Volume 35, Issue 6 (February 2005) - The Rampage

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Volume XXA'V Number 6

Sports Updale

e RamPage

February 2005/Adar I 5765

Tl,c Ramaz Upper School

Committee Excludes Faculty

Parents Vote to Maintain Wmter Break in December Split Upper Sdwol Vote Cli11c'1es Decision, But Debate Continues

By Sum Eckslrin ·07 R:imaz parents voted down a proposal 111 early February to move 1hc school's \\'mlcr break from late December to late January.

Many ycsluvot schedule wm­ tcr vacation in late J::mu.1ry.

Rabbi Rubm �11d 1.hc dcc1s1on "may affect recnuunenl of groups of f::muiles wuh clul­ dren m schools :is1dc from Ramaz" \\ hose vacauon 1s schcdukd for Janu:iry The parent \'Otc comes on Lhe ht-els of dec1s1ons by sc, er­ al }CSlm ot. tncludmg Frisch., to mO\ e then \\ mtcr , ac.:itions from b1e December lo late J:inU3f)', the penod currently reserved for final exams m the Upper School. J\ccordmg lo Mr. Miller. "this is nor a new

issue at RamaL It has been debated for many years."

Many Upper School fom1• hes have cluldrcn who don'1 currenlly attend Rama7_ nus was a s1grnficant complicating factor m deciding how to vote. parents said.

Generally, a suburban family with both older chil• drcn enrolled at R:nnaz Upper School and younger dnldrcn enrolled Jt a local d.Jy school \\Ill ha,c l\\'O d1ffe-rcnt v.:ica• 11011 pcnods arow1d ,,..iuch lo schc<lulc famlly1JIJns \Vh1lc th\.' older student lS on break from RJmaz in December, the )OUngcr may not be on \'JCJ· 11011 from the neighborhood lower school until the . ne.,t (ronti,rued "" 1m,r.:� 3)

Trustees i11 Charge of Fiiuli, r,ga New 1lead oJSchool By l\liri:lm Krawll7.. •06 J1-lb..S-..C....,_, R11maz is t:aking �ludcnu toJ:.iy lo �cc Chrblo and Jcannc-Cl:.iudc's "The Cates" in Crnlral Park .. .The Gales"' cost :.ibouf S20 million.

New Elevator Policy Approved

8) Miriam Kr:rnil-z ·06

Stu&.,1IS may soon use two or d1e thrcc ekvators after <la,• cnmg. the admuustral1on and Faculty Senate dctemuncd. fol­ lov..-mg aGO proposal.

Unnl now. studcnlS were proh1b11cd from usmg the elcva­ lOrs afler davcnmg. "n1e new policy allO\vs srudcnts to U5e two ofU1c three ch.--vators, \\hlch will be- programmed 10 go from the first floor 10 th� sl':th floor. 1ne tJurd elevator w1U be reserved for faculty am.I will go to all floors.

TI1c nt'\\ policy goes 11110 cfft-ct as soo11 as tJ1e clcvalor progr a m -­ mcrs arc a\':ulablc 1 0 ,1si1 Ram:iz. l11c obJectJ, e 1S to clmwuti: student mconvcrucnce. Rabbi Rubm s:ud. "S1udents \\.111 be asked to prcsen'c ord.cr and e.xcr­ c1sc good Judgment when usmg 1

th:Jt>lr){..ll..-t!iwn>.­ Wllllt Ram.:az s1utle111s lake finals, olhcr Ycshh 111 arc on, ae:.tlion.

tl'IC clc-,·ators."

11,c GO "'" JJ!OJlOS<.'<i an dcvator pohcy dwngc 31 tJ1c Oct. 20SFAC n1'.-clm!;- ii foul­ ucd the dctnls of its elevator plan tJus muntJ1 ·111e Faculty Senate, a group of faculty members "h06e role is 10 assist tJ1e adnumstrauon m crca1mg school pohcu:s, reviewed tlie 00 proposal and vorcd to approve it. ll1c admlnls-­ tr.lllon decided to follow the &�1.llC VOie. Damclla Rohr '06, JW11or ,·ice president of tJ1c GO, said the adn11mstr.:1tJon cooperated with d,cGO. "We tJ1ough1 then: "ould be n."Sistancc from tl'IC admmJStr.l· tJon but there wasn't any.'' she added. "But ,r SIUdcnlS abuse 1/us new opportumty to use tJ1c elc,.,a.

1ors, tJus privilege will be t:lkcn away."

ScverJI faculty members arc displeased that none of 1hcrn has been asked lo JOIII the one•ycar•old commntec m charge of scarclnng for Ramaz's new head of school. they said The commlllec 1s composed en11rcly of mem­ bers of 1he Rama7 Doan.! or Truslccs "TI1ere's ddimtcly :.111 argument for more mput by the admmlSl.ralion and facul­ ty m d�c,dmg the new head of school. but 1t's not absolutely necessary," Dr Grc<'nbcrg said. rcfcmng to hi'.li collcngucs· rccUngs on the matter. Due lo !he scns1• 11v11y of the issue. teachers added 1hcy were loa1h to comment at tins llme.

Out one member or the search comm11tcc, who asked to remain anonymous because of his pos111on. said that sevtral teachers and feel admm1s1rators d o excluded from 1he hmng (C011l11111rtl OFI pnx� 2)

For Three Students, Finding Classes is Hard Enough As Second Se111ester Gets Under Wa11, 17,ree Trnusfer Students [earn t/,e Ins and Outs of 78th Street Life C11lt11re, n11rl Homework

By Nicolt Otmby ·06 While most Ramaz s1udenls were rctcllmg sLories from 1hc:11 111tcrscc;s1011 tnps on 1hc: firs1 day of the second semester. lhrcc new students were JUSt trying 10 rind clasc;rooms for their firs! classes The 1hrcc sludenrs, Juslm Muschcl '07 formerly a s1udent nt Ffl"Sd1, Cra,g Liebmann '08 who ira,ufcrrcd from North Shore I lebrcw Academy an<l Jonathan Kaplan '08 who trans• fcrred from llambam all hnvc older s1blmgs currently a11cncllnc the Upper School. Each had lw; rcspc:l.11vc reasons for trnnsfcrnng to Ramaz 111 the mulJlc of !he year ror Kap!Jn tile dc:cmon was a combmnuon of 1wo thing,: At l(amham he lc:arn"d <Jcrn:1r.:i fro11190()A \11012.00l'M and 1hrn<knernl �1ud1c, from I 0() PM 10 6 00 l'M "I he dJy

was too long. There was lots of Gcma1a." he said. The tiring day in conJunc11on w11h 111s s1s-1cr's (Allrn Kaplan '05) enthusiasm for Rama� caused him to W':lfll to switch schools. "She didn't try to mnucncc me to go." sa1t..l Kaplan. rcfcmng 10 Ins sister, "but her bcmg here mflu. cncccl me" "I le kllows how much I love Ramaz," said the elder Kaplan Now, watchmg her brother enter a new school cnv1ronmcnt. she is strug• ghng to suppress her mstmcl to be overprotcc­ lJVC. "lle's a big. boy. I'm JUSI trymg to help 1nm w11hou1 squashmg 111s mdepcndcncc."

Muschcl, who decided thnt he \\ilnted 10 swnch obou1 1wo months ago, nlso cxpcncnccd d1ssatlsfac11on wilh ccrtarn aspects of 111s prcv1• ous school At Frisch, students arc placed m a unifonn I rack for all of 1hc1r classes based on their overall averages, When Muschcl "a� (ro11/11111('(I 0,11msr 2J

·rnn,rtr ,1mJrn1 Craig Llcbm11111 '08 ,,11lk1 lht h:.11.!I durlnu hill Orst ,,i-ck or lhm11. I-or Llth1rn11111 and olhu,, 78th �ntl Is 11 :,_,w ph1ce..

Page2

February 200S/ Adv I S76S

The RamPag•

News

Search Committee Unfairly Excludes Faculty, Teachers Say (amtbtutd from pagt 1J process.

The commillce member added that such exclusion probably has not hurt the committee.

"I don't think that the process has suffered from the lack of admm1strativc input," the member said. "because there arc not many cand1da1cs to sift through...

Ramaz's first head of school w1 II manage the school on a regular basis whale Rabbi Lookstein, rct.aimng the lltle of pnnc1pal, focuses more on leading his Kelulath synagogue, Jcs hurun.

M r. Miller said that his feelings about the commit­ tee's compos1llon arc 1rrclc­ vant because the c.ommittec ha.s already been form ed.

"Most people would love to be included," he said, "but everyone has to respect the values of the school. We all have to push our personal feelings aside."

Steven Schacter. chair­ man of Ramaz's Board of Trustees, is also chairman of the search committee. He said lhe committee should be composed enlircly of Ranuz trustees because the commit­ tee will ultimately have to recommend the head of school candidate to the entire board, which bas the fioal say on the hiring.

"The most effective committees arc small com­ mittees," he added.

But Mr. Schacter said that administrators' opinions

would be c.onsidered before the fom1al hiring.

"We spoke 10 the admln1st.ralion and said that if they had any person in mind to be considered as a head of school, they should let us know," he said. "We won't hire anyone without the input of the adm1nistrat1on."

Mc:inwhilc, some faculty members arc comfortable wuh the composition of the committee as it currently stands.

"My understandmg is that in many places, it's not a general practice for heads of departments lo be on the search comm1ttee," said Dr. Jucovy, who chairs the histo­ ry department. "I have com­ plete faith in what the search conumttee will do."

Although the committee has been searching for nearly a )'t:lr, the search ts not very far along, Mr. Schacter said recently. The commlltee docs not yet have a candidate to present 10 the executive board and administration. he added.

"It has been a very chal­ lengmg undertaking because the number of new schools has «ploded.and the number of lop cducalors has not exploded,• Mr. Schacter said.

In the January issue of The RamPagc, Mr. Schacter said he hoped the head of school would be named "within the next month.• The Web site of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAJS) includes guidelines specify­ ing how a search committee

for a new head of school should be established. NAIS is an organization represent-

"Board members aren't going to be wise about the day-to-day relationship between the head of school and faculty or administration." ing approximately 1,200 independent schools and assoc1a1ions m the United States and abroad.

NAJS guidelines recom­ mend keeping the committee small and selectmg trustees to be members.

"Trustees on the commit­ tee should include Chair, Chair's heir apparent, and other key trustees who will remain on the board, some of whom should be current par• cots." it says.

Ramaz is seemingly adhering lo NAJS guidelines.

The Web site's "Head Search Protocol" also recom­ mends creating an advisory committee of faculty, parents, students, and alumni, though.

"Advisory committees should not do the initial screening of applications but should be invited to the initial focus group sessions where leadership priocjties arc iden­ tified and to the interviewing stage for the last two or three

semifinalists," lhc NAlS Protocol says.

Educational consullanl Jeannie Terepka, a former Ramaz teacher and college adviser, has been involved in search committees at the Collegiate school as a paren1, Drearley as a graduate, and I lcwtll as an administrator.

She said that those commit­ tees included faculty and adm1ms1rators, addmg that Ramaz's search comm1t1ce should, too.

"It's a mistake because the JOb of a good head of school is to facilitate accurate communication between all of the school's constituents: students, faculty, administra­ tors, and board members," she said. "The department chairs need to know that a head of school is going to understand them when they talk about cumculum, stu­ dent life, and student achievemcnL "Board members aren't going to be wise about the day•IO•day relationship between the head of school and faculty or between the head of school and adminis­ tration."

The Ycshivab of Flatbush recently created a �ca.rch committee to help hfre its new head of school and new Or. Rabbi principal, Raymond Harari and Rabbi Ronald Levy, respectively.

Yeshiva President Jack Rahmey said that Flalbush's search committee consulted both faculty and students.

"The search process began when the committee

mel and discussed exaclly wl�t we were looking for," he said. "111en, we inter­ viewed many people incJud. mg other administrators, teachers, and students and asked them what they wanted in a head of school. Finally, we contacted vanous c.and1• dates lo sec who was avail­ able for the position."

111c Yeshivah of Fla1bush also has created a search committee m the past to fill its admimstrahve pos1hons.

That committee consisted of three members: Mr. Rahmey, Mr. Steve Adelsberg, a for­ mer Ycshtvah president, and Marian Getzlcr-Kramer, the head of the school's Board of Education and a current Flatbush parent But unhkc the Yesh1vah of Flatbush, which has always had a separate posi­ tion for the head of school and the principal, Ramaz is in the midst of revamping its entire leadership structure.

"The model that Ramaz has used for 68 years is going to change," Mr. Schacter said. He added that lbe changes wouldn't stop after hiring a bead of school.

"For 68 years the Jubbi o( Kchilath. Jcdlurun ha� served as the principal of Jumaz,• be saicL "There will come a time when a Rabbi Lookstein will not preside over both the synagogue and the school"

As Second Semester Begins, Transfer Students Acclimate to Ramaz Life (continued from pagt 1)

having problems with his Hebrew cl3SS he was told that 1t was impossible to switch that class without switching all of his other cbsscs as well. "If I moved down all my classes would have been too easy," he said. "I simply was not learning a lot at Frisch. When I had a prob­ lem there was no one there to help me."

So why switch in the middle of the yea.r as opposed to waHlng until the start of next year? "Next year is jun­ ior year which is supposed to be the hardest year at Ramaz.

I don't want to move into that nol knowing the pressures of

Ramu in general."

Liebmann, who decided definitively in the last week of January that he was going to make the swucl\_ has few complaints about North Shore. "I just thought Ramaz would be a better school for me," he said. Craig's brother, Zachary '06, had encouraged him. "My brother said it was a great school."

Even though Liebmann has only been at Ramaz a short while he has already made distinctions between his old school and his new one.

"The teachers and administration definitely treat you more maturely here. You can just feel it" He has also discovered that the work at

"I just thought Ramaz would be a better school for me. My brother said it was-great."

Ramaz is not quite what it was at North Shore. "It's much harder here," he said.

"My math and science classes go much more in depth."

Muschel and Kaplan arc also feeling the academic import of their change.

"With World History," said Muschel, re1Crring to the his• tory course that spans fresh-

man and sophomore year, "I'm entering into a l\\•o year course when I've never done anything like iL" Freshmen and sophomores at Frisch learn American History. At Rambam Kaplan was not taught a foreign language.

Now, with the help of a tutor, he will slrllggle lo catch up on half a year of missed classes.

All three new students say that people al Ramaz have been very helpful thus far.

"The admimstration was real­ ly nice to me," Liebmann said. "TI1cy said that if I had any problems I could come to them for help."

Rabbi Goldmintz said that the school would try to

aid the new students as they begin to acclimate themselves to their new environment.

The administration is relying on the advisory system to make sure that this process goes as smoothly as possible.

"Everyone is assigned an adviser who will try to pay a bit more attention to the new students in the beginning," said Rabbi Goldmintz.

However, he does not antici­ pate many problems. "Many of the new students already have friends in the school and older siblings. The student body is very open and very welcoming."

Turn to.page 13 for T he RamPage's new crossword puzzle in the Features se ction.

webruary 2.005/ Adar I 5765

Page 3

The RamPage

News

Studen1s' Allowances Vary Widely, Spuning Debate Some s/11de11ts spe11d

tho11sn11ds 011 clot/ring, while others work for weekly sums of $50 or less to spc11d on food.

By Miriam Krawitz '06 "If I bought a $5,000 dress at Bameys or Bergdorf, my mom wouldn't mmd--as long as she liked the dress," satd a jumor, whose parental­ ly-approved spending p!Jccs her at one extreme: of the Ramaz allowance spectrum, according to a RamPagc . inquiry.

R.Jmaz parents' dec.1s1011s about allowanccs--whcn to start givmg money (if al all), how much to give, and whether to hnk that payment to any perfom1ancc or chore­ -vary widely, students said.

The: J unior did not wish to discuss her :illowancc extensively.

"It's a lot of money and I don't want other s1udenls to think I'm JAP-py," she s:ud.

"TI1e truth is I don'I only wear designer clothes. I shop at H&M too."

Another junior girl who recchrc=s S T2.50 J week saves mbst t>f'hcr money:· She believes that 3llowances C3J1 teach students how to organ­ ize therr money better 1 f they are obligated to pay for their o,,.,n basic needs.

"However," she added, "1f srudcnts are receiving a lot of money and arc not required 10 pay for them­ selves rJ1cn they \\On'I under­ stand how to manage thc1r money Fmanc1al adviser Da"id McCurrach� who has wnllcn se:veral pieces about chll� dren's allow.lnccs, said 1ha1 such allowances can leach children rhc value of money ao; they decide how bcsl 10 use 11 .. Keep 111 m1nJ the fac1 tl1al kids have three uses for 1heir money-spending, sav­ mg an<l shanng," he wrote 111 an onlrne article 111kd •Money Mailers: Giving Kids Allowances."

"Consider all three areas when you come up with an amount" McCurrach added that the old adage of SI 00 per year of age has. in the U.S. as a whole, been boosted lo at least S 1.50, which would rc�mlt in 3. I 6--ycar-old receiv­ ing S24 a week in allowance money. Most sophomores arc 16.

One sophomore girl said she reccJVes S50 per week, which she spends going our on Saturday nights. She also has had a credil card since 8tJ1 grade. Dur this sophomm-c acknowledged that her case was both paradoxical and 1yp1cal.

Admittedly echoing the rationales of many parents. she said thal a weekly sum and crcdll rard-thc bill for wl11cl1 her parents vet month­ ly--should make her "more responsible m !he long run."

Dut reality onen ignores what should happr:n, she added .

"I've gollen my credit card iaken awuy tw1c<.· for ovcrspcndmg. Gc11111g an allowance should be reach mg me how 10 manage money but 11 doesn't ."

The sophomore is not alone.

Allowances were the subjccl of a Jan. 17 New York magazine cover story. TIiied "Teens and Money: How much is good for them'!" the article quoted an Upper East Side parent who s31d, "Knowing what I know now, I'd say the way money domi­ nates this c11y is a reason to raise kids elsewhere " The article also described several students who conceded !hat their spcndmg habits• -though putatively monitored by their parents-•,vcrc ·oul of control.

Still, the JlllllOr whose mother approves of her dress purchases said thar her allowance had made her more responsible.

"I defin11cly know how 10 manage my money and spend a lot of money on d1fTerenl credit cards," she said. "lf l'm buying a l01 of expensive clotlung. I charge half on my credit card and half on my mom's. Dul somellmes I feel like I need more cash."

Usmg mult,plc credit cards ro cover one purchase 1s JUSI a sign that Ramaz stu­ dents arc spoiled in the first

�!>orlt<-�,..,...,,..,,.'t<JI, .. . place, severJI students said.

"Most of the students at Ramaz arc spoiled," Jonathan Rosen '05 said. "It's rc0ected in their personalities and what they buy."

Others contend that per­ sonality, and not purchases. dctcnnme \vhether a s1udc-n1 i5 spoiled.

"I don't think I'm spoiled because I appreciate cvcry­ thmg I have," the abovemcn• tioned junior said. "Attitude is what makes one spoiled-· not malerial possessions. I also give a lot of my money to charities 111 Israel."

Experts and financial advisers say lhat one way to avoid spoilmg cluldrcn with an allowance 1s hJ tic money given to chores pcrfonncd .

Accordmg 10 a sun cy conducted by the "Kid's Money" webs11e, 74 percent of parents surveyed give allO\\anccs and 66 percent of those who give allowances 11c them to domg chores .

Only a few studcnls at Ramaz menllonct.l that their allowances arc related to spe­ cific tasks.

The trad1honal way 10 avoid spoilmi; cluldren is to

give them no 3llowance at all.

One Ramaz parent said she docs JUSl I.hat-and "it works better."

"Ln our family, we give on an as-needed basis," she said. "I have considerate clnldrcn who spend money very wisely."

Ramaz studeots spend their money buying similar items, tJ1c RamPage inquiry found. Commonly bought items mclude food, music, clotJung, and movie tickets.

A sophomore who receives S 175 per week said he spends 1hc money on food, movies, and going oul on Saturday mghts.

A freshman gHI said she spends her S50•pcr-mont11 slipend on music and clolh­ mg. TI10ug.h she docsn'I have a credit card. she added that she wants one "so I can buy more clotJung."

Ultimately, though, 1ha1 card 1m1y come with strings all3ched.

Before usmg h1S credit card, one JUn1or boy must first ask permission of his mother. He spends less than SSO per week on his credit card, but also receives S40 per week in ca..,;;h, 01fTercn1 purchases call for different purchasing methods. he added.

"I spend a lot of my cash on food and playing cards. but I buy clothing wtth my credit card ..

Students' may not know as much as they think tl1cy do abou1 spendmg, one study has found, Accordmg 10 Nellie Mac. a M�sachusctts­ bascd student loan orga111za­ uon. median balances on col­ lege undergraduates' cred ll cards have nscn 43o/o 111 the last three years, burJenmg students who may aln:aJy h.:avc s1oden1 loans oulstand­ mg.

Yet sc, er.ii Rarnaz stu­ dents asked whether 1he1r peers who spend thousands o.t Barncys will ever require loans al all.

Parents Vote to Maintain Winter Break in Late December montJL TI,i, di lemma rnan1fes1ed ,ucl( in the voling pallcm, nlC Up-per School \'Ole wa111 d1vuJed-thc produc1 of a r,plll be1v.ccn 1wo fawons tJ105e fMrnhes w1lh yc,unger clul<lrcn al other tchooh and rho'le ...,_,,t.hout younger duldrni ll1e Middle and Lower Schools. whose fanuhes tend to have

younger dtildrcn, voted heavi­ ly in favor of maintaining Dccembcr vacation.

M 1chael Epstein '07. whose younger brother aucn<ls Monuh and whose 111other tcacheJ there, said he wa1 ,hs• appo111tecl by l.he vote. Monali recctllly tmnounccd lhal II w,11 move 1lJ winter vac-atlon from JJec:cmhcr to J anuary, begin• ninu m tJ,c '0S-'06 sdt00I year Thu will crc.ilc it p,oblcm for

Michael. whose older sister grndualc in 2004 and the other a gmduale in 200 I, both have also will have December vaca­ llon from college . Now, half of ,·:1ca11on from college 111 his family will have vac.alion l�ccmber. In order for Greg to in Dec.ember and half will be Join them during tJ1cir break. on break in January. "11us is he 11crdcd tJlC parents to vole why I Wa,j hoping for a clmngc down the prorosal. in the vaca11on elate," Epstein "Everyone lms d1ffcrc111 . m1ercs1.J und pnont1es," Mr. said.

011 the other h:md, Grq: Miller sa1d. "You cnn't make Wakli1re1cher '07 faced t]1c C\'C() one lmppy" Doth December and opposite �1111a11on I lis two older brothers. one n llmrniz J anuary YOCilllOlll luvc :t1SCIS

and hab1hties, parents said.

Titc rumnl break's logic hc-s m its comcidcnc-c wtth L11c pcnod of 11:ahonal v:,otion lnJecJ. In late Dec-ember. many par• ents can lake off from work. fac1hlot111g family tnp-rlan• mug On 1hc ()!hc, hand� \� llh fmals yet 10 ornc. s111dents s�11d they tJo not fully rcla..x over their IXccmbcr, ncauons

The Raml'•ge

P•g• 4

l'rbruary 2005/ Adu I 5765

News

Administration First Prohibits, Then Allows Fashion Publication ll) Lahn lf■rLo,• 'OS

An admmmr.alor h3d forb1ckkn the f3.5luon Coohuon since lasl NO\ ember from pubhslung a nc,, skuc-r that n3J11C'S a fonnc-r s1udc-n1 layoul editor. accordmg 10 Coolt11on Co-l'rcs1dcnt Ancl Grun 'OS Dul stncc TI1c RnmP,1gc began co,·mng the s1ory last wccl... the :idmm1.s1ra1or decided 10 allow publ,cation.

Grun said the :1Jtrnn1Strator told her not to talk aboul the mc1dc:n1 or specify who h.1d prolub1tcd pub-­ hCllllOll.

111c fonncr sluJmt. Da111cl T3\'akoh, \11':tS layout cJ1tor before he lcf\ R.nnuz bs1 June, afler his JUnt()( year When he enrolled 01 Queens College last fall, he decided to con11nuc l.lymg oul the pubhc:at1on to help faculty :W\IScr Ms DarJk, Tovakoh so1d. "lovakoh did all 1hc la)out for d,e newsleucr, and he made II really 111cc, .. Grun said ..We have had our firsl LSsuc tlus year tlonc since November."

1 lowc\'cr, she addeJ.. "L.he school won't let w print 1t wnh his nJrnc m 11, 3nd T3\'3koll won't let us print 11 without lus name in 11."

"I put m tune anJ effort u a r,nor to M, RM�k.. • T3VJL_oh s.:11d "I don't Wllll 10 .sec the ncw-.lcua dJC bcc:ause tJ1ac I> no one 10 pul 11 togc1hc1 h's a 11lly rule. I'm sllll do,ng die "01k, ""Y d1<>uldn'1 I �<1 d,c c:rcd1tr Grun a�rccd that fa\alol1 deserves lo be ocknowledged. " l ie worked on thi: ncwslenet, 11 would11'1 be fair not 10 put his name in II," she said.

Exploring the Past of Ramaz Prayer

Uy Sophia M<rkln •06

Studrnts pb)' rOiO!.ball durin2 GO Can:s Wttk. Thost v.ho aUtnt1N1 the ftb. 16 SFAC nlN"ting ukl foosb:aU tabla htlptd kttp loun� quitL

GO Buys Foosball, Ping-Pong Tables

Dy Jonalhan llartlg and Cabrltl Oppcnbclm •OS The GO 1w ordatd pu,g­ pong and foosball ublcs "' be IRStlllc,d pcmuncndy in the audi10nUm. 11 :innounccd at the Feb. 16 SFAC IJICCl1ng. Also. at d1< m<C1ln&, Ms. Slorum proposed lllS11bJllng a p,pcr recycling pro, gr .,m " R.:umz. "\�n there v.. ere pmgpong and foosball ables m the auditonwn. thac were less peo­ ple m the loongcs. • s:ud GO Juruor Vicc•prcsidcnt Daniella Rohr, during a d1scwsion of loonge no1SC. Traclrrs agrc<d w1tl1 Rolu's osscssmcnl '1bc nolSC le'Vcl w3S much lov. er when the tables were d,cn:, • during GO Cares Weck, Rabbi Graua s:iKL Ms. Slorum sold her proposal responded 10 ''"' """" !he amount of paper R.,m;,z uses and d,c focl lh:it few people in Ranuz reuse d,c,r paper aficr pnnung documc:ms.

"The: srudents pnnl 50 much m 1hc libr.uy. ,Is as if it's Just 10 sa11sfy theu wi;c to pnnl • she: said.

Ms Slomm Mklcd lh:i� m the futwt'. she: hoped 10 uutiate 3 recycling proi;ram re. plastics and nlrtlls. :;is �ell Out Jumor Cbs.s Prcsadcnt NalJJl f:ddsburg said d•n merely lillng comp.itm more m school would cut down on p.,pcr usage.

"One possible solullOn is for studrnlS to use computers m class," be said. •11 may be a 100DC)' ISSUC, bul 11 cuts paper US3ge in half" Corrq,utm could help ,mo­ lioralC the SllWIIOn, Dr. Gaylord said, rcfcttncing hu own elm­ room cxpmcnccs.

"J h.1\'C students who use e­ te:<t and take notcs on their oom­ puters,• he oddcd. "It's fabulous."

The school 1w already cmbarlccd oo a pn>Jcct 10 ,nokc more Rmm docwuents awil­ ablc dig,tally.

"We now have schedules ond weekly pbnnm on tl>c Web SIie. and pretty soon, we'll ha'"e room schedules and rcpgrt cards.· l,c soid. "llus will really SJVe paper."

Ms. GorfmlJc aunbutcd stu­ dc:nlS' alleged pnnung habits lo an ·,uuudc" problem, olhng !hem sloppy and rcquoung d1Jt !he GO in,ougatc slUdcnt lllln­ mg. a i<qUCSI Rabbi Goldmintz ccl-.xd late, m die: mctl1n&, SFAC olso dl.SCUSSCd the new mak,:-.up ICS1 poocy, "hich roqu�s students to lake all make-ups aJlcr school at a pn,­ dt-ttmuned lime.

Srudc:nt rcpn:scntaU\'CS s:ud the O(W policy was nawcd because malce-up tests now rend 10 be harder. Faculty member, said die policy works because 11 luruts the number or nuke-up exa.ms they hnvc to write.

R:unu's dlvcnmg routine lus dunged drasucally over the past 30 years, loogtunc Ramu teachers and 3dmm1s• trators say M3JOr shafts mcludc the add111on of a Friday mm�n 3nd a Sephardic nunyan, and the mst1tu11on of grade-wide Mmch.:I mmyamm. "When I began teaclung at Ramu m 1976, do,·enmg was only on Monday through Thursdoy," Ms. Weinstein said, "On Fndly, 1hcrc was 3n op1ion1l first pcnod for those v. ho ,vantcd to pray with a mm­ yon."

Friday davenmg became compulsory in the late 80's, administrators said. Aboul a dcc:itlc Inter, daily breakfast was msututcd so tkll students could c:it ::after davcnmg. �1.r.

Miller said.

"Once we were tweak.mi;

the schedule to add Fnday davcning." he :iddcd. "we con• eluded thJt 11 was worth it to add brokfast • But before there was br<,akfast, Romaz hod a pro, gr,in1 for students uninlcrcstcd in a tr.1d1tiorul davcning. This program entailed learning .1bou1 tcfilah e\'Cry morning while other student! davcned.

I lowe\'tt, llle program cventu• oily was obused by students, who used it as an excuse 10 sltcp and cat, administrators said, and the program was chmmated decades ago.

Ac1ually, decades 3go-­ during the late 70's •nd early SO's-thcrc were two pcncxls dcs1gno1ed for davening The Junior hig.h students. fresh· men. and sophomores prayed during first pcnod, v.h1lc sophomorc:s and scnio� had class. Dunng second pcnod.

U1e fonner group hod cl= while the latter d.3,·cncd. ·oa\·cning \\',15 SC\·crely truncated." Ms. Nrn111311 '84 s�ud '"111erc w;is a lighter style and abnosphcre to dov­ emng. and we said an extreme­ ly 3bbrcvi,ued Tachanun."

Ramaz has changed more than JUSt tile time for davcn• mg: mdecd, locations have changed as well.

For sc,·eral years, Mancha

was recued 111 classrooms Every day, teachers would set :aside a block of tame at the stan of 3.n early aficmoon pen· od for tltelr classes lo 5:IY Mancha.. If there was no mm· yan. tv.·o classes v.ould Join together.

TI,erc was no mcchi17.a scparaung the boys from the g1rls because "the hal3du 1s that. m a room not designated as • bell kncssct. • mcclu17.a ,sn't r<,qu1TCd." Rabbi Rubin said. "Classrooms were never designated as balci kncsscl."

IIOWC\"CT, in the 1992-9) school year. Mu1cha was moved downstairs to tl1c audi­ torium. "\Ve e\'entually aban• cloned the classroom •pproach because ii simply did not pro­ vide for a communal environ­ ment." Rabbi Rubin said.

When the student body beca.me too big for one nun• yan in the :audnonum, gr.ides were split into sep:arate minya.nim m the Beit Knesset and lunchroom.

Meanwhile. Sephardic miny:an Y,'3S founded by a group of students-led by Ycchezkcl Khayyat '88--m 1988. "lbc Sephardic students felt neglected," found,ng member Joshua Amini '94 told a RamPagc reponcr last December. "Our traditions weren't bcmg recognized and discussed in daily classes. 11,e majority of tl1c populauon was Ashkcnazi. We felt die n<cd 10 continue pracucmg our da\'cn­ mg trad1llons."

Ms. Weinstein wanted to give sophomore girls a si1mlar opportunity to e"prcss them­ sch·es dunng tb\'enmg. she said. So she fom1cd a <b\·en­ ing group of g1rls m d,c early 80's. h was not wlt:it would be termed today a "women's tefi­ lah group," d10ugh.

"We wer�n't making 3 minyan, and there W3$ no Torah rcadmg." Ms. Wclll5tem said. •tt was 311 outlet for guls. no1 all of whom were nCC'essanly religious, 10 feel a pan of 3 group and expc:ricncc prayer in a different way." She oddcd tl101 the progr.un was disconlinucd several years 3fierward.

SoJ>hornorn Esrtl during Mlntha lul yur.

Mlnth:a v.·u Initially rrclltd In tlauroonu wllhout methltzas,

lnchcn rcullcd.

As for the: aclual content of �mu davening\ 1t. 100, has evoln:d 01Tr time: Onginally, selichol rcciu.tion in the weeks before and after Rosh I bslu,u, like Fnday daven­ mg. \\'35 entirely optional Today, the student body rccucs an abbrev1atc-d version of the pr.iycrs m the gr.,de-wide miny;imm. A scp3r.tte. \'olun• u.ry mmyan recites :di or the schchot Al one poml d,c school cons1ckrcd climuutmg P'sukci D'zunrah from ,ts Shoclunt scrv1cc, but ult,mately dcc1dcd 31,�U\St 1t. adminLSuators said.

F,nolly, for those students who h:wc al\\'3ys been cunous about Ramaz's aronei kodcsh. here :1rc the facts. The aronim do not all face: the same dircc110n and none of them faces c:is� due to structural lumta• tions on where objects c:1n be ploccd m die building. Rabbi Rubin soid. Rabbi Rubin added that detcm1in111g the exact d1f'C'Ctions was not an easy task.

•�1:lnhan.an � no1 lie on 3 d,rcctly nonh. south. casl \\CSI gnd.• he said. "1bc north or �lanhanan 1s actually north­ east. and so on• Today. the number or nunyan1m at Ramaz is incrc;J.S• mg There 1s one minynn for the freshmen and wphornon."S, one ror tltc juniors, :mcl one fOr the seniors. 111c Sephardic rmnyan 1s i;ro\, ing. :is arc Womcn1 s Tefilah Group . ., Cnrlebnch miny:rn. and the partly•instrnmcntal "Friday min)1an"

Februal)' 2005 /Adar I 5765

The RamPage

Page 5

News

Teachers Praise Horace Mann's Campus, Classes R:mt3L teache s \\ ho :mended llorJcc Mann's fir�t :mnual F:1culty Vas1ung Weck on Jan 13 prJ 1�cd that �choo l's fac ,hucs.

Hs " r c13'-cd" cn"1ronmcn 1. and its s1udcnts' punc tuality m Jrr 1,•1ng to class Sc,1cral teacher s also agreed that I loracc Mann 's so-ca lled "mnov.:1t1vc " teaching tcch ­ mqucs ,,·ere 1radu1onal in nJturc. \\lulc llor:icc Mann sc ience tnchcrs dcscnbcd Ramu's tr.1cl1ng system :t.s "nd1culous • Those lcochers added 11131 lhc R.:mu, lr.tckms sys• 1cm. \\h1ch pbccs SlUdcDlS lD one or sc,·cnl le,els or cbss­ a bJ.SCd on their :ib , h ucs m ccn:un subJc-cts. 1s unneccsr

Hora ce Mann is "very relaxed.

Despite the incredible physical facilities, we still get better work out of our students here at Ramaz. " SJry and th.JI h\O tncks 3TC sufficient J loracc Mann h.u only l"'-O class tncl. s-­ Regul:u- ond llonO<S•-bul a IJrGCT s 1udcnt body thJ.n R.:&ml.L The \ 1s1tmg program provided ed uca tors from d1\ crsc backgrounds wuh the

opportunity lo sit 1n on cbss­ cs J.t l·lor3cc �1:lnn and c�change 1dus \\ 1th their peers about education. Out r o lhe 2 1 1 1cachm who reg• 1stcrcd for the program, about 180 lcochcrs from 26 diffe r• cnt schoof1, Ill the lr l-Sl3IC area aucndcd. Dr Koplon, r..lr. Kuck. M�. Lll\\ack, r..h Rosen. ond D,. Wa,shol l. among other s. a1tt"ndcd from Ramaz'" nuoug.houl lhc \\ Cel, vis11ing facuhy obscf"\cd classes that mtcrc-stcd them.

Add,honally, teachers "ere g1\·c n the opponunuy to meet 10 small discussion groups \\ 1th each other R.omu leathers so1d lhey \\ere very impressed with the f bclu, 10< o lhe llorne Monn s tuden ts. p3n 1cu1Jrly 1hc 1r punclu:>llly.

Dr. Koplon said llor>cc �lann's leaching 1echn1ques l arc -Hry 1rad 111ona " 3nd not as "mno\ J l l\c • as lloracc \IJrm cl:ums Most Rama, teachers s.a1d thJt, althouch Horace Mann 1s ;in c>,,CCP· lion:.il school wuh a rcmarl• ab le campus. ,ts facu hy employs few unordmary pcd· 3gog 1c techniques "Late OOICS don 't uist" :11 lloncc: Mffln, Dr \V.:arsha ll said, BUI there is no bell S)s­ tem Jt Horace �bnn c nhcr: teachers simp ly d1sm1SJ their f studcnlS :u the end o lhc pcnod. Unhkc R.3mu stu­ denl S, !hough. llor.acc Monn st udcnl s fo llow the nmc clus schedule C\ C,Y da). a llo" mg them to fflO\ c � ccn clnscs v.i 1houc h: a v• mg 10 check lhetr schedu les Ramu teachers :a lso

adrmrcd llor:acc Mann 's cam­ pus •nd fac1 h11ts, lhey saHI. Dr. to Accord ing Worshal l, lhc fomgn Ian, gu,ge dcpa r1men1 ol llor:ice MJnn h:1s a large collccuon orCD's, DVD's •nd cosscllcs m foreign IJng11:1gcs that arc used durmc clas., and arc also a,J1labli: ro, students to bo r­ row Fach forc1�11 language class room 1s stocked with books. m,ps, o globe, ond CD. DV D ond cas>euc play• m Dr. W:u-slull has said she "ould hko 10 implement pr<>­ gnms :u Ramu smular to those run 11 Hor.ice Mann She cued one such program.

• "language ubl c" sci up dw• mg every lunch pc nod at \\ h1ch students C-V1 pr.1ct.1cc 1hc1r or.11 skt lls m a foreign langu:>gc Ms. Rosen said she WilS , , cry imp ressed " 1 th the 1n fac 1h 11cs At l loracc Mann, stu­ dents arc offered the opportu­ n i ty to choose from a \ :1ric1y f o an classes �uch as sculp­ tun.:, pnn l, photog raphy, dr J\\ tng. p:11n1111g and ce ram• ,cs. l:.:ach class 1s run 111 a scp­ ara1c i,1ud10, Oul Ms. Rosen added 1h11 scpantc s1uJ1os .:and classes a.rcn '1 e\Crything.

"Dcsp 1lc the inc redib le phys1c:al f:acd 11 1cs, we sti ll gel better \\ O rk out of our stu• d<nl S here al R:u-nu. " she s:ud �bny \'IS llors noted a d1�11nc1 d1 ffcrc ncc bcl'11 «n f the rcsp«ti,c :atmospheres o lloricc Mann .ind Ramn.. ·Dcc .1usc of 1hc eno r­ mous amount of sp3cc. the:

Tilli•cbu-1 Ila IL b•ll1 In 1914, bo�ltd Ramu. bcu lry for a Mttk.. school IS ,cry laid bock and rcbxed.• M5. Rosen said Scnf31 teachers c11cd lloracc Mann 's natural hg.tn• rng- -lhc school 1s co\Cred 1n brgc "1ndows-as conmbut• ing 10 1ts tranqu il cn\lron• mcn t Out others, like M r Kuck. s:ud thal Ilorace MJnn 's hJI J\\ JY atmosphere f "JS simp ly a rc ncc uon o 1t., locJ Uon m F1clds1on. a rather calm subu rbln locauon Ms. L1 twack s1m1la rly noted that the classes �he obse r ved seemed to mo,c al a slow pace. She s:ud Ramn's faster pace m,gJu be ( a fu.nc lJon o 1hc schoo l's •rrcnc1ic en, ironmen1. • Those "ho ran 1hc p ro­ gram deemed 11 3 success, desp ite 1m 11al "OfT) mg on the pan of llo r.1cc \la M 's faculty.

•The v1s 11ors seem to h3\ e tr u l) apprec iated the chance 10 tll.c ;a day awa), and our own tc:achcn seem to (C"el \·a hdatcd and s11mub 1ed by 11 e\·en though they \\ CCC

nc.n ous m111:ally aboul 1he tc:ka of hosting so nwiy vm­ Dr. Sic\ en to rs, " n1d Tobolsly, head of lhe f!orocc Mann Lown School ond 1he Durc1or o( the Center for E,cmpla ry Tcoching, ,.h,ch sponJO rcd Vm ung We- ck.. folio\\ mi: the program.

Dr. Tobolsly asled >ISllors 10 fill out ;rn c, .iluauon sheet. of "h1ch he rc.- cc1 vcd about I SO. mdudmc many from Ramaz 1caehcn D r. Tobo lsky exp ressed hopes thJI \ ,sum� prog rams could continue not JU.SI :11 lloncc Mann but at other schools as \\C 11 Ile also mcn­ tionC"J lhc poH ib , hl) or focu\ 1na \ 1.s 111ng p rog r.1 mj on speci fic dcpanments An.other option. he u1d. would be 10 :isk ,chools 10 send lea ht' n m groups nthc-r than send ing one teacher ill a umc. "h1ch 1.s ho" mos1 sc hools par1tc1pa1cd lie crcd11cd Ramu for be ing one or the f ew ,chools 1h31 5<111 tc:ac hcrs in groups

s

Muffins Made for Student? It Must Be GO Cares Week Uy ophla rthrkln '06 In an clfo11 10 case Lhc bur­ den offi nols. �,c second w«k of Jllfluary was dubbed "GO Co,cs Weck." Due 10 the he.i vy \\O.k­ lOJd 31 t..hc tune. the GO pro\ id­ <d • d1 ffacn1 lwiury for <111Jcn1S each day d1>I "a-1:. ',he poutl ".U lo P'°' tdc a <en ICC 10 lhc srudrnlS of the ,chool." satd Mr S:idrn, Coord1na1or of Student Acll� IIKS · we \\-ilOl«I to org.in v:c J "°eek of spec1.il n-mts 10 C3lC die ltNIOf'I Mid thc ,um lh,1 " uthcrml 111 dte "ttl bc fo« fouls" Ihe fir,1 ldl11100 10 srudcnl h fe WJS tee cream al l unch on Mc.>.l.iy On lucsday, lhc GO g<A M.i1uyahu 10 pcrfomt :a.I a 1pcc1,1I Rosh Chodc\h chawga.

"I le h;H goucu so famous, ,o ,,ut<kly h 1001:. c:ill, front 11u11.11icr 10 m:in.iiicr k> finally &ct 111 1ouch, bul II w01kcd 001 m

the end.• s,td 0.mclla Rolv, die Junior Cb.ss VICC PrcsK1cnl On Wcdncsdoy, choc:ol•tc clup cookies were served 11 luncl, •nd on TI1und.1y 11udc:nu reccrvcd muffinJ 111 brc11H11,L On Prid.,y, lhe boys wc1e

n� from wnrmg bes, and the ent ire 1ehool got s'morcs for dcssaL AdJ111ooolly. duough· 001 die wc:ck dicre wrn: ping• JlOllll and foo,b;ill 111blcs ut lite 111M..l1toriu111 (Sec p.,gc (om) M o'1 or 1he 11udcn1 body

w:ss pkasal "1th the event. and ns impro,·tmrnt from last )'car "I though! II "as very mtt." u1d Todd Sru<k.� '05, "Titc pm,, pong \\(JS gr-cal as " CIC the mu ffins II wJS much bcncr than last )'W's C1idl ll'cclc. because 1 1 cbdn'I ha\e thr ICSl·pJOtc a5J)C('L and lha-efc«, 11 hod ,., •� ful dr," b,cl.. .

"1 lo\ -cd •l• s.uJ Jmm fcr Feldstein '06 •1 lhought Mmsyahu wos f:tn...,tc, and GO Cares ll'ttk was fflCh an trrql<O\'Ct!ICf\l O\u Oull 11'«1.. l..a.sl yeo,, "• had half as nu:h work. ....i then lite nc,1 "«l we lud MlCC ;as rruch WOil. l1us yea r, we all knew lNI fi113ls wm, cooung the su� quml Wttks, and JO WC W� odcqu:ttcl y pl'Cl"f(d.

Other students WCl'C I b11 confused. "\Vh alc I d1011i;h1 0141 dte idco. wxl cva, d1C ntxlm<nl were mcc, no one folly unde r• slooJ whal wu gom.; on," said

Liv1yo Kraemer '06. "A 101 of I.ht' thmgs " h.Jch " en: supposed 10 nuke 11 seem like 'GO cares' an: ttolly d11 ni;, " l11ch soould bC' rcmu nent st:1plcs m the sc hool. becau� lhcy rea lly ln 1'f0\ c the cnnroru nml" lllC GO felt die some way "\Iany of the dungs � htd1 we d1d dunni; the wcc-k �,n h.t, c an Offc<I 00 thmi:> Ill the fulUJ<," utd Rolu "\\'e arc cum:ndy ui lhc P,OC<"S of acqutnni; the l'lfll:· J'Ol'i anJ f°""'3II tiblcs rmno nn nly, and "" hope lo conunuc 10 Lh1s vcm 111 the full.ff " Mr So<m ""' e>lml><I) plc.ueJ dtc oolc:Ome "The GO n:,lly 1n<d 10 futd llvngs d1:11 the students would hlc ond 1pp rcc1111c," he s.:ud •1 1u1 )0t2t's GO i, n:o lly f""'-'C() on the nc«IJ of die >tudc:111 boJy. A•udc (mm fixing problems. they uy 10 CltilllC IICllYlllC, that ,hKla11J CI\ JOY,"

,.,11,

Pagc6

February 2005/ Adar I 5765

The namP•ge

News

Studen1s on Trip Receive Passes to Leave Building For j1111iors who we11I lo New Roe City 011 Chol-Hmnoed Sukkot, senior privileges are comi11g early.

By Sophia Mukin '06

Jumors who :lllcndcd lite GO's Chol-I larnoed Sukkot tnp 10 New Roe Cily were recently awarded five pa.sscs to leave the school during free pcnods, cffec11vely receiving senior privileges

before the rest of their class, Twenty-four studcnu from all four grades allended tlie trip, according 10 figurc-s cited at an Oct. 20 SFAC mectmg. .. We wanted to reward the special studC"nls who demonstrated a real invest­ ment m school spmt." Rabbi Rubin said.

The passes come with conditions: lhc students arc only pcm11tted to kavc dur­ ing a free period or lunch.

They cannot leave in between classes or durmg homeroom.

Se1•eral students said it was unfair of the administra­ llon to a ward passes based on tnp attendance.

"The whole situation really bothers me," said Sam Griffcl '06, who did not ancnd the New Roe trip. "I just don'I understand why they deserve the passes.

Now, when I go to a class and there arc only about five peo­ ple there, I honestly wonder

1f maybe the admm1ura11on 'will randomly decide 10 give us senior privileges Just for showing up to school."

(Jut Rabb, Rubin said tl1at students who were at New Roe City showed com­ mitmcnl lo R3maz.

"The culture of the school ,s supported by s1u­ dent involvement and interesl in tl1e academic and co-cur­ ricular acuvilles of the school," he said. "ft ts impor­ t.ant to recognize the students

who dernonstr,uc tJ1e1r com­ rnumcnt 10 the school, and they should benefit from It• Meanwhile, students who did attend the trip said tlicy merited 1hcir reward.

"It ,s really selfish for people to say we didn't deserve the passes," said Sanh Koppel '06. "Tiiey all had the chance to go, too. and they decided to sleep late and not care about supporting school. Why should they be rewarded for that? ..

AP Biology Class Visits Lab, Slices and Stains DNA Sample Dy Adina Goodman '06

Ms. Slon1m took her A.Ji Biology class on Jan. 12 to Cold Spnng Harbor, Long Island, which she described as "one of 1he top three molecular biology research centtrs in the world ...

Continuing a 15-ycar 1rad1t1on, !he cl•_ss pmicip•tcd in an outreach progr.m1 sci up by the Cold Spring Harbor laboratones at the Dolan DNA Leammg Center.

The Center funcuon.s as a place where studtnts of dif­ ferent agts can come to !tam molecular biology, and teach­ ers can learn to better teach ii.

The Dolan Center contacted R:m1az and other sckct schools to partic1patt m a "cumculum study," giv10g Ramaz tcachtrs prefertncc to part1c1patc m vanous fcaturtd programs. Ms. Slonim has pan1c1pated in almost every summer workshop for the past fifteen years.

Whereas James Watson, Nobel Prize wmner for lhc role he played in discovering the Lhree-d1mensional struc­ ture of DNA. worked in the main Ms. laboratory, Slonim's class worked in the student labs at the Dolan Center. The class pcrfonncd two of the AP course's labs. required DNA Reslnchon Analysis and Bacterial Transfom1ation.

"You c'an be totally immersed in what you arc doing at these laboralorics because tl1crc are no bells, and there is no rush,* said Ms. Slonim. TI1e mstructors, "fntndly and laid back" according to Elishc\•a Oellm '05, gave theoretical background for 1he lab. "which mode everything

clear from 1hc begmmng."

The studtnls thtn got to work.

What Bellin and Hart Levme '05 tenned "the best b1 .ology class ever," began w1th a lab dunng which stu-

AP Biology Students transformed non-ampicilian­ resistant bacteria as part of a "curriculum study" at a top research center on Long Island. dents took DNA from a vlIUS and cut 11 usmg restriction tnzymes. The fragments of the shccd ONA were then separated through gel elec­ trophoresis. Next, the lab tcchnic,ans who worked with the students stained the DNA fragments with a carcino­ gemc chemical, c1h1d1um bromide, which makts the DNA fragments visible under Ms. ultra-violet hght.

Slonim, Bellm, and Levine each commented on 1hc "cut­ llng edge technology" that they got 10 use.

Photographs were taken of each group's gel, and the groups presented their pic­ tures and analyzed what they had done. "The purpose of this lab," said Ms. Slonim, "was to help studcnls under­ stand the concept of DNA mampulation." She added that studtnlS learned to work with rn,cropipettcs . "a skill

they \1.1II need to have 1f they go 11110 anythmg mvol"ing micro-b1ology." According to Bellin, Ms. Slonim was "totally mto 11."

During the break, tltc studtnts toured the Cold Spring Harbor museum. which exhibits an1fac1S of tht dLS• covery of DNA and molecu­ lar biology.

In lhc second lab, the stu­ dents transfonned non-ampi­ c1lian-resistant bacttria into amp1c1l1an-resistant bacteria.

Tius 1s done by causing a plasmid with tht rtsist:mt gene to enter cells that lack that gene. Part of the plasmid has a grtcn nuorcsccnt pro­ tein gene that causes the bac­ teria to fluoresct, and all resistant bacteria had that Ou­ orcscmg gene, makmg them easily discernable.

Tlus process of DNA man1pulauon enables the pro­ duction of human gene prod­ ucts that ha\•e had clinical significance for patients all over the world. While some feel lhat lhis procedure yields only positive results, Bellin said that, reg:udmg cenam genome developments such as the possibility to choose one's childrtn's' taltnts o athletic ability, "we should just let things be the way they were meant to be."

IJellin and Levine both commtnled that they enjoyed working in a "real lab," and Bellin added that .. 1t was a bonding experience for o class."

This year, a freshman class will be visiting Cold Spring Harbor for the first hme ever, Ms. Slonim said.

TI1is honors class will per­ fonn a fingr-rprinting lab using DNA samples.

Ch,r Edwin Rh-ua prtparH lan�na for lunch. Ht previously "'ork,d al Magen David Y,shiva in Brooklyn and at lhe rcstaunnl Windows on the World, which wa.s d«troy,d on Stpl. 11.

New Chef Heads Kitchen Dy Adina Goodman ;06

Edwin Rivera began working as the head chef at Fhk's Ramaz franchise Jan. 10 afler being transferred from the Magen David Yeshiva in Drooklyn, where ht had been employed since the beginning of the year.

Before working as a chef at Magen David, Mr. Rivera held a number of other culi­ nary positions. Eleven years ago he began working as a temporary chef for Fhk on their corporate a�counts. He subscquentJy worked as the Assistant GcncJ3l Man:igcr at the rcsraurant SouthWest NY, located in the World Financial Center. lk then worked at Wmdows on tht Wodd. the restaurant at the

lop of the World Trade Center. lly a stroke of luck, Mr. Rivera was off from work on Sept. 11.

Magen David was Mr. Rivera's first job in a school environment. which he said he enjoys.

Adaliza Diaz. the Food Service Director at Ramaz. said Mr Ri"cra, "1s adjusting well to the new environment at Ramaz." Additionally. she said that, "we have received positive feedback, from stu­ dtnts, about the way he sea­ sons his vegetables...

Mr. Rivera was born in Puerto Rico. He lived there until he was six months old.

He then moved to llrooklyn where he was raised. Mr. Rivera's family 1;1.ugh1 him how to cook.

Ftbruary 2005/ Adar I 5765

Tht R.lmPagt

News

Pagt7

Ramchops

IMode/ U. N. P/nces 11,ird

111 YUNMUN

The l\lodel U.N. team placed third in the Yeshi\'a Uni\'ers,ty Nattonal Model United Nations compehlion, held from Feb. 6-8. Sc,en team members won indi­ 1 "idual awards: Caroline Phillips and Judah Marans were awarded Uesl DcfogJtc gJvcls �111d rive other members won �1n I lonor.:1blc Mention.

The \'arsity College Do" I team won one match and lost two Feb. 3 al ,ts m<'Cl m the Lower School. The junior varsity tc.im ,,on h,o matches--one o( which by def ault, a!ler the opposing team failed lo show in hme­ -and lost one .

The sophomore <lass attended a "night oul'' Feb 10, which conmted of a p11z., dinner at school followed by I bowling at the Port /\uthonty.

1\ oio lludtn U '°'alk across lht Columbbi C■htrth) umpu1,. Tbr 1.thool l1, lht t'plnntrr oh conlro­ 'tn) our allrttd .1,tudrnt lntimldarlon by prortuors of Mlddlr EHtrrn .11udlr, .

Alwnna's DocumentaJ:y Leads Students to Question University Ethics By i\llrbm K,.-a�ltz

'06

A documenury produced by • Ramaz olumna >bout pos­ sible :inu- Sc -muism at Columbl3 Unl\CIStty has ad, mcly ofTcctcd Ramaz •pp hants ' chances o accep t­ f ance Otcrc, students SJY llus )C3r only �o R.anuz scmors , "ere :JC'Ct"J)IC 'd earl y to the Columb,, Schoo of l Eng 1ncm ng "Jule no studcn1 "'3' accq>ted earl) 10 the College documentary l1tc , "Columb1;1 Unbecoming.· ".is produced b D:uuc:113 Kllhanc y '00 and consists ofa smes of �tudcn 1cst1momcs tha h1g h­ t l hg h J possible an 1 1 -Scm1llc 1 roblem 0 Columbia p 1 Umvmuy .

The Jewish srudcnts fca1urcd tn the film s:ud thatthey felt uncomforublc 10 ccr1:11n tl3woomS. ,pe e, fteall III thc y D<paMtcrllofMtddlcWIand J\stan l.angw ges and Culrurcs due 10 ,crbal >1tacks by anu­ Scmlltt professors Man y student, on campus shamthe«: fccltn l:,' In the Jan 26 is,uc of O, e Columbt3 Dail y Spc<UIO< ancdJtonalby Vtetor , UJn,J l11i:Jtl1g htcd the: gr0"1ng J'foblcn of onlt-ScmlltSm OQ 1 am pui

·1 am painfull y ow,n: tha t Jc.,., and l<rxht an: O,c larl,'CI o a p(n1s1cn hale-speech f 1 c:rmp,,gn pcrpc1r,11cd over tl,c )CJJ1 by 11<\-CIOI faculty mcm­ b<n." he wrote Kahan u1d she didn ' t c Llun 1hc film had affceled k

Ranuz adrm.ssK>ru "f tlunk lhc rtasoo lh.Jt DOI many Ramu students "ere ,cccptcd had mott to do "uh the app hrants and less to do ",th the film." .t,c :ldclcd. · 1 t

"It's no easy to prove but it's possible ttrat

Ramaz students t

t

didn' ge in f

because o ant i­ t

Semitism a

t

Columbia Bu it . t doesn' make me l

fee insecure."

ccrmnlyhope0101O,c film dt<l­ n�• !Teet Otcrn " dtd not intend 10 gi,e· I Colwnb1aabbcl e ye . l'•·c had 3 grea cxpcncncc 1 llomard t 1 and I cr<:>lcd the documcnury LO 3ddrcs,Oproblem • Ms Sunons,a Rama, col­ leb-C ad\'15CT SJ1d the adim\­ . s1on s SUUilllOn w.u a COUl('l­ dencc pcrha p, due to the . m apphcanli increase 10 Columbia "It """kl be dlc1,1lto dti­ religious cnnmute on ."

•/\ the g,oonds ,he ..,,d l very lca<t "eknow tl,c people in the adtn1\S100J office TI'IC' y c.inno hil,e 111te&nl a.nd 1 I nm w .rnc 1hcmY d1.5C'llmm. 11t ng" /W1 Grn111ct 'OS wa.5:w:ln1 111 ed throuHh CJrl dccmon to y

Columb,,'s Engtn ccnng School i\Jlc, hc::inn& about lhc documcntuy and the :tllcgcd an1 1 -Scm1u.srn ill Columb1;1 , Grumet S3td he: " ,1111 loolang fOf\,,m) 10 attcndtn& Colwnbra. ·1111s IS not Ca.5) 10 pro\'C but n's ,·cry possible tlut Ramu students dtdn't Gd 111 bcciluscoflhe :inu-Smullsmat Columbia," he ..,,d "Dul u doesn't nlllc me fee lr\S('('1JJ'C' l 3bout gotng. I don't fee hle l the :ann-ScmJUsrn 1'i r.unpant Otcrc • Toh lk1kow1v 'OS >pphcd to Columb1:1 early :and w;i s dcfcrrcJ llut .tlC I rcOunlong Columbia now fo r d11Tcren1 rt'3SOU.S. "I feela ltttl c more hcs1tan l 10 go there now thJ 1 know I about tl1c 3nu-Scm111sm." she 531d "Right '""'· I'm consider­ ing otheroption, "Dul JUSI because• Ranuz gr,,dwtc spoke hc:r mtnd and acted a� tn St ant1 -&m1bsm, lS not ii rcnon no to XCt"J>l t Ranuzsrudcnts."wadded · 1 don't thmk that the Columbra odm1s,u,n, offittr1 woukl hokl I wou l d think 0101 •b-atnSIus 0101 Ote woold want Sludcnts y \\Ito fighl fo, Oungs O"'tthey bcllC\'C tn.

JuhJJ,c 'IJtd she: formcJ her curren con, ,cuons and t sclf�conlidcnce du11ng high school "My Rama, cducalton dcf 11111cl rnOuenced me: she y 5,31d ..IUma, g1HJ students the crnpo>wenncnt and the ngl n 10 lake :1 ,rand"ltcn the LSS11c 1s 11nport•.111t enough"

The R.lm•t band, fNtunng the vocals of Sarah Koppel, Andrew Litwin, and [mma Goldman, perfo rmro Feb. 9 at the chag,gah for Rosh Chodcsh /\dar I. Ramaz and Congrega1ton Keh,lath Jcshurun hosted its f annua l Yachad Shabb,1ton on the Shabbat o Feb . 12.

I

Judah Ma rans won the Shakespeare rcetta l competition Feb . 8, for his performance of Scbashan's monologue from 7'wclfth Night • Ile now procccds to the next round , Enghsh Speaking Union's Nahona I hgh School l Compehllon on March 8 , wht•r e he will have lo rootc a sonne t in add1t1on to his monologue .

The 1umor grade went 10 the Yeshiva University SOY scfanm sale Jon. 15.

R.Jm•z honored Mr . Goetz as educator of the year Jan 16 al its 66th annua ioumal dinner. Da\'1d Kahn, hon­ l oral'} ch.11m\an or the Ramaz board o directors, w.is ( al.so honored

School Cancels Ski Trip Again R Miriam Krulf' ·05

panes to pn:v1ously arnngcd lnps nnd,neations,butcmpha­ The annu3 mtcrsession si1.cd that no l yea r he would 1 sk trip \\OS canceled in try lo rein.stale it. Ile also said i January fo r the second s1raiGh t lhat "i1h 1hc GO he wa.s )tar due to a lad.. of �rudcn alwa)> ·100�1011 for something t in1crcst �1:111y "hoh3d prC'\ i• new a.nd cxcuin.:, for students. " e ousl) gone on Ot lnp chose to Yct. m,ny students "ho plan thei r O\\n ,acaiioru in h,;.i been lool.in& fOf\\arJ to wanner clim:ucs instr:ad. itu• 1hc lrip "m: d1s.1ppoin1c d with dents said. the bck of tnlcrul b) their fhc GO decided not to classmalcs "I'm rcolly upsc t. r sponso the tu tl11 s year 11"one of the highlightsofmy p ""Last year not tnough srudents )'Car: said Grorf(ry Kidcnnnn e signed up. so thi s )C'ar th 00 'OS decided not 10 spend time on · Other sct'11011 agrttd tha t il" said GO Prcstd, ·n Ale, the sl1 u,p ":is 1n fact •a" c• t Mei rO"lll llZ '05 some " . f Mr. Sadrc.. head of >t u• Danicl ab,hon '08,one o dent x:11, 1tin, "a s in charge th e few "hoh3d 111:ncd up fo r of1he tnp. Al the timeof c.1n• th e tnp s.aid 11 shouid tu, c . cclln11on a dc,1inatto n om bcncr puhlici1cd been .I . rricc had su ll no bttn scL said thot on e rn.so n Snb.sho n t E,cnluall) 1he rvcn t wu c:1 11• few sludcnts siGncd u was p cele d \\ hen 110 enoug h slu • bccau,0 ..theyrh,nncd sli trip , 1 on their own, " dents signed up Mr. Snd,cs attributed the lock of pnnlcl• y

s ________________--=Th• JtamP•s• _r_•s=-•-___

·

Editorial

The Search Committee Disconnect As reponcd in this issue, the scllfCh f committc-c for a new head o school has C\cludcd faculty members from its ranks.

This is a mislllke 1ha1 will only serve to widen the currcnl gap between those who non Ramaz and those who teach and learn f inside o , t.

There is quite a gap . ln foc i, a search committee member recently contended 1hat Studcnl-Teachcr Conference Day is a "calm day ."

"TI,is is what separates us from other schools." he said. "How could you call it chaos?" To students, i1's obvious: this committee member has never walked the halls during conferences. f O course , like any schoo l, the key to Ramn culture lies in its halls , where one f can see the faces o students and teachers and o,-.:rhear thei r gripes and gro;,ns.

Flatbush understands this concept.

Their search committee for a new head of

schoo l included faculty and consulted stu­ dents, which is plainly sensible. Who,after al l, knows what it lllkes to run Ramaz bet­ ter t�on its own current administrators?

Who is more familiar with e1Tcc1ivc class­ room management 1han teachers who have worked for decades?

TI1c committee has said that it would consult wilh lhe adminis1ra1ion if ii volun1ccrcd any ideas. Why 1hc board decided, 1hcn, 10 exclude administralors and facully from 1he omeial search apparalus remains 10 be explained.

Educational consultants say thal facul­ ty members should be included in searches f for heads o schools because they will ulti­ ma1ely be the ones who have 10 deal with the new head.

The scan:h committee needs to invi1e faculty members onto the boat now, so that they don't jump ship la1er.

febru•ry 2005/ Ad•rI

6765

�eRamPage EDITORS�N-GHIEF Benjamin Boms1..n Mirt.m l<Nle Gabriel Oppcohelm ASSOCIATE EDITORS Lahav Ho,kov Samuel Slo ge

l

JUNIOR EDITOR N,colo Demby CONTRJBUTING EDITOR Emily8elf0< PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Gaboel SlomovdS

RAMCHOPS EDITORS M,,a Goodman Sopl1la Meru1 CO PY EDITOR Minam Kra-NllZ WEB EDITORS -- Zacl,a,y UelJmam FACULTY ADVISER Mr. AlbetlGoetz (Some mafotfa/ CO<Jttesy o1-.n Society ofNewspaper Eclilof,/l(RT t;ampu3 H,p/1 School Newspaper SeMce)

GO Succeeds In the pasl month, the GO has spurred 1he schoo l lo buy permanent ping-pong and foosball tables for the auditorium and to allow sludents to use elevators after d>vening. This page commends the GO for these changes, bolh of which several previous GO's foiled to bring about counl• less times.

But it's not just about what the GO achieved-it's also about how they did it By utilizing GO Cares Weck as a trial run for game lllblcs ni the auditorium, the GO gave the school empirical evidence thal the tables help dccrcasc lounge noise by attracting students downslllirs. Indeed, three different teachers at the Feb. 16 SFAC mccling acknowledged the tables' emcacy al reducing noise.

So with 1eachers growing increasingly in1olcran1 of hallway disturbances and SIU· dents clamoring--as always-for more in­ school diversions, 1he GO presenled per­ mancnl ping-pong tables as the perfect solulion to kill lwo birds wilh one stone.

One must crcdil the GO for this marke1ing knack.

Meanwhile, students said 1hey enjoyed GO Cares Weck-from the rau­ cous Matisyahu conceit to the student mumns. Who can blame them? After all,

unlike lhe highly conlroversial "Chill Wc-ek" two years ago, GO Cares Week did nol inlcrfcrc, for 1he mosl pan, with s1u­ den1 1es1ing schedules. Once again, where • previous GO failed, this year's student government rccen1 ly succeeded.

In fact this could be the theme of the eleva1or rules change , as well . Pas1 GO's have spoken about such change in SFAC and then failed 10 follow up and craft a formal proposal. This GO crafted a spe ­ cific eleva1or propoS3l, based on discus­ sions al lasl October's SFAC meeting, which it submitted 10 the administration and Faculty Senale.

Of course, any legisla1ion derived from SFAC discussion is also a tribute to SFAC's newfound emciency under Dr. Gaylord's chairmanship. SFAC has been particularly well-aucndcd by lcachers this school year, a rencc1ion of its renewed role in shaping school events.

The GO disappoinled students monlhs ago by planning a Sukkot trip 10 a fun ccn­ ler in New Rochelle and not providing snacks or en1enainmen1 during sludent• teacher conferences. Bui it has rebound­ ed: the proverbial GO elevator is on its way up. And now, students are too.

The·RamPage

welcomes letters to the editor, which should be sent to

RamPage@ramaz.org

Ramshacbles

�TA 1\ &UO<S

� E\IEMJE 5CUPIC.E5

Editors' Notes The answers to the crossword puzzle on page /3 can be obtained in the College Office.

This issue does not contain bas­ ketball standings because the league has not updated its own standings online since Jan. 21.

Due to deadlines, RameNoodles is not included in this months issue.

It will return next issue.

All are welcome to a/lend Samuel Freedman s Feb. 24 talk at the 5:00 P.M. Rai11Page meeting in room 604.

r---

RAAA'Z.

SM>�

"-1:NO)C �L

I: MPI..O'ltt!a

OTHE�

(It 14iloo, Nolh• 'OS

February 2005/ Adar I 5765

Page9

The RamPage

Opinion

The Merits of Frank's Transportation No Better Than Abaco

A Marked Improvement

By Sarah Sabshon •OS

By Noah Plaut '08

The busing business is not an easy one: Y.Onytng about getting the passengers to t1,c1r destination m lime. manmng the phones, hstcning to comp131nmg parents­ it's all difficult. Some bus compamcs can pcrfonn 1hc task, like Supenrans, after years of practice:. Others. hkc Ahl.co Busing. nC\'Cr seem to get it But what ulumatcly dctcnmncs the competency of a busing company is us ab1hty to communicate \\'1th the public. This entails how pohtc the dmcrs and other employees arc. how well they accept cntmsm. and how quickly and .---------------i c;imestly they go obout fixing their mis­ Are circuitous routes tokcs. While Fr.ink's Transporta1ton m,y not be perfect, it ccnomly surpasses better than older Abaco m the areas of communication and buses with broken counesy.

Fr.mk's Tr.msporution sun� �n·1c­ engines? ing Ramaz m the middle of the year. The company had barely any time 10 create its�-------------! routes. kt 3.lonc: "ork out 311 the log1sucs mvolvcd in busing so many students.

When Frank's beb'On working for Ramaz ,n the beginning of Januory, students 3mvcd la1c to school 3nd some missed all of davening. Students also compl3incd about the lack of room on ach bus. In add111on. Frank's failed to send enough late buses to meet students at Ramaz. Buses were breaking do"n and runmng out of gos. It seemed os though Frank's was no better !hon Abaeo.

Ho\\c,·cr. once the: complamts stancd to pour m. Frank's set out to amelio­ rate the situation. Dus drivm bcg311 dnving their routes at carhcr tunes to get the students to school on hmc. Fr.ink's added a new bus and changed a few routes so that buses would no longer be overcrowded. And. after about a week, enough late buses started showing up. �·1e:inwh1lc. bus brcUdowns arc no longer 3n issue:.

Furthermore. the employees are mfirutcly more pohte than those of Abaco, ond Frank lumself ,s more !hon willing to please the parent body. This IS essenti:il to runnmg a good bus oompany.

Despite its progress, Frank's still n«ds to set up bcncr communication lines between us mam office :ind its dn,•ers. TilCy should start by mstallmg work.mg phones 1.n the buses PcrhJps after that. they can have people aetu:Jlly answer them.

The probab1 hty th:tt Frank's will fix this problem relatively soon is quite high.

J hove no doubt that, by tl1e end of the year, Frank's will hove the Ramaz bus routes down pol

It's a Thursday. As tlie wind blows outside, tl1e Junuz-boWld Sc.md:tlc bus slogs olong tl1e Cross County Park-w:iy towards ,ts desunat,on. It ,s olso the last doy of finals for tl1c freshmen on llus bus. and as anyone could guess, tension as high Abruptly, sleeping students wake up to hear the drwer mutter sometl1ing in Sparush befo,c qu,ekly pulling tlie bus over to tltc s,de of the rood. At first. tl,c students don't know who! is hoppening, but OS soon OS they hcor the fanuhar sound of a bus eng,ne th.al \\OO't tum O\-Cf, they know exactly wha(s occumng.

11,c broken bus sits on the side of Ilic: Cross County. ond the Frank's Transportalloo drwcr alls the oompony for help. Nervous stud<.-nts coll the oompo­ ny and tl1cir parents on cell phones 10 find out how tlic:y are gcmng to school. Ten minutes p355, � the company (along wuh lhc bus clri,•cr m Spanish) tnes to reassure the ::.tudcnts that a new bus will be there to pick them up m three minutes. Another ten minutes go by and no bus A few mmutcs later. 1.hc parents iln: rclsc,cd the company s.a)'S that a new bus has picked up the eluldren and ,s now bnnging them to sehool. UnfortWl.ltely for the students, dus 1s not true lllcrc is oo bus and the fh'e freshmen contmue to wan. now sht\'enng. llurty minutes later, a Frank's bu.s finally pulls along side tile: broken-down Scan,dalc bus Almost as soon 35 the sludcnts get on the bus, they have: to get off. re:illZIJlg thot tlus bus is going not to Ramaz, but S.A.R. 11,e bus quickly speeds away.

Then II finally downs on all the students: no bus is conung. So a parent dnves to the students and picks them up. bnng,ng them to Junuz m her mmi\'311 a full fi,·e minutes before their finals arc slated to begin.

Ranuz hod trouble with Abaeo Busing. That company c;ineeled bus sen,ce on snowy dJys wnhout notifying the school and created routes tlut were circuitous at best So, nghl befon: finals, Ramaz switched lo Frank's in tlie hope thot students would 110,, anwe to and from school in a fast .lnd comfortable manner. lbc hope was a vam one Besides the me1den1 dcscnbed :ibo-c. students have complained of ovatt0wd­ cd buses and, one, agom, wmcccssanly long rides due to ,nsens,blc routes. E,-cn worse arc the many drivers who do not speak English. making it almost impossible for many students to commun1ca1c: wnh r.hcm. The buses frequently break. do1An-;is they did on the first Mondoy of fmols when muluple buses hod so-eolled "mechan1cal fa,hm:s."

Qn manyOCC1S1ons. buscsJust don�come at all and, ,f thcy do come, they eome so late I.hat students arrive to school. well, bte.

Ramu fired Aboeo, hoping to get something better, but all 11 got was Frank's.

ed over the loudspcoker, and the sc,i.rmg woman approached

Opp-Ed

me.

By Gabriel Oppenheim 'OS

_Grogginess and Gunk, Aquaphor and Reece

Grogginess engulfed me when I awoke. J hodn't slept much m the pasl year.

Srumbhng to the bathroom across tlie hall. I felt my brain bleoL !Jut I recalled tlial there were two finals Jen until mtersess,on and removed my rctamcr. It wasn't caked m gunk.

Thirty minutCJ later, I wa.s s,umg on a stlrr wooden beneh inside the train sut,on. Tiic train wouldn't come for another sever.al minutes. so I wat.chcd.

"So what an: you up to now'/" ·rm teaching !hit class-

,(s sewing, n:olly--at the Yyou know, the YWCA--on Lexington and S4th-•" "Oh! 11101 sounds great-• "It is."

11,e two women lefi the st.11100. I checked the ltmc10.JS-ond followed tl,em out to the platfonn.

I stood there, the cold wmd mpping al my face. I bent my head down ond ooven:d my mouth with my s=f to protect it from the wind. It seemed hkc the mature tlung to do, bul rea lly, I just wanted Aquaphor. Aquaphor and fleece.

An announcement sound-

"Did they soy this troin is deloycd or the other one?" she asked. '"11,c other one, the one hcod,ng to-• "Right, right, the other one--that's what they soid, you're ngl11; she said, begm­ mng to walk away mid-sen­ tence. I smiled, looked at tlie sewing ""oman's f.lce for a momen� and turned awoy 11ia(s when I felt 11.

I felt eyes take a walk all over me. 111ey belonged 10 • WASP-y-lookmg woman m her m1d-60's. She stood obout five feet behind me on the plot­ fonn, ond she sbml.

"Mmd your business." I though� os I saw her toke notice of my lappah. She saw thot I saw, and she smiled wannly. I knew she would have been more comfortable 1f my name were Spencer.

Ten minutes into the tram nde, I had forgoucn the stares.

AJler ■II, d ,cy were just thot, and I had an Aggadah final al 11 :4S. So I studied I few pages

of notes. My belly rumbled a little, but I hod alreody kno"TI before th:tt 11 wos fmols lime.

I stepped off the tram tn

"It's just that, well, I lost one down the line... and you match."

Grand Central. track 104.

"Excuse me." said tlie star­ ing woman quietly as she got o!T the tram, "were you adopt· cd?"

"No," I said afler a few seconds. "no. not that I've been told."

I stretched out "told" ond followed II Milt a qu1ek ehor­ tle. I didn't tlunk whot she hod osked was funny: I JUSI wonted to J,elp her lough orr • misun­ derstar1di11g. It was as if to say, "Don't sweat it. people mistake me for adopted afl the lime."

She mtghl hove frowned at this point, but her head sunk so quickly following my n:spoose that h's hard to remember.

•1r, just Iha� well, I lost

one down the hnc," she sa1d. gently movmg her hand m my dtrCcllon. "and you match up: t1ller thon 6'2," duty-blonde: hoir-" "Nope • We continued walking. lost sight of her on the stlir­ casc from the track to the main floor. 1l1e cplSOde slruek me as btllllTt, unltl I reached Ute lop of the st11rs and realized I hod struck her.

That snule at the Scarsdolc tr.lm smuon came l>Jck to me, and "1th 11, the emotions she· must have fcl� She thouglll she Jud found lunL Now, I "anted to hug her. tell her tho! 1l wos going to be all nghl and thot slie'd find her son.

St1ndmg in the eenler of Grand Central, I couldn't spot her among hundreds of people passing me, walk.mg in str.11ght lines to lhc:ir rcsp«:tivc wod.:• plaees.

But I h•d an Aggadah final. So I caught the 6 train to Ramaz-my workplace of and gunk, grogginess Aquaphor ■nd llcccc.

Page 10

The RamPage

PebnL1ry 2005/ Adar I 5765

I

You arc studying for your history final and your college roommate walks into the dom1 carrymg the latest New Yorker. Somehow. the maga21nc seems tremendously more intcrcstmg than your history notes, even though both arc intellectual fare. Of course, anythmg seems appealing when you arc a,•01dmg some task or another, but why'!

The answer, according to Dr. Zc11ch1k. is that procrasunauon amounts to doing what one cnJoys.

And who wouldn't want to do that which is cnJoy­ ablc for them?

Apparently, not college students. Psychologist and author Wilham Knaus approx..imatcd that 90 percent of college students procrastm:uc and that 25 percent of these students usually end up dropping out of college.

Yet Dr. Zc11cl11k said tha1 not all procrastinallon 1s ncccssanly bad. 1t 1s natural to have a yen for "spontaneous and enjoyable actw1t1es " Smee m:ichme-like efficiency lc:aves 7.,cro room for spur­ of-the-momcnt in1crests. one should balance 1he must-do's with opuonal. pleasurable activ,ues. he said.

But Dr. Ze11ch1k said 1hat 1(, for example, one's teacher a.ss1gncd a research paper due 111 three weeks, he or she could go home 1hat night and engage m v:mous :1ctiv1t1es w11hout feeling lake a procrastinator because chronological distance negates the gwlt that usually accompanies puttmg off work.

Dr. Ze,tchik added that there are also those who

work best under pressure. "Do they pay a pnce?" he asked. "Perhaps; 1t depends on the person."

He said that there arc two distinct types of pro­ crastination. One 1s the common, pushing-off-work kmd of procrastination. The other and more extreme, 1s av01dmg basic and natural aspects of ooe's life, such as meeting fnends, getting mamcd, :md fulfilhng rcspons1bihties.

In other words. 11 1s one tlung to avoid reading the assigned book for English class simply out of luiness and a desire to watch "Semfeld" reruns.

However. senous procrastmation occurs when one avoids (acing a task because he or she fundamental­ ly lacks the know-how to race that task.

Dr. Zc1tch1k said that once one has a somewhat stable hfc. the less extreme category of procr:istma­ uon can be avoided by learning how to cope with all sorts of rcsponsib1ht1cs. It 1s 1mponant to learn to break bigger projects into small, manageable pieces. Dr. Clayton E Tucker-Ladd notes 10 his book "Psychological Self Jtelp."

I-le recommends working on "getting started" on tasks. or "tncking yourself by saying 'I'll just do fi\·e minutes' and then finding out you don't mind working longer than five minutes." He writes that often the hardest pan of perfom1ing a task 1s getting started, but that once a project 1s underway. people often find n caster than they ant1c1pated.

Dr. Tucker-Ladd compared this phenomenon wnh beginning a workout routine, the hardest aspect of wluch, he "rr1tes. 1s droppmg what you're

doing at the moment and actually starting to exer­ cise. Five nunutes into thal "Abs of Steel" video­ tape. the task doos not seem all that bad.

Dr. Tucker-Ladd also presents various procras­ tmat1on-fighting techniques. He explains th.at since procrastination "1s not the basic 'problem' but rather an attempted 'cure' for fears, self-doubts, and d1shke of work," procrastmators have to face the "real underlying problems" that arc leading them to pro­ crastmate. Dr. Tucker-Ladd suggests settmg up a to-be-done list as wc11 as a "simple record-keeping and reward procedure."

"There are people whose whole careers are teaclung others how to priontize." Dr. Zc11ch1k said.

"TI1e idea 1s to develop good work habits. to devel• op a more calm way of domf: work and really domg it."

In lane: with Dr. Tuckcr-Lldd's analogy 10 exer­ cise. Dr. Zeitchik s:ud that if one is trying to start exe�e1smg more. he or she must gradually get used to a realistic plan and then stick to it.

Ex.perts at the U01vcrs1ty of Buffalo define pro­ crastinauon as "rhe 3\ 01dancc of domg a task which needs to be accomplished." ll1ey say that ..proc-ras­ tination h.is a high potential for p.:unful conse­ quences," listing causes such as poor time manage­ ment. difficulty concentr.atmg, fear and anxiety, unreal1suc expcctauons, and pcrfecuonism.

Disconccnmg? Perhaps. But there is no lime to \\':lStc. There is only one option: seek: out your inner procnstmalor and fight the daylights out of him.

Confronting Liberal Campuses to Face My Judaism

By Nkolt Dtmby •06

"No one here under­ sl!lnds what R:tmaz was like for me." she said as we: sat 111 her dorm casually d1scussmg her first semester as a fresh­ man at Wesleyan University.

As I met other .. Wes" stu­ dents during my college vmt.

I came to realize that the idc:i of Ramaz 1s somewhat of a nO\'elty on a campus such as Wesleyan.

• One of 1he most liberal and polit1cally acuvc colleges m the 11at1on. Wesleyan may be a cancature of a left-lean• mg college campus (the mo\·ic "PCU." v.h,ch sl3nds for '"Pollllcally Correct Un1\.er.-.1ty." WJS actually based on It), bu1 college (am­ pu.-.c\ ;icro�� lhe nation h;i\'e lustoncally b{c:n ba,uons of liberal thou:•!� AnJ \\hen one \ 1c"s

Rarnaz, Modern and Orthodoxy 111 general. through today's lens of pohu­ cal correctness. 1t 1s 001 h:ud lo sec why Wesleyan students find the idea of a yesh1v:1 high school to be potenllally disagreeable.

One subjecl in particular on which Ramaz and leftist college studen1s opm1ons' dcvfale is lsr.ael I hke to think of myself as an open­ mmdcd person \\hO will cn11rrze the Jsr.1ehs as readily as 1hc Jlalestimans :rnd "ho believes t.hal compronuse 1s necessary 10 :iclueve peace I am not naive I know that many college students have aJopled 1he Pc1les11m:1n cause- Out v. hat \\JS Jarrmg 10 me V.3'5 ho \\• \\'e,;leyJn stu­ dents founJ Ill) cJucJt1on to he d0\\1mgh1 .-.hoclmi,: ·1 he Ja} a lier my fnend made her comment I found

In a place where Israelis are made out to be cruel aggressors, he could not fathom being pro-Israel. myself again discussing Ramaz. this time with a non­ Jewish acquainlancc from a summer program I attended I\\O years ago I discussed and recalled tha1 many R.ama7 parents and teachers voted for JJush lorgely because they felt he woul<l bc better for Israel (my own Talmud ICJchcr told our cl:iss tlut he en11rel) d1>rcgardcd all ,c:.sw..�" be'i1deo; lsr.icl m \0tlD�J I al�o menuoncJ th::n Kamaz hn�t, numerous guests v. ho often spcal 10

students about the 1mpor­ Junior year. College madness tancc of being pro-Israel. is slowly enveloping my hfe, "That'• really frcal.)'." he and I am bracing for the said. rdcrring to Ramaz's squeeze. I have always imag­ programs. He is n0t a very ined myself at liberal ans pohucal person. Rather, hv­ schools such as Wesleyan. mg m 3 place where Israelis But. and this 1s a substan11al a.re constantly made out 10 be ' "but," none of these schools cruel aggressors. he simply has much Jewish life at all. I could nol fathom that anyone would probably encounler besides a monster would sup­ fierce anti-tsrael sentiment at pon the lsrach cause. ln fact. such schools. too. he called Ramaz students 1l1e Wesleyan visit sig­ "bra1nw:ashed." naled to me that the tune has I feel compelled 10 discuss come 10 t11ink about what role my WcslC)'J.O trip because of a I want Judaism to play m my cosnuc coalcscmg of e\cnls. future.

My first tnp 10 Israel 1s nght More 1mmed1ately, how• around the corricr �leanwh1le 1 ever, the v1s11 showed me first ccnain C'olumb1a p,ofessors hand that, \\h1le supporting arc being accused of \1rulcnt ln.icl 1s morally rom:ct 111 antt•710111�m. and the un1 \ers1our Modem Orthod�'t 1y prc-;1dcnt 1s bemg ch.:uged cnclJ\ e. many of us mJy \\ 1th 1r,nonng the compllmL,;, soon head olTto pl:Jccs \\here exactly the opposite ,.., true of offend�<l c;;tudenb, 1 mJll), I ha\C 1ust entered 1hc second hJlf of m}

February 2005/ Adar I 5765

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Features.

In Ramaz, Sleep� at a Premium , . J1 Most Ramaz students, -ff, ' . ....,,.

Pl

when asked about their sleeping habits in a recent RamPage sur­ vey, said they were not sleeping enough and that they were fre­ quently tired in school. Perhaps that is why the Starbucks on 78th and Lexington 1s doing so well.

"Almost all teen-agers, as they reach puberty, become walking zombies because they are getting far too little sleep," said Cornell University psycholo­ gist James B. Maas, PhD, in a recently published study on sleep.

Most Ramaz students said they can relate. They added that I.hey are familiar with the feeling of overwhelming exhaustion that accompanies sleep deprivation.

According to the Carle Regional Sleep Disorder Center, a leader in ado­ lescent sleep studies, 'Teens need approximately nine-and-a-half hours of sleep-more than either adults or children. The Carle studies also show t· hat not getting enough sleep severely retards and impedes cognitive functioning.

If you still believe that staying up the extra hour to study for a le t will improve your scores, be forewarned. The Better llealth Channel Web site slaks that "high school students who regularly score C, Dor F in school tests and assignments get, on average, half an hour less sleep per night th,111 high school students who regularly get A and B grades."

Cf,,cAw,,r fn,111 "'I'' Anna :\lendes '05, Brandon Paroly '05, and Zach Rosenberg '06.

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Features

Senior Signs Up For Sherut Leumi Program

By Andrew Mthl •07

Like many of her fellow seniors, Lahav Harkov '05 knew she would be spending her year aficr high school 111 Israel. But, while her class­ m:ites struggled to decide ,, luch Yeshiva or Seminary to attend, 11:irkov \\ as busy settmg up Job tntcrv1c,, s 111 Israel.

Instead of 1akmg a year ofT to learn. Hatkov has decided to volunteer for a year of n:u1onal service through the Shcrut Leumi program. As :rn Israeli c111zcn. I IJrk0\ feels "mdcbtcd" to the state of lsr:icl. and believes that the ShcnH Leumi prot;ram u'lll proV1dc her "'Ith :m opponumty to give back 10 the country that has given her so much.

Shcrut Leumi was ong1nally stancd 10 order to pro­ vide rcl1g1ous "omen, who arc c:..cmpt from military service. wuh the opportunuy to perform d,ffc:,cnt forms of na11on:il service. \Vl11lc 1hc majonly of these women usually wo,k rn fields such :i.s hr:alth care and educa11on.

H::i.rkov will be voluntcenng al an J.srae.11 lustory museum.

This past summer.

Harkov attended the Samberg 1

Family History program al New York City's Center for Jewish History. The program provides high school students with 1hc opportunity to explore their family history by takmg advantage of one of the largest Jewish arcluvcs in all of America Over the course of the summer.

11::ukov became "very 1111er­ es1ed in Jewish lustory and in the way museums worked.. . llavmg been inspired by her summer cxpcnencc. I larkov knew that the Sherut Leumi prog.r::i.m "ould pronde her with the right outlet for embracing her newfound mtcrests.

For Harkov. learning for a year m Israel "1s about helpmg yourself grow, not about hdpmg others grow. h's more about takmg 1han ,g1vmg." Conversely. the Shcrut Leumi program pro­ vides someone like Harkov with the opportunity to give somcthmg back to the state of Israel.

Ilowc \ er, lindmg a suit­ able job at a museum in Israel was not easy. When she firs! spoke wtth her Israel guid­ ance counselor about her plans for Israel. I brkov was told that the school would not really be able to help her with

the application process for the Sherut Leumi program.

However, Ms. Strapp, one of the school's Israel guidance counselors said. "Lahav's interpretation of a lack of support was really just a lack of knowledge. on the part or the Israel Office. about how a Sherut Leumi program ran." llowcvcr. the reah1y of the s11uat1on was 1ha1 Ilarkov was lefi 10 go about the appll­ cauon process alone.

Faced with that bleak reality, Markov and her moth­ er spent hours on the phone Stnior Laba" llmrl..ov plan.s 10 \\ Ork in lsratl's Shtrut Ltumi speaking 10 Israeli agcncu:s Program nut year. such as Arnmadav, O:it-Arm i 111 the Shcrut Leumi program and the Israel Volunteer des gn and lead tours of the 1s due m large pan 10 herdedService Associa11on. also museum for Israeli school­ 1cat1on and comm1tmcn1 10 knO\\ n as the Aguda. which cluldrcn the Israeli community.

Ilarkov and her family women provide "'11h Nahonal Service opportuni­ plan on makrng aliyah in Unlike the rest of her grade. "she 1s \'cry rntereslcd in ttes as well as housing. July. followmg her gradua­ becormng fully integrated Through these agencies. t1oa from lugh school She i i llarkov set up rnterviews will l ve tn an apartment rnto Israel soc1ely." she said. with 1hrec Israeli institullons. bmldmg in !he Ramat Aviv HarkO\' hopes to rcmam 111 neighborhood, nearby the ls-racl upon the complctton of Yad Vashem, Ammunition I hll and Beth Hatefutsoth. · Un1vers11y of Tel-Aviv. lhc Sherut Leumi program.

As a result, on Jan. 25, where the museum ,s located. and 1s considenng the opllon l-larkov lefl for Israel on a ten However. her family w1ll l1\e of altendrng Dar llan day trip, on which she visited far away from Tel-Aviv, University. Ilowcvcr, she has the different museums. and either 111 Shoham or Mod11n. yet to rule out !he poss1b1hty was 1111crv 1ewcd by potcnt1al Ncvenhelcss. llarkov mtends of rctummg to Amenca for on v151tmg her family on the college ''I'm 1deahS11c I li ke employers. She returned 10 thmk that I will love Israel from Israel \\11h the mtcnllon weekends.

Acco«hng 10 Ms. Strapp, and stay lhcrc forever." of working at the Beth Harkov's dec1s1on to panakc l latcfutsoth. where she will

'

Won:ls Worn------Breaking Down Teen Talk: 1-Vicked

S.:.-,..

s,..,,.;,..t,Uf

Tony Hawk tnd olhtrtk■ltbo■rdtn htl�d brine ..wicked" Into lht wldrr Amtrk■n lulcon. D■t ..m■d" It now tht adverb of chokt.

Rcadmg the newspaper these days, one gets 1hc 1mpress1on that the world 1s drowmng u1 a sea of malevo­ lence· "Mean Girls" did well at tJ1e box otlicc. gcopol111cs arc overshadowed by an "axis of evil," and "wicked" 1s increasingly becommg the tcnn of choice to dcscnbc JUSt about anytlung.

Watches aren't cruel any­ more-they're wicked, accord­ ing lo the h1t Dro:idw:iy musi­ cal of the same name. Nothing is merely cool now-it's all wicked cool. And clever man­ agerial moves'/ They're "wicked smart." or so Oen Walker wrote in an Oct. 28,

2004 Associated Press article dcscnbmg Red Sox Manager Terry Francona's actions en route to wmnmg the \\'orld Scnes.

1l1at tins slang fonn of "wicked," used as a synonym for "extremely" or "very," made its way mto AP ar11clcs­ -wh1ch arc known for tllCir sta1dncss-is a lcstament to tts standing in the w ider American lexicon. But it's also a reflccl!on of "wickcd's" foll from popul:mty as tJ1e adverb of choice for punksters in 01e late 90's.

Indeed, about seven years ago, the insouciance of skate• boarders epitomized wicked-

ness.

But the zc1tgc1s1 moves on, and so docs temunology Enter "mad," wluch 1s this decade's "wicked" Actually, "mad" h:is a leg up on "wicked" in tJ1e s1ay111g­ power s1ak(s because 11 1s monosyllab1c. h's JUSt easier to deem sometlung "mad fun" than 1t 1s to call 1t "wicked fun." Of course, "mad'' 1s also commonly palTCd with "cool," "smart," "funny," :ind "good."

SIIII, "m,d" h>s a half-life, too. And it won't be long before it-like so many previ­ ous tnendy phrases--is droppcd ...hke it's hot.

Page 13

The RamPage

Febru-•ry 2005/ Adu I 5765

Features

Crossword

ACROSS 1 Capital on the Nile 6 Uneven hairstyle 10 Alan of -M •A"s•H" 14 Render void 15 Patriot Nathan 16 Midday 17 Loses one's cool 18 Right-hand man 19 Young horse 20 Conical abode 21 Players for$ 22 Supplements, with"out" 23 Lengthened 25 Ernie of golf 27 Graven image 29 Cartographe(s book 33 Slows down 38 Company picnic event 40 Love story 42 Put one's sword away 43 Forsakes C 2005Tritiun. "-ct'- s-vic.•• �.

45 Napping Alrtghta....,.rvad.

46 Square one 47 Fermenting 13 Pismires tanks DOWN 24 ·s aturday Night 49 Pointed tool 1 Hindu class Fever"dance 51 Couch potato's 2 Add on 26 Huron and ailment 3 Not suitable Superior 57 Bambi and kin 4 Money 1n Sri 28 Head of Vegas?

60 Opera song Lanka 30 After curfew 62 Freshen up 5 Johnson' s 3 t Muscle misery 63 In addition f"nl"l'Wllrl1,n::trtr\t,,f' 32 Ooze 64 Paper quantity 6 Formed 33 Toot one's own 65 _-Saxon 7 Afros, beehives, horn 66 Amer.-Eur. etc. alliance 8 Ray of "God's 34 Judge's attire 67 Slalom marker Little Acre· 35 Lahn 101 verb 68 Even more 9 Fliers in a skein 36 Aussie jumpers despicable 1 o Longtime­ 37 Fund a 69 Unlortunately honored fellowship 70 Poetic tributes 11 Appearance 39 Run after 71 In an upright 12 Welfare, U.K position stvle

Look Back at Past RamPage Issues: October 1995 y Tht RamP1gt Staff

1 Part of SASE

44 Fill

to the brim 48 English river 50 "Key_• 52 Met cheer 53 Top Bolshevik 54 Point of view 55 Actress Hayes 56 Saber or rapier 57 Comic Carvey

58 Airline to Israel 59 Como_ Usted?

61 Enroy a book

Answers to crossword can be obtained in the College Office.

been limited to the push for elevator use after davcnmg.

The January 2005 issue o In the OcIober 1995 Rampage cont.lined an article issue, an opinion piece asks about Ramaz's Muslim­ readers to "imagine the trau­ ma of a student who, aficr Jewish interfaith dialogue, davcning. must run down to a lhe brainchild of Ariel Fisher locker on SC and !hen up 10 '06. The front page of IhaI room 701 on a sta1.rw3y so Oclober I 995 issue fealured crowed that he can only an anicle about a Gennan­ move two steps per minute."

Jcwish dialogue program Imagine th.at. Then imagine organized by the now­ looking Dr. Gaylord dead in defunct Holocausi Oral lhe eye as you casually Slep HisIory Club. into an elevator aflcr davcn­ A current Ramaz dia­ ing and 1ake it up to your first logue, described in Ihis period class.

Soon, you issue's point-coun1erpoin1. might be able 10 do jusI Iha1-­ concerns tl1c competency o "�thout violating "Preludes."

Frank's Transportation.

Indeed, a front page arti­ which took over Wcs1ches1er cle in this issue discusses tl1e busing routes from Abaco Faculty Senate dccis1on to this semester after sevcr:il allow students limttcd use of accidents. But accidents arc elevators after davening. notlung new: ten years ago.

Perhaps Karen Puttem1an, lhe 1995 issue described a aulhor of Ihe 1995 piece, bus crash that scot several would be pleased wi1h lhe to Columbia students progress.

Presbyterian I l- ospilal. s _ 1 a _ l _ t e v _ , 1 no_ 0 _ 1 1 _ 1 u t n_ i _ _S de_ _ __________ _J _ n _1 ,_

-Senior Cheers Up Students with Stickers

By Mona lladdad '08

We've all heard of lhe I001h fairy and lhe fairy god­ mother. But in lumaz. neither fairy brighIens faces like Shira W,solSky 'OS, the self-pro­ claimed slicker fairy who has been doling out smile y Slick­ ers 10 passersby in lhc hall­ way.

h all slarted as an a11cmpI to cheer up seniors deferred early from colleges, WisolSky said.

She wa, in Staples when her fnend called her, crying aboul being deferred from col­ lege. lull !hen, W1501Sky paned the aru and crafl.1 aisle, eyed the ,1n1cker roll, and con­ ceived what she calls a simple idea.

Simple or uot, the seniors loved I.he 1my suckers 1he

handed out to them to wear on their faces, and WisolSky thought her work was done­ that 1s, until students from olher grades began asking her for stickers, too.

A week after her tS aples visit, several students from all four grades were plastered in adhesive happy faces. demand, Recognizing Wisotsky now ketps a supply of slickers in her bag at all times...Just in case somebody ncedi them," she said.

Wisotsky added IhaI she IS surpnscd the lrcnd caught on, bul happy now thal lhe "school is a chccner place."

Vet a cheerier place for some, ii "creepier" for others, several of whom used that t1dJect1vc to describe the stick­ er-wearing.

"It's kmd of weird, and

has expressed interest m becoming the new sucker fairy," Wisotsky added.

Already planning her• fuIurc, Salpelcr said the prospect of succeeding W1sotsky is c,cciting.

"I intend to spread smiles over the next three years," she too corny 10 really make any­ said, "and I want to leave my body happy," one Sludcnl said. mnrk m the school for years 10 TI1c stickers don 'I ncccs• come." Some students now sarily have to make students ask her for stickers in the hall, really happy, a freshman said. 100, Meanwhile, W1sotsky said "H's jusl really culc," lhe she has no plans 10 Slop freshman added.

Cule enough, perhaps, spreading lhc slickers, She that several students arc now will be allending Oamard in spcculatmg as lo who will take lhe fall-and she's laking a over the slicker fairy job once roll of sm1leys wilh her.

Wisoisky grnduales Ihis Shin WlsotJky 'OS elves rtllow semester.

1ludt.nls Jmllty 11h::ktn, ;.,hlch W1sotsky said she won•, now llnt 1hr spines or lhtlr nottboolu:, Talmud,, and lut• be caught off-guard again.

"Oabrie lla Salpcler '08 books.

"I intend to spread smiles over the next three years and leave my mark."

Page 14

February 2005/ Adar I 5765

TheRamPage

Features

For One Class, Board Game Detennines Final

Dy Eslhtr Nin)th '06

In a bre::ik from tradillon­ al lestmg methods, Dr. Slone presented his senior mih1ary history students with some­ thing other th:m a ,,.,rmcn test for their final exam: a game board.

At their request. Dr Stone found a game suitable for his pupils to t:ikc on exam 1.by.

The game \\ as thought up by a close fnend of Dr. Stone's.

Students plJycd the test 111 pairs. with three games at a time being pl.:&ycd at two sep­ arate mterv als dunng the day.

The game bo::irds were designed by Dr. Stone and were gi\'CO to students com-

pletely blank. Each roll of the dice dctcnnincd on wluch lcr­ ram their annics would tight.

111c n:1t1onalitics and pk1ccs m history of the am1ics had been prcdctcm11ned by Dr. Stone. and told to the s1udents beforehand. TI1cn, using the 1111htary kno,\kdge they had gained over the course of the semester, each md1v1duol \\ Ould tal..e 1hc necessary course of m1htary action. using \\ hJIC\'er supplies the anny had, m hand, 10 crush their opponent. llnoughoul each round.

Dr. S1one c1rcul3ted, presid­ ing o,·cr 1he mil11Jry dcc1S1011s being nude. "The students took turns deploying 1he1r

corresponding armies," he said. "I h:ad a chance to sec !heir decisions being made. and could ask them follow-up questions as to why they decided to take that move. II also showed me the students' capacity to rcact 10 their opponent's military deci­ sions."

The tcs11ng 1<:chn1que allo,\ cd Dr. Stone to test !us students from a completely different perspective. "Tlus type of ex:im would not nec­ essanly \\Ork m every class. but 11 g:&ve me 3 chance 10 ex:11nmc the students' undcr­ st:indmg of 1111lltary logic, not JUSI knowing the facts. It's also a way \\h1ch provides

more fun for e\'eryone. Of course, there 1s a downside-­ the testing material was very concentrated. I couldn't ask other qucs1ions which might hJ\'C been 01hen\1se applica­ ble. such as the pol111cal con­ sequences ansmg from a spe­ cific action and thmgs of that sort." s;i1d Dr. Stone.

Although 1t was out of the ordinary. most studen1s felt 1ha1 11 was a pos111ve experi­ ence. Many v1e\\ed the exam's struclurc as a pleasant change from the wnncn ones usually expected m history courses. For some academic workers. 11 provided needed time for relaxa11on. "l d1dn'1 really study as much as I have

for other history exams." said David Schume1stcr '05, a member of the thirteen-stu­ dent class ..I looked over the terms to fam1harize myself wuh them, but I didn't get mto e,cry det:11I. It put on a lot less pressure than other exams."

Tlus type of exam, which had. m fact. been given before

by Dr. Stone wlulc 1eachmg at Baruch College o,·cr the sum­ mer, seems 10 be. for now. a one-time cxpcncnce. ''I used my own ma1cnals 10 m:1kc the boards." Dr. Stone s:iid. "It took a lot longer than wntmg . an ordinary final. .

Mashgiach by Day, Director by Night Oy Nlcolt Otmby ·06 M1chJcl Arzouane. l"Tl0\\11 to R.:imaz students as �fashg1ach Mike, not only makes sure that tltc food scn·cd at school ts kosher. but is a theatre director in his spare time. Smc.e 1992 Arzouane has been d1rcc11ng pl3ys at the Amcric3J1 lllcater for Actors on West 54 StrceL Numerous events in Arzou:me·s professional hfe :as a director ha, e seemed to c:1n·c out a particular pattcm· sccmmgly goldcn opportum­ ues spnng up } ct Arzou:mc ult1mJ1ely 1s forced to dcdme on 3ccount of his dccLcauon to halakhic Jud:usm As an anuteur director.

Arzou:mc \\:lS offered a Job d1 1ee11ng :in off-Droad...,ay play. I le dc-clmcd because the pl:iy, lllled "Solomon and Sheeba," featured ,,omen weanng very skimpy cos­ twnes. "I took a look a1 the scnp1 and �w that 11 was 001 tzruut. lllcy couldn't bel1e\'C 11 \1,hcn I turned it down." he Slid.

1l1en there was 1he umc executives from when Umvc�31 Studios new m from California 10 sec a play that Ar1ouJne directed at the Amcnc.an 1l1ca1cr of Ac1ors. lncy happened 10 allcnd a S:uurday rught perfonnancc 1ha1 Ar,..ouane could nol attend beC3usc 11 w,s ,1111 Shabbat.

Ahhough the eicecuuves �pressed mteresl m mectmg tJ1c director. they were schcJ· ulcd to lca\C' that night :md endro up m1ssmg Anouane by ten rnmules.

Artouane says he has no regrets <lc:5'p1lc these frustr.11mg instances "You always wtJh th:11 you can ltJvc 01osc opporturn111:s and become a succCS! nglu away bul you w-1II never feel sau1ficd when

Arzouane was offered a job directing an off-Broadway play. He declined. you compronusc who you arc.

People rcspcct } ou "hen you 10 your guns."

Ar,.ouane's theJtcr cduca• 110n began \\hen he w:is a stu­ dent at Ycshl\'a Un1versuy and decided to enroll m a few the­ ater courses, all of "luch he hated Despite d1shkrng these courses, he mamtamcd a strong mtcresl m d1rec1mg.

"As llme \\ cnt on I n:ahz.ed I had an ability I rCJ.lly wanted 10 express " Tlus attract1on landed him JI a sununcr pro­ gr.im for theater and film m Massachusetts "hen: he aud1t­ cd a 1heatcr-d1rrctmg course.

When one of the program's directors go1 a JOb 111 LA. Ar.c.ouane w:is asked 10 1ake his place and d1rcc1 • play ,n tl1c fcsuval that the program put on Arzouanc then decided to pursue lus Ph.D III theater at Un1vcrs1ty New York l lowe\'Cr, he soon reahzcd IJut the program was geared morc 1ow:irds the s1udy and cduca­ uonal aspects of 1hc3ter \\1lh little focus on dircc1111g. "I real 1zed I was 111 the wrong place when the profe5so� put on tJ115 horrendous play. I 1cal1zcd that tlm was not "here I wun1cd to be." D1sllCilrtencd.

Anouane decided that his <.hrccung days \\ere over.

Just when he 1hough1 Ins dram of becoming a Jirector had died. An.ouanc received a call m rcfcrcncc 10 a r6umC he had sent out and forgotten all abouL I le wa.1 mv11cd 10 the SIIC k

American Till..".ller for Acta� \\ here he met with thc !heater's Artistic Director, James Jennings. lie was offered a job directing a play at 1hc the­ ater. Defore he accepted the job ho,,evcr. Arzouane made sure to elucidate the difficul­ ties that Shabb.11 might pose.

"You may notice this thing on . my head. . he told Jennings.

"It's called a yannulka. I'm a religious Jewish guy and I will not be able to run the show on Friday nights or Saturday ancrnoons... to which Jennings responded 1ha1 he would be happy 10 co,er for ArzoU3nc "hen he was unable to direct.

1 he fir-t production tha1 An.ouanc directed at the Amcncan TI1eatcr for 1\ctors was a play about the I lolocaust called "Snow." The Lhe:ucr sold out e\'ef} night th.11 the show ran.

Since then. Arzoua.nc h:15 dircc1cd numerous plays for the theater. In add111011 to working :it Ramuz. he also \\Orks as a Mnshgiach for Mam fa·ent Ca1cnng and for Ohev Tmlck, a synagogue on �,e West Side, Ile IS cum.-ntly rc:&dmg scripl.s for lus next production at 1hc Amencan 1l1catcr for Actors. Ile hopes 1hat soon an opportunuy will come :&long th.JI w,11 propc-1 hnn 11110 t.hc next stage of has career w1thout conn1cu11g w1tll l11s rchg1ous hfcstyle.

"He's Hry professional and cxtrcmcly councous 111c ac1ors rc:&lly enJoy ,,o,kmg w11h 111111," said Jenmngs. "fa·cn though 1t was t1lc firsl tune I hall c,•cr cncountertd Jn orthodox problem because most of 1he people III tJlc busi­ ness arc not ortJuxJo,. I totally undcrsrand lus spmtual and rcl1g1ous need If he needed any help. I would be there."

This Fighter Fish Calls 4th Floor Locker Home

By Laha,, llarkov •OS

When you walk by the lockers on the fourth noor. you may see somctlung unex­ pected a fish. Jason K.1tz '05 h,s kept , fapancsc fight­ er fish m the top compJrt­ rnent of 111s locker smce early 1 O\'cmbcr It all began 13st Punm. when Ka1z and II few of lus fncnds decided 10 dress up as characlers from The Wtz.arJ ofOL "I \\Jnled 10 bnng my dog." ,_,,,d K,tz. "bul Rabbi Rubm said 001 for heahh rea­ sons. My ,, ay of rebellmg was to bnng III a fish " 1l1c mcc Jewish boy that he 1s.

Kall named the fish Gcfihc.

"I never I.cpl any11t111c m the top componmcnt of my locker, anyways," he s::11d .. People occ11s1onally v1s11

Gcfihe a11d tho te>chcrs th>t have seen 1t were m shock I havcn'1 gonen m trouble for havmg a fish. 1hough" · K3tz feeds Gcfihe fi>h food every lwo days Jnd changcs its water m 1hc boys· bathroom every week. He takes 1he fish home over the holidays.

"I only thought he would survive for a few days," he explamcd. because Gdilte spends most of 1us time III the dark "'llc's become 100 much of a rcspons1b1l11y. rm sick of feeding tum. he's an annoym� burden Gcfil1e and I don't get Jiang anymore."

One of Katz's classmates, O,rry Oergcr "05. laughed "hen he he,rd about Oefiltc "Just w:a11 unul PETA hears about llus," he commented

F,bruill)' 2005/ Adar 15765

P•g• 1;

The RamPage

RampArts

Nothings Unthinkable for Jewish Teen in Garden State

By Jenica Spltgrlmaa '05

rebellious, and his younger siblings Dara and Gabriel arc merely spcctators .. that is. until they

grow up and must face what Jacob is facing.

Suffocated by his fathc(s dcmandmg perfccuon­ ism and saddled with a learning disab,hty. Jacob struggles to block thoughts he knows an, "Tong: that he hates his father, that he hates his nehg1on. and that he w::mts ouL He tncs to a.void the growin.g; attr.iction

c has for Meg. his twenty-year-old babysitter. his

fcchng of ahcOJllon from lus older brother and idol, and the resentment he tu.s towards his parenls.

At I 0. Jacob m:magcs to keep the unthmkabk at bay, but as he matures he realizes thal he: cannot esC3pc Ins own he.:ad. So :at 13, he fantas i zes about lum,ng his 8:J.r M1tzvah lhank-you-notc:s into rants. a.cob endures temper tantrums from his father, only managing to a\'01d_ a breakdov,;n because of hlS imag-

Pondering the Limits of Intuition

By Alu Rolsr 10'7

In "131ink: The Power of Thinking Wilhoul Thmkmg."

Molcolm Gladwell cxplon,s lhc: mc:ri1s of impul.s1vc: dc:cis1ons and mtu1t1vc thmking, Gladwell, :in afro-sporting New, Yorker staff wntc:r. also authored 2002's "The Ti pping Pomc How Lmlc Thmi;s Can Makc: 3 Big D1ffc:rcncc:," whi ch exam med the spread of ideas and trends.

"J3lmk" begins Wllh a prologuc: 1n which Gild" ell pres• cots his thesis: "Decisions made very quickly can be c:vcry bn as good as decisions made cautiously and dchbcr• atcly." TI1c nest of tl,c book's 277 pages omounl 10 linlc more then a repetition of that one intngumg statement.

W}ule "Ohnk" 1s a fun and somewhat enlighteni ng read. ti 1s severely constrained by its fatlure 10 build around and BUnk: The Power of Thinking Without TI1l11klng Malcom Gladwell ISBN:0316 172324 Format: Hardcovor, 288pp Pub. Dale: Jan. 11, 2005 Publisher. Little, Brown

T H E UNTHINKABLE HOUGHTS A CO8

JOSHUA BRAFF

incd d1atnbcs. He watches his hfc collapse aroun him, and knows that he can do nothing to stop it The only power Jacob has ,s in his pen.

Finally. at IS, Jacob begins to n,ahzc that he · allowed to thmk the untlunkablc. that he ,s a person. and that he doesn't need to accept every sttuauon m his hfc.

Josh Braff. clearly drawing from his personal cxpcncncc, pain� a disturbingly accurate p1ctun, o a young boy trying to come to grips with his d1fficull home hfc. As Jacob namatcs his story. you can onl imagine yourself in his stead. and the idea is haunt­ ing. With every page. Or.iff completes the picture: o the cluld we all dread being but who has the strength "e all envy. Perhaps tins IS the hfc that Braff led.

Perhaps n 1s his nightmare. But citl1er way, nrarr bcauuful description of :a boy trying to overcome unlhmkablc: obstacles proves cx11ctly "hat the human mind 1s capable or.

Th� oklu brother or ...Scnibs"' sta.r and "Carden Sutt dirtttor 7...acb Bnrr. Jothua Bnff 11TikJ aboul rantily an

Judabm through a tomln,:◄r-age tJJt Kl ln Nt11 Jeney.

Are Jewish Singles Funny?

blinl< *

Who, What, and Where: A Cu1dt lo thu Month 1n Cnlt1l11mmtttl

n.11lmw1de

0

G R E E N

support 1 1S one o vcnr c h i n g idea: the impor· tancc of hw,ch power. Glad"cll offas an mordinatc amount of examples. but only �nng scicnh[IC c:vidcncc for the nur.>culous effect i ve• ness of mtu1llon. .

Malcolm Gladwell "Blink. 1s very '-----------------' written ous. clc:uly and In spite of these d1sagn,c• snappily. but its subJcct manc::r ncccssuatc:s substantial sc1cn­ able quahtics, the prc:m1� of "Bhnk" 1s undcni:J.bly onguul tific and medi cal proof, which "Bhnk" fails 10 supply adc­ and mtc:reslmg. and some of quatcly. Gl•dwcll ra1<:ly cites Gladwcll's examples arc m,d,cal data, and when he excellent and wcll-prcstnted. docs. the mfonnauon lS vague It is almost as 1f "Bhnk" would make an excellent essay or and unclear.

Gladwell enumerates pamphlet, but was never many real-world examples of meant to be stretched mto a the efficacy of instmet, such ll5 full-fledged book. Gladwell students" ab1l11y to asccrtam finds himsclf scrambhng to foll the qu.,hty of a teacher based the pages.

Overall, 1f you an, looking on only seconds of video footage. and ort experts' ob1hly for a hght and cngag,ng book, to de1cm11nc: the authen11c11y "Bhnk" is sausfactory. But 1f of 3 sculpture in seconds. you arc looking for a sausfy.

Whale these examples arc col­ ing piece of analysis that thor­ orful and 1nlercsli ng. Gladwell oughly cxplams mtu1hvc bombards the rc: .adcr with so tl10ught, don't "llhnk. • Search many of them that lhey elsewhere, become bonng and supcrflu-

lLJ "Ile Coor n released OI thcJIL'n

The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Gree n Joshua Braff ISBN:1565124200 Format: Hardcover, 272 pp Pub. Date: October 2004 Publisher. Workman Publishing Company

nov• I

In "The Unthinkable Thoughts of Jacob Green," Joshua Braff takes n:adcrs through the m10d of a Jewish boy, first as a 10-ycar-old. then as a 13-yc>r­ ld and, finally, as• sophomon, in high school.

Jacob's home life is very difficult. When we meet him. his family is about to move, and J.:1cob and his three siblings arc going to transfer from yeshiva to public school. His father, Abe. has an explosive temper and an abusive personality, but also, as he claims. nothing but love for his f>rnily. Jacob's motl,­ r is dct:1chcd and clueless, his older brother Asher IS

lllll AllrNnllrull',n B;nl,11fl,r.-;oo lnr.1lt'f, New Yorl<.1-lY

Uy Jonatbaa Ber-kn '06

A rather amusing off­

Dro;,dway

comedy,

"Jc:wtopia" stars Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson, who also wrote the play about two 30yc:ar-old mc:n--onc: Jewish, lhc: other not-�ho rekindle an earlier fnc:ndsh1p aflc:r mc:etmg :it 3 Jewish smglcs dance.

Fogcl's Chns O'Connell attends the dance m an attempt to meet 3 Jewish girl. so that he "w ill ne,cr have to make anolhcr dcc1S1on again." Wolfson's Adam L1psch1rz attends because he needs to meet a Jewtsh gul to please his family.

The contrast i ng mouva­ llons of lhe two fnc:nds Je:1;d to some very funny moments, as Chns adopts a Jewish name and pcnona, under the guidance of makeshift coach Adam.

To rctum the favor. Chns promises Ad.1m that he will help find a Jewish girl sure to bnng Adam •Jcwtopio."

Adam JOUlS a Jewish dal· mg smicc and gets fixed up wilh a whole gamut of girl.s­ played by Jackie Tohn-rcprc­ scnting the st:lndard. but ''Cl)' funny, Jcw,sh (crnalc stmo­ types. Concspondmgly. Adam assumes va.riOUS Jewish male stereotypes to sinularly lulari­ ous cfTccL Chns has 111, eye on one pu11cular JcW1sh girl. Alhson Cohen. "hom he first spies at the dance, T11c :rnd1c:nec never secs lhc: near mytlue Cohen. but Cltns works h:ird

J<wlopia

l'ltmt �;rdSan �\ � 1 w.,,..j,� � �Sq:tl8,2l)4 to perfect his Yiddish to impress Allison's mother, played by Glyms Bell.

As the story lWlsts and turns, we learn of Chns's stramc<trclat1onsl11p wnh his father. a m1htary profc:ss1an­ al, sec him in the hospital for a c1rcume151on and discover the rc:il identity of the gul of his dreams. At lhe same ttmc:, we learn of Adam's disastrous [far Mnzvah. and "7!tch him grapple w11h his des i re lo please the family. deal \\1th anx 1eucs. and find a g i rl "''ho really appeals to him.

The plot IS predictably unrealistic and, at hmc:s, just plain predictable. but the jux­ tapos1t1on of Adam and Chns' quests makes "Jewtop1a" truly entertounmg.

The Passover sc:dcr scene near the end of the pl:iy 1s uproarious, a.s Adam bnngs a •surprue• (Inna Pantac,••l home lo h,s family.

Despite the hmlled "glos­ sary" of Yiddish words pro• v1ded in the progr.im, I wu not always sure that the audi­ ence understood the char.ie­ ters' references to vanous Jewish customs and habits.

Out for those of ui i n the 11ud1cnce who were Jewish, the stercolypcs ffld rcl:uion­ slups were poignant m their humor.

No wonder "Jcwtop1:1" sold out JOO con­ sccuuvc pcrfom1unccs \\ hen 11 pbycd III Los Angeles

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February 2005/ Ad.tr I 5765

Learn Your ABC'� for These Upcoming Movies

By Jtnlc:a Splrs:rlm:an '05

h's the cJlm after the s1om1. 1 he lime of year "hen. rccupcratms from the chJos thJt 1s Osc:n season.

Ulc studios rclcasc the movies 1hcy don'I think have any chance JI awards, Frid:iy after Friday movies arc released. but nobody knows :ibout them: enter The RamPagc. Just because Hollywood docsn'1 sec 1he poin1 of rele,sing quahly movies so soon ,Iler lhc big 0 doesn't mc;m th:u innocent 1ccnagcrs should have to forego the mo,•1c-going expe­ rience.

So here they arc. From A to Z (:ilmost). these :1rc movies th:n will not h:iunt your commc1c1Jls for the ne,t s1,; weeks.

A is for Ac11on In a sc;a­ son 1h>1's fni;h1<01ngly shon on acuon 01cks. Bruce W1lhs. lh,nkfully. provides us "uh ,,,o In his first. "llostagc." he pla) s • fonner hosuge ncgot1ator ,, ho must recall htS skills ,, hen 3 group of teens find themselves trapped m a house tl13l cont-ams mfor­ mlt1on lbout dangerous cnmm3J.s (Rclca.se date· March 11) Only four weeks later. \V1lhs will stu ag:11n m "Sin Cny." along w11h Bnllany Murphy, Ehph Wood. Chve Owen. Josh Hannen. Jessica Alba and Alexis Bledel.

W1lhs plays 3 man who wit­ nesses lus g1rlfnend's murder and 1ums Veg3S upside down 10 look for 1he killer.

Meany.Jule, parallel advcn­ nucs t1kc pbcc with other char>c1ers. Sin-llllating. And k1t.schy (Apnl I) C as for Comedy: Ali yes. comedy ll's the genre thal takes over 311lus lune of year bcc:wsc. frankly, \\ho can si1 through another scr1cs of like "Finding mo, 1cs e, C'rl:rnd" :rnd "M1lhon Dollar Baby?" Osear season 1s o, cr \\C want lo ha,c some fun' Herc's how I 1rs1 1s Vin Diesel's '"TI1e Pacifier .. Vin Diesel. you ask 1 Folio" 1ng in Arnold's gran<l trad111on, O1e"-CI plays a SWAT agent who has been assigned 10 protect a family.

And. wail for 11, the family has hulc kids l low will he handle 11'1 Walch thlS born· ag•in "Kindergarten Cop" and rond out (March 4) Ncxl on tl,c laugh agenda 1S "TI1e Upside of Anger." • dramedy slamng Joan Allen and Kevin CO'ltner. Allen, • widow, roods her fom1ly falling apan ,ncr the deutl, of

her husband unhl Costner. a (gasp!) former baseball play­ er. steps m :rnd makes ti bet­ ensues Sweetness ter (March II) And ,,hat \\Ould comedy be "1lhou1 Wood)' Al lcn. the krng of neuroses'! 111s new movie, "Melinda and �,fclrnda" come� out in �brch Oui. as 1s 111s custom, the dc1:11ls have not ) et been rclc,scd (M:irch 18) In "Guess Who." a rem,ke of lhc 196 7 onginal.

Bemtc Mac pl,ys a black father "hose daughter bnngs home her wh11e boyfnend (Ashton Kutcher). Racial l<n• sion, here we come And race differences arc always ,funny, os "White Clucks" proved.

Oh. nghL (Morch 25) "Beauty Shop." an lppar­ cnt rc•1mlgmmg of 2002's "Barbershop: St3rS Queen L.atifoh. llong "1th Ahc13 S1herstone. as the beauty ma\'en herself (M>rch JO) D I) for Documentary: There's actually only one But at looks mind-blowing. so 1t has its own section. It's John Tn,olla stan: in lht upcomin� ""Ur Cool," �t(1utl lo 1hr 1995 hit .. Gel Shorl)'," called "Gunner P3lace" and he must either ignore his her- would our Y.orld be \\ 1thout stronger than humans. Would was narr:ucd by Jctual sol­ 1tagc or confront II in the the sequel"? Laclong about a you r.ither be pan of 1hc diers m Iraq. ll chron,clcs the toughest choice of his life. ZJlhon mov1cs-tlut's where. "lup1s" species ? (February events oflhc war. through the Mclodram•llc stuff. 10 be And ycl. dcspne lloll)'\\ood's 25) ups. do" ns. and terrors. sure, but then ai;ain, the numbcr-two--mani3, this sca"D.E.U.S." a rotm about (Moreh 4) mclodramatlc 1s often "h3t son bo35lS only three "pan h1i;h school g:1rls "ho lake an w E 1s for Emollonal: mo,,cs us most. (March 4) aptitude lest and arc found i os " Despite their ub1qu1ty o,·cr In the feel-good n,ck The first as "Be Cool." caplblc of murder and other the past few months, the dr.1- "Ice Princess." Michelle sequel to l995's "Gel horrors. Gecz. those College mas continue 10 111vadc our Traelcnberg 1s a teenage ice- Shorty." John Travolta repns• Board score reports arc get­ theaters this season I lencc skater "ho uses her knowl- cs his role a� Ctuh Palmer. ting spec,roc. (March 25) "D1>ry of • Mad Black edge of physics to improve who. t1reJ of lloll)'\\ ood.

U is for Um. as m I'm not Womln," a film which tells her skating and become a now manages singers. It's a sure under "hich category 10 the story of llclcn. a woman champion. She IS helped by career tum. :ill ng.ht, but one place 1hc folloY. 1ng movu:s· h,•ing the Amcncan Dream her molher (Jo,n Cusack) of few degrees. (March 4) And now for the desultory Tlut 1s. until her husband and co><h (Kim C,11rall).

"Miss Congemahty sclccuons. Though these Y.ants 10 divorce her for her -Y.ho once blew her ch3.ncc to 2"fcaturcs S:rndra Bullock movies may not fit a particu­ best fnend. As everything be m the Olympics. (March running Undcrco,•cr lar genre, they promise 10 be falls apan. llclcn must come Opcrallon 2 to find Really tmagmahvc and unconven18) 10 gnps with her new hfe.

And ron•lly. Ntehol,s Bod Guy 2 and bring •bou1 11onal. At least. the studios (February 25) Cage stal5 ,n "TI1e llappy Ending 2. Sound 2 hope they do "Dear Fr.1nk1c'" 1.s about a Weathennan," 3 movie about good 2 p:ass up '! Indeed "Man of the I louse" St3rs woman who hls told her son a man whose hfe seems per- (March 2-&) Tommy Lee Jones 3.S an FBI 1hat lus falh<r ts ,n the Navy "The Ring 2" begins agent \\ ho goes undcrco...cr feet. but. on 1hc 111s1dc. 1s Dul when h15 alleged ship 3Ctually falhng :apart 1111s more o, less "here 1ts prccur- as a chccrlcadin� coach to docls an their 1own, she musl narr.111,·c "'on't sound unfa• sor lcfl us. ·1hough Rachel protect the team. "htch w11either confess her he--th:11 m1har to readers of Achebe. has smce mo,cd A1d.ln far ncsscd 3 murder a0er prac­ her son's father lbandonc-d but 1f tl11s film recalls aY.'.IY from Scank. Sam3ra 1s tice one dJ) It seems hkc a 1hem--or find 3 s:ulor lo play "Adapta11on: 3nd not back and she wants Aidan. cnmc drama. but It alt;O reels house. (Ma,ch 4) "Family Man." 11 could be a Eck 1 he first mo,•1c w .ss of "llnng ll On." '"Um" 11 1s.

Ami now, for the Adncn htL (Apnl I) truly creepy Whclher lhe then. (February 25) 1 1c Rmg 2" can 0\'Crcome a 0rody movie of the season: K 1s for Ktcls' Cluldren " 1 Second (and lasl) ,n tlus ,n "The Jackel" he plays a finally get their 0\\11 slar• preccdenl of sally horror category 1s "A Sound of man who has been convicted studded movie m "Robots," sequels (scc"llollowccn Timnder." Uased on Ray of murder :md sent to an the :mimatcd feature about a H20") remams 10 be seen.

Bradbury's siory of U1c same insane asylum. In hi insani­ robot U1>1 builds other robo1s (M,rch 18) lltle, 1t portrays an avid ly, he searches for the woman to make the world a better T IS for Timller: Aficr hunter's travels through tune. he tJunks he 1s meant 10 lo\'c place Featunng the voices of suf'Vi\'mg a car acc1dcnt. I le Ines to hunl the dinosaurs (Keira Kmghtly). Perhaps he Ewon McGregor. ll•lle lhrce teens rind themselves and wmds up changing histo­ wtll dehver another "Pianist.• Berry, Mel Brooks. Drew turning into wcrcwoh•cs m ry. C•n moviegoers sull toke (March 4) Corey, Dianne W1esl, Paul "Cursed." a new lhnller from this one scnously after •1nc "Walk on W,tc," is lhe G1amatt1, Jamie Kennedy and Wes Craven. Chnstina Ricci S1mpsons•• raucous spoof m 11ory of •n lsr>eh Mossad Am:mda Dynes. this movie stars in this movie with a its "Trcchousc of llorror" a.gent who, sent to find and is, well, a mouthful. (March cliched laghne: "what doesn't cpisocks? (�13rth 11) c.ipture an old Nat.i, mslead 11) kill you only makes you Z is for Z.l's All Folks. bcfr1cnd5 111.s grandson. Now, S II for Sequel: Where stronger." So wercwol\'CS arc

February 2005/ Adar I 5765

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Matisyahu Perfonns at Rosh Choc:lesh Chagigah Oy Jonathan Btrkcn '06

Chasid1c reggae singer Matisyahu perfonned with his fi\'c member band at the Shevot Rosh Chodesh chag1gah on Jan. 11.

Matisyahu has previous­ ly perfoll11ed on "The Steve Harvey Show," Jerry Kimmel Live," and ''Late Call wtth Carson Daly." and h•s been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

Matisyahu. 25. said his lyrics profess his love for Hashem, often drawing from Jewish history to make a point In his song ·Got No Water," in which he refers to Moses at Sinai. Matisyahu sings. "Hashem rules the world and Israel is his \\1fo/Love you yes my G·d with all my heart. my soul and my might ."

M::atisyahu s:ud he became interested m music when he \l.'JS young. '"I grew up listening lo Dob Morley. Ph,sh. Outkast and as." he said. "But a per­ son has to be very careful m hstcning 10 mus,c. The things you hear have an 1mpac1 on )'Our soul."

Matisyahu w.u not 3lways rchgious. He gradua.l• ly became Orthodox in the months before he attended Yeshiva I -Jadrat Torah m

Israel, when he was twenty• two.

So how did he become a member of the C11abad Lubavilch community?

Mausya.hu said the sect just "made sense to htm.

"It seemed to me that Lubavttch agreed with my prc-cx1stmg ideas about what is important."

Currently, �fatisyahu 1s in the midst or 3 SC\"Cn•weck, 45-city tour, pl:lying stand alone shows m clubs and halls. At times. the touring bnngs Matisyahu to places he otherwise would have avoid­ ed. But he s,id he's glad of that.

"I once dtd a show in Fargo (North Dakota)." he recalled. "So I go to Sil down on the couch m the back room before the show bec3usc I alW3)'S hkc to learn a little chas1dus before 1 tJke the stage. And there arc like twenty Playboy magazines on the couch. I could feel the klipah. you know, the nega• tive energy in the place. Dut I perf onned and spoke and the whole energy in the place shifted. I wa.s able to pull the good out. That's one of the biggest nussions or Judaism."

When asked whether his perfomunce on "Jimmy Kmunel" could be construed as condonmg of that show's sometimes raunchy content, Matisyahu called the show an

Matis)ahu lings durlng tht Sht\'al Roih Chodrsh chagigah on Jan. 11 In tht auditorium.

opportunity.

"No, I don't condone ccr• tain things on the show," he answered. "Bui if l talk about Shabbat on telcv1sion1 I can reach into the audience and pull out the good. It's hke a fireman going mto a bummg house and pulling people out of the fire. Obviously. I would ne\'cr do anythmg directly that's against halacha."

Students and faculty members said they admired the smgcr's ab,hty to meld a trad1uonally secular a.rt wuJ1 his religion.

"I was impressed that he was comfortable usmg a ta).

Graphic Novel's Realism Provides Self-Affirmation

By Alu

Rohr •07

·rerscpohs 2: T he Story of a Return." IS the highly anticipated sequel to the graphic novel "Pcrscpolis: The Story of a Childhood."

by Marjane Satrapi. In the book, Satrapi continues her sem1-autob1ographical Slory or a woman coming of age during 1hc Iranian Revolution. Satrap1 1s sent from Iran 10 Vienna by her parents. w11h hopes lhat she will be able 10 receive a sccu• far cducat1on and escape reh­ g1ous perscculion.

When SalT3pi arrives in Vienna. she 1s surpnsed by the supc:rfie1al11y or the world outside (ran 11 1s very d1ffi• cull for her to overcome the langu:ige barrier, and come• l'crscpoll< 2: The Slory or u flclurn Marjane Salrapi ISBN:0375422889 Formal: Hardcover, 187pp Pub. Dato. Augusl 2004 Publisher. Knopf Publishing Group

qucntly she 1s very lonely.

Although she becomes a part of an eccentric �1al chquc, she s1111 docs not feel particu• Jarly comfortable. Satrap, believes th:11 when she tries 10 assimilate into European culture, she is betraying her country, parents, and culture.

While S,1r.1p1 excels aca­ demically, she plummets socially and personally. She becomes a drng add1c1 and dntg dealer, and eventually ends up on 1he streets or Vienna. When she is finally able to return to Iran, she is shocked by how the funda• menlahsts involved m 1he revolut1on hJve ruined her country. She tumbles 11110 a depression so deep that she decides to kill herself.

However, Satrap, docs nol follow through w11h the su1c1dc; instead she decides 10 tum her life around She cnrolb m an art school and also falls m love I lowever, her mamage docs 1101 work out and Satrap, i, forced to gel :1 divorce. Shor1ly there•

ent that is perceived as some­ thing very secular in a reli­ gious way," Ms. Robicsek said. "I felt that tJ1crc was a spmtual cncrt,,y III the room. especially when he was telling !us Chas1d1c story."

Matisyahu oficn tells sto­ nes before certam songs dur­ ing perfonnanccs.

Some students said they were not sure how to inter­ pret Matisyahu's ideas.

"I thi,,.k d,at somo might 11(1 the \\Tong message from him."

Andcw Litwm '06 s.11cl "but I really think dl.lt all he was trymg to do was to spn:•d spintuahty in a way that felt right f0< him."

Yom Gol '06 found the

combmation of Mausyahu's 013Stdism and reggae a bit too mcongruous.

•1 thought 1t W3S pretty b>ood music, but it was we1rd to sec such a rchg,ous guy on stage. Out It was fun."

Ehana Pfeffer '08 said tha1 "despite lus appearance, he turned oul to be one of the best n:ggae performers I have seen so fur."

Matisyahu sold out D. 8.

King's Oil �- 25. Al that pa-· fonnancc, .an.ended by about I 000 people. he sang "Torah. you sooth my br.un bnu.sc." At lea st dunng one chagig3h, Ramaz students seemed to agree.

Little Women,' Big Musical

By Carollnt Mthl and Emily Kaufman '08

Doth lhc story and the method used to tell it arc compellmg. extremely Satrap1's anwork 1s mm1mal yet effccuve. and often speaks more than her words do. She expenly describes the pro1ago111s1's struggle between wanting to be an independent woman. and wanting to fit m. She c:ucful­ ly Jep1cts her heroine JS !reading the line between subversive and simply d1sbe­ heving.

The backbone or the story 1s so realistic 1hat many people will sec themselves m Salrapi. Tlus book JS a 111us1rc:id for ::myone scekmg Lhe affinnauon or 1heir ob1h1y 10 stand up for their bcl,crs .

.. Linle Women," a wonder­ ful new musical on Broadway, is tulor-madc for 1ccnagc girts. The musical adaptation of�e Louisa May Alrott children's classic is set in Massachusetts during the Civil War and is oo.scd on Alcott's ovm family life and experiences.

Tho Slot)" fo<ust< on the four sis­ tcr1 in the March family. each with her own distinct pC"rsonality. �leg. played by Jenny Po\\l'l'l 1s �lC' oldest and the fam­ ily bcauly. Jo, played by Tony Award \\'Inner Sulton Foster, is based on Alcon and is an opin• iona1cd tomboy who is fiertely ded1ca1cd to her fam 1ly Foster gives a gre.at performance that shows off her tremendous \'OCal range. Deth (Megan l\lcGinms) is a talented p1nn1S1 who 1s adored by all of her s1siers. Amy (Amy McAlexandci) 1s lhc baby of the family with a srlfish and spoiled personality 10 miuch 1l1eir cat· mg mollm �lanuce, played beau1ifully by the singer i\laurc:cn McGO\"em, holds tht family together.

1l1c musicul opens wi1h Foster's cli.vnctc.r. o struggling

writer in New York. reading her newest "blood and guts" thriller aloud. This rtcnactmcnl is one o the best parts of the show. Foster reads her work with tremendous p3SSion. wlul< in tl,e background the otl1c.r 3Cl0� act out the story Her storit'S nrc both ridiculous and comical and Foster gives a \'try energetic ixrf onnance.

11,c play soon flashes bll<:l to her memoriC$; of home and to events that tool.. plat% two years earlier. Jo is dc-tcm1incd to keep her fanuly 1ogetl1er at any COSI and dreams of a successful wril­ ing co.rm that ,,111 alkvia1e their poveny. I !owe, er, her sisurs ha\'e d11Ttrent drCUlls and mo.kc decisions th!ll d11o3ppoint Jo and �lilt change her \\orld dmsticall) While ch,1m1lng. 1hc musrc and lyrics arc 1101 memorable The !.how's �1 number is 1he . firs! act linale.. Astonishing• Still. oil of d1< pc:rformanccs arc terrific nnd drspuc one untxpccl• ed nnd tcmblc tragedy, the slM>" is funny and en1enWning.

l'agc 18

The rtamPagc

February 200SrAd.ar 15765

S orts

Va,sity Boys B-ba/1 VL4ns Gyenes Rams Defeat Flatbush Falcons 56-40 in Memorial Game; Stern Scores 9 in Third Quarter as Ramaz Goes on 18-5 Run to Seal Victory

By Sam Sitttl •OS

The boys varsity basket­ ball team defeated the FIJtbush Falcons 56-40 Jan. 13 m the Sam Gyencs Memorial Game al the Upper

School gym.

The game 1s held annual­ ly at Rama? 10 commemora1c the eponymous former Ramaz student �rho died in a tragic acc1dcnt m 1987. Al halftime, Gycncs's friend. fom1er classmate I van Lehon '89. spoke to the fans about his friend, and at1cr the game, Gyencs's father, Andy Gycncs. presented the trophy 10 the Rams' captains.

The game s1arted slo" ly, \\Ith both the Rams and !he Falcons playing slopp1ly.

Ncllhcr team boxed out or played par11cularly s11ngy defense. E\cnlually R.:una.l brolc out of the rut ;md took a 28-19 lead with 1v.o mm­ utes rcmammg m lhc ftrs1 half. The F::alcons. though. s1om1cd back. scormg fi,e s1r.11ght pomts to close out 1hc half.

TI1c Rams. thoush. allc­ v1atcd any rears 1ha1 their fans mii;ht have had by taking con1rol or the game 3ftcr ______,,, halftnnc.

The Rams outscored Lhc Falcons 18-5 111 the third quanc:r. spurred by senior Co-Captain Josh S1cm'!I- 9 pomlS in 1hc quancr (13 over all), and ended up cruising m the fourth quarter After the final buzzer sounded, fans rclumcd to their seal� 10 \\ 11ncss Gycncs' father hand the trophy to co­ cap1ams Stem. Sam Goldberg '05 and Y1tzy Rubin '05.

"It \\3S a Hry mcc Jay," said Aln spectJtor Mcuo\\ 11z '05, "and. of course. I \\JS happ) that the Rams ,,on" Clod.,, ,�r /rum top: sr11ior captai11!J, Jo\/, Surn, }itzy R11bi11, and Sam Gllldbn,: hold tlit! Sam GJ•i•nt',\ Mt'morial trop/1y. ('f>+

Mr. A11dy Gyt'nt'S, Sam� father, addrt'\jf!J, tlir crowd aftrr th t' ,:onrr.

Tl1t! Hama:: t.-am l,uddlrs around Mr. Dulny brfo,,.. llu· ganrt'.

Mr. Gy"nts prl.'St'llf,\ 1l1t' trupliJ· aflu tlir gamr tu tl,r Rama:. lt'am caplains.

No lca111s ltavc ga111cs scltcd11/ed ;,, Marci,, d11c to 11,c 11pco111i11 g playoffs.

TheRamPage

February 2005/ Adar I 5765

Page 19

Sports

Varsity Volleyball Clinches Playoff Birth With Win Over Central

By Sophia Mtrkln '06

The girls varsity volleyball team defeated Central High School on Feb. 16, securing the team's place in tl1c playoffs. The team won 20 m the bcst-of-tltrcc competition, 25-9 and 25-10.

Ramaz pulled ahead in the middle of tltc first game thanks to spikes by capuin Amanda Sugarman '05. and sets by Becky Carron '05 and Kayla Zalcgcndler '06. Liviya Kraemer '06 served out the last seven points or Lhc game, giving R.amaz the lead. one game to none.

In the second game Ramaz quickly g:uned tlie advantage. Juhe Fessel '05 had sc,•eral 1mpress1vc spikes and Aviva Nussbaum '06 played well in the backcourt. Kraemer served out the last four points of the match to chnch

Ramaz

2

Central

.

tl1e victory for the Rams.

The team's record is 6-4 for this season, which "docs not accur ately reflect our sea­ son." said Sugarmnn. "There were many games which could have been won by cilhcr team. and broke for the opposing team in the fin:il seconds." she s:11d.

TI1c team is eagerly anticipating the pl:iy­ olTs, which will begin during the first week of March. "I think that we will certainly be a force to be reckoned with this post-season," said o.n excited Sugarman. "It was a rough sea­ son, bul we developed into a sohd te:im, and we came together in the end."

Lady Rams Fall Just Short Against Frisch

By Zachary Liebmann '06

The girls varsity basket­ ball team suffered its first loss of the season Feb. 10. losing to the Frisch Cougars 33-29.

It was a close game throughout all four quancrs.

The teams went into their locker rooms at lulftirnc tied at 17. Both sides played tight defense in the third quarter with neither team registering a field goal. ln the founh quancr, Jenny Grecnblum of Frisch scored seven of her total 11 points to help secure a victo­ ry for the Cougars.

"No one played well dur­ ing the game," said Mr. Dulay, "It was our worst per­ formance of the season." On a more positive note. be pointed out that the team only lost by four points to one of the best squads in the league.

Mr. Dulny also added

O

Tht Vanity Volleyball tum, ltd by uptalns Amanda Sugnman ·os and Stdanl Marko'11tz ·OS huddlt up aftrr another ,·ictory.

IRAijAZ BASKETBALL ROUND@

Frisch

33

Ramaz

29

that the basketball tcJ.ms arc usually not fresh coming off final exams, as was the case on Thursday. He insisted, however, that this is by no means an excuse for the sub­ par play.

The Rams' players came to Khool with their heads down the followrng morning.

"I was really upset about our loss and I don't think we tried our hardest," said Daniella Neiman '07. "We just didn't think we could lose."

As the playoffs approach. Ramaz and Frisch arc the two favorites to win the championship, each hav­ ing lost only one game dur­ ing the regular season. If there arc no upsets during post-season play, a rematch can be expected in the finals.

Boys Varsity 2/13 Ramaz vs. Flatbush Rams 56, Flatbush 40 Leading Scorer: Zach Rosenberg (19) Record: I 0-1 2/15 Ramaz vs. MTA Rams 44,MTA 42 Leading Scorer: Zach �osenberg (13) Record: 11-1 Girls Varsity 2/10 Ramaz vs. Frisch Frisch 33, Rams 29 Leading Scorer: Alex Peyser (9) Record: I 0-1 2/13 Ramaz vs. Flatbush Rams 5 l Flatbush 29 Leading Scorers: Alex Peyser (11) and Tova Laufer (11) Record: 11-1

Ramaz Beats Magen David En Route to Division Crown

By Sam Sltgtl 0S 1

The boys vars11y bas­ ketball team beat Magen David, 52-38. on Feb. 9.

The Rams. led by Josh Stern '05 with 14 points, took the lead early in the first quarter and never looked back.

Though the Rams had beaten Magen David by double d1g1ts e3rf1er in the seuon. this game was cx1rcmcly important tn dec i ding the lop-ranked learn an 1hc Yeshiva League. Coming i nto lhe game, Magen Dav id held a half-game lead over Ramaz 111 the League's The Central D1v1sion.

Mame would most I1kcly decide the division cham-

pionship. With MTA nip­ ping al the Rams' heels, and a rough Magen David learn ready to run away w ith the division and a top rank i ng in the playoffs, the Rams came out vi ctorious m a must-win game. (The Rams later beat Flatbush on Feb. 13 and MTA on Feb. 15 10 chnth lhe divi­ sion :md receive home­ court advantage through­ OUI 1he playoffs. Sec arti­ cles in this Ram.Page cov­ ering these games for more extensive coverage.)

Ramaz played a com­ plete game against Magen Dav id. Co-caplams Sam Goldberg '05 and Y11zy Rubin '05 combined 10 h11 three threc-poinlen, and Sam Rolh '06 and Zach

A slightly surprising stat from the game was the number of points scored by the Rams' bench: zero.

Rosenberg '06 controlled the paint w11h undeniable R3maz, in an force. attempt to stop Magen David from hitting outside shots, employed a zone defense, wh i ch. Coach Dulny said, "worked very well, since Magen Dav i d needed to work for their shots." Though the Rnms were plagued by a few

Ramaz Magen David

turnovers. some of wh i ch were caused by an rnabtli­ ty to break Magen Davi d's full-court press :ind pres• sure defense, the team did­ n't ha\'e much to complai n about after the victory.

"We played a very solid g•me," said Goldberg, who finished wilh IO points.

A slightly surprising statistic from the game was the number of points scored by t�c Rams' bench: zero. Though a number of bench players got solid playing tune, "1hc1r job 1h1s game wasn't to score."

Ou lny.

Av1 said Rosenbaum '06 played

52 38 tough defense. and poml guard Aaron Gordon '06 provided Goldberg with some much-needed rest.

As the regular season winds down, Ramaz is get­ ting ready for another run at a Yeshiva League title. something that h3s always seemed to elude them.

Asked about the team's prospects, Coach Dulny said, "We just w3nt to take U11s one day at a time."

Only time will tell if this Ramaz team will make his­ tory in the ne�t two months.

Page 20

February 2005/ Adar I 5765

The RamPage

S orts

Sams Sports

itvfYHS VARSITY HOCKEY LEAGUE STANDINGSI Team

By S=uel Siegel '05

The Case For Football

I 1hink II IS now appropriate baits discard bin to find player, to label a new sport as America's to put on tl,c field. Though tl1is natlOOJI pastime. In fact, 1t is a may generate more intcrest in mlSt:lkc that that label has stuck the bigger cities. more fans to Major Lague Baseball for across the country are becoming this long. Not so long ago. the disenchanted with the game.

National Football League While tllC Yanke"" drew close knocked baseball from i,s haf. to fo<JI million fans to their 81 lowed perch. honic games last y=. tllC Devil Though �fa;or League Rays (,,ho, must play the llascbalts am,�1 oo the naboo· Yankees 19 timos c:u:h )'""'· al SJX)rtS scene in 1903 pn.-ccdcd since the Dronx llombt..--rs arc in their division) drow a paltry 1J the NFL's by 19 y=s (or 63 )'CJJ'S, clcpcndmg if one cons1d- million to Tropic.vta Field. crs tl,c NFL merger in 1966 to Major League llaseball be the lxguuung of the modem- should lc:lm a thing or two from dayl'-.'FL).bascballhas.over tl,e the NFL. In 2001, o,rners and past 101 ) car.;, sccn us strong- pla) crs decided to im plcnk:nl a hold ovcr1alcn by foo1ball's n."cm.ic-sharing system \\hl'Tl'51,dkn blitz. llcfon: a playm' by r=iptS from all FL games stnke shortened bas<balrs SC:l- "oold be distributed evenly to son m 1994. thus pn'Cludmg the all 32 teams. The League also sport from ata·3ctmg mon:: fans has a salary c:::ip. \\hich. for this (and ahenauns ason. is SCI al �h- _ __ seroughly 01her fom1cr --F=--o-o'""'t"'"b-a'""'ll as SS0 per million baseball funs .as become t e a m well). baseball's America's new Considering that fun base was all teams divide unm�Jed. pastime.

Nm coinci• ---'-------- up the money denully. tl1C y= aficr the strike. tliat they cam from sames, this 1995. tl1C !\'F L started sctbnS nwnbcr is perfectly reasonable, league :ittc:nda.ncc records. for both players and owners. when a 101:11 of 192 nulhoo fans Evc,y team is under tllC salary came to NFL games. ll1e nwncap. fearful of a heavy tax her of fans commg to gan,cs shoold they bre:ik tl1C cop.

1llc saJary cap also ensures kept on nsmg. unul 2(X)(), when football fin:illy broketlr20 m,I• competitive balance. One roason v.hy many more fans have lion-fan plateau The Super llowl. now by fiockcd to the NFL is h<"'COUSC far the country's most imporun1 they are excited about the spans c, l-Ol contmucs to anrJCt prospects of their learns' fu1wes. a record number of VIC'\\,Cl'S This )ear's Super Jlo,.vl, in fact. every tune Super Swxby rolls featured rwo tcarm that were in around In 2003. when tl1e the: middle of tl,e pack in otter,.

Tampa llay Buccaneers defeat• dance rc,·cnue (16 and 17 001of ocl tl 1e Oakland luudcrs m Super 32� and tl,11 Jid not ha\'C: many Bo\\l XXXVII. 138.9 m1lhon high-priced supcrst=. bu1. \'IC'\\TrS tuned m. smashing the because of cornpcti1ivc balance. r<eord number of VIC\\<rS fo, could advance as farns they did any tclcv1s1on cvcni m in the NFL playoffs. 1 he same Arnencan lnstory IJasc:J,:ill has c::umo1 be said about baseball.

OC\crcvcn sn11Tcd numbers like where mid- to low-market 140 rrulhon-unlcss, of course, teams annually focc d,c possiyoo·n: talk i ng about SOOlC base- bili1y of fielding an uncomp,ti• ball teams' p.1yrolls.

Live 1ean1. llus bnngs up anotlier glarFootball's rise 10 American mg di ITacncc betv. ccn the 1wo sports' throne should noc dissports· salary cap, or. m base- crodit baseball "' a spon. for ball's ca.sc, Llck thaoor. A maJor txLsc:0011 is, in my opinion. just problem that MLD faces as tJic as exciting and interesting. And, growmg dl5J)Onty between tl,c "hile football i.! tl1e sport of large-market learns, hkc the choice in America. baseball c.an New Yo,k Yankocs and lloston still rodccm i!S<lf by imposing Red Sox. and tl,e small-markci strict steroid rules and impfc,. clubs, Ii.kc die lampa Bay l)cv1I rncnling sornc son of fr::um> IOyt and the Kan\at Cny v.uk lo gcocrJlC a more comRoyal, A, c:ai.h ycar pa=, pc111ive tx,lancc. llu� until rosethe ocher lcams 1-tnck up 011 tJ..ill Jocs thaL. \\C \l,ould think c\'cn rnorc lu&h pnccd free twice before labeling a1,'fflU. wlulc learn, with ,itnct budgcu rnu°'t �n lUflt;e ba\C-

""HAFTR .. DRS ••Solomon Schechter ..Rambam IIANC North Shore Team •••fumaz ..Flatbush .. lhllcl Magen David RTMA MAYHS

Team • ••Fnsch ••TABC ••MTA Wcstchcs1cr Kushner

Games Pia cd 13 13 14 13 13 14

Games Played 14 12 13 12 13 12

Games Played 14 12 II 13 12

Eastern Conference Wins Losses Ties 12 II

5

6

5

3

I 2 6 7 7 IO

Overtime Losses

PomLS

0 0 2

24 22 13

0 0 0

12 II 7

0 0 I 0

Central Conference Wins Losses Ties 0 10 0 6 6 0 6 4 2

Western Conference Tics Wms Losses 0 I 13 0 3 8 0 8 3 2 I 10 II I 0

Overtime Losses I 0 0 2 0

O\'cn11nc Losses 0 I 0 0 0

PoinLS 21 12 12 II 9 6

romts 26 17 16 4 2

... Clinchtd Oh hion .. Clincht?d Pl.ll)Off Hirth

� \

-

Ramu lbmi urslty hockf-y In action against Frbch on Dre. 18. Tht rums losl In

�:;;,j�";ti."-

Ramaz B-ball Wins Central Division Uy S11m Sltgtl •OS The boys vars11y basketball t eam won lhc Ycsluva League's Central D1v1s101 1 :ind gained lhe top rnnk mg and home-court adv:mtage throughout next monlh's plJyoffs by bealmg d1v1s1on rival MTA, 44•42 , on Feb. 15 ,n o packed Upper School gym.

The g-ame was won m the bsl two mm­ u1cs by clutch pl:ay from se\' c ral of the R:arns Co-captam Sam Goldberg 'OS scored all 8 of l11s points m the fourlh qu arter, and co-caplam Y11zy Rubin '05. \\ ho finished w11h 11 po1111s, put the game oul of reach for MTA with clu1ch foul shoollng III the i;amc's

amaz ......... �·•..

MTA

44 42

finJI minutes.

Though the R:uns h.:1d J tough tune guarding MTA poml guard Yos.s1 F;1ber dur1hg the first three qunrlcrs. their defense held 111m m check in 1hc crucial fourth quar­ ter, 111 which he only scored ) pomts.

Over.111. the Rams played good team defense, rebounded well anJ lut 1he1r open shols. pro1•111g lhat lhey fully desm «I lhot tovclcd homc•cour1 advantage.