips than the freshmen and sophomores did. The juniors only had periods 2 and 3 and then were taken to High Exposure climbing facility in New Jersey. Students enjoyed this trip and found that it bonded their grade a lot and was fun at the same time. The seniors went ice skating in Bryant Park. “I had a really good time ice skating and liked how the trip was not as learning-oriented as

Sophia Kremer ’20

Students may have noticed beautiful sounds coming from the auditorium, or they may have noticed something new sitting in front of the stage. They saw a new and magnificent piano in use at RamJam, and perhaps they even saw an unfamiliar man playing chords on it, ensuring that it was in perfect tune. However, they did not fully understand the origins of this new piano until December 5, when the sophomore students who are taking Mr. Elisha’s music history course in the first semester learned about this latest gift given to Ramaz: a grand piano.

The students watched a presentation about the piano and witnessed the inauguration of the piano, built specifically by Yamaha for our school and donated by Martin and Susan Sanders, parents of Ramaz alumni. Pianist Philip Fisher performed and spoke to the students about his musical background and classical music in general. Students were able to relate his words to the concepts that they have learned in their music courses, and they had the opportunity to ask a few questions.

Mr. Fisher, a British classical pianist who received the Julius Isserlis Scholarship from the Royal Philharmonic Society of London, enmost other grades,” said Dara Doft ’18.

Overall, students appreciated the opportunity to leave the classroom for a few hours, but as Beth Kahn ’20 explained, “Whenever I was in school, most of the time I forgot it was Chanukah. We had so much work over the days of Chanukah, it was so stressful. The trip was nice, but that also was not even Chanukah-oriented.”

December 2017/Kislev/Tevet 5778

abling him to take up a place at the Juilliard School, discussed the art of a sonata, especially those composed

by Beethoven, who functioned as the bridge between the Classical Era and the Romantic Era. Mr. Fisher, who presently resides in New York City yet performs worldwide, performed a few pieces and gave background information along with his own in-

put. Vivienne Shalom ’20 marvelled at the uniqueness of this experience and said, “It was really exciting to have a professional piano player perform for us...Ramaz is the only place where students would be exposed to an experience like this.” Mr. Fisher expressed gratitude as well, saying that he “was very impressed to see the level of knowledge, concentration and attentiveness displayed by the students.”

Mr. Elisha curated and organized this event in partnership with Mr. Robert White, a faculty member at the Juilliard School, as a premiere

event presented with the support of the Martin and Susan Sanders Foundation Endowment for Classical Music. Mr. Elisha said, “Given the fact that our school promotes music (any music) as a deep and valuable subject, having the opportunity to invite world-class musicians to enrich our core curriculum is a wonderful development. Aside from our guest’s terrific connection to the students, I was most impressed with how the sophomores listened, the questions they asked, and the genuine appreciation they showed.

They made me proud to be their teacher that morning.”

This piano has already come to great use in the Ramaz musical experience.

Sammy Henkin ’20 played this piano at RamJam while Zachary Buller ’20 accompanied him on the cello. “I felt so honored having the opportunity to play such a grand and beautiful instrumental for the entire school,” said Henkin. The grand piano has further served the school, as it did at the performance of High School Musical, and will continue to do so for many future performances.

Features

The Rampage • December 2017

Tests on Chanukah Josephine Schizer '20

Chanukah at Ramaz was filled with the usual: long davenings, Hallel, jelly doughnuts, candle lighting assemblies, and special excursions for each grade. However, it was also filled with something less customary to Chanukah: a plethora of exams. “Often throughout Chanukah, I've witnessed the chazanim rushing through davening as fast as they could, so as to be able to study for that day's tests,” says David Adler ’19.

Generally, the weeks before winter break are filled with tests in every subject.

Teachers finish their units and give tests before break so that students don’t forget material in the middle of break. This year, Chanukah fell out in those two weeks before winter break, which are normally prime time for tests. However, many students expected that for Chanukah, they

would be given a minor break from the usual flurry of tests. This was not to be.

Freshmen had only two tests: biology and Hebrew (for part of the grade).

Sophomores were inundated with four tests over the course of the holiday: math, Talmud, Hebrew, and chemistry. (The math test was originally scheduled for Erev Chanukah but was postponed so it wouldn’t be so close to the Sophomore Shabbaton.) Juniors had three tests: physics, Tanach, and Hebrew. Senior classes had tests scheduled during the holiday as well, including tests in tales of the sages, accelerated Talmud, Israel newspaper, astronomy, HSS Jewish philosophy, HSS music theory, origins of humanity, and Srugim.

“Although I realize it's not realistic for the school to give an 8-day black-

out right before winter break, I think they should've spaced the work out more throughout the semester,” says Adler. “It's ridiculous that our hardest week so far this year has been Chanukah.” This was the most commonly reflected view among the students.“I understand that Chanukah is close to winter break and they need to give us work,” says Gail Hafif ’20, “but I wish the school would be more considerate of our situations. I usually like to spend Chanukah with my family, but I haven't gotten a lot of time to do that this holiday.”

“Chanukah fell out right before winter break, so it would’ve been difficult for teachers to squeeze in their last test before midterms,” said Sammy Henkin ’20. However, as Beatrice Kleeger ’20 put it, “Chanukah is a holiday about

spending time with your family, and I barely got to see my family because I was cooped up in my room doing homework and studying all night. We should not necessarily have no tests, but four is a crazy amount. One or two at the most.”

As Rabbi Albo said, “In yeshiva, Chanukah was a time that you learned as much as you could and [seized] the light. We don't necessarily need to have tests, but we certainly need to find a way to create a culture where Chanukah truly celebrates learning.”

Balancing the test calendar is difficult as it is, so adding additional constraints is challenging. However, tests on Chanukah take away from students’ enjoyment of the holiday, so a difficult balance must be achieved.

Teen Technology Award: A Ramaz Winner Natalie Kahn '19

This December, Elizabeth Aufzien ’19 participated in the well-regarded, elite Haifa Teen Technology program, headed by Nobel Laureate Professor Avraham Hershko. The program works on developing innovators and entrepreneurs for the next generation of high tech. During the 12-day experience, attendees learned how to come up with a technological idea and make it a profitable reality in a collaborative setting.

Sixty young students attended the program. About half of these participants were Israelis.

There were only three Americans; the remainder came from countries all over the world. Participants’ interests ranged from business and startups to coding and robotics. Some kids had already created and profited from their own startups, while others had nearly no prior experience but were very interested in the sciences, hoping to pursue a career in technology. Aufzien, a stellar math and science student at Ramaz and an out-of-the-box thinker, attended Cooper Union’s engineering program this past summer, where she had the opportunity to gain experience by working

with some talented professors and engineering students. “Personally, I’m interested in formulating ideas and realizing them through technology,” said Elizabeth, “but that’s just me. Everyone was interested in something different.”

The first couple days were spent touring technology firms and conferencing with high-tech workers at both the Technion and companies such as

participants, divided into ten groups of six, were given two days to come up with a project, present it, and develop the logistics to show that the product was both feasible and a good investment.

Participants were also responsible for prototyping their projects or creating a program or an app as part of the projects’ designs.

Groups were assigned three weeks before the program, but these two

mentors were condescending and acted like our product would never amount to anything, but our mentor treated us like adults and gave insightful and constructive— but not discouraging—feedback.”

Their idea involves improving the efficiency of the water system in places of high elevation. “Often, in places like Har HaCarmel, cleaning and pumping the water is slow and

"...what I got out of this program is that it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what language you speak; it’s about what you bring to the table. You can be friends and work with anyone to develop something incredible if you put your mind to it.”

-Elizabeth Aufzein '19

Philips and Rafael (the company that created the Iron Dome). Following these excursions, students retired to the Haifa Technological Center, which is in essence a makerspace with all the software and machinery that students needed to partake in the Haifa Teen Tech competition, the winners of which were awarded a scholarship to the Technion.

For the competition,

days presented the group members with their first opportunity to work together in o n e space with all of the necessary equipment. In Elizabeth’s group were three Israelis, one Vietnamese, and one Argentinian. They were assigned a mentor, the head of the entrepreneurship center at the Technion. “One of the coolest parts was working with our mentor,” said Elizabeth. “Some

expensive. We wanted to better the system to make it not only cost-effective but also profitable.”

Rather than use long winding pipes to transport gray, dirty water to the sewers down at sea level, Israel should use a more practical method, as Elizabeth’s group decided, and their invention calls for steep pipes with which the water can be transported much more quickly due

to the force of gravity, decreasing the cost and maximizing the water’s potential energy. The product could also generate electricity and is projected to make up to 20 million US dollars per year, while costing only approximately 720,000 dollars per municipality, a relatively cheap amount.

Elizabeth and her group won a remarkable second place in the competition. As runner-up, Elizabeth received a certificate and a tablet and was honored at a ceremony attended by the mayor of Haifa as well as technology gurus from across the country.

Elizabeth and her group are currently in the process of continuing to work on their product.

They’ve already been approached

by Angel Investors, a group that gives money to small startups and continues to invest as long as the startup’s product is making money. All in all, it’s a promising future.

“Most importantly, what I got out of this program is that it doesn’t matter where you’re from or what language you speak,” said Elizabeth. “It’s about what you bring to the table. You can be friends and work with anyone to develop something incredible if you put your mind to it.”

Features 10

the

More Faculty Meetings, More Free Time

December 2017/Kislev-Tevet 5778

Club Spotlight: Engineering & Arduino Club Gail Hafif '20

Yasmine Sokol '19

Faculty meetings might present a chance for teachers to organize events and discuss new ideas, but whether or not the meetings are successful in the long run, there is one group that benefits regardless: the students. This year, the administration began to give more early dismissals to the students, allowing for lengthier faculty meetings and giving students an extra hour to use however they please. When faculty meetings occur at the end of the day, students end their classes and are dismissed one hour early—a very important hour.

To students living out of town, this hour means that they could potentially arrive at their homes before the sky has gone dark. Alexa Polinksy ’19, a student living in Westchester, said, “It was such a privilege to be able to get home at 5 PM. Normally, I start my

Rampage

work at around 7:00. However, that night, I started my work an hour earlier than usual and, after a long day, got to eat dinner with my entire family at around 5:30. The times might not mean much to city kids, but for a kid like me who has to commute every single day, the extra hour made a huge difference.”

This extra hour appeals to all students, commuters or not. “I am sure commuters are delighted with this privilege, but I can assure you that city kids also find it extremely helpful,” said Sophia Kremer ’20. “The extra hour does magic for every student. It is an extra hour to start dinner earlier, work, and even sleep.” Students might not come back to the school as refreshed and relaxed as if they had taken a full vacation, but for most, the hour constitutes a sort of relief—one for which they are grateful.

In​ ​previous​ ​years,​ ​Ramaz​ ​has​ ​had​ both an ​Engineering​ ​Club​ ​and​ ​an​ ​Arduino​ ​ Club.​ ​However,​ ​Josephine​ ​Schizer​ ​’20,​ ​who​ ​ was​ ​on​ ​both​ ​ clubs​ ​last​ ​year,​ ​ decided​ ​that combining the two clubs would be best. She felt that the clubs had many similarities and overlaps. ​Together​ with​ ​Daniella​ ​ Feingold ’20,​ she merged​ ​the​ ​ two​ ​clubs, creating the new and, they hoped, improved Engineering and Arduino Club.​Schizer and Feingold are the captains of this combined club. Both​ ​captains​ ​attended​ ​ Bluestamp​ ​Engineering​ ​this​ ​summer​ ​and​ ​ are​ ​running​ ​the​ ​club similarly to​ ​the way that​this p ​ rogram is run.​The goal of the club for the year ​is to combine the disciplines by having all of the students​​build​ a​ ​robotic​ ​arm​ ​controlled​ ​by​ ​an​ ​arduino.​

Schizer feels that the club is a much-needed supplement to the Ramaz curriculum. “Ramaz students don’t have the chance to learn much engineering or computer science until senior year, she said, “so I wanted to create an opportunity for students interested in engineering (like myself ) to build things and learn skills during the school year.” Indeed, students no longer have to wait until their last year at Ramaz to get started, and they don’t have to wait until the summer comes to get involved in an engineering program. Students from all grades can check out the Engineering and Arduino Club​, which ​meets​ ​every​ Thursday​ ​ from​​5 to 6 PM.​“It’s a great atmosphere,” said Schizer, “with a really fun group of kids.”

Schoology Replaces Emails Yasmine Sokol '19

.

Over the past few years, Ramaz students have transitioned to using the “Schoology” app as their main way of receiving test results, handing in homework, and even viewing their test calendars for the current semester. Schoology has been proven to be very efficient in getting students the information they are looking for, acting as a convenient way for students to be able to find their assignments and due dates on one app.

In previous years, during this transition period, students had also received emails from the G.O. about schedule changes, what the week ahead would look like, and important announcements (in addition to the information on Schoology).

At this time, students were using two apps to receive important information about upcoming school events and assignments. The Schoology notifications were more personal, while the G.O. emails were more general and affected the entire student body.

Now, the general and personal are both found on one app: Schoology. This year, students can find their homework assignments, grades, test calendars, and announcements for the entire school on

Schoology. All the information one needs a blast to acknowledge and applaud all of for the coming days, weeks, months, or the juniors who participated in the play for even semesters is laid out on one app. How- their incredible work. Now, not only do ever, email notifications are still not a thing students receive schedule changes, importof the past; students can set their Schoology ant announcements, game times, and club settings so that when a G.O. member posts information through Schoology notificaan update to Schoology, they can receive an tions, but they also find there some shoutemail about that update as well. This way, outs, like student acknowledgments and someone who congratulations. was used to All the information one needs for the the G.O. an- coming days, weeks, months, or even The Schoology nouncements takeover also semesters is laid out on one app. being made brings a huge through email shift for G.O. and prefers this members. G.O. method can still find the announcement that members no longer have to worry about way in addition to finding it on Schoology. sending out emails, since now all they have

Ever since Schoology replaced to do is post a brief message on Schooloemails, more notifications have been sent gy. Amanda Koptyev ’19, a proud member out by grade deans and administrators. of the G.O., explained, “It is much easier Since Schoology is now the only place to to publicize sporting events and clubs so find announcements, and since it is efficient that more kids and teachers are informed in sending out notifications, grade coordina- about what’s going at the school. If I don’t tors and administrators have begun to send know what’s going on after school on a out blasts more often about simple things. random Wednesday night, I can look at For example, after the winter musical, Ju- the calendar and see what club is meeting nior Grade Dean Rabbi Slomnicki sent out and where. It is also important for teach-

ers to know when there is, for example, a basketball game going on the night before a big test. It is also much easier to have all information, events, grades, assignments, and announcements...on one website.”

Not all students, however, feel the same way about Schoology replacing emails.

Danya Jacobs ’19 said, “Students constantly refresh their emails; whether it’s their personal accounts or their Ramaz accounts, most people check their emails more than five times a day. However, many students only check Schoology once they get home or if they are looking for a grade that has been posted. If the G.O. or the administration would like to deliver a message to us, I think that the most effective and efficient way to do that would just be to send emails.”

There are definitely mixed feelings among students about Schoology replacing emails, but one thing is clear: this change has arrived, for better or for worse.

The Rampage Ramaz Upper School

New York | Volume 51 | Issue V | December 2017/Kislev-Tevet 5778 | the-rampage.org

Editors-in-Chief: Rebecca Araten* Abigail Huebner* Julia Levi* Associate Editor-in-Cheif: Naomi Freilich* Layout Editor: Netanel Kamel* Online Editors: Derek Korf-Korn* Mark Marcus* Faculty Advisor: Dr. Milowitz Contributing Writers: Esti Beck Zachary Buller Maya Chaovat Hannah Doft Basia Fellner-Dublin Gail Hafif Natalie Kahn Hadley Kauvar Sophia Kremer Caitlin Levine Rebecca Massel Paola Mattout Gabby Ostad Gabi Potter Josephine Schizer Harry Shams Ben Silverman Samantha Sinensky Hannah Slager Yasmine Sokol Emily Stemp Daniella Symonds Becky Tauber Natalie Trump

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. *

Opinion

The Rampage • December 2017

Spicy Mayo Strikes Back

Gabi Potter '20

Spicy mayo has returned. Yes, this is is now being served daily, and finally, there’s the the return of the ultimate combination: spicy addition of spicy mayo to the lunchroom. While and mayo (sriracha and mayonnaise), which ’19 says, “I almost never eat the school lunch, can make any school lunch bearable even on but when I do, however, it is almost always a bathe bleakest of days. The hot condiment used gel with something on it. There needs to be a to be a big hit at lunch, according to kitchen better alternative to the lunch, other than pasta staff. Its return has made some students, like and bagels.” Although some would point to the Hannah Doft ’20, very happy with the direcsalad bar as the alternative Laura speaks of, there tion in which lunch has been headed recently. is also disagreement on that part of school lunch.

Doft says she sees the move “as a small step by

Overall, school lunch is a complithe school to improve lunch for all students. cated situation, and it’s a battle that might It might not seem like a lot, but it can really even be impossible to win, as the school has make a difference when you feel out of options.” to cater to the many different tastes of the stuIn the past year and a half since the school dent population, as well as the faculty. Nevswitched food providers, there seems to have ertheless, the small steps towards a more dibeen a rise in the numbers of students skipverse meal with options for everyone is key to ping lunch. Of the students who do go to bringing kids back to the lunchroom. So next lunch, many pass on the meal itself and settle Spicy Mayo graces the Ramaz lunchroom, beside time you feel like dumping your lunch and instead for the classic bagel with peanut butter. heading to six, look out for that spicy mayo. the other condiments.

It seems that the school may have become more conscientious of the matter and some are grateful for these steps that the school has begun taking steps towards change; a few has taken, others feel that there is a lot more months ago, a survey was sent to all students, work the school has to do if they want to see asking questions about school lunch. Plain pasta kids back in the lunchroom. Laura Lancman

The Mission of a Mensch

Ramaz Remains Silent about President Trump's Latest Israel Policy Caitlin Levine '21

For many years, I have been proud to be a Ramaz student.

Ramaz is respected amongst other yeshivas and even among other prominent NYC private schools.

Our school is known for its academic rigor as well as its social activism and leadership status among other Jewish parochial schools. We are known for our Zionism along with our American patriotism. Yet, on December 6, 2017, when President Donald Trump stood with the State of Israel, in a bold and unprecedented manner, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and declaring his plans to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, the Ramaz School was, and has since been, silent.

"Today, we finally acknowledge the obvious: that Jerusalem is Israel's capital. This is nothing more or less than recognition of reality. It is also the right thing to do," Trump said. Trump’s announcement went against decades of US policy and raised global opposition, provoking criticism from US allies as well as the Muslim and Palestinian worlds.

Why, then, did President Trump take this stand? Was he simply trying to be defiant? Was he just delivering on a campaign promise about which he doesn’t care? Was he trying to stir up trouble for America and inflame tensions in the Middle East? Certainly this was not an easy announcement for him to make!

Considering the noteworthiness of this decision, I ask: should Ramaz react to this historic announcement? Is this an educational opportunity for the students, or is it merely a moment in time that should go unnoticed and unacknowledged by the school?

I find the answer to this question lies in the Ramaz mission statement, with which I fully align.

The Ramaz mission statement defines five educational goals for its students. On its website,

"This decision reflects the President's commitment to an ancient but enduring truth, to fulfilling his promises and to advancing peace."

-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Ramaz declares, “Our mission statement is part of our daily language.” Included in the five bullet points of the mission statement are “a commitment to menschlichkeit,” "love and support for the State of Israel,” and “loyalty and gratitude to the United States of America.”

Although the mission statement seems to define Ramaz

priorities, I believe that by remaining silent in response to Trump’s announcement and the numerous ensuing criticisms, Ramaz has not held true to its mission and now speaks a different “language” than it did in the past. Certainly, the announcement, although raising opposition worldwide, generated much praise and gratitude from

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu. Netanyahu said, “...It's rare to be able to speak of new and genuine milestones in the glorious history of this city. Yet today's pronouncement by President Trump is such an occasion. We're profoundly grateful for the President for his courageous and just decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to prepare for the opening of the US embassy here. This decision reflects the President's commitment to an ancient but enduring truth, to fulfilling his promises and to advancing peace.”

If Ramaz loves and supports Israel and also shows loyalty and gratitude to the USA, then how could we change our “daily language” and not publicly thank President Trump for his outward loyalty to the State of Israel, a loyalty which was applauded by Netanyahu and which came at great risk of criticism from others? Doing so would not be recognition that one likes President Trump as a man or as a politician, and it would not label one as aligning with all Republican or Trump politics—it would simply be the act of a mensch. Expressing hakarat hatov—recognizing and showing appreciation for acts of goodness—is part of the “commitment to menschlichkeit” which Ramaz claims to teach its students.

Each year our school sends a contingency to AIPAC with the hope of furthering the American-Israeli relationship, and we lobby on the side of Israel. So when America does help Israel and publicly defends her right to her capital, how could our school not say “thank you”? How can our school continue to teach students that it’s okay to ask for something and then refrain from expressing appreciation when what we have asked for is granted? Is this the proper behavior of a mensch?

Continued "Embassy Move"

page 12

Opinion 12

The Rampage

The Ineffective Assembly

Embassy Move

Natalie Kahn '19

continued from page 11

There are those who feel that Trump’s announcement was merely a fulfillment of his campaign promise, or that Trump’s declaration was simply telling us something that we already knew and therefore does not require our recognition or our gratitude. However, to understand the impressiveness of Trump’s display of loyalty to Israel, one need only compare President Trump to his predecessors. In 2000, Republican candidate George W. Bush said, “Something will happen when I'm president: as soon as I take office I will begin the process of moving the US ambassador to the city Israel has chosen as its capital.” Yet nothing happened. In 2008 at AIPAC, a day after capturing the Democratic nomination, President Obama called Jerusalem Israel’s capital.

He said, “Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided." Interestingly, his statements were met with loud cheers. But a short time later he said, “Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues. And Jerusalem will be part of those negotiations." President Trump’s decision marks a change from such rhetoric.

I have heard too many times over the last few weeks that this move was no big deal, because Jerusalem has been Israel’s capital for 3,000 years. Tell that to the soldiers who died in 1967 as they were fighting to regain access to the Western Wall. Furthermore, these same people that downplayed Trump’s news are many of the same people who have said for years that we should not negotiate with the Palestinians until they recognize our right to exist. Many people feel that Israel should be shown on the maps of the Middle East from which Palestinian children learn.

I ask, using the same logic as those who feel Trump’s announcement was not news to us, why do we need Palestinian adults and children to recognize Israel’s existence if we know it exists? Do we need others to recognize something that we know is true?

The Talmud teaches us that silence is like assent. When we do not respond to something, we agree with it, we

December 2017/Kislev/Tevet 5778

accept it, and we acknowledge it is right.

When the world, the UN, the mainstream US media stated that they felt President Trump’s announcement to be wrong, we were silent as a school and as a community. Does this lack of action really represent Ramaz values? Or rather, does it represent a political statement that does not put Israel as Ramaz’s number one priority and that does not put menschlichkeit at the forefront of our behavior?

As Americans remained silent during the Holocaust, many cherished members of our families burned. When it came to the Soviet Jewry movement, American Jewry, with the Ramaz community at its forefront, learned from its past mistakes and was not afraid to voice its pro-Jewish thoughts. Does it require a tragedy for Jews to be active, or can Jews also speak out when something good happens for us? In 2017, we should not be hesitant to voice support when a good thing happens for our people and for the State of Israel, irrespective of our other political affiliations.

I am most disappointed that the school I belong to, one which I thought was a leader in Jewish education, has not used this opportunity to teach its students about menschlichkeit, love and support for Israel, and loyalty and gratitude to the USA. However, it is not too late. We are all human and humans sometimes make mistakes. It is normal for us to let our emotions overshadow our rationality. Ramaz can still lead by example and teach a lesson—not just to Ramaz students, but also to the many yeshivot who follow in our lead. Public recognition of President Trump’s brave loyalty to Israel, a loyalty which Netanyahu himself has labelled “historic” would be an educational model showing students that in response to a favor, a true mensch should say “thank you,” even if he or she doesn’t like the person that he or she has to thank.

On Election Day, November 7, Ramaz hosted two distinguished speakers: Professor Emeritus Peter H. Schuck and Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies Mark Krikorian.

The former presented the more left-wing point of view on immigration, with the latter giving the right-wing perspective.

The assembly was intellectual and very educational, but I feel that it would be more beneficial to discuss political topics in the classroom, rather than at an assembly.

Student assemblies, despite the good intention and careful planning that goes into them, often turn into a mob scene. This is, of course, not at all the fault of the faculty and practically unavoidable, especially when discussing topics as hot and controversial as immigration with a group of 450 students and faculty. At the election assembly, during an interactive poll, a question was posed to the students: “Do you think we should decrease immigration levels?” When results showed that the majority of students voted “yes,” cheers erupted throughout the room. While everyone is obviously entitled to his or her own opinion on this issue, the large group of students shouting out made it hard for students to focus on the other side of the argument, the side that would vote “no.” Consequently, Mr. Schuck’s argument was somewhat drowned out, not in substance, but by the fanfare accompanying Mr. Krikorian’s points.

In a classroom environment, which is more intimate, students are less likely to burst out in applause, knowing that they are being watched by everyone else in the classroom. During an assembly, however, which is more impersonal, students are less embarrassed to shout out and turn the whole event into an anti-immigration or pro-immigration rally. Additionally, talking about politics in the classroom or in smaller groups

gives students more opportunities to ask pressing questions and encourages individual participation. Think about the classroom environment: in a smaller group, students feel less shy about speaking out, have more of an opportunity to share their opinions, and can respectfully challenge the teacher. Political assemblies would be more effective if more students could make pointed objections and give their own input, which is so essential to understanding political issues of the day.

Students are simply more likely to be involved and attentive in a closer setting, such as in a gradewide gathering or in a classroom, even if the speaker is somebody that they don’t know and the topic is something they don’t know much about. Although it’s obviously not realistic to have a speaker for each class, the point is that the smaller the group for an assembly, the better. Ideally, political assemblies should be a presentation followed by a discussion, or even just a discussion. Even if the assemblies must be schoolwide, having a follow-up discussion in history class could also allow students to better process what’s been said and to develop a more nuanced understanding of these important topics. Given that more than three-quarters of the student body will vote in the 2020 election, intimate and interactive political discussion and debate is an essential part of the high school education—one which can be best facilitated in an atmosphere where each student feels personally involved and valued.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Classes The Need for Elective Classes at Ramaz

Josephine Schizer '20

Ramaz offers its students a quality education including interesting classes, amazing teachers, clubs, and sports teams, which are generally the same things that the various prep schools around Manhattan offer their students. However, in addition to the major addition of a dual curriculum, there is one big difference between the Ramaz curriculum and those of other Manhattan prep schools: electives. Most of these schools allow students to begin tailoring the curriculum to their interests and choosing at least some of their classes starting freshman or sophomore year. At Ramaz, students don’t have the chance to put together their own schedules until senior year. Their only choices before that are between French and Spanish before freshman year, and between art and music in junior year.

The reason for this difference is probably the dual curriculum. Ramaz schedules are notoriously complicated, from M, R, A, B, C, E, and F days to Rosh Chodesh schedules and PM assemblies. Adding any more moving parts could overwhelm the system entirely. Students at secular schools generally have five core classes, whereas Ramaz students have eight. Adding another class to a five-period day at a secular school that ends around 3 PM is feasible, whereas adding another class after Ramaz’s 4:45 dismissal time would be overwhelming.

However, there could be opportunities during the day for students to have more of a choice about their classes. First, the school could take advantage of the time used for art and music. Both of these are important subjects for a

high schooler to take in order to become a cultured person.

However, the basic art and music curricula covering one semester each in 9th and 10th grade satisfy this requirement. By junior year, students have learned the basics and are given the opportunity to choose which of the two disciplines they want to focus on for the entire year. These art and music classes are more intense, geared towards students who are deeply interested in the subject. However, some juniors don’t want to take either art or music. In junior year, students should have options to take classes in that

"Students are more excited about their classes when they have the opportunity to choose them." block other than just art or music. This would benefit everyone; the students who don’t want to take art or music won’t be forced, and the students who do want to take one of those will have a more interesting class because it will only include students who are serious about the subject.

Secondly, Ramaz students have been learning Hebrew since before first grade, so the requirement to take another foreign language is unnecessary. Students at other schools are required to take a foreign language in order for them to learn a second language. However, with Ramaz’s dual curriculum, every student al-

ready speaks a second language. Romance languages like French and Spanish should be offered as electives, but perhaps they don’t need to be a requirement. This would open up time for an in-depth elective option for students who aren’t interested in taking a third language.

In these slots, there are many classes that could be offered. Currently, students don’t have the opportunity to take engineering or computer programming courses until senior year. These could be offered in elective slots. Students also don’t have the chance to take any AP courses until senior year, even though many sophomores or juniors have the necessary background for these classes. If all the language slots were freed for electives, a student could take an AP course in that time, such as a science, history, or English AP. Other options could include economics, business, or creative writing classes. This time could also be used for a study hall period; allowing students time to work during school could alleviate some of their stress.

Ultimately, students are more excited about their classes when they have the opportunity to choose them.

Allowing students to choose one of their classes would also better prepare them for college, where students have a lot of leverage in designing their own curricula. Electives would allow students to choose courses that they are interested in to complement the core curriculum, while letting them take classes geared towards what they want to focus on later in life.

December 2017/Kislev/Tevet 5778

The-rampage.org

Opinion 13

Say Yes to Pre-Vacation Tests Natalie Kahn '19

Ramaz has made a habit of not scheduling tests for the last day before winter break. For example, a junior physics test originally scheduled for Thursday, December 21 (the last day of school before winter break), was moved to Friday, the 15th for some classes and Wednesday, the 20th for others.

While some students might say it’s mean to give tests until even the final hour of school before break, it’s important to encourage students not to skip this last day. By not only not scheduling tests for the last day before winter break but also rescheduling tests from this day, the school is accommodating students who are leaving early to go on vacation. It’s fine if people have to miss school before vacation, but that doesn’t mean that the school should encourage it. According the calendar, winter break begins Friday, December 22, not Thursday, December 21.

But it’s not only tests that are the problem—teachers will often say that since most of the class is away, there’s not really a point to teaching something new. While it’s nice for students to get a break from the usual rigor of class and it’s nice for teachers to hang out with their students in a non-academic way, the decision to refrain from teaching new material on that same last day can make coming to school that day seem like a waste of time.

The school gave us the Friday off so that people wouldn’t be forced to skip school on Friday in order to arrive at their trip destination before Shabbat.

Scheduling absolutely nothing for the last day sends the wrong message that it is okay to extend vacation or skip school that Thursday, even though the school

has already provided an extra travel day. What next?

If the school starts giving us off of school on Thursday, kids won’t come Wednesday. The pattern continues...

This vacation phenomenon is a microcosm of Ramaz’s tendency to be excessively tolerant of student absences from days that are labeled by the students as unnecessary or unproductive. “Why come to school if I have nothing important going on?”

is often a Ramaz student’s mentality. Sometimes, when the school schedules trips, a good chunk of the student body will call in “sick” and use the trip as a free day off without worrying about missing any class. As a junior, I completely understand the need for down time. However, the downside is that students who follow the rules and actually go on the trips are left at a disadvantage, as they are missing out on much-needed relaxation or extra time to study.

The junior class took a trip to Teaneck and High Exposure to go rock climbing a week before break (the day before the Friday to which the physics test was rescheduled), and the grade was told that whoever didn’t come on the trip wouldn’t be allowed to take the physics test the next day. Some kids came just so they could take the physics test, while others stayed home to study, and yet, kids of both the former and the latter category were permitted to sit for the physics test the next day.

Even in an attempt to crack down on this absence issue, the school failed to enforce its own rule, just as it enabled students to miss school on the day before vacation by rescheduling tests. Trips and last days before vacation should be considered to be as valid as any normal day of school. If only the school could encourage the students to see them as such.

Sports Gail Hafif '20

NFL Injuries

Varsity Boys' Basketball Update

Natalie Kahn '19

The 2017 NFL season was truly disappointing, with many NFL favorites suffering from season-ending injuries. Aaron Rodgers (quarterback of the Green Bay Packers) will be disqualified from his 4th-in-the-league passing status, because his season ended early due to a broken collarbone. Deshaun Watson (quarterback, Houston Texans), who was one of the brightest prospects in the NFL, ended the season on a torn ACL during practice.

Andrew Luck (quarterback, Indianapolis Colts) was out because he was recovering from a surgery for a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. Odell Beckham (Wide receiver, New York Giants), the Giants’ all-star, fractured his left ankle early this season and has been out since. Julian Edelman (Wide receiver, New England Patriots) was out this season due to a torn ACL. Quincy Enunwa (Wide receiver, New York Jets) was supposed to be a key figure in rebuilding the team this season but was out due to a neck injury.

These are only a few examples from many; in fact, injuries seem to have become a trend. This raises the decades-old question about the safety of the NFL. Many people believe that the idea of dozens of men suffering serious injuries for the sake of public entertainment is unfair and cruel and must be changed. Others, however, argue that these men are conscious of the risks of the sport and that they choose to play, knowing they could be seriously injured. Avery Sholes ’20 believes that “there’s a double standard in rules applied to keep people safe” and that the rules “[hurt] the way the game is played.” Said Judah Wahba ’20, “Injuries are part of the game.” Sholes added, “They signed up for it, and even though it’s devastating, it is what [they] signed up for.” Despite different views on the matter, there is no denying that this season, with the amount of injuries and their severity, highlighted the risks of playing professional football.

Odell Beckham Jr. injures his ankle

With only four games left in the season, the Ramaz Boys’ Varsity Basketball team, coached for the third consecutive year by Brandon Butler, is a solid 6-4. This lands them in fourth place in the western division of MYHSAL (Metropolitan Yeshiva High School Athletic League), behind Frisch, SAR, and Heschel. A fourthplace seed will land Ramaz in the playoffs but likely means that the team will face the number-one seed in the eastern division, Magen David, away from home.

The team is led by a strong starting five: Jonny Povman ’18, Jonny Beretz ’18, Emanuel Dicker ’18, Gabe Fisher ’18, and Aaron Shapira ’19. Other players include Michael Laboz ’18, Gabe Fischer ’18, Noah Finkelstein ’19, David Grinberg ’19, Matan Makharadze ’19, and Tom Shemia ’19, who is unfortunately injured. “We are a very quick and athletic team that gets a lot of fast breaks and can hit open threes, but we sometimes play lazy defense,” said Emanuel Dicker, when asked about the team’s strengths and weaknesses. “Our defense definitely needs improvement,” agreed Jonny Beretz, “and our lack of height puts us at a disadvantage when it comes to rebounding.”

The team has had some strong games, beating Hillel by 31 points, coming back from a 16-point deficit

against Waterbury, and beating Derech Hatorah by 23. Tough losses have included losing 85-55 to reigning champion Frisch, blowing a 15-point lead against TABC, and losing by 25 points to Heschel on Ramaz spirit night. “We also lost to North Shore, a team we really should have been able to beat, by ten,” said Dicker. “The Frisch game was tough,” recalled David Grinberg. “We were missing some of our top players due to injury, including Povman and Beretz, at a time when we needed them most— Frisch is the best team in the league.”

Captain and all-star shooter Jonny Povman was injured for a good part of the season, having returned only recently to play in small intervals. Starter Jonny Beretz missed a few games due to injuries as well. Still, the team is making a recovery and a comeback after having not even made it to the playoffs last year. The two biggest upcoming matches are against SAR and TABC, both in early January. For its last two games, the team will play JEC, whom they narrowly beat by two points in the first game of the season, and Kushner in early February. Hopefully, the boys will pull off two or three more wins to end the season with a strong winning record.

The Rampage • November 2017/5778

Wonder: Reviewed

Becky Tauber '19

The movie Wonder is based on the bestselling novel written by R.J. Palacio. Written in 2012, the story follows a boy named August Pullman (Jacob Tremblay), who was born with rare facial deformities, preventing him from attending school up until fifth grade. As Auggie enters the fifth grade, his parents decide that he is ready to start going to a real middle school and to make new friends. Throughout the movie, Auggie struggles with bullies and learns how to deal with the reactions and comments of his classmates. The audience follows Auggie through his good and bad days, watching him grow from a shy, insecure boy to a hero and inspiration to all the people around him.

A special feature of both the book and the movie is that the perspective switches off between Auggie and the other main characters, including his sister Via, her best friend Miranda, and some of the

Arts & Entertainment

friends Auggie makes along the way. Auggie’s story and his fight to fit in as a “normal” kid unites the community within the story and offers an inspiring message about compassion and kindness. The multiple perspective component allows for a further understanding of each character’s thoughts, expressing significant feelings and struggles to the audience.

The movie speaks to children of all ages regarding the challenges of fitting in and finding beauty within themselves. It is a movie that you can see with little siblings, friends, or even parents. Auggie's parents, played by Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, exemplify the value of family ties, while his sister Via, played by Izabela Vidovic, shows

what it is like to feel neglected by those around you. Owen Wilson, who has regularly played comical characters throughout his career, did a great job of combining silly

humor with his serious role, and Jacob Tremblay did an outstanding job of expressing Auggie’s challenges and struggles while simultaneously showing the loving and funny side to his character. Under all of the prosthetic makeup, Tremblay put on a remarkable performance,

The Disaster Artist: Reviewed Harry Shams '19

The Disaster Artist is not your typical James Franco movie. Unlike Pineapple Express and This is the End, which are hilarious but senseless, The Disaster Artist takes itself seriously. The film tells the true story of Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) and Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), two friends that travel to Hollywood to fulfill their dreams of becoming movie stars. They soon realize, however, that wanting to be a star isn’t enough to become successful in the movie industry. So, rather than retreat, the two decide to create their own movie (called The Room), with Wiseau as the lead actor, director, producer, and screenwriter.

The Disaster Artist draws most of its critical acclaim from Franco’s portrayal of the eccentric Wiseau. It is said that Franco directed The Disaster Artist while in character as Wiseau (who has a very “unique” accent and word choice). Franco poured every ounce of his talent into playing this

as he most likely portrayed the most difficult character of the film.

Wonder is described as being a “feel good” movie, categorized as a tear-jerker for its deep messages and relatable challenges. The movie does not simply showcase what it is like to be a child struggling with a deformity, but rather it speaks to the family’s and friends’ experiences as well.

The movie closely follows the plot of the book, including famous quotes such as “When given a choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.” The plot captivates the audience, while the cast does a good job of creating a connection between the audience and the storyline. With important struggles such as bullying, peer pressure, and

loneliness, children of all ages are able to connect with the emotions and challenges of the characters.

I would recommend this movie to most people; however, I would definitely recommend reading the book prior to watching.

There is a heartwarming, uplifting spirit to the movie, with valuable lessons that can touch all audiences. Although there are elements which can be viewed as a little simplistic, the movie is sincere and special in many ways. With the combination of a great cast, plot, and message, Wonder is a genuine story that portrays difficulties that children, as well as adults, deal with in their everyday lives. I think Wonder is the perfect book for students to study in middle school, and the movie is a great visual representation of this powerful story.

Curb Your Enthusiams Season 9: Reviewed

Harry Shams '19 character. He has already been nominated for a lead-actor Golden Globe, which is likely to be followed by an Academy Award.

The Disaster Artist also owes its success to its original and entertaining storyline.

There’s something noble and inspiring about taking on Hollywood. Wiseau and Sestero were unlikely movie stars, but they had a dream and were willing to do anything they could to see that dream through. I’ll spare the details on how their movie turned out, but let's just say it was an unexpected success.

The Disaster Artist is James Franco’s homage to the legend behind a cult classic. His telling of Wiseau and Sestero’s friendship is both hilarious and entertaining. There really is never a dull moment in this movie. The Disaster Artist is likely to exit theaters soon, so if you haven’t yet seen it, I advise you to do so as soon as possible.

Every fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm knows that the show’s most rewarding quality is its ability to make the viewer cringe.

Throughout the show’s history, people have enjoyed feeling overwhelmingly uncomfortable due to several of the show’s ingenious scenes. A Holocaust survivor meets a veteran of the reality show Survivor; a dangling man hangs on for his dear life to a person’s belly fat; a family of Katrina survivors, “coincidentally” named “the Blacks,” travel to Los Angeles. These plot lines, to name a few, are what give the show its ilk of humor. Therefore, when Larry David announced that the show would be returning after a nine-year hiatus, many fans were undoubtedly worried that the show would lose its timeless charm.

However, the fans had nothing to fear: season nine of Curb Your Enthusiasm can accurately be characterized as the best.

David was able to reassemble the show’s old cast, construct episodes around new and hilarious ideas, and maintain the show’s awkward hilarity. For example, in one episode, the show brilliantly portrays every man’s subconscious desire to be the one to finally succeed in opening a tightly shut pickle jar. David’s ability to incorporate society’s quirks in a seamless and hilarious way makes him, and his show, one of a kind.

Curb Your Enthusiasm has often been characterized as a show that “isn’t for everyone.” Many will cite its off-putting humor, repetitive nature, and blatant awkwardness as some of the qualities that make it unwatchable. However, if you do find the time, sit down and watch season nine of Curb Your Enthusiasm. It’s well worth it.

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December 2017/Kislev-Tevet 5778

Big Bang Burger: A Scientific Spin on the Classic Fast Food

Samantha Sinensky '21

Manhattan hosts an extensive selection of Kosher eateries, and adding to the mix is Big Bang Burger, a new kosher restaurant located at 426 Amsterdam Avenue on the Upper West Side. Founders Jane Potter and Gabriel Feldman grew up with a scientific influence, Ms. Potter being the daughter of a pioneering biochemist who studied genetic research and Mr. Feldman being a doctor himself. When recalling her childhood, Ms. Potter said, “There was always talk of DNA, medicine and experiments.”

Ms. Potter has not always been in the restaurant business; before the Big Bang endeavor, Ms. Potter was immersed in retail and computer technology. When the team met on Jdate, both being foodies, they conspired and were inspired to get into the Kosher food business. Their first venture was a yogurt parlor in Riverdale named “Menchies,” which is still swirling up business today.

Eventually, Ms. Potter said, “We combined the pop culture we identified with as children and the importance science has played in our lives, with a fast-food-type burger concept, and the result was the Big Bang Burger New York City.” This exploded into a big hit.

Upon entering the cozy establish-

Hadley Kauvar '19

ment, customers are greeted by a science and space theme. The periodic table and DNA’s double helix are painted on one wall. Framed cartoons of test tubes and and microscopes hang next to a comic-book style design of the daily specials on a chalkboard. Superhero stickers plaster the white brick interior, and Star Wars collectibles, such as the head of C3PO and Chewbacca Pez candy, sit on

As the burgers tend to be small, when I went there I ordered the “Big Bang Double”: two hamburgers stacked one on top of the other.

It tasted great; the burger was juicy and flavorful. “I think the burgers were really good, they weren’t too dry,” said Dupont. Incidentally, all toppings are free of charge. As a side dish, I ordered the box of fries. These were exceptionally outstanding. Thickly cut and

shelves above the red cushion seats. “Having the restaurant relate to the Big Bang Theory is a cute idea. They used educational concepts to make a fun decoration,” said Avigail Dupont ’21. Stepping inside transports customers to a comically scientific world of atoms and sci-fi.

With a simple yet adequate menu, Big Bang Burger provides an assortment of burgers and hot dogs. They strive to serve delicious, glatt kosher, inexpensive burgers.

salty, “they were some of the best fries I’ve ever tasted,” as Dupont said. For those who prefer to dine on dogs rather than burgers, the “Big Bang Frank,” a grilled hot dog tucked into a toasted bun, is available. The franks were above average, but nothing out of this world.

Each order is served in a foldable paper box and wrapped in signature Big Bang Burger patty paper. While waiting for meals to come (which does not take very much time), cus-

If you are looking for a kosher, reasonably-priced burger place with an out-of-this-world feel and stellar french fries, you will find Big Bang Burger to be a taste explosion.

tomers can fidget with the many toys placed on each table, such as a mini rubix cube, R2D2 action figure, and Sheldon bobble head from the Big Bang Theory television show.

Although surrounded by a scientific motif and science-inspired to the core, this restaurant is not conducive to studying or doing homework. Michal Seinfeld ’21 and Dupont concur. “ I definitely wouldn’t be productive. They put little toys on the tables and I would want to play with them,” said Seinfeld. “Having the restaurant relate to the Big Bang Theory is a cute idea.

They used educational concepts to make a fun decoration. But I couldn’t say that I would get work done here,” agreed Dupont. Seinfeld added, “Overall, it made a nice meal. I did not leave hungry.”

If you are looking for a kosher, reasonably-priced burger place with an out-ofthis-world feel and stellar french fries, you will find Big Bang Burger to be a taste explosion.

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Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Reviewed

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the second installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. It manages to defy expectations of being an almost exact copy of its equivalent in the original trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back, even after there were overt similarities between The Force Awakens (of the sequel) and A New Hope (of the original trilogy).

However, despite deftly woven-in new elements, obvious questions arise over a bloated two and half hours—ones that cannot be hidden by the barrage of stunning special effects that the movie throws at the audience.

The film gives the feeling that certain moments were thrown in to answer questions that had amassed over the years, but rather than giving answers, the film only succeeds in leaving the audience with more questions. The attempts to explain the Force only serve to take away the sense of mystique surrounding it and to further confound the audience. In his efforts to forge a new story in the Star Wars universe, director Rian Johnson gets ahead of himself and leaves a trail of plot holes in his wake. In addition,

his attempt to portray the Resistance as an organization suffering from internal conflicts comes across as manufactured and artificial.

Furthermore, the complete and utter destruction of the characters of the old

timistic hero who never gave up in his quest to defeat evil, is now reduced to a bitter, cave-dwelling hermit, whose days are spent fishing and brooding. Even when he does inevitably take on the mantle of the reluc-

Star Wars generation seems unnecessary. I’m not referring to characters’ deaths, but rather to the corruption of their personalities. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), formerly the op-

tant teacher to Force-newcomer Rey (Daisy Ridley), his lessons serve only to show how disillusioned he has become about life, liberty and perhaps even the pursuit of happiness.

Despite its numerous flaws, The Last Jedi is still a decent movie, albeit extremely overhyped. The special effects have never been more spectacular, and, much like in The Force Awakens, the movie chooses practical effects over CGI, giving the world a stronger sense of reality. The space and lightsaber battles certainly rank as some of the best in the series as a whole. The movie also succeeds in turning Kylo Ren into a character with depth, with Adam Driver giving a masterful performance as the conflicted Dark Side warrior. His character has been transformed from an angry and petulant wannabee to a tortured soul bearing the weight of everything he’s done and everything that has been done to him.

Overall, I would recommend waiting for this movie to show up on HBO or some other streaming service instead of spending $15 or more on what is a mediocre—albeit entertaining—film.

Crossword Puzzle

Ben Silverman '20

ACROSS 3. Bond between two nonmetals, typically 5. Just your average guy 6. Home or 2018’s “big game” 8. A seeming contradiction of terms 10. ___ Jonathan Sacks 11. To be hungry, in Spain 12. Drogo’s title 13. Second amendment rights org 15. Rome's enemy in Punic Wars 16. Yankees’ rivals

The Rampage • December 2017

DOWN 1. Stores bile 2. Traditionally, the making of a Spanish woman 4. Setting of “Mash” 7. Epic poem phonetically similar to the defense of G-d’s goodness 8. Y=x^2 shape 9. Movie franchise in a galaxy far away 14. Dr. Nironi, colloquially