Volume 77, Issue 4 (January 2015) - The Rampage

The Rampage Ramaz Upper School

New York • Volume 77 • Issue IV • January 2015 • Shvat 5775 • the-rampage.org

78th Annual Dinner

By Oren Oppenheim ’16

After months and months of planning and anticipation, Ramaz held its 78th annual Dinner on January 11th at the Marriot Marquis hotel in Times Square. This year, the night’s theme was The Power of Community, emphasizing how those who take action can have a ripple effect on bringing the rest of the community together to accomplish great things.

This year, there was a triad of honorees, all of whom were Ramaz alumni. They were Isaac

Lockdown Drill

By Elianna Schwartz ’17

Before parent-teacher conferences, the maintenance staff installed white blinds over the small rectangular window on every classroom door. After the blinds were put in, many students started to feel a difference in their classroom experience. “I only now appreciate the tiny window in the door, after it has been taken away!” said Jonny Povman ’18.

On the surface, the blinds appear as a nuisance to the students and a way for the teachers to eliminate outside classroom distractions.

In fact, the blinds are not there to help students better focus on the teacher and lesson being taught, but rather they are a safety measure that requires “the blinds to stay up and only be used in the event of a lockdown. People need to understand when to use them”, said Mamadou (head of Security of all Ramaz divisions including the Early, Lower, Middle, and Upper schools).

Mamadou explained that there is a legitimate reason behind the blind and that this type of safety requirement is necessary due to shootings that occurred in other schools. Mamadou emphasized, “We must have a plan these days because this happens too often.”

These measures have been implemented in all divisions of Ramaz. In fact, the middle school had a lockdown drill last year and on January 14th the Upper School had its first drill. Mr. Miller emphasized that the drill was not a response to the recent events in France; rather, it had been in the works for a long time.

“The first drill was a success, but we have much room to improve the drill,” said Mr. Miller. The drill began with Mr. Miller saying “lockdown” on the loudspeaker and terminated with a code word that let everyone know that the lock down was over. “The drill was something I’ve never experi-

Herzog ’78, a current member of the Knesset and a candidate to be the next prime minister of Israel; Judy Harris Kluger ’70, executive director of the organization Sanctuary for Families and a former NYC judge; and Michael Mukasey ’59, a former Attorney General of the United States and district judge of Southern New York.

The night before the dinner, many arrived at the hotel to start setting up, including Mr. Rami Yadid and Elliot Linder

Sophomores Travel to Israel

Continued on page 7

enced before. I thought it was a good drill to have and made me feel a bit more prepared if a true

By Gabriel Klapholz ’17 lockdown was necessary,” said What is the meaning of the word “disabiliality, a great sense of humor and much wisdom Rebekah Fenster ’17. ty?”

What may come to mind is an image of a to share.

The blinds are only one aspect frail elderly woman or a man in a wheelchair, Indeed, while the program’s main theme is of the larger lockdown procedure.

In event of a lockdown, there are but after traveling to Israel with Ms. Benel, the elderly and the formation of intergeneraquite a few steps which culmiRabbi Pianko and twelve other sophomores, tional bonds, it also encourages other acts of nate in pulling down the blinds. this is no longer my understanding of disabilichesed beyond those with the elderly. Students Mamadou explained the protocol: ties. in the program use their new understanding every classroom has a lock, so each Ramaz and the all-girls secondary school Teof and relationships with the elderly to gain a class must lock themselves inside. hila-Evelina de Rothschild in Jerusalem received larger perspective of gemilut chasadim (“muThen, the lights are shut off and a generous tual acts of kindness”), the blinds are pulled down. The grant to carry applying this idea to other goal is that no one is able to see out a yearlong people in society who are inside or get inside the classroom. pilot program, mentally or physically Mamadou stressed that “it’s the responsibility of the faculty to Better Togethchallenged. do all those things and for the er: An InterThe program entails students to receive instructions generational monthly visits with the from the teachers.” He also points Visitation elderly through an orout, that in addition to the blinds, Program. The ganization called Dorot, locked doors and lights out, intergeneraweekly discussion groups everyone must be completely still tional focus with elderly speakers, and quiet in the classroom during helps us realize and a trip to Israel to a lockdown situation. Students are that frailty of meet with Israeli students forbidden to use their phones or body does not from Tehilla-Evelina de produce any light at all because a small thing like that can jeopardize imply frailty Rothschild. In March, the everyone’s safety. of mind. The Tehilla-Evelina students The blinds may seem like an various activwill be coming to Ramaz annoyance to the students and ities, speakers to fulfill another goal of only there for the benefit of the and chesed projects in our program’s itinerary the program – building a connection with other teachers; as Julia Krevat ’17 said, are validations of that inference. While one may students through discussions about how Jewish “they’re literally trying to lock us be physically impaired or limited because of life and values differ in Israel and America. in.” But, now we understand that aging, he or she can still have a vibrant person While in Israel this past month, the that is precisely what they are trying to do, lock us in (although not Continued on page 4 for the same reasons that we had thought)! Mamadou emphasizes that, “G-d forbid should we ever 13: THE MUSICAL! have to use this system in our lifetime. But we still have to teach the I CAN’T BREATHE students, the teachers, the kitchen Ramaz Drama Department The Power of Community A response to the Eric stages their latest production staff, and the rest of the faculty Garner case their roles to make the lockdown The 78th Annual Ramaz successful.”

In the meantime, until further Dinner notice, keep those blinds raised up high so the students feel a sense of openness and ability to see the “light”!

INSIDE

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2 Preview

3 Rabbi Sklarin Wins Award

The Rampage January 2015/Shvat 5775 60 East 78 Street New York, NY 10075

A Snow Day, Final-y

By Jasmine Levine ’17

4 Early Decision: Pros and Cons 5 GO takes Upper School on trip to Bryant Park

14 Taylor Swift: Reviewed 14 Theory of Everything: Reviewed

15 Hannah Scherl ’15 to Play for Cornell 15 Lady Rams Win in Baltimore

On Monday afternoon, January 26th, a “historic” blizzard was set to hit the northeast.

Up to 30 inches were supposed to hit NYC. Mayor De Blasio closed public school for January 27th as a result of the storm and warned, “This could be the biggest snowstorm in the history of this city.” He told New Yorkers to “prepare for something worse than we have ever seen before.” In the end, New York was spared the worst of the storm, and only eight inches fell in Central Park.

Ramaz closed all of its divisions on Tuesday in preparation for the storm. The school announced that the finals that students were missing on Tuesday would be moved to Wednesday, after their already scheduled tests. The administration sent an email to students explaining that much time goes into scheduling the exams and that the school’s policy, in cases of snow-days, is that the missed exams are given on the following day, after the scheduled exams for that day.

The administration explained their reasoning: “While we understand that some of you may have made travel plans for Wednesday afternoon, you should be aware that the published intersession break does not officially begin until Thursday afternoon. We are

not asking you to forfeit airline tickets at this time, only understand that rescheduling today’s exams for tomorrow causes the least possible disruption to our program. Our goal is to educate and we would like to cancel as few class days as possible in order to maximize your educational opportunities.”

Many Seniors, who were scheduled to be finished with finals Wednesday morning, complained that if they took a second final on Wednesday, they would miss their flights for intersession. As a result, the school offered an alternative test date, on Wednesday, February 4th, two days after break.

Ramaz students enjoyed their snow day. Allie Haber ’15 offered, “The snow day was very helpful and gave me a lot of extra time to study for my Chemistry final.” While some students used the day to catch up on studying, others enjoyed time in the snow. Esther Douer ’15 said, “Who needs to study for finals when you can go sledding! I had a lot of fun going sledding, making snow angels, and having a snowball fight.” Whatever activity they chose for their snow-day, most students returned to school on Wednesday refreshed and ready for another final.

January 2015/Shvat 5775

The-rampage.org

Practice Makes Perfect

By Oren Oppenheim ’16

Fire drills are an accepted part of Ramaz life, and when the alarm bell goes off, most students don’t panic; they go and follow the procedure for getting out of the building. While the traffic in the stairwells can seem reminiscent of the slow-moving backups on the George Washington Bridge, the drills usually happen efficiently and go off without a hitch. However, in November, there seemed to be an unusually high number of fire drills in a short amount of time.

According to Ms. Tsang, who has a list of the exact dates and times the drills occurred, there was a drill on Monday, November 3rd during period M6, a drill on Thursday, November 6th during period R3, one on Tuesday November 11th during C7, Thursday November 13th during period R7, and Monday December 1st during the first half of Mincha. In other words, five fire drills within one month, with two instances of two drills happening during the same week, during a notoriously cold month.

How do Ramaz students feel about the many fire drills they went through? Many didn’t really care that much. “I am perfectly happy to comply with whatever fire drills the school needs in order to maintain accreditation,” said Flora Lipsky ’15. “It really doesn’t bother me.” And unsurprisingly, many saw the bright side in having a drill in the middle of a period. “I feel like anything that lets us miss class time is welcome,” said Akiva Weinberger ’18. “I’m guessing that the teachers are a lot more stressed out over them than the students.”

Others were not as pleased with the timing of the drills, including how close they were to each other.

“They’re definitely necessary,” said Margo Oshry ’15.

“I just don’t understand why they decided to do all of them in the span of one week and on the coldest days of fall.” For some, it seemed impractical—could so many fire drills in quick succession really help at all? “I believe that though the fire drills are a safety necessity for our school, that massive amount of them in such a short amount of time is not as beneficial and productive as they would possibly be if they were spread out over a longer period of time,” said Ben Kohl ’15.

The periods chosen to have the fire drills in were also a point of contention. “Don’t have a fire drill during a lunch period,” Max Deutsch ’16 said.

“That’s not fair to those in lunch.”

But are there really more drills happening than

usual or is that just the perception of the students?

“There actually haven’t been any more fire drills this season than we have had in the past at this time of year,” said Rabbi Stochel. The school is required by the state to have a specific number of fire drills during different parts of the year. There weren’t any fire drills earlier in the year, such as before Sukkot, because the school didn’t want “to interfere with establishing a rhythm of learning in the first weeks of school, and to give us time to inform faculty and especially new students about the assigned locations outside the building.” Rabbi Stochel also dispelled the rumors that the drills have to do with the school’s accreditation by the NYSAIS private school organization, which was a focal point in Ramaz last year. “The number of fire drills has nothing at all to do with NYSAIS accreditation.”

The final question is whether the drills have truly helped the Ramaz student body improve in its fire drill performance, so in the case of an actual emergency everyone could get out safely. “The frequency of building evacuations have most certainly improved our performance,” said Rabbi Stochel. “The last one was the most efficient evacuation we have conducted and we achieved our best time of this season.” The students and faculty, he said, are to thank for fully understanding “the life-saving potential of practicing for an actual emergency, chas v’shalom.” Mr. Elisha, who is one of the junior grade’s advisors, also thinks that the school overall is getting better at it. “I think the student body has improved outdoors… My advisees for instance, within two fire drills, improved one hundred percent.” He said the best fire drills that Ramaz has had are the ones where “Everyone sticks together, stays together, and that’s effective.”

He does think that there is room for improvement. “There are certain places in the building where I would like to see a bit more vigilance towards fire safety... Take a look at the [narrow] hallway where the music office is right now… The SAC does not look safe.” He also expressed concern about talking in the stairways and bottlenecks that occur when trying to get out of the building, especially because his classroom is on the seventh floor.

Rabbi Sklarin Awarded Pomegranate Prize On November 9th in Washington D.C., Rabbi Sklarin was among the five Jewish educators who received The Covenant Foundation’s Pomegranate Prize. The Covenant Foundation is an organization that works to honor Jewish educators and support projects and programs that strengthen Jewish identity and education. The Pomegranate Prize was established in 2011, in order to recognize leaders in Jewish education who have been in the field for 10 years or less. Each recipient of the award received $15,000 to fuel educational projects.

Rabbi Sklarin was nominated by an anonymous source for being an innovative educator who implements creative programming and teaching methods in the Upper School. Rabbi Sklarin recalled that upon winning the award, “I was a little surprised, especially not knowing who it was that nominated me. I was also very humbled because it is such a big award.” When asked what ideas he has for his grant, he responded, “I don’t know. I am taking suggestions! If anyone has any creative ideas, I would love to hear them.”

By Elianna Doft ’16

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Freshmen History Speaker

By Rebecca Araten’18 On Friday, December 12th, Professor Steven Fine, who was described by Rabbi Sklarin as being “the modern day Indiana Jones,” spoke to the freshmen class about Jews in Rome. Professor Fine, a professor at YU, has harbored a long-lasting interest towards the menorah of the Bet Hamikdash.

Recently, he went to Italy with a team of YU students in order to examine the Arch of Titus. The Arch of Titus is a historical landmark which was created in 81 CE in order to honor Titus, the Roman emperor who triumphed over the Jews and took from them the spoils of their precious second temple. On the Arch of Titus there are various pictures depicting the Roman victory, including an image of a Roman procession carrying the menorah, the shulchan, and a Torah scroll.

Professor Fine, along with his team, 3D scanned the engravings on the Arch to preserve them. Next, the team performed tests that would show them whether or not the engravings were originally designed in color.

This test was important, because many people believed that Roman sculptures were all designed to be white, until the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great was discovered to have color. After this discovery, people realized that other engravings might also have been made in color. Therefore, the YU team shined white light at the engravings, in order to find wavelengths of color. These wavelengths were then compared to wavelengths of existing color, in order to see if the wavelengths matched. Through these methods, the team discovered that the engraving of the menorah had originally been painted yellow, so they concluded that the entire structure must have originally been colorful. The vivid colors of the arch must have acted as a painful reminder to the Jews, who constantly saw the depiction of their awful defeat.

Listening to Professor Fine was a wonderful change, as it allowed the students to learn in an environment other than their classroom. This program also taught the students the connection between the past and the present. “It was very interesting to learn about the origin of that symbol, and I was inspired by the idea that we are using this symbol to show that while Titus is no longer alive, Am Yisrael is thriving,” said one freshman. Mark Marcus ’18 said, “I thought it was interesting how much effort it took to find the slightest shades of color.” Jacob Schwab ’18 said, “I thought it was interesting how they found new colors no one had ever seen before.” All in all, the speaker was successful in teaching the freshmen new ideas, as Yoni Linder ’18 summed up the event and said, “I learned a lot of new things I never knew before.”

News 4

The Rampage

By DJ Presser ’16

January 2015/Shvat 5775

Applying Early: The Advantages and Disadvantages

Every year, as fall rolls around, seniors are faced with a tough decision: whether to apply early to college or not. If the answer is yes, they must make the decision about where they want to apply a full two months earlier.

There are two different types of applications that can be submitted “early” depending on the school.

There are early-action applications and early-decision applications. Only private colleges have early-decision applications, which binds accepted students to their school. Some private schools and all public schools offer non-binding early-action admission. The Ramaz policy is that if a student is admitted early-action to any private university, he or she is required to attend.

However, if accepted to a public university under an early-action application, students are still able to apply to other colleges.

There is a potential issue with Ramaz making all early-action applications binding though, even those to private universities. If a student wants to see which schools will give them the best scholarship offer, then they either can only apply regular or receive permission beforehand on a case-by-case basis.

This year, 80% of students submitted either an ear-

ly decision application or an early action application.

About 66% of students apply to a binding early decision university on a normal year. Often 40-50% of the grade is admitted under a binding early decision.

The specific numbers for this year have not yet been made public and the college office did not release them for this report.

Mr. Blumenthal, one of the school’s college advisers, explained some of the advantages and disadvantages of applying early. “When applying early, you are applying to your first choice, if you get in, you feel a sense of joy and relief early on,” he said. “In addition, some schools are less competitive [for early decision applicants], because they know that their school is the students’ first choice. Lastly, you do not have to work on as many applications if you get in early. However, there are some disadvantages. Some students are not yet ready to make the decision. Other students want to improve their standardized test scores and their GPAs by adding another semester of grades.” He explained that adding that extra semester and boosting standardized test scores gives students a more complete application. He continued: “There is a lot of pressure to apply early, because students think

that everyone is doing it. However, students need to make the decision based upon what they feel, because they may not be ready yet. Choosing a college is like getting married, if you rush your decision, it is not going to be perfect.”

“I actually had a really hard time deciding,” explained Tabitha Korn `15. “Eventually though, I decided which school was my number one choice. I figured it would be a lot easier to know you are done in December rather than March. In addition, I felt that I had a better chance of getting in if I applied early, because the school would know that they were my top choice.”

Joseph Cohen `15 had similar feelings. “I applied early because I found a college that I knew I wanted to attend. My decision to apply now was also affected by the fact that applying early increases your chance. It is a win-win situation for the applicant and the college. It also gives me a lot more free time senior year, so how could I complain?”

Better Together: Traveling to Israel and Building Bonds with the Elderly

By Gabriel Klapholz ’17 Continued from front cover

students of Better Together met some of the most inspiring people, both young and old and from all walks of life. We met with Kadesh Goldberg, who made aliyah to Israel at the age of 30 and is now an octogenarian. Mr. Goldberg, who left a well-established life in the United States with four college degrees, became a farmer on a kibbutz as well as a Gemara teacher, and raised all of his children as Zionists who are passionate about their homeland, the State of Israel.

We also visited the headquarters of Shalva, an organization that helps mentally and physically challenged children and their families. There we met Yossi Samuels. Yossi is the son of the founder of Shalva, Kalman Samuels. Kalman Samuels founded Shalva with his wife when he was determined to help his son, Yossi, who is both deaf and blind, after every doctor gave up on him and suggested they put Yossi in an institution. Yossi articulated to us, using a language that involves touching someone’s hand with different motions, all that he has done despite his disabilities.

The experience with Yossi showed us that even one who cannot hear nor see can still communicate with others and find his place in the world.

Later, in Tel Aviv, we heard from the last survivor of Treblinka, Shmuel Wilenberg, who spoke about his wartime experiences and his eventual move to Israel. Mr. Wilenberg admitted that he was a wild student, a “shovav,” not like the other Jewish boys, but that his wildness saved him from the Nazis. He was drafted into the Polish army in 1939 and was a blond haired blue-eyed youngster who did not look classically Jewish. After capture, Mr. Wilenberg was taken to Treblinka. He pretended to be a construction worker and was therefore saved from certain death. After the war, Mr. Wilenberg made aliyah to Palestine through the Alps. He went back to Poland and was asked by the Irgun to find child survivors of the Holocaust who were hidden by their parents before the war. In 1950, he returned to Israel with nothing and, ironically, Mr. Wilenberg acquired a job as a construction worker.

His daughter, Orit, is now an architect and has de-

signed 17 of Israel’s international embassies, including the one in Berlin.

Later that day, we met with soldiers who had been injured in this past summer’s “Operation Protective Edge.” Each of the soldiers, no matter how horrific their injury, desired to return to his unit and to fulfill his service. At Tikvot, an organization which encourages physical activity, especially sports, for injured soldiers, we heard from a former soldier who only had one leg but could climb horizontally on the ceiling of the massive gym. He told us that after losing his leg, having a stroke and entering into a coma, he now is married and has a 3-month-old baby boy. Not only his words, but also his presence was truly inspiring.

We visited Kibbutz Kishorit, in the north of Israel, a kibbutz dedicated to providing a healthy lifestyle for mentally disabled adults. The members of the kibbutz work and live on the kibbutz and have productive and fun-filled lives. Meeting Masha Roth, the aunt of Gabe Roth ’15 and a member of the kibbutz, gave us a different perspective about the mentally challenged. Masha earns a salary, works in the dog kennels and in the laundry, owns her own apartment and experiences the ups and downs of life just like any one of us. Additionally, this past Thursday, we also heard from Masha’s mother, Rachel Roth, a Holocaust survivor. She told us both her story and a great deal about her daughter, Masha.

The high school at Kishorit attracts students from all over the north of Israel who are mentally or socially challenged. The bonds made between the three high schools – Tehilla-Evelina, Ramaz and the high school at Kishorit – were incredible and beautiful.

Our next speaker, Dov Goldstein, a Holocaust survivor who now lives in Alon Shvut, was likewise inspiring. Born in Bratislava, Slovakia, he was placed in a ghetto and went into hiding, forced to leave his mother, sister and the newborn baby, to hide in the attic with his father. After being ratted out, he and his father were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. As

the only survivor from his family after liberation from Buchenwald, Mr. Goldstein first tried to make aliyah illegally from Germany, traveling to Holland and then to Belgium where he was discovered by the British and placed in an internment camp with German prisoners of war. Finally arriving on the beaches of Tel Aviv, the British seized his ship and he was sent to Cyprus after 45 minutes of swimming toward the shores of Israel. From Cyprus, he was placed in Atlit, another internment camp near Haifa. Upon his release, he let nothing hold him back and participated in the War of Independence, fighting for the establishment of the State of Israel. Mr. Goldstein now has three children, seven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Our visit to the Diplomat Hotel in Jerusalem was another incredible experience. Once a place of refuge for immigrants from the Soviet Union, the hotel now serves as a residence for elderly Soviet immigrants who have continued to live in the hotel. We sang and danced with the elderly choir consisting of residents of the building. Their overwhelming energy and excitement was exhilarating. We concluded the trip with an inspiring visit to Yad LaKashish, or Lifeline for the Old, where we saw the amazing artistic abilities of people who immigrated to Israel mainly from Ethiopia and the former Soviet Union, rebuilding their lives and creating beauty out of their difficult situations.

Despite their past hardships, we saw the smiling artists of Yad LaKashish pour love into their work – children’s toys, Judaica, etc. Ending with Har Herzl, we saw that even after death, individuals can continue to inspire those who chose to remember them.

In the end, the trip was an opportunity for the students to expand their understanding of the capabilities of the elderly and the disabled. The trip offered all of the students a new perspective on how to view others. There is more to a person than his/ her age. People have emotions, histories, futures and capabilities that remind us how important it is to appreciate and to live life fully despite obstacles.

January 2015/Shvat 5775

By Julia Levi ’18

The-rampage.org

School Trip to Bryant Park

On Wednesday, December 17th, the Ramaz Upper School students spent the afternoon at the Bryant Park Winter Village. The day began with five periods of learning, and then students ate a quick lunch, changed into more comfortable clothing, and piled into the 6 train with their advisors. After four quick stops and a few blocks of walking, the students arrived at their destination: Bryant Park, where students spent two hours shopping, ice skating, and walking around with friends.

As soon as the students got to the park, most students rushed to the ice skating rink, where they were surprised with free hot chocolate passes! “I was really happy to receive that hot chocolate pass, considering there weren’t many kosher options at the park,” said Noa Attias ’18.

“It made my day even better.” After this wonderful surprise, the students headed indoors to put their skates on and finally start skating! Although it was pretty crowded already, Ramaz students did not hesitate to pack themselves onto the rink. Everywhere you turned, there were students either holding on to the side not knowing what to do, students holding on to their friends hands and laughing, and the fearless ones who were brave enough to skate into the center, by themselves. “I have to admit, I didn’t know what I was doing at first, but I began to get the hang of it, and I had the best time,” said Attias.

Poverty Slam

Students were stopped in the middle so that the ice could be smoothed and freshened. During this time, students drank their hot chocolate and mingled with friends. As soon as the ice was ready, most went right back to the ice to continue the fun. Others took their skates off and walked around the holiday market. “I really appreciated the freedom we were given to walk around the shops with our friends,” said Tamar Sidi ’17.

Some students bought fun socks, hats, and presents for their families, while others bought food, looking for the kosher options.

When the two hours were over, the students were all very disappointed to leave the park, but they gathered into their advisory groups and headed to the subway once again.

“The rides there and back were coordinated fairly well, considering the fact that the school was dealing with so many students on such a large trip,” said Gabe Klapholz ’17.

The trip was definitely a success, and students really enjoyed celebrating the holiday in such a fun way and getting fresh air during school hours. Abigail Huebner ’18 said, “It was so nice to have a break from school for Chanukah; Bryant Park was so much fun!”

Junior Retreat 2014

By Caroline Jaspan ’17

By Akiva Gold ’16

What do you think of when you hear the word poverty? It probably evokes thoughts of lack of food and homelessness. However, poverty permeates through all aspects of daily life, including the ability to go to school and have the tools to succeed in school. Ms. DeeDee Benel, the chessed guru of Ramaz, has brought the concept of Poverty Slam to Ramaz. It is an initiative to help those less fortunate. UJA has embarked on a program whereby applications for grants are to be submitted. The grant money will facilitate initiatives to slam poverty.

With Ms. Benel’s guidance, Ramaz students have come up with the idea to use the grant money to offer tutoring to students, in one specific community, who cannot afford it.

They will focus on providing SAT and ACT tutoring. They will bring forth their idea to the UJA committee, who will decide whether or not to award them a grant, which will help them implement their idea. The grand prize winner will receive $5,000 and the three runner ups will each receive $3,000.

The UJA federation has worked hard to have teenagers see the reality outside their own communities, and gain their support to combat poverty. A committee comprised of David Major ’15, Orly Mintz ’15, Rebecca Hering ’15 Joyce Harary ’15, Jessica Saad ’16, Aaron Dahan ’16, Gabrielle Tuchman ’16, Naomi Freilich ’18, and me, contemplated different ideas. The decision to tutor was the majority idea to help slam poverty.

Orly Mintz ’15 said, “I am glad that I am involved in this project because I want to help and tend to the kids in need.”

On the morning of December 11th, the junior grade came into school excited for the upcoming junior retreat. After davening together as a full grade, the juniors enjoyed a video created by Ben Shiff and Noam Kaplan, starring the Sephardi members of the grade, which described the Sephardi takeover of Ramaz. After this, the junior students boarded the buses and were off to a great weekend!

Thursday’s itinerary began with a stop at the FunPlex in New Jersey. Students there were able to partake in bumper cards, laser tag, indoor roller coaster rides, car races and an arcade. According to Abbey Lepor, ’16 “FunPlex was so much fun, and I really had a great time playing laser tag, but Dr. Gaylord was way too good for the rest of us!” After laser tag, everyone piled back on the buses and headed back to the hotel. There, they were introduced to the weekend’s theme of “big picture” by Dr. Milowitz and Mr. Lupinacci, and then broke up into groups and participated in a group activity to appreciate the “big picture”. Jeremy Gruen ’16 said that he appreciated the sessions because “they had quite the intuitive and organized conversation that offered interesting insights on premises [big picture] that were very subjective.” The day then culminated in free time for the students, including board games with the faculty attending the trip.

The next morning, the juniors woke up early, and headed out to TreeVentures, an obstacle course quite literally in the trees! Students were strapped into harnesses, and were off jumping, swinging, and climbing through trees. Aaron Dahan ’16, said that “it was really awesome

News 5

to see the world from tree tops, and it was an awesome experience to do these obstacle courses 40 feet off the ground.” Arik Rosenstein ’16 added “I really enjoyed the ropes course because it allowed me to clear my mind and see the world in a different way while balancing on blocks and zip lining 40 feet in the air.” Then, once everyone was finally out of the trees, the juniors headed back to the hotel, and got ready for Shabbat.

Starting with pre-Shabbat Ruach, the juniors enjoyed a beautiful Shabbat full of davening, learning sessions, free time and bonding, and lots and lots of food! Students were treated to multiple kumzistes, singing-heavy davenings, and more food than they could have possible imagined! Rebecca Silverman ’16 said that “Shabbat was a huge hit, and it seemed like everyone really got into it and enjoyed themselves”.

Also, according to Meira Gilbert ’16, “It was such a fun Shabbat, and I really felt that we bonded as a grade due to all the singing, dancing, and free time.”

Overall, the 2014 Junior Retreat was a real hit, and an amazing weekend. Naomi Shohet ’16, one of the student organizers of the trip, said that “the weekend was a fun retreat that completely took us all away from our work, and instead allowed us to come together and bond as a grade, and we all had an amazing time!”

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The Rampage

January 2015/Tevet 5775

Direct Hit!

13: The Musical:

An Interview with the All-Star Cast

An Interview with proud director, Michael Sheman

By Nicole Aboodi ’17

By Alex Glaubach ’16 Can you tell us a little bit about your experience as a director?

I’ve been a professional writer/ director my entire career. I’ve directed around the country, internationally and here in NYC. It all feeds you in different ways.

Was this the first time you’ve directed a high school production?

No, it wasn’t my first- not by a long shot. I’ve worked on dozens of shows with kids. This cast connected to the material immediately and we had a lot of laughs during rehearsals.

In addition, the production team was terrific-- the musical director, production designer, the sound technicians, lighting crew...Everyone worked so hard to make “Thirteen” the successful show that it was. Not to mention how well the audience responded. It was a great way to start my working relationship with Ramaz.

What made you all want to join the play in the first place?

Gruen: I would say love of music.

Shiff: At first, I wasn’t going to do the play because of the workload of junior year, but “Thirteen” happens to be a really fun show so I decided to take a leap and be in it, and I’m really happy I did.

Did directing a high school production differ from other plays you have produced?

There were certain students who really loved being a part of “Thirteen” in a particularly potent way, and grew tremendously over the months we worked together. That’s always gratifying. Plus I’m not sure I’ve ever had such a smooth experience for my first time working somewhere. Kudos to Ira Miller and his team for the great “welcome.”

Stemp: I wasn’t going to do the play either, but I realized it’s my freshman year, I’m a new kid and it is a good way to make friends and make my Ramaz debut.

What were some highlights from the production?

I loved the Sunday morning rehearsals, we covered so much ground. I also loved that first school matinée we did- the whole upper school watching, laughing and really listening-- it couldn’t have been a better first performance. And I loved seeing how much joy the kids got out of the work, in rehearsal and in performance, and the Ramaz potato latkes. It was all awesome.

What was your favorite part of being in the play?

What are some things learned about the cast after spending these past few months working with them?

Some of them were able to relax more as they got to know me (and each other) better. As they relaxed, they had more fun with the material.

What do you think was the most difficult part of directing “Thirteen”?

Dealing with the limitations of the Ramaz theatre space. The stage facility itself is in desperate need of an overhaul.

Can sum up your experience with the students in “Thirteen”?

In short, the students nailed it.

They were fun, hard working and genuinely talented. There were times I wanted to get some of them a watch, but otherwise, they were terrific!

Pravda: I had seen the plays before and saw that they were so amazing. I’ve heard about how much fun they are to be a part of it and it was something that I always wanted to do when I started high school.

Gruen: Practice on my birthday.

Stemp: 7 hour Sunday rehearsal, for sure.

looked forward to it.

Shiff: It would have been more enjoyable for us to have less practice, but all that practice helped make it all the more enjoyable for the audience and that is the most important thing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed practicing and the show was really fun, but it was a lot of practice.

Pravda: The practices were vital to how the performance turned out. It would have been just as enjoyable to the audience but it helped me, and many of the others, feel much more comfortable to have such a good handle on it, so that for the actual show, we could just have fun with it and really enjoy it.

What was your favorite scene or song that you performed?

Gruen: Hey Kendra, and I didn’t even sing it.

Pravda: Probably the song that I sang with Jack and Jeremy, If That’s What It Is. There was a really good harmony note that I loved.

So clearly it was pretty time consuming. Do you guys agree that all practice and rehearsal was necessary? Or do you think the play would’ve been just as enjoyable if you had less practice?

Thirteen is a hilarious play, and some might consider some of the jokes and humor to be “inappropriate” for a yeshiva.

Were you nervous or embarrassed to be saying or doing anything inappropriate in front of your friends and teachers?

Stemp: I definitely think it was necessary. Even if it weren’t, I could stay there for hours: I

Chu: Overall, the jokes in the play were not completely inappropriate. They were mostly

realistic issues that kids our age deal with and I think the teachers were able to relate to that just as much as we could.

Gruen: I would say the jokes were not as inappropriate as written because we changed a lot.

So speaking for myself, I wasn’t really embarrassed by those lines.

Stemp: I didn’t find the lines too inappropriate and like Malka said, they were very realistic and relatable issues so I think it was easier for the audience to engage in the play and understand. I wasn’t embarrassed at all!

Pravda: Everything that was really risky was cut out for that specific reason but I found it hilarious to sing and say all of those things and I think that the students really enjoyed it, too.

The teachers also probably found it funny.

This question is specifically for Emily and Lillian. Were you nervous to be in the play as a freshman? Wasn’t it intimidating to work with all of the older kids?

Stemp: I was little bit nervous at first, but then as the year progressed, I realized that it really doesn’t matter what grade you’re in. Now the juniors who were in the play are some of my really good friends and I’m so thankful for them. Also, I got so much attention after the play as “Kendra”, despite the fact that I’m a freshman.

Pravda: I really loved working

with older students, because it gave me a chance to meet more people in the school and forge new friendships with people that I wouldn’t have known otherwise.

I have heard from many upper classmen that “Thirteen” is the best Ramaz production they have seen, do you think you can name three things that contributed to this?

Gruen: Our talent, funny lines and an immature audience.

Stemp: I think a big part was that the audience really compared the characters to the people playing them.

Shiff: The content of the play itself, the fast pace the show moved at and the relatable content.

Do you think the students enjoyed the play so much because it was so easy to relate to?

Gruen: I think it was our pure talent. No, I’m kidding, it was because the plot was more modern.

Chu: Yes, the kids were very excited, because they were seeing other people react to the awkward years of adolescence and enjoying how we poked fun at how sometimes the smallest things make us think the world is over, when in reality it isn’t and we have our whole lives left to live!

January 2015/Shvat 5775

The-rampage.org

The Power of Community 78th Annual Dinner Continued from front cover

By Oren Oppenheim ’16

’13, whom worked with setting up the audio equipment. According to Linder, they stayed up working until around six in the morning!

“Working the long hours for the dinner was crazy and tiring,” Linder said, “But the adrenaline rush kept me going. I worked with a great group of guys and we all had a great time.”

The dance team and chamber choir arrived at eight, while the rest of the choir came in at nine-thirty AM, as countless students prepared for a long day of rehearsals both onstage and off.

The rehearsals filled the air with singing, guitar, drums, dancing, and more–all to make sure the show itself, after the dinner reception, could go off without a hitch. It was a lot of work,” Zachary Oppenheim ’16, a member of the choir, said.

“But it was all worth it.” Some students worked hard stage managing and making sure everything was all in place, under the leadership of Julianna Crawford, who has helped run previous Ramaz dinners as well. It was tough work, but to Akiva Gold ’16, it was worth it. “Not only did it offer a great seat for the performance,” he said about stage managing, “But it was a great opportunity to learn about how performances are set up and run.”

At around five o’clock, the dinner reception itself began, and it certainly did not disappoint.

So much food was set out that Ramaz had even printed postcards and posters with a map of the setup so people could figure out whether they should stop by the sushi bar first or go for some corn dogs in the Coney Island section. In fact, the dinner food was an international mix of culinary delights, from pita and falafel to a full sushi bar to corn dogs.

During the reception and beyond, some Ramaz students worked as photographers helping out with getting pictures of the event, or as greeters who guided people to the right place (the dinner reception was on the fifth floor but the show would be on the sixth). “It was very interesting being a greeter because I was able to welcome and interact with the multitude of guests as they arrived… I felt a great responsibility to properly represent the wonderful institution that is Ramaz,” Jonny Hirschfeld ’16 said.

Before and between bites of all the delicacies, dinner attendees could get a photo taken in front of a Ramaz logo wall and participate in a video saying how they themselves were members of the Ramaz community. Ethan Stein ’10 helped out with the interviewing for the video, dubbed ‘a Ramaz red carpet experience’.

“It’s nostalgic to be back, to see old friends and teachers and family, and coming out to support the school we all know and love,” he said about coming to the dinner.

At around seven PM, the audience was seated in the Marriot’s Broadway Ballroom and the main show itself began. Rabbi Haskel Lookstein opened the evening with some remarks about the terrorist attacks in France and some Tehillim for those affected. Then the honorees were brought up to the stage, introduced through a short but touching video, and gave a few remarks; Mr. Herzog, however, was unable to attend the dinner because of his campaign and instead gave a few remarks on video.

Then came the student performances, with songs such as I’ll Be There by the Chamber Choir, Oleh Oleh by the upper school choir, and We Are the World/ Kulanu Nashir by the choirs from the whole school. The students sang with passion and emotion as the band and percussion ensemble accompanied them in the background with finesse.

The guitar ensemble performed a piece simply titled Spain, a three-minute melody with a Hispanic flair, and the percussion ensemble had its own rousing performance in the midst of one of the songs. Interspersed between performances were short skits about the power of community, performed by Rabbi Tavi Koslowe, the new head of the lower school, Daniella Symonds, a sixth grader, Jeremy Gruen ’16, and a few other members of the upper school.

“My favorite song this year would have to be Oleh Oleh, because it was a fun song and everyone had a smile on their face,” said Raquel Michel ’17, a member of Chamber Choir. “We all had the best time performing it together.”

After the end of the show, Jacob Doft, chairman of the Ramaz board, went to the podium to give some concluding remarks and to thank the performers and everyone who helped out with the dinner. (He mentioned that the guitar performance was more impressive than Mr. Herzog potentially becoming prime minister.) When he finished, the desert reception was opened up—a sight to behold. From countless sorts of cupcakes and candies, to warm mini-pies and platters of cookies and much more, the desert had something for everyone. Rachel Kraft ’17, a member of the dance team, said that her favorite desert was the Laffy Taffys (which there were an abundance of ), because “I love candy.” About the Dinner overall, she said, “It’s my favorite night of the year.”

News 7

Columns The Rampage • January 2015

The Final Straw

By Devil’s Advocate

tools and advantage time. This idea is particularly appealing for history. Most students are forced to stress over two incredibly difficult finals in addition to the formidable history term paper. By replacing finals with a paper, students would have two papers instead of one and no final exams. One paper due at the end of each semester would take some of the weight off because the term paper would not Illustration: have such a huge impact over the class grade. A

by Jill Adler ’15 similar concept would apply in English, because Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome an extra take-home essay would make the other (back) to the show. Today’s topic of interest is one essays from the school year worth less. that plagues all students: FINALS. Of course, comFrench and Spanish classes would have the most plaining about finals is pretty much beating a dead options for replacing a test because of the wide varihorse, so instead, we are going to try and tackle this ety of opportunities to demonstrate skill. Presentaissue from a new angle. tions, essays, reading analyses, and speaking exercises The traditional trope: finals are that dreadful and could all work. infuriating time of year during which students get Judaic Studies departments could be more creative very little sleep and are forced to regurgitate pointless in their assignments. Although essays are certainly material at the potential expense of a semester’s hard options in place of the traditional tests, teachers work. (That was a tad melodramatic, but you get the could also offer presentations, divrei torah, textual idea…) analyses or projects in place of exams.

The Devil’s Advocate: What is there not to say Math and sciences do pose potential problems to about finals? The exams themselves are a necessary the “cancel finals” plan, but certainly two finals is still evil. The administration knows it, the teachers know better than all the finals. If teachers were so inclined, it and the students know it. Today’s article is going they could think of their own labs or projects that to take the surprising and supremely controversial would demonstrate significant skill level required for opinion that all finals should be canceled. Now, we the course. are aware that it is out of character to go against the Worth noting, as well, is the time advantage that school’s official policy, but hear us out. we might get from replacing finals. Students ought Finals, in the manner Ramaz has them, do not to get a week off to do the work instead of the traultimately prove mastery of most subjects. With the ditional two weeks and the school would be able to possible exceptions of math and science courses, all add a week of classes. classes would better serve their students’ education Of course, we cannot imagine that these plans through some alternative assessment method. Our would come to fruition, but it is nice to consider personal preference is the essay. Although there that traditional testing is not the ONLY option. But is a contingent of the student body groaning and we’ve never actually tested the theory… rolling their eyes at this preposterous idea, we ought to consider it. Essays are “take-home” assignments and therefore allow the students the many research

App’s are In: Have2P and RunPee

By Jasmine Levine ’17

We all know the feeling. Busy day walking around Manhattan and all of a sudden you need the bathroom. You go door to door down Madison or Lex and no vendor seems to have a bathroom…or at least a bathroom for you. You then finally find a store willing to save you from massive pain and embarrassment, but the conditions are putrid.

Well worry no more. The latest, greatest app will save you. Have2P is the best bathroom locater you can find. This app will quickly utilize its GPS feature to find the nearest bathroom to your exact location.

Do you want more? Well, if you are picky, then you can use the app’s review feature and analyze the cleanliness of local loos. In this way, not only can you go but you can go in style. This app is compatible with most smartphones so download it today.

While on the topic of bathrooms, have you ever been to a long movie and needed to go to the bathroom, but were too afraid to miss a key part of the movie? Well don’t wet your pants! Now you can use RunPee. This awesome app tells you when, during the movie you are watching, the optimal time is to take a break. If you are watching a complicated movie with multiple characters, it will let you know when a special effects or fight scene is coming up. It will even tell you how much time you have to go before the real details start flying.

In addition, RunPee also lets you know if there is anything worth seeing in the credits. There is nothing worse than rushing out to the bathroom only to find out that the best bloopers or comedy scenes where shown with the credits.

Shopping in New York and going to the movies has never been easier now that these apps have been created. Enjoy your city and enjoy your movies-let the good times flow.

Food Lover’s Association #3: The Battle of 82nd and 2nd:

By Tess Solomon ’16 and Eliana Doft ’16

Walk onto 82nd and 2nd on any given afternoon, and you are guaranteed to spot at least one of the following: a group of Ramaz Middle Schoolers accompanied by a nanny, a sweaty woman decked out in Soulcycle apparel, or three bored teenagers from a nearby prep school. You may be asking: why is a block on the worst avenue in all of Manhattan so popular? One word: fro-yo. 82nd and 2nd is home to 16 Handles and Pinkberry, two of New York City’s finest frozen yogurt establishments.

The Pinkberry obsession began in 2005, when the first store opened in West Hollywood. Since then, numerous other stores have sprung up, mostly in California and New York. The #Pinkberry has been used on instagram 380,499 times.

These facts are a testament to the most important aspect of the Pinkberry experience: it’s trendy. What uggs are to Starbucks, leather booties are to Pinkberry.

You don’t visit the 82nd street store on a walk home from school alone. You go with several friends and you pretend to be making fun of yourself when you take pictures of the pastel colored yogurt, when in reality you’re saving those pictures to look at later when you’re hungry. The yogurt is tart but somewhat adorable (if a food can be adorable), which is how you feel leaving the store: powerful, armed with fashionable ice cream, yet cute at the same time. And maybe, if it was a truly

successful trip, you made it onto @uppereastsidepinkberry’s Instagram.

16 handles, on the other hand, could potentially be a Saturday night in casual wear, if you’re okay with bumping into half of seventh grade. 16 handles is perfect for those who are shameless about leaving the store with an extra large cup, ⅓ ice cream and ⅔ toppings. The yogurt’s sweeter flavor, in addition to the warm pink and green walls and the plastic chairs, give the store a homey feel. There is probably a birthday party going on in the back room with a girl grinning in a tiara and a little bit of ice cream on her shirt. Self control is a necessity for 16 handles, for if you keep piling on those flavors and toppings, you will rack up a bill in the $20-30 dollar range on just one cup. Definitely look through all the flavors first before filling your entire cup with birthday cake.

So which is the winner? Well obviously, it depends on your mood. Outfit on point? Hit up Pinkberry. Throw up a duckface for your selfie and laugh in shame.

Need to bribe your little sister? Take her to 16 handles. Leave her in front of the cookie dough and chocolate chips and watch her go crazy. Don’t want to be seen?

Steer clear of 82nd and 2nd.

Features

The Rampage • January 2015

Fighting Words Cyber bullying has become a hot ruled that “schools can regulate student topic in school in the past weeks, speech that either (i) materially disrupts following an exchange between juniors the operation of the school, or (ii) on Facebook that resulted in a response substantially impinges upon the rights from the administration. The recent of others.” Mr. Miller also explained incident, which Mr. Shaviv described that the reason for the legal standards is as “borderline illegal,” is a problem, because of the moral principles behind but there is also an overarching issue them. surrounding this case. The event has According to Mr. Shaviv’s interpreraised the questions: Has cyber bullying tation, the Tinker case gives Ramaz become more rampant recently? And the right to act in any case that disdo schools have the right to punish rupts the orderly life of the school, its students for their actions online? students, or parents. He clarified that Mr. Shaviv and Rabbi Stochel each if a student’s post on any form of social addressed the junior class media simply projects separately regarding the badly upon the school “I think that the rise topic of online bullying. as an institution, then in cyber bullying is a Mr. Shaviv, who spoke Ramaz has no right to societal problem” -Mr. Miller first, focused on the legal intervene. For instance, aspects of both bullying if a student posts an and cyber bullying. Some article on Facebook that students felt that while he projects Israel negatively, did address the personal aspect, it was while that my go against the school’s not the main focus of the speech that views, the school is not allowed to get he gave. When Rabbi Stochel spoke, involved. Mr. Shaviv said that if any the day that school let out for Winstudent, parent, or teacher feels uncomter Break., He focused on the effects fortable with a post on social media, that cyber bullying could have on the he or she has the right to approach the individual being bullied. In addition, school in complete confidence. Unless he explained that students need to have the school is approached, however, they values and be good people. Mr. Miller, will generally not get involved, as they explained that Rabbi Stochel was trying do not actively search for cyber bullyto tie up any loose ends regarding the ing. school’s view on why cyber bullying Mr. Shaviv explained that cyber bulis an issue. Some students felt that lying is not the only situation outside the speech was unnecessary, as it was of school, in which the Tinker case is simply a repeat of what Mr. Shaviv had employed. The Ramaz Middle School said. “We all know that cyber bullying has a policy, for example, that if there is is wrong,” explained Elizabeth Ritz a group of students that is identifiably `16. “The whole grade did not need to from Ramaz at a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, be spoken to again, seeing that only a then Ramaz as an institution is responhandful of students were involved.” sible for those children. While this does Mr. Shaviv explained that in a case not directly affect high school students, of cyber bullying amongst students, it shows that schools feel they have the the school not only has the right to responsibility to monitor students’ lives take action, but the duty to do so. He outside of school, both on social media explained that in a Supreme Court case and off of it. in 1969, called Tinker v. Des Moines Some students agree with the Independent Community, the court school’s opinion that it is vital that they

Cyber Bullying

By DJ Presser ’16

involve themselves when it disrupts the to understand humans completely as lives of students. “What students do they have no way of reading the huis their own business and as a general mans emotions. rule, the school should not be getting Mr. Miller also explained that people involved,” explained Joyce Harary `15. need to understand that social media “However, if someone is being bullied is public, no matter what the restricor harassed, the school has every right tions of one’s settings are. He also said to intervene.” Gabriel Klapholz `17 that this is not the first time where the agreed, saying, “If there is a real situschool has had a problem with bullying ation where a student is being bullied on social media. It has happened in the or mistreated by another student, the past and the school has dealt with it in school should definitely get involved, the past, but new issues keep arising. “I no matter the means by which the do not think that this is a junior grade bullying is occurring.” problem, or even a Ramaz problem. I Some students feel that the line is think that the rise in cyber bullying is a not clearly defined for school involvesocietal problem,” explained Mr. Miller. ment in outside affairs. “It depends on While Mr. Miller did not know the magnitude of the problem in my of any statistical evidence to support opinion,” explained Jacob Rahabi `16. his theory that there are more cases of “If it is an act with obvious malicious bullying nowadays, he did mention intent, I think it is a good idea for the that recently there have been more school to get involved, harassment cases in because it’s an easy way to college campuses that “We all know that neutralize the problem. involve social media cyber bullying is However, if it is a vague in some capacity. He wrong” issue with no obvious signs explained that because -Elizabeth Ritz ’16 of pain, then the school’s of this the school involvement is questionneeds to continue to able.” raise awareness. “We Every so often, Ramaz runs procan’t just put our hands up and let [the grams and advisory sessions in order to bullying] happen,” Mr. Miller said. Mr. encourage students not to bully. HowMiller added that the school is most ever, these sessions have evidently not likely going to have more advisory been as successful as the school would sessions and programs in order to raise have liked. Mr. Miller explained that awareness regarding cyber bullying social media provides for some difficult and the affects that it can have on an situations. When someone posts on individual. The only other possible way social media, it is often a spur of the to learn about something is through moment decision. Also, when posting experience, which the school hopes will on social media, one is unable to gauge happen because of this case. the tone of what was written, specifMr. Miller said that it is hard to take ically whether the person was being away anything from this case at this sarcastic or serious. He also referenced point, as it is still open. However he an article that was written about a year did say that, as a community, people ago regarding doctors’ offices that are have to become more sensitive and putting robots at the front of the office respectful of one another. instead of receptionists. The article

explained that while it may be cheaper

and more convenient, robots are unable

Features 10

By Elianna Schwartz ’17

The Rampage

January 2015/Shvat 5775

Extra Curricular Activities: What is our Motivation?

It is not uncommon to be told as a freshman, or as any underclassmen, “Join MY club!

It’ll look ‘sick’ for college”. The most successful recruiting-mechanism is probably something along those lines; the fact that you will have an interesting club to add to your college resume is very attractive to Ramaz students. Of course, with the vast variety of club options and extra curricula that Ramaz has to offer, students definitely find the ones that they are genuinely drawn to, regardless of any college related ulterior motive. But the reality is, as Moselle Kleiner ’17 said, “You can’t deny that Ramaz students, and myself included, don’t see clubs as a lucrative opportunity to boost college resumes.”

Ideally, clubs should be rooted in an actual interest; which is the case a lot of the time.

Eliana Doft ’16, Captain of the Ramaz Girls’ Swim Team said, “I think that since Swim Team does cost money (to rent the pool), people join because they really like swimming or they want a good workout, not solely for the college application, because there are less expensive clubs to join.”

On the contrary, there are many clubs that meet sparsely throughout the year that require little time commitment. These clubs are joined solely to receive leadership roles. An anonymous senior, head of a club, said, “We haven’t met at all this year; we’ve been trying to plan a date but it has been really hard.” It is evident that clubs like these are not taken so seriously.

The leader of another club anonymously said, “I was a friend of the senior who ran the club last year, so he promised me that it would be passed down to me.” This seems to be a common practice in some of the clubs.

Ramaz clubs exhibit an extreme variation in time commitment and dedication. They operate along the entire spectrum. On one hand there are clubs that rarely meet, have little or no requirements, and are just college application fillers. On the other hand there are clubs that require serious dedication that students cannot waver from. For example, the Chamber Choir meets twice a week after school with additional performances. Sports teams and debate teams also require practices on a regular basis and

competitive weekly games and meets. It is clubs and teams like these that require a fundamental love and passion; otherwise it is impossible to put in the time. Jessica Fuzailof ’17 said, “I think we have so many clubs that people can generally pick the ones they like and still have ‘good enough’ ones for college.” It is clear that the college factor is usually part of the equation for Ramaz students, even in doing the things they enjoy.

Jakey Lefkowitz ’17 said, “Either way, I think it is a positive thing when students get involved; no matter what their personal motive is.” But is that really true, if students are not committing any time or personal effort? Isn’t the purpose of extra curricula to provide opportunities for students to pursue their interests and passions? If students are joining clubs for reasons other than actively participating in the club haven’t Ramaz students lost sight of what is really important in life?

Get Some Sleep, You Need It

By DJ Presser ’16

Walking around the halls of Ramaz, one sees students with bags under their eyes, others gulping down caffeine, and some taking quick naps in the lounge. For many students, the reason for this is a lack of sleep due to their working into the wee hours of the night. Others are deprived of sleep because they need to wake up at the crack of dawn to catch a bus or train to school.

A recent survey of the student body (about half of students participated) shows that only 17% of students are getting Nurse Nechama’s recommended seven hours of sleep per night. The study also found that almost 60% of juniors get fewer than six hours of sleep on average. For seniors, that number is closer to 50%.

Richie Hafif ’18, who gets four to five hours of sleep per night, explained, “The main reasons that I don’t get very much sleep are Netflix and homework.” Natalie Dicker ’16 said, “One of the biggest factors contributing to my lack of sleep, besides an overwhelming test schedule, is the large time commitment that comes with being on a sports team.” Lindsay Munter ’17 commented: “Lately I haven’t been getting enough number of hours of sleep every night because of the numerous tests that teachers try to squeeze in during the last few weeks before winter vacation. I think that the school needs to do a better job of making the test schedule more spaced-out so that students can sleep more.”

According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSP), teenagers should sleep

somewhere between eight-and-a-half and ten hours a night. The NSP explains that many teenagers mess up their biological clocks by sleeping very little during the week and attempting to make up for it on the weekend by sleeping late. Nurse Nechama reiterated what the NSP said: “Ideally,” she explained, “students should be sleeping seven to eight hours per night. She believes that in order to accomplish this goal, students need to learn how to manage their schedule better.

The NSP also claims that more than 100,000 driving accidents occur every year due to drowsiness or falling asleep at the wheel (not only teen accidents). The NSP recommends that everyone, teens especially, should create a sleep schedule for themselves and stick to it, even on the weekends. By getting into a sleep routine, one trains his or her biological clock how to function on the number of hours of sleep that he or she is getting. However, it is still important to have at least seven hours of sleep built into your sleep schedule, in order to allow your body to function to the best of its abilities.

“The reason that it is crucial for students to sleep a certain number of hours, is that sleep can affect one’s ability to focus. Moreover, sleep is when all of the information that you take in gets processed,” explained Nurse Nechama. “G-d forbid a student will become ill and be forced to fight an illness.”

OPINION

The Rampage Ramaz Upper School

The Rampage • January 2015

Volume 77 • Issue II • January 2015 • the-rampage.org

Editors-in-Chief: Skyler Levine, Andrew Lobel, Eddie Mattout Online Editors-in-Chief: Alexander Leibowitz, Olivia Hershkowitz Opinions Editor: Will Fried Sports Editor: Avi Goldman News & Arts Editor: Yale Buchwald Photography Editor: Michael Low Faculty Advisor: Dr. Milowitz Illustrators: Gabrielle Amar-Oumiet, Jill Adler Contributing Writers: Nicole Aboodi, Gabrielle Amar-Oumiet, Rebecca Araten, William Besharim, Yale Buchwald, Sarah Cabot, Eliana Doft Olivia Hershkowitz, Jacob Hochheiser, Gabriel Klapholz, Daniel Jaspan, Caroline Jaspan, Alexander Leibowitz, Jasmine Levine, Skyler Levine, Andrew Lobel, Eddie Mattout, Oren Oppenheim, Jonny Povman D.J. Presser, Josh Sarachek, Elianna Schwartz The Rampage is the student newspaper of the Ramaz Upper School. It is published on a monthly basis. Letters to the editor may be submitted to rampage@ ramaz.org. Letters must be signed and may be edited for space and to conform to Rampage style and format.

Rethinking the Finals Schedules

By Alex Leibowitz ’15

Every year the shrieks of hundreds of angry students can be heard throughout the halls of Ramaz. “It’s so unfair,” they scream, “How could the math final be after a weekend in both schedules.

The presidents did this to us because they have a harder math teacher. The finals system is corrupt.”

Understandably, many of these students would probably complain regardless of the schedule. Nobody likes to think about finals in November, and their screams are partially an expression of their anxiety and stress.

Yet, we as a school would be mistaken to ignore the legitimacy in their complaints. Two finals schedules are picked by the class presidents, in accordance with the administration, and then voted upon by the student body. In my experience, the two schedules that are selected generally, although not always, benefit the class presidents the most. It appears as though they place their hardest classes after off days without much consideration for others. As a result, the class presidency has become a flawed institution, where students do not gain ample representation.

Exacerbating the issue is the freshmen’s naiveté when selecting the class president. Generally, not understanding the significant power the president’s hold, the younger grades select the class

president, not based on whom they feel will make the best final’s schedule, but based on who they think will make the best leader.

While savvy seniors have picked up on this nuance, and vote for people who take similar classes, the freshmen are left in a terrible position, where they are forced to take an extremely unfavorable grouping of finals to begin their high school career.

To prevent this manipulation of the finals schedule in the future, I propose more transparency when creating the schedules.

The class presidents should be left out of the process all together, and the administration should send out a poll, gauging the grade’s opinion on placing different finals on different days of the week.

While I understand that this isn’t a perfect solution, as the grade is unlikely to completely agree on anything, let alone something as fraught with stress and anxiety as finals, I do think that implementing this policy will be of great help to creating more equitable schedules.

Test Scheduling Without Students

By DJ Presser ’16

Each year, when the test schedule comes out, I am outraged by how tests were scheduled. To me, it seems like there are some weeks that are over-packed with tests, and other weeks when no are scheduled at all. These weeks generally happen around Sukkot, Thanksgiving, Winter Vacation, and other holidays or extended vacations. It seems as if the school does not attempt to schedule each week to enable students to maximize their focus on each test. The test schedule in Ramaz is rigorous, as the school seemingly overloads individual weeks with all of the most challenging exams.

As the over-packed week approaches, students begin complaining to class-presidents, teachers, and the administration. However, their complaints are generally to no avail. Usually, the excuse is, “it’s up to the department head, not me” or “there is no other time for the test that week”. These issues could be solved in a simple and swift fashion for future semesters and students.

Teachers should have more say over when their tests are, as tests are often scheduled at inconvenient times for individual teachers as well. The department heads should still be involved in the process of test scheduling, but teachers and students should not be subject to the scheduling of someone who is not necessarily cognizant of the specific details of the test and material. In addition, there should be more collaboration between department heads on when they schedule their subject’s tests.

The issue of not having time is an easier fix than the issue of teachers not having the ability to move tests themselves. Generally, when there is “no time,” it is because every teacher is trying to squeeze a test in just before vacation or blackout week. The only reason this issue arises is because teachers and department heads fail to collaborate on their schedules efficiently at the start of each semester. If department heads just took the time to sit down and look at each of their schedules in a larger scope, they would be able to eliminate such weeks and issues that arise regarding these weeks.

While these resolutions would help the current scheduling system without changing it drastically, there are some measures that should be taken to change the system for the improvement of student life as well. The school needs to start involving students in the scheduling and testing processes at the start of the year, before the test schedule is released.

The school should ask students in each grade whether they would rather have more tests with less material or fewer tests with more material. Students may actually find having more tests a better option, because it gives teachers the option to allow students to drop a test, which teachers would be more willing to do as they would have a better idea of the student’s performance.

The scheduling system needs some updating, because as of now, the lack of attention to the layout of the scheduling renders students’ lives more difficult than is necessary. The school needs to involve the students at the beginning of the process of making the schedule. The schedule should be about what students prefer, to some extent, not what is easiest for the teachers. Lastly, the test schedule needs to be viewed as a variable based on what is best for each grade, not as something set in stone across the grades.

Opinions 12

The Rampage

January 2015/Shvat 5775

Senior Year Health: Why Doesn’t it Exist?

By Alex Glaubach ’16

Health class is taught to the Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors, but not to the We are about to go to college where we will need to, for the most part, take care of ourselves. Without a solid health education, I cannot say I feel prepared to do Seniors. Why is that? Shouldn’t the oldest students in high school receive the most so.” Ben Emmerich ’15 said, “Senior health class is definitely more important than comprehensive health education of all of the grades let alone a health education at all? Ramaz doesn’t abide by this logic though and seems to have a different underhealth class for the other years of high school because seniors are more likely to use standing of health education, and perhaps a different understanding of our seniors. drugs or have sex.”

I do agree that during senior year students suffer from “senioritis” and the health It is fair to say that most students values their health education since it is apclass may be somewhat unproductive. But I do believe that any sort of productivplicable and pertinent to life outside of school. These practical applications range ity and learning is extremely beneficial especially at this age. The from how to deal with peer pressure to being cognizant of sexual class benefits would outweigh the concern of “senioritis”. Another anatomy, male and female alike. While I would agree that Ramaz “I would like to set a fear that may dissuade a senior health class from being established is provides a springboard of how to conduct a healthful life, it is only senior health claass in that it could be too late. Alex Agus ’15 said, “As seniors, most of us that. A springboard. motion. have already come to the conclusion of how to properly take care of As a student enters what has come to be known as his “prime of ours bodies, and if there are those who have not yet realized how to high school,” about 17-18 years old, the student begins experiment-Ms. Axel ing more and more. Students visit colleges and immerse themselves maintain a healthy lifestyle, as seniors they will not be persuaded out of it.” While I do think this is a valid concern, it’s a very pessimistic in a new world centered around college culture. Moreover students at this age start to experience the stresses of reality and school more so than before, approach and one that educators should not have. The goal of education is to teach students how to be productive and valued members of society and to achieve this making them much more susceptible to experimenting, which I would argue is a is certainly one of the many goals of Ramaz. Giving up on students and saying that reason why senior health education is not only necessary but imperative in prothey have chosen this specific way of life and that there is nothing we can do to tecting our students. Regarding these concerns, Ms. Axel said, “Seniors experience change it is not the message Ramaz wants to be sending to its students. an environmental shift when going into college. Senior year is one of the most My goal was not to propose a specific senior health curriculum, although Ms. relevant years for educating students’ health. I love the juniors and would enjoy Axel does have an image of how the curriculum would look. She said, “Your mindcontinuing my work with them next year.”

While, of course, no preventative measures beyond advising your students not set is completely different freshman year than senior year and I think that drinking and drugs can be readdressed when you’re a more mature senior. I would like to set to partake in such activities can be taken, the school can at least inform and teach a senior health class in motion. Hopefully, one will be established sometime in the students the right decision to make and how to make them. near future.”

Seniors have expressed interest in there being a senior health class. Sally Klapper ’15 said, “I think not having health is a major hole in the senior curriculum.

Junior Girls’ Facebook Group

By Eliana Doft ’16 A Peek Inside the Junior Girls’ Supportive Facebook Group A dormant Facebook group used to lie on the sides of every 11th grade girl’s Facebook homepage until this year’s particularly grueling, vacation-free, November.

Emily Adler ’16 and Julia Lipman ’16 noticed that many of their classmates were so overwhelmed by the pressures and workload of junior year, that they were periodically driven to tears. In order to make light of the stress, and to put the dilemmas of high school into perspective, Emily and Julia posted the following initiative in the Junior Girls’ Facebook group on November 7th: “Hey guys! We wanted to encompass the stress of junior year in a funny slideshow at the end of the year. So, if you would like to participate, please take pictures of yourself when you cry, comment them below, and we will compile them at the end of the year into one huge awesome video! This will be a fun experience for everyone involved so feel free to join the project!”

As soon as the initiative was posted, a stream of authentic, humorous, and exaggerated photos of crying junior girls appeared in the comments of the post. “We tried to make the stress of junior year seem more funny than sad, and I think these pictures help a lot,” said Julia. As of December 2nd, there were 122 comments on

the post, and the numbers are still growing. “Not only does seeing all the pictures in the group make me laugh, but it also reminds me that I’m not the only one getting stressed out. We’re all in the same boat,” said Elizabeth Ritz ’16.

However, the Junior Girls’ Facebook group is not only about posting teary-eyed pictures. Emily Sinensky ’16, the administrator and creator of the group explained, “I made the group so that the girls in our grade have a separate way of communicating. I really do believe that it makes us closer because every once in awhile people actually post for advice, and everyone is always eager to respond.” Since its rejuvenation in November, the group has escalated into a forum not only for asking and giving advice, but also for venting, posting funny links, describing good meals and snacks, and sharing stories. “I participate in the Facebook group because I think it’s really important that teenage girls consider each other as friends and not as competition,” said Adina Weinberger ’16. “I definitely feel that the Facebook group helps the girls in the grade feel united.”

Israel Advocacy: Ramaz Needs to Step Up

By Alex Glaubach ’16

We are all too familiar with Ramaz’s commitment to academic rigor, as it is described in the school’s mission statement, but what about “A commitment to…

Ahavat Yisrael, and love and support for the State of Israel.” Of course it is Ramaz’s objective to support Israel and for its students to support Israel, but is that goal really achieved? Sure we have an AIPAC program and an Israel advocacy club for students, and I think these are great and necessary programs, but shouldn’t the school be educating us on how to advocate for the state in which we are supposed to “love and support?”

Aaron Dahan ’16, who considers himself an Israel advocate said, “This education is very important obviously. Today its safe to say that most of the students Ramaz gets, want the school to educate them about Israel and how to defend the country, but what ends up happening is social media educates them instead. I don’t think the school is teaching their students properly.”

Ms. Sole-Zier who tries to incorporate Israel education into her Hebrew classes said, “I strongly believe that young American Jews need to be informed about the history of Israel, as well as about current events, in order to become reliable,

convincing advocates for the State of Israel. The situation in Israel is very complex, and as advocates we should be informed of all perspectives before we speak out to people who have very limited, biased opinions about Israel.” While Ms. Sole-Zier insisted that it is not her place to say whether Ramaz should make an greater effort to integrate Israel education and Israel advocacy into its set curriculum or not, it is clear that she sees it as very important to rid the world of misinformation about Israel. The best way we both see to do this is through the education of younger people, and my firm position is Ramaz needs to do a better job of informing it’s students of how to advocate for Israel.

I don’t think Ramaz should shift the entire education system towards “Israel Indoctrination,” especially since Ramaz’s curriculum has been proven to work. I simply think if it’s one of Ramaz’s missions to support Israel, maybe Ramaz should make a greater effort to educate its students about Israel and how to support it. Perhaps one quarter per year in a Judaic or Hebrew Language class the teacher should shift his/her focus to Israel and how to advocate for her.

January 2015/Shvat 5775

By Will Fried ’15

The Rampage

Ferguson in Review

The police shooting of a black man in Ferguson, Missouri represents one of those issues where any attempt to have an objective debate about what happened and how to respond devolves immediately into a personal and highly emotional exchange where both sides usually end up feeling undeservedly guilty for holding their positions. While those who support Officer Darren Wilson are labeled as racists and even abettors of murderers, those who stand with Michael Brown and reject the validity of the grand jury and country prosecutor are labeled as people who don’t care about the legal system and are willing to lock up an innocent police officer to further their own agendas. Although in this particular case, the physical evidence and reliable eye witness testimonies exonerated Wilson of wrongdoing, this conflict extends far beyond the city limits of Ferguson.

The outrage directed toward Wilson reflects the mistrust that minorities, especially African Americans, feel towards law enforcement all around the country. We all feel a sense of hostility toward police at one point or another when, for example, they camouflage their cars on the side of the highway to catch us going a couple miles per hour over the speed limit or when they unremorsefully ticket us for overstaying our parking spots by a few minutes. If we could sometimes feel animosity toward police for such trivialities, imagine how blacks feel after having been oppressed by police throughout the era of slavery, the Jim Crow Law days and the Civil Rights Movement until Congress finally decided to act under President Johnson. Although such police brutality has been virtually eliminated over the past 50 years and although it’s fair to say that the majority of police officers around the country genuinely try to protect the public without regard to race, the enmity sparked by America’s dark history still smolders today.

It took Ferguson to bring these deep-rooted emotions to the surface.

Although the Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s have guaranteed blacks’ equality before the law, many still feel that the police and the legal system are discriminating against them. For example, many blacks fervently oppose to the NYPD’s Stop, Question and Frisk policy because they feel they are being targeted by police and are stopped at rates that are disproportionate to their percentage within the population. Many blacks also feel they were wronged when white police officers beat up Rodney King back in 1991 and killed Eric Garner earlier this year, and when a neighborhood watchman killed Trayvon Martin in 2012.

When Ferguson came along, many blacks felt they had an opportunity to reassure themselves that America has indeed outgrown its racist past. They looked forward to watching the justice system prosecute a police officer who, from their perspective, displayed yet another example of police brutality against the black community. Thus, even while blacks mourned the tragic loss of Michael Brown, optimism ran high that the incident would mark a turning point in black history in America.

Unfortunately for these optimists, rather than confirming their beliefs of police brutality and discrimination against blacks, the judicial system found no probable cause to indict Wilson. The evidence suggested that Wilson was dealing with a hotheaded and aggressive teenager under the influence of drugs who, after strong-arm robbing a convenient store, was ready to use his bulk and strength to attack Wilson. And even though we can never be 100% sure what exactly took place during that encounter on August 9th, there is no place for speculation; in the American justice system, the defendant must be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to be convicted, no ifs, ands or buts.

In retrospect, the misinformation and hype surrounding the case gave supporters of Brown an overly positive profile of him that would be difficult to change, and the assurance that a conviction of Wilson was all but inevitable.

First, many witnesses whose testimonies were either proven unreliable or totally apocryphal initially portrayed Mr. Brown as a defenseless martyr who was shot dead from behind. Second, the media seemed to direct all of its criticism toward Wilson and the police in general, while refraining from impugning Brown, both in deference to his mourning family and to come off as politically correct. Moreover, the circumstances surrounding the grand jury inquiry, such as the fact that the county prosecutor’s father was killed in the line of duty by an African American man and the fact that the prosecution didn’t push hard for criminal charges against Wilson, further convinced Brown supporters that the justice system was indeed biased. All of these factors helped distort the case and draw attention away from the facts, allowing raw emotion to grow out of control when the grand jury decided not to charge Wilson.

I’m not trying to argue who was right and who was wrong in the struggle between Wilson and Brown; doing so is both futile and truly inconsequential now that the grand jury has released its decision. All I’m trying to do is look at the Ferguson issue in a broader context and examine the intense and long-lasting emotions surrounding the shooting that reflect the complexity of the racial state of America today.

Opinions 13

Eric Garner Verdict

By Oren Oppenheim ’16

Want to see a terrifying video? Go on YouTube and look up the amateur video of Eric Garner’s death. It’ll be buried under countless videos and news stories on the case, but you should be able to find it; it wasn’t pulled from the website when I last checked. But I’m warning you: it’ll be one of the most disturbing things you ever watch.

Eric Garner was a six-foot tall black man living in Staten Island who, according to his close friends, was a “gentle giant.” This past August, he was confronted by a policeman, Justin Damico, about selling cigarettes out of their packages. When he argued with the much shorter policeman, more policemen came and overcame him by force, and one policeman—Daniel Pantaleo—put Garner in what looked like a choke-hold. Garner, who had respiratory problems, couldn’t breathe—his last words literally were “I can’t breathe”—and was killed.

Not only is this a terrible tragedy, but the sheer timing of it all could not have been worse. In July, not too long before Garner’s death, the infamous Michael Brown incident occurred in Ferguson, Missouri. Michael Brown, a black man, was shot and killed by a white police officer named Darren Wilson.

Protests erupted in both Ferguson and in New York back when these incidents exploded. In Ferguson, protests turned astonishingly violent and destructive, and police stepped in and created a sort of police state where protesters were held back by force. Then the verdict of the grand jury trying Darren Wilson came in—and Wilson was acquitted.

Pantaleo was also acquitted. Two similar verdicts—does that mean something?

However, with Garner and Pantaleo, there’s a significant difference: the video. The video itself is a pretty good indictment, or at least a damning piece of evidence. It shows Garner’s death, and while he did resist police a bit (something I most likely wouldn’t recommend doing), he wasn’t doing much wrong in the scene—certainly not enough to merit being placed in a choke-hold. And there was absolutely no reason for him to die.

The Michael Brown case is a bit more complicated; while I do think for the most part that Wilson was at fault, it’s not clear what happened that day when Brown was killed. Was Brown threatening Wilson or was he unfairly targeted?

Given the multitude of conflicting reports about what went down, it’s almost impossible to figure out the truth. But with Garner—as I mentioned—there’s video evidence. The death was recorded on camera, and it looks very much like Garner was placed in an illegal choke-hold. So why doesn’t it seem like that made a difference in the grand jury on the Garner case?!

While it pains me to admit it, it really seems like there are issues of racism going on. Maybe it isn’t outright; no one is calling each other names or persecuting one another intentionally. But just the fact that there is this suspicion between people of different races; the fact that both of these deaths happened when if that suspicion didn’t exist, they could’ve been avoided… It seems like racism is alive and well in the United States, to our great dismay.

Also, it shows that these sort of problems still exist not just in seemingly faraway places like Ferguson, but in our very own city. For us living or attending school on the Upper East Side, Staten Island might seem pretty far away—but it’s actually one of the five boroughs of New York and is just as much a part of New York City as Manhattan. Clearly these issues of race and police brutality still exist pretty close to us.

I’m not going to say that the police system is “broken,” like others are doing.

I don’t want to generalize against a whole police force, or worse, against a whole profession; the vast majority of policemen are valiant, courageous people who protect us every day. I have an uncle who’s a volunteer policeman in Teaneck, and I have the utmost respect for him. But clearly there’s at least something wrong, if two similar events involving white policemen have happened like these.

What can we do, as Ramaz students? We could join protests that have erupted over justice for Garner, although I’d advise being slightly careful about that. It’s not about the issues, but more about the safety of being in a protest group; while most of the protests in NYC have been relatively controlled and safe, especially compared to Ferguson, it’s not the safest thing to be in a mob of protesters and if you aren’t careful enough, you could be risking arrest. But we should find safe ways to protest and speak up.

We can also work on being more tolerant and open to others. I know Ramaz runs its All-Stars program, where both blacks and whites work together on musical and theatrical productions, and that’s a great step. But even if you don’t get a chance to participate, you can try to become more tolerant in other ways. We should look at the jokes we make, at the things we say and watch, and try to get rid of those which are racist.

Arts&Entertainment The Rampage • January 2015

The Theory of Everything: Reviewed

By Gabrielle Amar ’17

The Theory of Everything, directed by James Marsh, is a poignant and heartrending film depicting Stephen Hawking’s struggle with motor neuron disease. Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), the prominent physicist well-known for his study of black holes, lives his life dominated by his disease which he is diagnosed with at the age of 21. After being told he only has two more years to live at such a young age, Hawking is determined to work hard towards his goals of study and discovery.

The film is predominantly focuses on Stephen Hawking’s relationship with aspiring author, Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones), whom he falls deeply in love with moments before his diagnosis. Once he is diagnosed, Jane never leaves his side. She fights tirelessly for his life and provides him all the love and aid she possibly can.

With her support, Hawking studies the thing he needs the most–time–and is able to defy impossible odds and achieve more than he could ever have dreamed of. He marries and raises a family with Jane as he continues to live his life meaningfully. Additionally, after joining the church choir, Jane meets Jonathan Hellyer Jones (Charlie Cox), a windowed choirmaster at the local church, and he soon becomes an addition to the Hawking family. He spends lots of

time with Stephen and his family; however, when Jonathan admits his love for Jane, he decides it would be better that he distances from Jane and avoids breaking apart her love-life with Stephen.

After his release of A Brief History of Time in 1988, Hawking receives world-wide acclaim for his work and his perseverance remains strong. Although distasteful, the more Hawking deteriorates throughout the film, the stronger the emotions intensify and movie increasingly ameliorates. This is mainly because of Eddie Redmayne’s impeccable acting skills. Famously known for his performance in Les Misérables (2012), Redmayne is able to transforms into a very convincing young Stephen Hawking. With a crooked neck, slurred speech, and contorted mannerisms, the movie felt devastatingly real.

Eventually, Hawking contracts pneumonia and must undergo a tracheotomy to save his life. As a result, he is unable to speak, and needs a nurse and caregiver to help him communicate through an alphabet board. After a period of using the alphabet board, he is hooked to a machine that will allow him to choose words that a robotic voice will speak for him.

As the movie distances from the physicist’s actual achievements, it goes into detail about his newly founded love relationship with Elaine, his nurse, and

his divorce with Jane. Jane, who was secretly in love with Jonathon throughout the time he spent with their family, marries him happily. The audience learns at the end of the film that today, Jane and Stephen are separate however living full lives.

Unsurprisingly, the movie is based on Jane’s memoir of her life with Stephen. For this reason, the film is focused mainly on the Stephen’s relationships with women and did not fully focus on Stephen’s actual scientific work. The movie’s attempt to explain his discoveries was badly depicted and confusing to understand. However, the movie was entertaining and did provide an emotionally captivating view of the physicists life. The movie is for the most part easy to understand. Viewers will feel heartbreak, excitement, astonishment, and relief. Although the audience does not learn much about cosmology, the film does hold a very inspiring message: “However bad life may seem, where there is life, there is hope.”

Taylor Swift: Reviewed

By Rebekah Fenster ’17 On October 27th, Taylor Swift released her fifth album - 1989. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and has received great reviews worldwide.

The album quickly sold over a million copies and made Swift the first artist to have three albums sell a million copies or more in the first week. 1989 was also the best selling album of 2014. Swift announced her album via a Yahoo! live stream and then played the first song on the new album, “Shake It Off.” This cheerful song is a message to anyone who criticizes her saying that no matter what they say about her, she will not let them bring her down.

1989 is Swifts’ first official pop album and seen as her transition album in which she leaves her country roots for a new pop style. This was a risky transition for Swift because most of her fans are accustomed to her classic country sound. Julia Krevat ’17, a die hard Swift fan, said, “Obviously I’ll always love her Country Music, but she’s growing and I’m happy with whatever she does.” In the end most of her fans remain loyal and appreciate her evolving as an artist.

Sports

The Rampage • January 2015

Student-Athlete Spotlight: Hannah Scherl

By DJ Presser ’16

This year, Ramaz is going to have a student graduate and attend college as a student-athlete. When Hannah Scherl `15 graduates from Ramaz she will be attending Cornell where she will compete for their squash team.

For Hannah, squash began as a hobby. Her cousins used to play with her uncle and she felt left out, so, at the age of eight, she picked up a racket and began her career in squash. It was not until she was twelve that she began taking squash seriously and competing against other squash players. She fell in love with the game, and began practicing four to five times a week, in addition to competing in tournaments on the weekends.

“I love squash because it is a non-academic setting where I have the opportunity to challenge myself. It tests my physical abilities and more importantly, it has taught be all about commitment, sportsmanship, and perseverance,” explained Hannah. She continued, “It is an incredibly exciting and unique sport that is played throughout the world and I love that I am able to be a part of it.”

Hannah explains that she realized during her freshman year that keeping up with her squash commitment and school work was going to be tough. However, she also started to recognize that squash might become more than just a

Varsity Basketball (Boys) Frisch 61, Ramaz 46 The Rams headed into Frisch looking to avenge their buzzer beating loss suffered at home earlier in the season. Unfortunately, with senior center Gabe Roth still sidelined with an ankle injury, the Rams fall short. With the win, Frisch finished their season undefeated with a 12-0 record. If the standings hold, the Rams could potentially travel to Frisch once more in a second round playoff bout.

SAR 60, Ramaz 42 Rams fell short at home on Senior Night. After suffering a tough loss at Frisch, the Rams headed home hoping to win one more game for the seniors, but also to aid their playoffs chances.

This was the final game of the Fams’ regular season, and now they must wait to see how JEC and SAR finish their seasons to see if they will make the playoffs and make it back to the

recreational sport. “It was definitely tough balancing squash and school, but squash usually felt like a fun break from school work, as opposed to feeling like another obligation.

But still, it was tough to make sure that I studied for all of my tests and ACTs in addition to getting on the court every night.”

It all paid off for Hannah when she was recruited by Cornell to play squash for them. She explains that her college process began much

earlier than it does for most Ramaz students. She had to start thinking about what schools she could potentially play for around springtime of her junior year, before she had even met with her college guidance

counselor: she began conversations with coaches from different colleges about potentially playing for their team.

Not only was this experience a new one for Hannah, but it was also unchartered territory for Ms. Davidson, one of Ramaz’s college advisors, because it is uncommon for Ramaz students to be applying to college as an athlete.

She explained, “The biggest difference for me was that everything happened earlier. The process is tangential to the regular admissions process. Students need to know which coaches will be interested in them and where they can apply much earlier on. Even though I am not an expert in athletic recruitment, I was still able to help her.”

Currently, Hannah is ranked 17th for girls 19 and under according to the U.S. Squash Association. In addition to her daily practices, she competes in tournaments on the weekends around the country. She has played in tournaments in foreign countries during the summer, in places such as Germany, Holland, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand. She will be competing in the U.S. Open this month. “If squash were a chore and I did not enjoy playing, there is no way that I would have been able to survive my routine over these last few years.”

End of Season Round Up championship for the third straight year.

(Girls) Ramaz 63, Heschel 19 Despite a sluggish start to the game, the Lady Rams got hot and never looked back. With the emphatic win, the Lady Rams finished their season at 11-1. The Lady Rams have clinched a first round bye and home court advantage throughout the playoffs as they look to win an unprecedented third championship in a row.

JV Basketball (Boys) Frisch 67, Ramaz 41 The Rams couldn’t handle a physical Frisch defense and lose at Frisch. This was the only time these two teams met this season.

Heschel 46, Ramaz 43 An explosive game from start to finish, the Rams finished their season with a heartbreaking loss at Heschel. The Rams

finished their season at an even 5-5 and must wait for the rest of the league to conclude their seasons before they know if they will qualify for the playoffs.

(Girls) HAFTR 36, Ramaz 15 The Lady Rams put up a valiant fight in their season finale, but fell short at HAFTR. The Lady Rams finish their season 1-9.

Varsity Hockey Frisch 6, Ramaz 1 After heading into winter break on a six game win streak, the Rams headed to their rival looking to clinch a playoff berth. Frisch, needing to win four games in a row in order to clinch a playoff berth, had other plans and dominated the game on both sides of the court.

SAR 5, Ramaz 0 In their regular season finale, the Rams controlled

their own destiny: they win, and they clinch a playoff berth. Unfortunately, the team was still reeling from their Frisch beatdown and faired no better at SAR. On the night of the Alan T. Brown fund raiser, the home team pleased their home fans with a convincing victory.

The Rams need Frisch to lose at least one of their remaining three games to make the playoffs. The Rams finish their season 8-6.

JV Hockey Frisch 12, Ramaz 0 In their first game back following winter break, the Rams got blown out at Frisch.

SAR 9, Ramaz 2 In their regular season finale, the Rams fell short in the opening game of the Alan T. Brown Foundation fundraising night. SAR used their home “rink” advantage to jump out to an early lead. The Rams finished the season 3-6-0-1 and did not qualify for the playoffs.