The Rampage
Volume XXXXV Number 4
Rachel Huebner ‘13 On the evening of Sunday, January 8, approximately 1,300 guests, identifiable by their blue and yellow Ramaz bracelets, attended the Ramaz Dinner Dance at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. This year’s Dinner Dance marked the 75th anniversary of Ramaz’s founding and paid tribute to Head of School Ms. Judith Fagin, who is retiring at the end of the year. To mark the occasion, Kol Ram, the adult community choir, performed at the event. “In order to celebrate Ramaz at 75 we wanted as many parts of the Ramaz family represented in the dinner performance and asked Mr. Henkin to include Kol Ram, which has faculty, parents, grandparents and of course alumni as part of the group,” said Mr. Kenny Rochlin, Director of Institutional Advancement at Ramaz. The third and fourth grade members of the Lower School Choir were also invited to perform “in honor
The Ramaz Upper School
The Big 7-5
of Ms. Fagin and her schoolwide oversight.” In order to celebrate Ramaz’s 75 years, the student performers, along with some administrators and faculty members, prepared a flash mob. As guests were enjoying the Smorgasbord, they
were ambushed by a rush of performers making their way to the center of the room. These performers congregated and began to dance simultaneously to a Chamber Choir and Kol Ram Choir recording of the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling.” The Ramaz version
Model Behavior Jon Herman ‘13 On February 5, known to many as Super Bowl Sunday, 12 students boarded a bus headed for the Stamford Plaza Hotel, the site of the 22nd Yeshiva University National Model United Nations (YUNMUN). Surprisingly enough, the first activity on the agenda was watching the Super Bowl, not what one would expect of an academic conference. Some expected watching the Super Bowl at a YU event, away from friends and family, to be a bore, but most members of the Model UN team found they actually enjoyed themselves. The game was projected on a wall in a ballroom filled with hundreds of adolescents, many of whom were already friendly from camp or through mutual friends, and as expected of any Jewish event, plenty of food was served. “Even though I was away form a lot of my friends for the Super Bowl, nothing can replace seeing the looks on twenty Boston kids’ faces as the clock expired,” said Jonathan Deluty ’12 regarding watching the game at YUN-
MUN, But this special football viewing was where the fun and games ended. The rest of the event, which consisted of over 10 hours of committee meetings on top of additional speeches, took on a much more serious air. Interestingly, at the committee meetings students did not instinctively defend Israel like most Yeshiva students would. Rather, they answered the questions the way they felt their assigned countries realistically would. “I was [originally] interested in Model UN because the actual UN is notoriously anti-Israel,” said Noam Kornsgold ’13. “For me, this experience proved to be especially interesting because I represented the country of Lebanon, which is obviously against Israel.” Ultimately, the Ramaz Model UN team left the competition empty-handed. But the trip was not futile; the Ramaz delegation put up a hard fight and gained experience from the competition. “I think it was definitely
worthwhile,” said co-captain Emmanuel Cantor ’13. “They award recipients based upon several factors. While the delegates from Ramaz may have not fit the exact expectations of the judges this time around, I still believe that many of us have gained valuable experience in the art of public speaking and learned the fundamentals of UN procedure.” A key factor evaluating the team’s performance might be the amount of time the Ramaz delegation invested. Deluty felt that the paucity of afterschool meetings contributed directly to Ramaz’s less than stellar performance. “Look at YULA; they treat [Model UN] like a sports team and they always finish as a top team. You can tell they’re always prepared and know what’s going on. For us, a meeting a week or a meeting every other week would for sure have helped.” Kornsgold admitted that the team did not have many meetings in school. However, he, along with the other Continued on Page 6
February 2012/Shvat 5772
of the song contained lyrics appropriate for the affair, such as “There’s no homework tonight and we’re on a roll!” and “I got my sushi- Let’s eat it up,” alluding to the seemingly everlasting supply of sushi available at the event. “I thought that it was very
creative and well executed,” said Avi Schwarzschild ’13. “A performance including both students and faculty that is exciting and contemporary is really cool.” The flash mob was the highlight for many of the performers as well as for the spectators. “The flash mob was spectacular,” said Isabel Dicker ’13. “It was amazing to see so many people join together in something so cool and creative.” The night’s performances portion opened with a presentation by the Percussion Ensemble, a nine-person group directed by Mr. Elisha. The ensemble performed “Celebrate! Generate! Percolate!,” a piece composed by Mr. Elisha, who used a motif created by a past student. “I was so moved to be part of something Mr. Elisha, a very talented musician, wrote,” said Percussion Ensemble member Sam Strauss Continued on Page 11
Club Fosters Open Discussion Rebecca Brill ‘12 Seven students attended the Sexuality, Identity, and Society Club (SIS)’s first meeting, where the members planned out the club’s agenda for the rest of the year. They hope to discuss issues like reparative therapy, teen bullying and slurs, legal issues, gay stereotypes in the media, and popular perception of homosexuality. “What makes this club unique is that we’re focusing not only on general topics, but also on issues of sexuality that affect the Jewish community,” said one of the founders, Rachel Leah Weintrob ‘12. The club also hopes to discuss the various sects of Judaism’s views on homosexuality, and a recently released controversial statement of principles. “There will be a lot of discussion about how to integrate men and women with different sexual identities into the Modern Orthodox community,” said Dr. Zeitchik, SIS’s faculty adviser. When rumors of a new Ramaz club, said to discuss issues of sexual identity and gay rights, surfaced on Thursday, February 9, it seemed confidential and
subdued. After all, unlike with other extracurricular groups, its founders, Weintrob and Amram Altzman ’13, did not send out a mass email or hang flyers on the bulletin boards for publicity. Instead, they informed only a few of their peers about the club by word of mouth. The group also met in Dr. Zeitchik’s small office instead of a classroom, which led some to further speculate that it was private, perhaps even exclusive. “Actually,” revealed Altzman, “it wasn’t originally like that.” “The office placed us in the room that math clinic was in so there was nothing else to do,” said Weintrob. And the lack of advertisement, according to Dr. Zeitchik, was simply because the club had not yet decided on a name. “If I felt that I couldn’t publicize it, I wouldn’t have a club,” he said. “But I did feel strongly that I wanted to pick a title that was not charged. [I didn’t want] to stir up a buzz that was all about controversy as opposed to the substance of [the club].” The club thought about several Continued on Page 10
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The Dead Sea Scrolls Come Alive Eddie Mattout ‘15
On Wednesday, January 4, the freshman grade traveled to the new exhibit at Discovery Times Square on the Dead Sea Scrolls. This trip was part of the freshmen’s interdisciplinary program. The program began with a lecture at school from for- mer NYU professor Lawrence Schiffman, who is currently the Vice Provost of Yeshiva University, on who wrote the scrolls, how they got to the caves in Qumran, and why they are so important. “I really enjoyed the lecture,” said Joseph Cohen ’15. “I enjoyed how we learned the facts about the scrolls in our history classes and then learned it again from an expert in the field. “ At the end of the lecture students and faculty were allowed to ask questions about the scrolls. The freshmen, in addition to faculty and members of the Senior Tikvah Seminar, departed from the Upper School at around 10:30 am. The students traveled to Times Square by subway. Upon arriving at the exhibit, the students were divided into four groups and met up with four scholars from Yeshiva University: Professors
Ari Mermelstein, Jill Katz, Joe Angel, and Ari Lamm, who all specialize in Second Temple Judaism and the Dead Sea Scrolls. “The tour guides didn’t focus on the broad exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls,” said Ethan Fried ’12, a member of the Tikvah program. “Rather, they were focused on some minute details.” The tour guides led the groups throughout the exhibit, showing them artifacts from the time of the First Temple all the way until after the destruction of the Second Temple. “I was really able to connect my heritage and everything we learn in our history and Tanakh [classes] to the scrolls by seeing the actual resemblance of them to our Torah today,’” said Flora Lipsky ‘15. Thetour ended with the display of the actual scrolls. “I felt rushedthroughout the exhibit and I didn’t get to appreciate and read all the things it had to offer,” said Will Fried ’15. “But overall, I think it was a great interdisciplinary program.
The RamPage News
February 2012/Shvat 5772
No Intersession For You Rachel Huebner ‘13 At 7:45 am on Sunday, January 29, dozens of students waited on line in the lobby of Ramaz to check in with the proctors for the January SAT exam. Despite its convenient location, only five out of the dozens of testtakers were Ramaz students. After all, it’s not every junior who is willing to spend his or her intersession break taking a four-hour test. Initially, many students were unsure of what to do when confronted with the possibility of taking the SAT during their intersession vacation. Some, like Jon Herman ’13, strongly considered taking the test while they were away. Although he was planning to go to Florida, he “didn’t think it would have made a difference. I was planning on taking it there until my trip plans fell through. The trip
Dr. Honig. Despite the conflicting opinions on the matter, a large percentage of students agreed with Eli Mendelssohn ’13 who said, “If anything, it’s a good thing that we can take the SATs during intersession. It is more relaxing to take them during intersession than during a weekend when we have school assignments that we also need to get done by that Monday for all our classes.” But Mr. Miller said that students “should have a vacation, enjoy themselves, and not be so test-oriented.” Mr. Miller also said that the school always tries to clear off the exam calendar the Monday after the SAT to ensure that students don’t have hours of studying to do on the weekend that they are taking a standardized test. For those who took the
“giving so much importance to the test. All the obsessiveness, anxiety, and tension would be justified.” Some students think that giving over one hundred students a day off for the test when it is possible that only a few students are going to take the exam isn’t the right approach. “Not everyone takes the SATs. Each month, only a certain number of people take the SAT and many people take the ACTs now too,” said Andrew Gurewitsch ’13. Juniors would have few Fridays of school if Ramaz gave the entire grade off before each SAT and ACT date. Mr. Blumenthal also spoke against giving juniors off the Friday before the SAT. “I don’t think it’s an appropriate policy for us,” he said, especially because “students
was impractical, not the test,” he said. “I thought that taking it right after finals would be smart because I’d be used to taking longer tests after two weeks of them and it would be easier so sit through a whole morning of testing,” said Rachel Kahtan ’13, one of the students who took the test at Ramaz. However, others thought that taking the exam during intersession vacation, especially while they were away, was impractical. “When people are away with all their friends on vacation, they’re clearly distracted and not in the right mindset to take the test,” said Thalia Sharon ’13. “They probably wouldn’t do as well as they would at home.” “It’s a difficult arrangement and you want to take the test in familiar surroundings,” said
exam, having both the Thursday and Friday off before the exam to study was ideal. The obvious advantages to having these extra days to study caused many to question why Ramaz doesn’t normally give juniors off the Friday before the SAT, a policy that schools like Frisch instituted years ago. “I think that we should definitely do this because students are freaking out the Friday before SATs and thinking about the test, not about school,” said Tova Weinberger ’13. “Also, the test stresses people out; they need a day to regroup, get last minute studying in, and get in to a good frame of mind. Otherwise, kids are a mess going into the test.” But others, such as Mr. Miller, thought that implementing this policy would be
shouldn’t be cramming at the last minute for the SAT.” Dr. Honig agreed that canceling school for juniors on the Friday before the SAT is “ridiculous. It’s best to have your mind off of it by going to school on Friday,” she said, “and then getting a good night’s sleep on Saturday night before the test.” Although many agreed that in theory it would have been ideal to take the SAT during a weekend with little work, most, if not all juniors, needed the time off after finishing a demanding academic semester. “We really needed the time off to just relax. This year has been so grueling and intersession gave us the opportunity to have free time for ourselves,” said Ronee Saad ’13.
February 2012/Shvat 5772
Tu B’Shvat Resolutions
The RamPage News
Spicing Up the Kitchen Staff Jonathan Koptyev ‘13
Rachel Huebner ‘13 In order to celebrate Tu B’Shvat this year, Ms. Benel, the Environmental Club, and the Chesed Committee planned a number of special activities. At the morning assembly, students heard from four speakers. Students also enjoyed the opportunity to plant their very own trees on the third floor terrace. The Chesed Committee sold a number of items during all three lunch periods; the funds that were raised were sent to the Jewish National Fund (JNF). Although students are sometimes distracted and uninterested in outside speakers, this year’s speeches resonated with many. Jessica Putterman Haller, an environmental entrepreneur and activist, a LEED Accredited Professional with the US Green Building Council, and a member of The Climate Project, spoke about facing “reality” and the many environmental problems affecting the planet. Many students appreciated Haller’s presentation and were impressed by the statistics, numbers, and images that she brought to convey her message. “It really changed my perspective on how to go green and how important it is,” said Stephanie Abadi ’13. “I have enough motivation to make a difference after knowing the reality of how our earth is spiraling downward. I was unaware of these examples before she gave them to us.” Rabbi Michael Cohen, a founding faculty member, director of special projects, and former executive director of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, shared with students the important work that he does making solar power the main energy source in Southern Israel and Jordan. Rabbi Cohen’s job was to “make the students understand Tu B’Shvat from a Kabbalistic perspective and to link Tu B’Shvat to the state of Israel,” said Ms. Benel. A short piece of the documentary Inside Israel: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference, directed by Dr. Tal Ben Shahar, was screened to the student body. The film examined Israel’s major contributions to the world and their vital ability to produce innovation and progress.
“It’s important to think about the connection we have to earth in modern times, and had decades ago and in the times of the Torah,” said Ms. Benel. Many were inspired by the speeches of Sam Feder ’14 and Leora Mincer ’12, who exemplified the role that a proactive high school student can play in changing the world for the better. Feder, who spent six months living in Indonesia and attending the Green School, become environmentally conscious during his time abroad. While in Indonesia, he participated in a project that involved collecting garbage on the side of the road to gauge pollution. His findings led him to realize that it is our responsibility to take better care of the environment. Along with the Environmental Club and its faculty adviser, Ms. Newman, Feder hopes to order metal water bottles with the Ramaz colors and logo to sell them to the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. “The idea is to encourage using one water bottle that can be refilled and reused,” said Feder. “We would like to try to help students and teachers decrease their usage of plastic water bottles.” Leora Mincer sought to convey a similar message. She shared her experiences about her summer in Little Rock, Arkansas, during which she built a house as part of a community service program run by AJSS, the American Jewish Society for Service. She wanted to demonstrate “the idea that the community service we were doing meant so much more because we were doing physical work with our own hands and connecting to the natural way of man.” During the lunch periods the Chesed Committee sold items to raise money for JNF, an organization that plays a big role in developing land in Israel by planting trees. Over the last 100 years, JNF has planted over 250 million trees in Israel. The Chesed Committee sold smoothies, chocolate roses, YummyEarth organic lollipops, and other items. Students were also treated to a wishing tree and invited to make their own fruit kabobs. Continued on Page 11
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This year, Ramaz acquired a new member to the Flik lunch crew: Mr. James Eugene. When asked how he became acquainted with the Flik company, Mr. Eugene remarked that he was introduced to the job through Mr. Joe Tirado, a high school friend of his, who is also part of the Flik kitchen staff. Mr. Eugene, though new to the team, has several suggestions regarding the improvement of school lunch, particularly in the hopes of appealing to the tastes of students. “We should have less pasta; pasta everyday is unhealthy,”
said Mr. Eugene. “If you want a form of carbs you can have foods other than pasta, like rice or mashed potatoes.” He also noted that the menu consists mainly of Italian food, and asserted that it should contain dishes from other cultures, like Japan and India, more frequently. “We want to have a greater selection of cultural foods, but the problem is that there is only one meat day per week,” he said. Mr. Eugene originally comes from Haiti, home to many exotic Caribbean dishes, with cuisine similar to that of Jamaica. He spoke about some Caribbean foods that he would like to introduce to the school lunch menu, including Jamaican jerk chicken, Jamaican curry chicken, and rice with beans. “A lot of Caribbean dishes are spicy. It’s an unusual flavor,” he said. “But it’s very good.” The new kitchen staff
member noted that the Flik cuisine must abide by the laws of kashrut, which makes it difficult to introduce new types of cultural foods. Additionally, Mr. Eugene gave his opinion on the issue that the lunch menu’s improvement depends on its appeal to the students, the main patrons of the Flik food. “Some people are afraid to try new foods, afraid of change, so it’s safe to stick to the same thing sometimes,” he said. “We want to improve the lunch menu and encourage people to try new flavors, but at the same time we don’t know if the students will like it.” Mr. Eugene gave his opinion on another notorious lunch topic: tofu, a food commonly resented by the student body. “Yeah, I agree. We have to take it out of the menu,” Mr. Eugene admitted. “It appeals to the vegetarians, but that’s why we have a salad bar. We have to have more ‘teenager’ foods.” Likely to the satisfaction of most students, he mentioned delicacies such as schnitzel and cold cuts as foods that should appear more often.
Soup Du Jour Celia Eydeland ‘13 On December 15, Ramaz hosted author Laurie Gwen Shapiro to speak about her latest book, the Matzo Ball Heiress. Ms. Shapiro has written four novels and produced four films, one of which was nominated for a 2010 Emmy award. Ms. Shapiro shared with a small group of voluntary students her story of becoming a successful writer, and shared advice for future writers. Ms. Shapiro grew up on the Lower East Side near the Streit’s Matzo Bakery. She attended Stuyvesant High School where Frank McCourt, who Ms. Shapiro credits for having a tremendous impact on her writing, taught her. He often told his students, “Write about what you know,” a mantra Ms. Shapiro still follows today.
When she first began her writing career, she found that there was a void in the “Jewish Chick Lit” genre. This realization led her to write the Matzo Ball Heiress, in which the protagonist is a
Jewish woman, inspired by a woman Ms. Shapiro met at the Streit’s Matzo Bakery when she was a child. Ms. Shaprio insists that in order to be a successful writer, “you can never be ashamed of your background, and even if you are, the best therapy is to write about it.” Furthermore, she stresses the advantage of living in New York City, with its diversity and its residents’ unique sense of humor. Ms. Shaprio concluded the discussion with the following words of advice: “Go inside yourself, see what you have connections to, and to pay attention to what is surrounding you. That, I believe, is the key to becoming a good writer.”
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The RamPage Features
February 2012/Shvat 5772
Super Bowl Madness Raffi Snow ‘13 As everyone in the universe now knows, unfortunately the New England Patriots won their fourth Super Bowl of the Brady-Belichick era..... Just kidding. Actually, our own hometown New York Giants won Super Bowl XLVI, beating the Patriots 21-17 Sunday night, February 5, in Indianapolis. The Giants won in their own impeccable style, coming from behind with a late fourth quarter rally. The victory has had a great effect on all of New York and on the Ramaz student body, as evidenced by the many Giants shirts worn around the school on Monday. “I’m a huge Giants fan,” said Darien Kauvar ’13. “My heart was intensely pounding for the entire second half of the fourth quarter. I was extremely excited when we won the game.” However, not all Ramaz students were satisfied with
Rachel Huebner ‘13 In the span of two days during October, the entire student body received twentysix emails in response to the G.O.’s message about the upcoming Hershey Park trip. Although these emails were sent to nearly four hundred students, they consisted merely of a conversation between a few senior boys. In response to this episode, many students questioned the privilege that the Ramaz students are given: the ability to send schoolwide emails. While the G.O. utilizes the system by sending out the weekly G.O. mail, since October there has been a continuous abuse of the grade-wide and school-wide email system. Students have been increasingly agitated by the disregard for the rest of the student body when certain individuals deem it necessary to respond “reply all” to emails. “I think that although the exchanges are sometimes very entertaining and funny, it gets annoying and distracting when people reply all to emails,” said Samantha Adler ’14. However, others think that these school-wide conversations create a unique bond between the students.
the result of the game. A few traitors lurked in our midst: Patriots fans. For example, Jared Brown ’13 had the outright chutzpah to admit he was rooting against the Giants in the big game. “I live in New England,” said Brown. “So, yeah, I’m a
big Patriots fan. I am still really upset over the loss.” Despite a small minority’s malfeasance, the school has been in a general state of cohesion being super doped by the win. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm wasn’t quite shared by the faculty or the
administration. Although the school didn’t sanction a trip to the parade, it aired the parade in the auditorium during all three lunch periods. Some kids even managed to finagle permission to leave school and attended the parade anyway.
Some students voiced their disappointment in the school’s lack of Giants recognition. “I am a little upset that we didn’t get to go the parade,” said Aaron Kohl ’13, “especially since the juniors had a ton of frees. It could have been easily coordinated by the presidents.” Even though not every Ramaz student is a Giants fan, there was still a great consensus of support for the Giants and for New York. “I’m not a Giants fan, but I was excited for all the Giants fans out there, and the city of New York,” said Ben Charles ’13. Now that the football season is over, all of the passes thrown and all the pads hung up, there is only one important thing to remember about the 2011 NFL season: that the New York Giants came out as champions.
Waste of Cyberspace? “It creates an atmosphere in our school where we are friends and it really feels like a community in a way,” said Sydney Sarachek ’14. “This way we can have fun times with the whole school.” Students are conflicted as to how the administration should respond to the abuse of school-wide email. “I think that at times it is very helpful and useful, and when some people misuse it it’s not a big deal,” said Sally Klapper ’15. Others believe that continued misuse of school-wide email should result in some sort of consequence. “I think that it has the potential of being a great forum for sharing if students have significant contributions to make,” said Emmanuel Cantor ’13. “But if it continues to be abused, the privilege should be withdrawn.” “It’s like the cookie situation all over again, just not nearly as funny,” said Michal Shorsch ’13, referring to the improper behavior and subsequent removal of Friday cookies. “Email for groups should be in one direction and one way communication,” said Rabbi Stochel. “We would
hope that we wouldn’t have to take that away and that people would be responsible.” Many are ambivalent about the issue of schoolwide email being used as reminders of extracurricular activities or sports games. When club leaders hang flyers in the hallways, many students disregard them. But students with BlackBerries and iPhones receive these emails just minutes after they are sent. Despite the efficiency of sending school-wide emails pertaining to clubs or sports games, many students are agitated by the continuous buzzing of their phones about activities that do not interest them. “I think it is a waste of cyberspace to email the entire school about information that only truly pertains to about twenty students,” said Ethan Fuld ’12. Mr. Miller agreed, saying,
“They mean well. It’s not malicious; it’s just spam, annoying, and it gets people upset.” Mr. Miller has been pushing for a plan that will change the school-wide email system. “I’ve been trying to get the official emails to come through the website. Certain leaders will be able to send school-wide email,” he said. Those who believe that they have to notify the student body about an important matter through email will have to request permission to do so. “It sounds like an interesting idea but it seems like the restriction would be kind of annoying for people who wanted school-wide emails
about clubs,” said Alex Weinberg ’14. But many believe that this system would be an ideal way to regulate the number of and types of emails that students receive. The students who have misused the school-wide email system have not been reprimanded or punished. “I don’t like dealing with things in purely a punitive matter,” said Mr. Miller. “It’s not a question about punishment, but it’s a question about finding a solution.”
February 2012/Shvat 5772
The RamPage Opinions
Stop, Drop, and Roll
Survival of the Freshmen
Esti Flamenbaum ‘14 The fire drill on Wednesday, January 11, was a bit of a disaster. It was a disorganized mess that came much too late in the year. There are several things that would have made this fire drill a success. First of all, this shouldn’t have been the first fire drill of the year. Our first fire drill being so late in the year gave us very little time to prepare for a case in which, God forbid, we truly needed to evacuate. Also, as of 2000, New York City schools are supposed to have at least 12 fire drills a year, with eight occurring before December 1. By the first of January, we had had none. Even with this being the first fire drill, a quick assembly going over fire drill procedure during the months beforehand would have made a huge difference. While seniors may need slightly different instructions (since they no longer have set faculty advisers), grades 10 and 11 would need only to be reminded of last year’s meeting spots, and told to do the same
as last year. The freshmen should have had a fire drill “drill,” where they would be walked through the fire drill procedure and given meeting spots. The older grades, while not entirely sure where to go, had at least some sense of what to do. The freshmen only knew to leave the building, and most probably didn’t even know that both staircases let out on the ground floor. By this time last year, we had had several fire drills. When the ninth grade was deemed to have done a mediocre job on one, we were forced to go back outside and redo it. When the school actually did need to evacuate, it went smoothly. There were a lot of problems with the fire drill, most of which could have been solved with a bit of planning, and preferably several previous fire drills. When dealing with something as important as safety, it’s not best to leave it to the last minute.
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Ben Nissim ‘15 My first encounter with finals came this year. About a week and a half before finals was the first time I started to become serious about studying and getting my material organized. Teachers started to hand out review packets and discuss what material was going to be included on the final. I became nervous about what was going to being on each final and how to manage my time properly. Finally, a little under a week before our first final, History, I started to go over my notes and review the important terms. Each day I would study for a longer period of time and in more detail. My first final exam was something I had to adjust to, but once I began studying, everything became routine. Although I was stressed about the upcoming finals, I
had heard from older students that finals weren’t all that bad. Even though there is a major amount of studying required over the two weeks of finals, there is still a little time to take a breath and relax. Still, it is important not to get too comfortable and to know when to get back to work. Once finals began, I kept the older students’ advice in mind and was ready to study. I spent the weekend before our History final studying mainly for History but also for Hebrew and Biology, which were the next two finals after History. After the long weekend, I felt prepared for the History final and was ready to take my first final. After the first couple of finals, I was pleased with how they went and was really enjoying coming home at
twelve in the afternoon every day. After taking a break from studying once I got home, I was ready to get back to studying for the next final. While studying each night, the freshman received a helpful and encouraging e-mail from Dr. Koplon, our grade coordinator, giving us tips on how to study. These e-mails were fun and at the same time really beneficial to our studying. As finals continued, I became used to all of the studying and it became a routine to come home, take a break and then begin to study. My first set of final exams at Ramaz was a learning experience that has prepared me for my future sets of final exams. I am now ready for the end of second semester, when I will have to do this all over again.
A Lunchtime Lesson Deborah Pollack ‘12 It has become a daily tradition that every morning, when the davening teachers read the Daily Bulletin, sighs and deep exhalations are uttered from the “lucky winners” of lunch duty. From that point on, their day has officially begun its downhill descent, for they know that during lunch they will have to go to every table and clean up most of their classmates’ plates, cups, napkins, and spills. That can’t put anyone in a good mood. This acquisition of the role of “garbage man,” however, is not the true intent of the lunch duty system. The job, by definition, only entails reminding people to clean up and walk- ing around the lunch room with the garbage can to encourage students to clean up. Ironically, in Ramaz, a school that prides itself on menschlichkeit and producing well-behaved students, this is not the case. At the end of lunch periods, the Ramaz lunchroom looks like a Jackson Pollack painting: there is trash everywhere. The students on lunch duty are forced to clean up everyone else’s messes. The piles of plates and napkins are disgusting
and grow more intimidating as their size increases throughout periods six, seven, and eight. Throwing out a plate takes a good five seconds; trust me, I timed it. Why can’t every student just throw out his or her own garbage? Is it rooted in laziness? Is it because we rely too much on our friends to clean up for us? Are we so entitled that we don’t need to clean up after ourselves? Whatever the reason, lunchtime in Ramaz needs to change, and it needs to change now.
Recently, the Ramaz Mission Statement was put up in every classroom presenting the goals and the values that every Ramaz student should be taught and eventually posses. With our lunchtime track-record, however, why should these mission statements only be placed in classrooms? This portrays the idea that only in places of learning should we keep these values in mind. But these values should be remembered in the lunchroom, the lounges, the elevators, and in the stairwells as well. It is not enough
to just take responsibility for yourself in the classroom; rather, every student needs to go the extra mile and take responsibility for himself or herself in the building as a whole. What I find most appalling about this dirty trend is that students are leaving their garbage for their own classmates and peers to clean up. Everybody works and hangs out with each other during the day, and it would be nice if we all showed each other some respect in the lunchroom as well. If every- one took the responsibility of simply cleaning up after himself or herself, lunch duty would not conjure up sighs and grunts every morning. I hope that by reading this article, at least one of you will not leave your plate after you eat you sandwich or quesadilla and instead take the five seconds out of your day to throw it out. Hopefully, this one action will cause a ripple effect, which will turn the old kindergarten anthem: “Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share,” into the Ramaz norm.
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The RamPage Photospread
February 2012/Shvat 5772
Senior Sh
February 2012/Shvat 5772
habbaton
The RamPage Photospread
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The RamPage Opinions
February 2012/Shvat 5772
Letters to the Editors The following letter is a response to the article The Prayer Approach, written by Sam Feldstein ‘14 for the December 2011 issue of RamPage. Dear Sam: When I was in high school I probably got into trouble at minyan more times than anyone in Ramaz ever has and so I can empathize with many of the observations that you made in your column about davening in school. As my attitude toward davening changed over time (though I must admit that there are still times when I find it uncomfortably long) and as someone who has had the privilege of davening in Ramaz for a very long time, permit me to share with you some of my reactions, all of which I trust you will understand as coming from a place of profound and heartfelt mutual respect. Let me state emphatically at the outset as well that I think that we are not speaking here about a widespread “problem.” Rather, we are talking primarily about the situation in which any one of us may be having a more difficult day focusing. My response can be framed on two levels. The first is in the context of a social contract. Students who enroll in Ramaz know that they are coming to an Orthodox school where davening is an expected part of the day, no less than classes. It would therefore make complete sense to expect that a student must participate in davening and not simply attend, no less than participation in class (be it in the form of homework, tests or class). I can’t imagine anyone agreeing to the notion that one can come to class, not do any work, not join in class discussion, not take tests and still think that one is complying with the social contract that admitted them to the
school. Why should tefillah be different? “Because it’s personal,” one might object. “It’s an internal private affair between me and God or between me and myself.” Yes and no. Yes, because tefillah is indeed what Chazal call avodah she’ba-lev, service of the heart, and none of us can claim to control the heart of another. As such, as best as I can remember, it never has been the policy at Ramaz to “force” someone else to daven. It would be folly to think one could ever enforce such a thing, to say nothing of the fact that it would be wrong and wrongheaded. But that is only part of the story. For tefillah is both an individual and a communal affair. Avodah she’balev describes the individual part. But the communal part, in terms of the social contract, says that I am a part of the school community. I attend minyan every day because I recognize and respect that it is a school value (even if I have trouble buying into personally from time to time because I’m tired, or lazy or upset or having theological issues or...) I am a member of this community and therefore I respect what the school stands for and the needs of others. That means that I must participate in this communal activity for that is what I signed on for when I came into the school. But “participate” in this narrow instance doesn’t necessarily mean saying the words (though contributing to a kol tefillah is also a contribution regardless of what one is thinking personally at the time). Rather, it means communicating to oneself and the rest of the community
anyone who tells you they have complete kavanah all of the time, is either a tzaddik or a liar. Praying with kavanah is not always easy. Establishing a relationship with God is not always easy. Like any relationship, it takes time and nurturing and patience and stick-with-it-ness. For that is what prayer is, moving toward a relationship. There have been times in my life where I have just mouthed the words and others when I have been consumed by them. They have brought me consolation and inspiration but this did not happen by itself. It’s been work. Tefillah requires the use of a kavanah muscle that requires training and exercise. I used to play hockey and football when I was in high school and I was pretty good at both of them because of the countless hours I spent in practice and discomfort. I also took guitar lessons and dropped it after a while because I couldn’t take the countless hours of drills. I never gave up on tefillah, primarily because my soul would not allow me to. When adults in minyan nudge students to daven, then, it is because they are like coaches who know that one must stay in the game in order to master it. We know that students are exhausted in the morning, we know that some are going through personal crisis or wonder if their prayers are actually heard, we know that some students are lazy or preoccupied. But we nudge the way we do because we have been there before ourselves and because we know that sometimes you need a push to move forward, to keep your prayer muscles in good working order so that
you can build upon them. Here, too, there is a communal element: I need your voice. The underlying concept of tefillah b’tzibbur is that there is more power in my individual prayer when there are others praying with me. Almost all of the prayers are in the plural. Many can only be recited with a quorum. You bring your own personality, background, strengths to our collective prayer. Without them, my communal prayer is lacking something. Why would I ever want to give up on that? To be sure, there are times when we adults mess up, when we push too hard or not the right way or on not the right day. We may not show it, but such times are a source of great pain and frustration to us, for none of us went into education in order to turn people off. I have spoken to educators around the country and everyone admits that such miscalculations ruin our day. If that happens, then please, let us know so that we can continue to sensitize one another. In that sense, I am thankful for your decision to speak out. Respecting one another’s perspective is part of the social contract, the school’s mission, and the religious value of kavod ha-briyot. I pray it is just the beginning of our community dialogue. Bivrakhot
only liberty that it took was that the Master of Ceremonies was a member of the SAR faculty. Unlike Nashir,
sively YU staff members. “I think they make the interesting choice of being very open about their intentions and their goals for the program,” said Cantor regarding the YU press. Although the Rams did not bring home any hardware, it was a hard fought competition. The delegates learned how the UN functions, and learned to view political situations from different perspectives. The meeting also forced students to learn to speak in extempore and encouraged compromise among dissenting views through organized, civil debate.
RABBI JAY GOLDMINTZ Ed.D Headmaster Ramaz Upper School January 22, 2012
YUNMUN
Continued from Front Page Model UN representatives, put in time on his own. “I prepared for many hours and even contacted the Lebanese ambassador to the UN to find out some of Lebanon’s positions,” said Kornsgold. One surprising, perhaps biased, factor of the competition was many of the participatory schools’ affiliation with YU. It was speculated that the number of seats afforded to each delegation is proportional to the number of students sent to YU or Stern College. This was why Heschel, a large metropolitan school, was afforded fewer delegates than Cooper Yeshiva in Memphis,
that I am a part of it. It means standing when everyone else is standing, having one’s siddur open to the correct page, responding when appropriate and not talking when inappropriate. To do otherwise, to sit with one’s siddur closed, for example, is to potentially inadvertently send the message that “I don’t really care what’s going on in this room right now. I don’t really value what you are doing.” I know that most students who sit with a siddur closed in their lap or who talk incessantly or the like don’t really intend to send this message. But that is exactly the message that it sends via one’s body language to many of the people who are davening at the time or who are looking for inspiration from their surroundings. This kind of minimal participation is also the mentchlikh thing to do in keeping with the mission statement of the school. If any of us were to be in another religious community’s place of worship, I have no doubt that we would act respectfully and appropriately. We should ask no less of ourselves in our own shuls when we are otherwise having a tough time connecting. At the same time, while I would never “force” someone to say the words, there is nevertheless an expectation that everyone will say the words. It has been compared to the singing of the national anthem – you could certainly stand and listen passively but we expect that everyone will actually say the words because that is the correct thing to do in this communal setting. The second context for a response is a religious one. Someone once quipped that
Tennessee. Perhaps the best preparation a delegate can do for his school is to attend YU so that his high school is allotted more representatives the following year. This was just one of the ways that the YUNMUN competition blatantly advertised YU. Understandably, the event’s staff consisted solely of YU students, alumni, and faculty members, but it seemed excessive that the Yeshiva University emblem was printed on the pens, notepads, and bags distributed at the event. Large banners with the school’s name adorned the walls of the Stamford Plaza
Hotel, and YU pamphlets covered the dining room tables. On top of this, songs performed by the Maccabeats, YU’s popular a cappella group, were played repeatedly in the atrium. Granted, the event served as a convenient time for YU, its host, to advertise, but at similar competitions, the host does not force- feed the participants school advertisements. Consider this month’s Nashir event at SAR, for example: SAR hosted other schools’ choirs, but the
at which the special guests were independent professional musicians, the guests at YUNMUN were almost exclu-
February 2012/Shvat 5772
The RamPage Arts
Not Enough Carnage Jeremy Hoffman ‘13 Not being allowed to use my credit card to purchase my ticket, having to use stairs since there was no escalator, sitting in a theatre predominately populated by independent viewers (not one of whom bought popcorn), and watching on a screen the size as those in many home theatres, I knew that the movie I was about to see would be different. Roman Polanski’s new film, Carnage, based on the play God of Carnage by French playwright Yasmina Reza (who also co-wrote the screenplay), is a tense satire on a petty argument between two sets of bourgeois parents. It takes place solely in Penelope and Michael’s (Jodi Foster and John C. Reilly) Brooklyn apartment and its exterior hallway. Another couple, Nancy and Alan (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz), is visiting the apartment on an awkward errand: their son hit Penelope and Michael’s son with a stick on the playground, breaking two of his teeth. What begins
as a simple meeting to draw up an agreement ends up as a drunken verbal feud between the couples regarding their professions, marriages, and respective children. Yes, carnage in the literal sense of the word does not occur between the walls of the apartment, but the couples would much rather have endured carnage by the end of the vomit-infested and tear-filled altercation that ensued. Allegiances shift quickly as these characters gang up on one another, first over the injuries one son has caused to the other, then over slights real and imagined that pile up amid the bickering. What starts as couple-against-couple becomes gender-againstgender, three-against-one, and every man and woman for him and herself. It is psychological warfare with words acting as the weapons. However, the tension comes out as a bit forced with a dialogue-oriented plot, and a lack of stress-inducing camera movement. The conflict is not
Jeremy Hoffman ‘13
as in-your-face as it potentially could be. Nancy and Alan do try to leave a few times, but their pride and need to get the last word pulls them back. The social graces disintegrate more and more every time they step back through the threshold. Carnage stirs the crowd a little bit but doesn’t trap the audience as much as it could. It is nice to watch the stellar cast and it’s good for a few laughs.
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Oscar Predictions Jeremy Hoffman ‘13 Best Picture The Artist. In an age where 3D movies are predominant and riveting special effects populate the screens, The Artist proves that adapting to the new technologies is not always necessary. The raw emotion and acting was extraordinary, proving that color and sound isn’t always necessary. The Academy also tends to give the Best Picture nod to films with many other nominations, of which The Artist holds 10. Best Actor George Clooney, The Descendants. Clooney shows his both his dramatic and comedic sides in his role as a single dad. Barely edges out Jean Dujardin of The Artist. Best Actress Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady. Already having won the Golden Globe for her performance as Margaret Thatcher, the longest serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of the 20th Century, Streep will win her second Oscar for Best Actress. The Academy admires truly transformative performances and Streep proved to be just that. Best Actor in a Supporting Role Christopher Plummer, Beginners. In his role as Hal, the father of a man reflecting on his life, Plummer delivered. An experienced actor, especially in this category, he is the obvious choice. Best Actress in a Supporting Role Jessica Chastain, The Help. In a tossup between Chastain, who played a hysterical excommunicated housewife, and co-star Octavia Spencer, I see Chastain taking this one. It would cap off a great year for Chastain, who also starred in The Tree of Life, Take Shelter, and The Debt. Best Director Martin Scorsese for Hugo Best Foreign Language Film A Separation Best Animated Film Puss in Boots
Definitions
Across 2 To coax 4 Running-backs have this, sounds like a type of green vegetable 6 Basil Hallward of Dorian Gray embraced this philosophy 8 Speakers usually address audiences on top of one of these 9 Romantic comedy, horror, drama, thriller, mystery, e.g 11 Hanks; Pickles; Cruise 12 Face of something (e.g, gemstones) 14 Less extreme jingoist 15 English trial lawyer 16 Zoolander couldn’t pronounce this word relating to a funeral 17 Elections for Congressmen, e.g 18 Another word for Stephanie Meyer’s best-selling saga Down 1 The act of throwing something out the window 3 Majestic, one of the months 5 Antonym of midget 7 Self-assertive, rhymes with scrumptious 10 Hiding place, sounds like a colloquial word used for money 13 Whitney 16 Graverobbers do this
Note: The answers to this puzzle appear on Page 8.
RamPage meets in Room 604 at 5:00 every Thursday.
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The RamPage Features
Competition Gets Fierce at Nashir Jonathan Koptyev ‘13
On Wednesday, February 1, Ramaz choral participants enjoyed a day off from school as they strutted their vocal talents at the Nashir choral festival at SAR High School. With 5 schools participating (Ramaz, SAR, NSHA, Flatbush, and Heschel), singers were given the opportunity to meet and spend time with students from other yeshivas in a
to regard it more as a yeshivaleague sporting event. It seemed to be just another display of clashing senses of school pride. This was especially seen evident another school performed a song that the Ramaz chamber choir sang at the 75th Annual Dinner Dance, “Lullabye (Good Night My Angel)” by Billy Joel. Many
sy to the other school, congratulating them on their solid performance. This perhaps can be attributed to a sense of well- mannered obligation, especially because that seemed to be a defining characteristic of the day’s atmosphere. “Yeah, the environment was friendly on the outside, but deep down we all knew we wanted to be better than the
gregarious environment. Old camp friends reunited, giving off a refreshing impression. “I really loved it! It was such a good opportunity to catch up with old friends,” said Thalia Sharon ’13. Students engaged in friendly vocal sessions, which gave them a taste of a specific style of music, broadening their range of musical knowledge. The eclectic array of sessions included jazz music, a performance by an a cappella pop group called Blue Jupiter, and a lesson on power vocals taught by Nick Page. While kids enjoyed these group programs alongside students from other schools, there still seemed to be a sense of inter-school competitiveness. Although Nashir was intended to be a mere festival of artistry, students appeared
members of the Ramaz chamber choir were irritated to discover that another school at Nashir was singing “their song,” feeling robbed of an element that closely connected them. They started to sing “Lullabye” so that the other school could hear in order to illustrate a sense of school pride. Nevertheless, Mr. Henkin maintained that the other school sang a different arrangement of the piece, which involved piano accompaniment. The Ramaz Chamber Choir, on the other hand, sang the a cappella arrangement by the King’s Singers. The “competing” school also had several soloists for the song, while Ramaz had none. After the performance of “Lullabye,” Ramaz choir members still showed courte-
other schools,” said Aaron Kohl ’13. “It was sort of fake friendly in a way.” Even though Nashir was meant for inter-school communications, it appeared that pupils still remained close to their own peers, not making much of an effort to meet new people. School pride was apparent throughout the program, particularly as students chanted and cheered for their schools. “Personally, I would rather it be an actual competition because it was already pretty competitive,” expressed Edan Tamler ’14. “The competiveness definitely took away from the festive aspect of it, though.”
February 2012/Shvat 5772
SIS
Continued from Front Page different names including Gay Rights/Anti-Homophobia Club, Sexual Identity Club, and the Gay-Straight Alliance. Most recently, its members decided on the name Sexuality, Identity, and Society (SIS). “The sexuality [aspect] is clear, identity is who we are, and society is what the implications of the first two categories are in our culture,” explained Dr. Zeitchik. “If we had that last week, I would have publicized it more intensely.” An important aspect of SIS’s discussions about sexual identity will be its members’ emotions toward the issues in question. “It’s really a combination of trying to explore all these issues and discussing our feelings about them,” Dr. Zeitchik said. “If you’re discussing a human issue, it is going to raise people’s emotional reactions.” Interestingly, Dr. Zeitchik and the SIS founders have received few emotional reactions from students, faculty members, and administrators regarding the club’s potentially controversial nature. “Some people have said that it sounds like a good idea, but feel that Ramaz might not be the place for it,” said Altzman. “Mostly, I think it has been that people are just not interested in it.” Dr. Zeitchik anticipates disapproval and concern from students and coworkers, but feels entirely prepared to discuss the issues that the SIS club raises in a sincere, open manner. “I think that our school should be able to discuss the importance of the sociological reality that kids experience in an honest and thoughtful way,” he said. “Avoidance is not a strategy for sound education and guidance.” Altzman and Weintrob said that they had little trouble getting permission to begin their club. They simply wrote a proposal and met with Mr. Miller to discuss some of their concerns about beginning the club. Two weeks later, they
were granted permission to start SIS and Dr. Zeitchik was asked by Mr. Miller to serve as the club’s faculty adviser. But Altzman and Weintrob had been discussing issues of sexuality and homophobia long before they started SIS. “We had been discussing these issues for a while, but we only started seriously discussing creating this club toward the end of first semester,” said Altzman. “I had a conversation with a Ramaz graduate and I was telling her that I felt the school could use a club like this,” said Weintrob. “She said, ‘Well, why don’t you do it?’ and I thought, ‘You’re right. What have I got to lose?’” It was after that that Weintrob approached Altzman about beginning the club, and they found that their peers were mostly supportive. Notably, the establishment of the SIS club is not the first example of open discussion of sexuality at Ramaz. Rabbi Lookstein’s class for sophomores, “Jewish Sexual Ethics” and Ms. London’s sexual education class for juniors both address some issues regarding homosexuality and sexual identity. Last year, Ethan Plaue ’11, published a series of articles in the RamPage addressing issues of and opinions on sexual identity at Ramaz. “I think those articles from last year sensitized me to addressing these issues in a thoughtful way,” said Dr. Zeitchik. “I see this club as a natural extension of that.” The two started SIS mainly because they felt there was not enough open discussion about sexuality at Ramaz. They were also dissatisfied with some students’ homophobic behavior and use of anti-gay slurs. “We definitely hope Ramaz culture becomes more open to homosexuality in the future,” said Weintrob. “I think that Ramaz is actually a very civil and ethical place,” said Dr. Zeitchik, “but I think it can only help to try and push the culture in a more positive direction.”
The RamPage Editorial Staff Editors-in-Chief Zahava Presser Michael Schumeister Associate Editors Rebecca Brill Jake Sarachek News Editor Zach Eckstein
Arts Editor Carly Stern Opinion Editor Ariella Lerner Photo Editors Daniella Deutsch Andrea Edelman Faculty Advisor Dr. Steven Milowitz
February 2012/Shvat 5772
The RamPage Features
Tu B’Shvat
Page 11
Ramaz @75
Continued from Page 3
Continued from Front Page
Many students also took time from their lunch periods to plant trees on the terrace. “It was really important that we did some sort of hands-on activity having to do with nature on Tu B’Shvat,”
said Melissa Kaplan ’14. “Although the plants and pots were small, we still helped the environment in some way and felt good about doing it.” Michele Bengualid ’13, one of the leaders of the
‘13. “It took so much hard work and I’m so appreciative of the time and effort that he put in.” The Kol Ram Choir, High School Choir, Cham-ber Choir, Middle School Choir, Lower School Choir, band, and dance team demonstrated their varied repertoire through their performances of a hip-hop song, an Israeli rap, and traditional Hebrew and English music. “I thought that it was great how there was such a variety,” said Orly Mintz ’15, a member of the
ments in the high school include creating the Yoatzim program and expanding the science research program. In honor of this year’s celebration, certain Ramaz graduates who were members of the choir, dance team, and band were invited to the event to perform. While many of these gifted alumni were stationed throughout the Smorgasbord in order to provide entertainment, previous dance captains Sophie Lee Landau ’11 and Liviya Kraemer ’06 performed with the dance
dance team. “It provided a great opportunity to learn different types of dances that we wouldn’t normally spend the time studying.” In order to honor Ms. Fagin, Rabbi Lookstein delivered an address. Additionally, a group consisting of a Lower School student, a Middle School student, a Middle School faculty member, a parent, a Board member, and Mr. Miller presented a short skit. Each participant discussed the noteworthy contributions that Ms. Fagin made in his or her area and thanked her for her outstanding work and dedication. “It was really special that so many people came together to celebrate and honor Ms. Fagin’s hard work and contributions to the school,” said Abigail Blas ’12. “It was a beautiful way to say goodbye to Ms. Fagin and try to show both Ms. Fagin and the guests how much we value her involvement in the school.” “[Ms. Fagin] embodies everything that Ramaz is about: menschlichkeit, derech eretz, Ahavat Yisrael, and a commitment to academic excellence and a lifelong pursuit of knowledge,” said Rabbi Lookstein. Her most notable achieve-
team onstage. “I thought it was great because we’ve never gotten the opportunity to perform with alumni before. They were really excited and got really into everything,” said Brina Chu ’12. Despite the motivation and passion that the alumni conveyed, many questioned the decision to allow these alumni to perform with the dance team on its most important performance of the year. Dance team members such as Alison Molchadsky ’14 were ambivalent about the issue. “While it was an amazing opportunity to have these experienced dancers assist us with our choreography, they attracted much attention onstage and it wasn’t exactly fair that they performed,” she said. “Our team has worked really hard to perfect our performance for months, a process which they were not involved in.” As the night came to an end, both the audience and the performers seemed to agree that artistic director and conductor Mr. Henkin, with the help of many others, once again directed a memorable performance. Rabbi Lookstein declared, “I think that this was the best Dinner Dance ever!”
Chesed Committee who helped plan the day’s activities said that through the tree planting, “we wanted to show that we can do nice things in America and can also make a difference.”
Answers to Crossword Puzzle Definitions, Page 7:
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The RamPage Sports
Girls Varsity Bring Home Gold Alex Ratzker ‘14 From January 5 through January 7, the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team participated in the first ever Kulanu/ LATCP Tournament and Shabbaton. Heading undefeated into the championship, the Ramaz team went on to beat HAFTR in what turned out to be a very close game. At the start of the tournament, some of the players were nervous because Captain Suri Bandler ’12 was sidelined with a foot injury. Point guard Hannah Klapper ’13 was listed as questionable because she sprained her ankle several weeks before. Because of the injuries, the team’s coach, Mr. Dulny, brought along Junior Varsity player Rachel Aboodi ’15 to
was there to cheer them on. All of the schools came together to celebrate shabbat, beginning with Friday night services and dinner at Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst. After dinner all four teams gathered to discuss the tournament’s theme, which was inclusion. Kulanu is a Jewish organization that provides assistance in the form of educational and social services to disabled people. Let All the Children Play Foundation (LATCP) is dedicated to improving the lives of children with disabilities by building parks and playgrounds that are accessible to all. They also organize programs, which create opportunities for these children to play with able-
ketball and the importance of giving people with disabilities the opportunity to play. “I really enjoyed the speaker,” said Lauren Wildes ’14. “His speech helped me understand that no matter how people play the game, whether they are sitting in a wheelchair or standing up, we all share a love of the sport.” On Saturday night, Bruriah defeated HANC in a consolation game. Before the Ramaz and HAFTR championship game began, the players participated in activities with disabled children affiliated with Kulanu. The teams ran a clinic and competed with the kids in a shooting contest. Following these activities, all the participants came together
February 2012/Shvat 5772
Words From a Winning Trio:
An Interview with the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Captains Nina Rohr ’13
The Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team has successfully made it to the playoffs! Captains Lily Abrahams ’12, Anna Aschendorf ’12, and Mattie Kapito ’12 hope to lead their team to victory.
assist the team and serve as an additional guard. “This tournament was at a good time of the year since we were just coming back from winter vacation,” said Mr. Dulny. “The injuries made the tournament more difficult, but it proved to be a great bonding experience and a chance for all of the athletes to get more practice.” On January 5, the Ramaz team played their first game against HANC High School, beating them with a final score of 45-43. The following morning Ramaz played HAFTR and defeated them by six points. Later that afternoon the girls’ team played Bruriah, a team they had lost to in the regular season, and managed to beat them by twenty-five points. Throughout these games, the team’s most loyal fan, Ms. Weinstein,
bodied children. “The tournament was a great opportunity to bond with my teammates,” said Dalia Lippman ’13, “but I really enjoyed meeting and interacting with the other girls from Bruriah, HANC, and HAFTR. The whole weekend was really fun, especially the activities that took place off the court.” On Saturday morning, all of the teams arrived at Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst for services followed by lunch. Following the meal, Mark Drummer, a former basketball player who currently coaches a wheelchair basketball team, spoke about the adaptations that have been made for athletes like him who are permanently confined to wheelchairs. Mr. Drummer informed his audience about the history of wheelchair bas-
for a snack of ice cream. Throughout the championship game, Ramaz and HAFTR were neck and neck. But, by the fourth quarter Ramaz had established a lead of several points. In the final minutes of the game, HAFTR made a comeback. The Ramaz team was able to maintain its lead, beating HAFTR by a mere two points. MVP of the tournament, Nina Leibowitz ’13, said, “Although it was tough having four games back to back, with our amazing teamwork, we really pulled through.” Ally Goldstein ’13 added, “We went in with a mentality of winning it all and that’s what happened. We really wanted this victory and we worked hard to achieve our goal.”
RamPage: Why do you think this year was so successful? AA: This year, the team is really small. We’re only eight girls as opposed to the usual 16. Because of this, all of us are just really focused and dedicated. RP: What has it been like working with Coach Kohn? MK: She is very dedicated. She cares as much about the team and the sport as we do. This year, there is also a new assistant coach who is amazing. RP: How are the players’ relationships with each other? AA: We’re all really close and get along very well. MK: We get to joke around a lot and have fun because we’re all friends. RP: Are there any team rituals? MK: Any time one of us gets an ace, we have a special “ace cheer.” AA: Also, before a game, we
always huddle up and do a cheer, in addition to having team meetings before each game. RP: What is your strategy going in to the playoffs? AA: We’re just going to go in to it and play like we usually do. It is really important to just be confident. MK: We have to make sure to play nicely and not to sink to the level of any other team. RP: Are you nervous for the upcoming events? AA: We have a very good record (8-2) and we’ve only lost to Frisch, so I think we’re pretty confident. MK: We know that we can all depend on each other, since we know how everyone plays; we have a very strong team. We don’t know what team we’re playing yet, so it’s a little nerve-wracking but I know we can do it! RP: Are you going to miss the team next year? AA and MK: Yes! We’ve both been on the team for all four years of high school. MK: It is going to be a very different team next year since half of the team is seniors.