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”!
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