Volume XXXXVIII Number 9
The Ramaz Upper School
June 2014/Sivan 5774
Celebration of the Arts 2014 By Caroline Jaspan ’17 and Gabrielle Amar Ouimet ’17 On Monday night June 2nd, parents, faculty, students and alumni celebrated the arts by admiring the spectacular performances and artworks presented by the numerous talented students of Ramaz. Everyone was gathered in the Ramaz Upper Auditorium for Celebration of the Arts. Celebration of the Arts is a showcase organized every year by two senior “hosts” and Ms. Goldberg. This year Celebration of the Arts boasted galleries of impressive photographs and artworks, recitations of poems written by students,
homemade videos from the Ramaz Film Club, and songs performed by student bands. The audience members began the night by roaming around the galleries, and admiring the thought-provoking and delicately crafted pieces by student artists. Tal Ulmann ‘17 remarked, “I enjoyed the variety of the art gallery. It was fascinating to see the creativity that the Ramaz students contributed as they successfully celebrated nature through the arts.” Once assembled in their seats, the audience packed the auditorium. While waiting for the show
to begin, the audience f lipped through Parallax, Ramaz’s literary magazine. When the lights dimmed, all eyes were focused on the stage as Rachel Kastner ‘14 and Elly Katz ‘14, the evening’s hosts, emerged in berets, displaying the French theme. Highlights from the night included Shayna Brown ‘14 singing and Brian Gersten ‘14 playing the trumpet as they performed Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald. Ms. Rabhan commented, “I was really moved by the selection of songs, specifically Summertime, which happens to be my mother’s
favorite song. I also loved Shir La’MaAlot sung by Elly Katz ‘14, it is my father’s favorite.” Additional acts that stood out were Stairway to Heaven, played on the guitar by Daniel Rand ‘16, as well as an original piece called The Best Thing That Comes, written and sung by Jack Hartstein ‘16. While the audience witnessed only finished products, they were not privy to the anxiety many performers felt before their time in the spotlight. Pianist Jake Lefkowitz ‘17 said, “It was a lot of pressure performing at first, I was especially
nervous about performing in front of Rabbi Lookstein. However, all in all the audience was great and playing in front of them was exhilarating.” Not only did the performances celebrate the beauty of art, but the hosts also celebrated French culture, known for its artistic prowess. The hosts conveyed French culture through mini-skits spoken in French after every few presentations.
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RAMAZ MARCHES IN ISRAELI DAY PARADE For article on the Israeli Day Parade, see page 3
INSIDE INTERVIEWS WITH TEACHERS LEAVING
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LETTER FROM DEPARTING EDITORS
TENNIS TEAM MAKES PLAYOFFS
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Meet Your New GO!
President Kelly Sterman ’15, Senior Vice President David Major ’15, Junior Vice President Gabe Silverman ’16, Treasurer Joseph Cohen ’15, and Secretary Alex Rein ’16
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By Alex Ratzker ’14 and Sydney Sarachek ’14 One of the best choices we made throughout high school is the very piece of paper you are holding onto right now: The RamPage. Joining the RamPage has given us an opportunity to improve our writing and editing skills as well as a forum to share our thoughts and voice our opinions. Since assuming the role of co-editors-in-chief, we have seen firsthand the importance of design and layout in bettering the paper and increasing readership. As editors, we have strived to set a tone of commitment, establish by example a strong work ethic, and delegate responsibility. However, equally important, we have attempted to create a sense of teamwork and encourage writers to present pieces on issues that ignite their passions. Our four years on the newspaper have helped shape us into who we are today, and working for the RamPage has been a worthwhile and rewarding experience for us both. Our upcoming graduation marks a major transition in our lives as we leave Ramaz and the RamPage family. We will no longer be convening on Thursdays in 307 during homeroom or in 603 after school. We will not be chasing after students to get a quote or harassing writers who did not send in their pieces on time. We will no longer have to find someone willing to write an article in a few short hours to add to an issue that must be sent to our publisher as soon as possible. There will be no more knocking on the teachers’ lounge and receiving a sly comment from Dr. Gaylord before finding out that Dr. Milowitz is obviously not there. We will no longer be interrupting
The RamPage News
June 2014/ Sivan 57744
Letter to the Editor
Milo’s class to go over corrections and finalize our edits. (We apologize to Dr. Milowitz’s students. We know you love when we come into your classes.) There will be no more days spent sitting in the fourth floor lounge for hours laying out the paper as our fellow classmates ask, “Why are you still working? You already got into college.” RamPage meant so much more to us that an ordinary extracurricular activity. Throughout our year as editors, we have had our fair share of ups and downs. We had to deal with what we believe is a new culture in the school. In the past there was an openness and honesty between the students and the faculty, specifically when discussing controversial issues. While that camaraderie still exists in the hallways and the classrooms, this year teachers have repeatedly declined to have their opinions quoted in the RamPage. Regarding women wearing tefillin and Rashid Khalidi’s scheduled visit to Ramaz, teachers would say, “Here is what I really think, but please don’t quote me on that.” These teachers were nervous. While their concerns were certainly legitimate, their unwillingness to comment undermined the ability of RamPage to provide a range of opinions. Rather than reflecting the opinions of the entire Ramaz community, RamPage was often limited to reporting only students’ thoughts. As a result, articles were not as balanced as we would have liked them to be. I n t he s p e e c h M ic h a e l Bloomberg delivered at Harvard commencement, he said, “I strongly believe that a university’s obligation is not to teach students
what to think but to teach students how to think. And that requires listening to the other side, weighing arguments without prejudging them, and determining whether the other side might actually make
newspaper, we do believe that there should be more room for freedom of expression in our paper. Though we faced some bumps in the road, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the majority of our time on
some fair points. If the faculty fails to do this, then it is the responsibility of the administration and governing body to step in and make it a priority.” We believe that this needs to be a priority in our high school as well. We feel that some of our most important articles needed to be reshaped, in deference to the requirements set by the school and by the faculty advisor. While we understand that a school newspaper cannot function like a commercial
RamPage. We loved revamping the paper – from our new logo to our new fonts, to adding pull quotes into articles. Looking at our first issue of last year, and comparing it to our last 16-page issue, we were fully able to appreciate all of the hours we put into redoing the paper To our teachers – thank you for understanding when we occasionally missed class because we were working on finishing the paper on time. To the student body – thank
you for sharing your opinions with us. To the staff – thank you for your hard work and dedication throughout the entire year. We appreciate your understanding when your articles had to be cut. Thank you for getting your articles in on time even when you had history notecards, SATS, and various other assignments to complete. To Ms. Rabhan – we cannot thank you enough for sharing your pictures with us. Even when we emailed you minutes before we needed pictures, we could always count on you to upload everything that we needed. You taught us the importance of high quality pictures, and it truly made all the difference. Finally, a special thank you to Dr. Milowitz – we couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for spending countless hours on the phone with us, even when your kids needed to be put to bed and at midnight when you wanted to go to sleep. Thank you for putting up with all our knocks on your door. We will miss laughing with you in school, at meetings, and on the phone. While it’s time for us to turn the page, and hand RamPage over to our new editorial staff, we are going to miss everything about the paper (even the stress). We are confident that you guys will do great things for the paper next year, and that all the issues will be uploaded online so we can continue to read it. Forever and always, #rampageduo -Alex Ratzker and Sydney Sarachek
Yom Yerushalayim: Commemorated By Oren Oppenheim ‘16 On Wednesday, May 28th the day, the school gathered in the Ramaz Upper School celebrated auditorium for an assembly to Yom Yerushalayim, the Israeli commemorate the occasion. national holiday commemorating Gabriel Low ’15 began the the reunification of Jerusalem and assembly by reading a poem about the establishment of Israeli control Jerusalem. “I was very honored to over the Old have had the opportuCity in the afnity to speak on such “Every song I have termath of the an amazing day and written and will ever write June 1967 Six introduce one of my will have a little bit of Day War. The favorite teachers,” he Yerushalayim.” day began with said. Then he invited -Rabbi Albo a full school Ms. Maccabee up to davening, the stage. Ms. Maccaaccompanied by Rabbi Kleinberg’s bee reflected on her own personal recitation of Hallel. Later in the connection to Jerusalem, having
lived in the German Colony back when she was younger. She enthralled the crowd with how much Jerusalem meant to her, and impressed the student body by telling about when her chorus had a chance to sing in front of the Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion. Rabbi Albo then got up to the stage to play two of his own songs “Min Hametzar” and “Ani Yehudi”. “I think I speak for everyone when I say I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. His voice and songs were really awesome,” said Sam Reich ’17. The auditorium was filled with excitement and he even got the entire school singing with him. He then invited the Chamber Chorus to the stage who sang their rendition of Yaakov Shwekey’s “Vehi Sheamda.” Rabbi Albo reflected on the event and said, “It was an honor and privilege to be able to share a personal story about my experience in Yerushalayim and to recount the lifetime influence that this most special city continues to have in my life. Every song I have ever written and will ever write will have a little bit of Yerushalayim’s melody that I carry with me. It
is there that I taught myself how to play guitar and began writing music. The assembly truly personified the History of Yerushalayim, connecting the prestigious and classical performance of Ms. Maccabbee with Composer Leonard Bernstein to modern folk rock in 2014.” After that, the school went down to the gymnasium for a special exhibition soccer game between the Ramaz soccer team and a group of men from Israel. The fifteen-minute game exhilarated the crowd, but sadly the Ramaz team found themselves up against too much of a challenge. “We thought we were playing high
school students but then found out we were playing godzillas,” said Eitan Schiller ’16, one of the players. Some wondered if the school could’ve done more to celebrate the day. “I really liked the programs that we had, but I feel like we should’ve had a little bit more to remind us that it was Yom Yerushalaim,” said Rachel Wahba ’16. “Maybe they could’ve had us all wear blue and white, or something small but significant to show the appreciation.” Overall, students thought the festivities were nice, and the soccer game was certainly a unique way to celebrate Israel.
June 2014/Sivan 5774
The RamPage News
Celebration of the Arts Continued from front cover Rachel Kastner ‘14 said, “I was worried about this year’s celebration because we had a record number of performers- there was so much talent present that night! Elly and I were nervous that people would not sit throughout the whole event- but they did! We received a huge positive response and everyone had a blast! I have always wanted to host and perform in celebration, since I was a freshman. Celebration 2014 was a great way to end off senior year.” Members of Parallax presented their outstanding poems and pieces of prose including Smart Brain by Oren Oppenheim ‘16, Birds in a bush by Adina Weinberger ‘16 and many more. “I thought that each piece that was read was very detailed and well read,” said Yaffa Kornsgold ‘17. Dani Lefkowitz ‘14 remarked, “This year was a lot longer than previous years, probably because of the amount of talent the students presented, particularly poetry and the film club contributed to the celebration. In addition, the idea of a theme made the celebration a lot more interesting.” This year’s Celebration of the Arts was unique because it successfully blended the French theme within the festivity. The
Ramaz Bids Farewell to Mr. Kuck
By Skyler Levine ‘15 Last week, the Ramaz community said goodbye to Mr. Kuck, one of the school’s outstanding English teachers. Mr. Kuck taught at Ramaz for 18 years. He taught students in all four grades, often in the same school year. When asked what he loves about Ramaz,
French theme further enhanced the admiration of art by incorporating different cultures into the school atmosphere. Mr. Alvarez, one of Ramaz’s French teachers, remarked, “I thought having a French theme to celebrate the arts was very appropriate and gave off a cabaret feeling throughout. I was also very impressed by the French ambience. Additionally the fact that such a small school like Ramaz contains so much talent. A variety of students engaged in different venues, such as poetry
and film and instrumentation and vocals. For my first year here, I found this festivity to be incredible. I also thought the celebration was a great way to end the year as well as an opportunity to bring the whole community together, and that’s the way it should be the whole year!”
Israeli Day Parade
By Gabrielle Amar Ouimet ‘17 Tens of thousands of people gathered in New York City on Sunday June 8th for the annual Celebrate Israel parade, marking the 50th anniversary with Israeli and American flags along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. The annual event was estimated to draw some 35,000 people. Among the elected officials participating in the annual parade were New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and members of the Israeli Knesset. The parade even feautured some participants up in the air: 16 planes in a fly over salute. The Empire State Building also showed its support to Israel by lighting the building with blue and white lights.
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The preceding Friday, Ramaz students received their red white and green parade shirts designed by Jill Adler ‘15. “I thought the shirts were actually really nice and I think its nice that everyone wore shirts designed by an actual student at Ramaz,” said David Major ’15.The Ramaz float led the way for the rest of students and faculty, playing many popular Israeli Songs. “I had an awesome time playing on the float. I got to do something I love, play the guitar, and support Israel at the same time!” said Eytan Abergel ‘15. Noah Marlowe ‘14 felt that, “the parade was a wonderful opportunity for us, Ramaz students, to show the world that although we
reside on the Upper East Side, our hearts long for Jerusalem.” Many other students shared positive remarks regarding the parade. “For me, it was great to feel like a part of Israel, even though I am here in New York,” said Max Koffler ‘16. “Not to mention, it’s a great walk with all of your friends,” he continued. Maayan Felig ‘17, a first timer at the parade, said that she “really enjoyed being a part of the parade for the first time. I was very surprised to see how much support for Israel there really is in New York.” As Hillel Rapp put it, “this year’s parade was, as always, a huge success.”
because he really always put a smile on my face.” “He was so helpful when we were writing essays. He really taught me how to build and develop a thesis, a skill I’ve used in numerous classes since,” said Erica Newman-Corre ’15.
Mr. Kuck said, “I love the intellecWhile Mr. Kuck has many tual atmosphere at Ramaz. Every- fond memories of his time at one here loves to be fully engaged Ramaz, he said he especially loved in conversation, regardless of the leading the Dante reading group topic.” He went on to say that he at Ramaz. He remarked, “I imagloves the curricuine that very few “The leap that students lum and reading yeshiva day schools make from complete lists for all grades. have students incomprehension to, for He especially loves willing to work the most part, appreciation their way through teaching James never ceases to gratify me” Joyce’s Dubliners. a canto (dual lanMr. Kuck said, guage) each week.” -Mr. Kuck “The leap that stuMr. Kuck said the dents make from funniest thing that complete incomprehension to, for happened to him during his time the most part, appreciation never at Ramaz happened to him when ceases to gratify me.” he was in London with his AP Students only had positive English class and Mr. Miller. “I things to say about Mr. Kuck. “I went to buy a grocery cart full of will always remember Mr. Kuck’s kosher snacks. The cashier tried to smile when he walked into class,” strike up a conversation with me said Olivia Schwartz ’17. “He in Hebrew, but failing to do so, turned English into my favorite she chastised me vociferously for subject when it was previously my my shameful lack of Hebrew.” least favorite. I will truly miss Mr. Our loss will be the gain of St. Kuck next year,” she continued. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s School on Jackie Mehl ’15 echoed her apthe Upper West Side where Mr. preciation for Mr. Kuck and said, Kuck will teach English to the “I had Mr. Kuck freshman year sixth and seventh grades. We will and he always made English an miss Mr. Kuck very much. We enjoyable subject. It will be such wish him all the best for next year, not having him in the hallways and hope he comes back to visit everyday next year Ramaz when he has the chance!
Ramaz Wishes Good Luck to Parting Teachers
Ms. “Coach” Feldman
Rampage: What are your plans for next year? Ms. Feldman: Unfortunately I do not have any plans yet for next year. I am trying to get another teaching position as a Health and/ or Physical Education teacher somewhere in NY. I have my neck surgery coming up in two weeks and it should take 2-3 months to recuperate. However, whatever I do, I will make sure to come and visit Ramaz! Rampage: What was your favorite memory in Ramaz? Ms. Feldman : I don’t really have a favorite memory as I believe that anytime spent with my students was a memorable experience. I really enjoyed each and every class in different ways. Freshman, sophomores, and juniors all shared their own different ideas and questions
and I enjoyed guiding along the way. Rampage: Did you learn anything from your experience teaching at Ramaz? If so what did you learn? Ms. Feldman: I learned that working in a Yeshiva can be quite hectic and challenging at times, but after all is said and done I was happy to be a part of all of my students lives Rampage: How would you rate your overall experience at Ramaz? Ms. Feldman: I would say that I am blessed to have had the opportunity to work at Ramaz because all the students were the most respectful and intelligent individuals I ever had the pleasure of teaching. I will truly miss every one of you! Ms. Harari: Rampage: What are your plans
for next year? Ms. Harari: I am moving to Israel. Once I settle, I plan to continue to ghostwrite, that is, writing for and in the name of another author, as I’ve been for the past few years. Eventually I will look for teaching jobs because that’s what I love to do. Rampage: What was the most interesting aspect of teaching at Ramaz? Ms. Harari: I really enjoyed teaching the ninth grade, as the students were entering the high school, as it was my responsibility to help them adjust perhaps through their writing skills. I also enjoyed teaching the twelfth grade students who had already went through this transition. Seeing the contrast between how students start and end high school is very interesting.
Rampage: How did your experience at Ramaz differ from your former teaching experiences? Ms. Harari: There was no major difference other than the fact that on the first day of classes students were very enthusiastic when introducing themselves, which was different from the schools I had taught at previously.
Dr. Nasar:
Rampage: What are your plans for next year? Dr. Nasar: Next year I will be teaching at CUNY and drawing more, hopefully! Rampage: What was your favorite Ramaz memory? Dr. Nasar: I really enjoyed celebrating Pi day with all of my students. I guess that’s more of a favorite day, really. The annual din
ner was also very sweet. It was nice to see the students all dressed up and working together to make such a special evening happen.
Ms. Corniel:
Rampage: Do you have a favorite memory from your time at Ramaz? Ms. Corniel: I can think of many special memories from my year at Ramaz. One of my favorite moments was when I had the chance to discuss racism with my students and how we feel toward people and environments that are different than us. Rampage: What are your plans for next year? Ms. Corniel: I will continue teaching Spanish as an adjunct professor, at the City University of New York, where I have been teaching for four years.
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The RamPage Sports/Arts
June 2014/ Sivan 57744
Boys and Girls Tennis Ready For Playoffs
By Yale Buchwald ’15
Following successful regular seasons, the boys and girls tennis teams look to continue to thrive in the semifinals of the playoffs. This year, the boys were undefeated through six matches and earned the first seed in the playoffs. Although the girls lost two matches against SAR, they have still earned the second seed. The undefeated regular season from the boys isn’t surprising. They have been a powerhouse over the past two seasons due to their strong veteran players. However, the girls didn’t make the playoffs last year and have managed to surprise some with this year’s playoff birth. “I had a great time being on
BOYS SOCCER TEAM: The boys varsity soccer squad played against Israeli veterans on Yom Yerushalayim
Ms. Slonim, Science Department Chair, Retires See our website, the-rampage.org, for an interview and article about Ms. Slonim
the tennis team this year,” said Abbey Lepor ’16. “After a very competitive season, we are looking forward to the playoffs!” The boys team had a heartbreaking loss last year in the semifinals against Flatbush. The match came down to a final tiebreaker, and the boys team unfortunately lost. “Last year’s semifinal really hit us hard,” said senior captain Josh Garfunkel ’14. “We are determined to forget our tough loss and continue to show our dominance that we displayed in the regular season.” Good luck to the boys and girls tennis teams on Sunday June 15th and go Rams!
Neighbors: Reviewed
By Yale Buchwald ’15
Neighbors, starring the unlikely bromance of Seth Rogen and Zac Efron, has been one of this spring’s best comedies. In this flick filled with raunchy humor, Mac Radner (Rogen), his wife Kelly (Rose Byrne, Bridesmaids), and their newborn baby, face many unexpected struggles as they are forced to live next to a fraternity house. While the Radner’s thought they were going to be living in an uneventful suburban town, they quickly realize that the frat, and its rowdy “brothers”, will surely
complicate their quiet lifestyle. On the other side of the lawn is the frat house, which includes its president, Teddy Sanders (Efron) and its vice president, Pete (Dave Franco, 21 Jump Street). Night after night, Mac asks Teddy to lower the fraternity’s noise, and eventually Mac calls the police, which upsets Teddy and the other brothers. For a large part of the movie, the family and the fraternity hilariously feud, proving to be excellent humor. While this flick is a typical comedy for Seth Rogen, Zac Efron hasn’t stared in too many comedies. This movie shows that Efron isn’t just a pretty face (although his countless shirtless scenes may argue otherwise) and that he will probably star in other comedies in the near future. Although the movie’s other leading actors, such as Rose Byrne and Dave Franco were definitely great, the less known actors from the fraternity provided many great scenes. Before seeing this movie, you should go in with low expectations and assume it’s going to be another one of those comedies. You should assume there won’t be an Oscar worthy plot, just slapstick and raunchy humor. If you maintain these expectations, this movie will prove itself to be quite humorous and very entertaining.
The RamPage Editorial Staff Editors-in-Chief Skyler Levine Andrew Lobel Eddie Mattout
Olivia Hershkowitz
Online Editor
Photography Editor
Alex Leibowitz
Michael Low
Opinions Editor
Faculty Advisor
Will Fried
Sports Editor For answers to crossword see us online at the-rampage.org
Design Editor
Yale Buchwald
Dr. Steven Milowitz