Volume 44, Issue 2 (November 2011) - The Rampage

The Rampage Volume XXXXIV Number 2

The Ramaz Upper School

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

Student Teacher Conferences Ramaz Struck by Pink Fever Spark Conversation Zimi Sloyer ‘14

Rachel Huebner ‘13 This year’s Student Teacher Conference day was similar to those of previous years in most respects. It consisted of students stampeding out of shacharit the second they were dismissed in order to be first on lines, juniors and seniors asserting their power by taking control of lists and lines, and most people running frantically around the building in order to be finished meeting with their teachers by mincha.

As usual, students are heavily divided on the issue of Student Teacher Conferences. Many look forward to the day.

“It is a way for students who don’t feel comfortable instigating after-class conversations with their teachers to discuss their problems,” said Ethan Fried ‘12. “It is also a chance to get to know your teachers better.”

Despite these positive aspects of the day, many dread Student Teacher Conferences.

“I think that people don’t like them because they’re too

hectic,” said Noa Moskowitz ‘13. “Unfortunately, many people don’t realize how helpful and productive the day really is.”

One controversial issue is the way in which the day is organized. While parents schedule conferences online, students must wait on chaotic lines for anywhere from two minutes to two hours. Many believe that the system that is used for Parent Teacher Conferences would make Student Teacher Conferences run more smoothly.

“The system that they implemented for the parents would be a lot less stressful and, of course, easier,” said Jackie Liesman ‘12. “And if it works well for the parents, why wouldn’t it work for us?”

However, others disagree, claiming the set time restrictions would negatively impact individual conferences.

“Given a time restraint,” said Josh Jaspan ‘13, “any teacher (or student for that matter) may be inclined to meet for a lesser amount of

time.”

While he firmly believes that students should not sign up online in the way that parents do, Jaspan does think there’s room to improve the existing structure of the day.

“There are certainly some teachers who need to consider the systems they’ve created, including the creation of a list, break times, amount of time wasted with students including unnecessary conversation that adds nothing,” said Jaspan. “There is always room for improvement but the system we have now is most certainly better than signing up online.”

Many students were dismayed by this year’s conferences because they had to conclude conferences after the end of the usual school day.

“I felt it was different because last year it seemed like everyone had finished in a timely fashion; this year there seemed to be an air of stress because so many people waited after hours just to see Continued on Page 12

On Friday, November 4, the Ramaz community gathered for Pink Day, a day focused on raising money for breast cancer research. The entire school was asked to wear pink in order to raise awareness.

After davening, Mr. Kenny Humes addressed the school to introduce Mr. Courtney Hall, a former NFL player for the San Diego Chargers. Mr. Hall was on the Chargers for eight years and led the team to their only Super Bowl appearance in 1994. He spoke about the “Crucial Catch,” and understanding that people around us have friends or family members battling breast cancer and other illnesses. He spoke about how much tragedy he dealt with in high school and how the little things people did without knowing it helped him get through those hard years.

The goal of Pink Day was to raise awareness, but also to raise money for breast cancer research. In order to raise funds for research, the Chesed Club sold pink cupcakes, pink pride water bottles, pink silly

bands, mini pink footballs signed by Mr. Courtney Hall, and pink NFL towels. There was also a raffle with prizes such as gift cards to some of Ramaz students’ favorite stores and restaurants, and a regulation sized football signed by Mr. Hall. While many students appreciated the items that were sold, some also suggested that Chesed Club bring back some of the other items that were sold last year, like pink hair extensions and pink kippot.

Overall, the response to Pink Day this year was positive.

“It was so cool to have a former NFL player come in,” said Gabi Zweig ‘14.

Jennifer Mammon ‘14 was impressed that “everybody was wearing pink!”

Added Zweig, “Pink day was [successful] because it put everyone in the best mood and the stuff that was sold was so cool!”

Pink Day was successful in its fundraising efforts, as well.

Ramaz was able to raise well over one thousand dollars.

Pink Day Photospread Page 8

A Veteran’s View Jeremy Hoffman ‘13 November 11, 2011, marked the commemoration of Veterans Day. “The reason that we are here is to commemorate and give thanks,” opened Mr. Miller at the conclusion of shacharit. Three veterans addressed the student body: Dr. Jay Stone, Mr. David Deutsch and Captain Moshe Lanz.

Captain Lanz just returned from the Afghan theater, where he served as an Army Chaplain. He was the only rabbi in Afghanistan. He explained that only 1% of the total population was in the Armed Forces, and of that 1%, only .5%, or approximately 15,000, were Jews.

Most Jews were in the Navy, for reasons unexplained.

Captain Lanz described the three principal functions he undertook as a “Chaplain Captain”. First, he performed

Jewish rituals, such as lighting candles, donning phylacteries and saying tehilim.

Second, he determined which of the army’s rules and interpretations of those rules were ethical. He explained that this function was particularly challenging, as he often had to contradict the edicts set forth by superior officers in order to listen to the Supreme Officer (God).

Third, he helped to assess morale and coun-

sel the soldiers. A father of two daughters, Captain Lanz sought to empathize with soldiers who missed their children.

Captain Lanz was posi-

tioned mainly in two combat towns, and often visited various hospitals and sites of roadside bombs. Captain Lanz shared a story of “a hero, a true patriot.” He recounted the actions of a 20-year-old marine who lost both of his legs in a roadside bombing in Iraq. When he was told that he “might not make it,” the only thing that he asked for was a Star of David.

Captain Lanz made certain to have one for the young soldier when he disembarked in Germany, which

Captain Lanz found gratifying.

Although he was the only rabbi in Iraq and Afghanistan, Captain Lanz was aware that “God never sends a Jew alone.” While on gate guard, he took off his helmet to scratch his scalp. When he took his helmet off a man came running over to Captain Lanz and asked him “You Jew?” in heavily accented English. With some hesitation, Captain Lanz responded that he was a Jew. The man explained that he was a Jew and had not seen another Jew in two years. Captain Lanz learned in his tenure overseas that it is a Jewish obligation to find and commune with other Jews, even in seemingly adverse conditions. In a different world, an electric Continued on Page 12

Page 2

The RamPage News

Ramaz Welcomes the Class of 2016

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

BIC Set to Score Big Will Fried ‘15

Raffi Snow ‘13 The Ramaz Open House on Sunday, October 30th, provided eighth graders with a glimpse of what Ramaz is like for its students. The Open House can make Ramaz seem a bit frightening to outsiders with so many different types of clubs, loud music performances, a lot of new information, and speeches from important people. The day offered a lot of insight to the eighth graders, not to mention the amazing chocolate chip cookies!

The day was divided into three different programs for the eighth graders. First, prospective students attended a club fair in the gymnasium including music performances by both the Ramaz chorus and percussion ensemble. Next, teachers gave a few model lessons and, finally, the eighth graders were divided up into classroom sessions to listen

to current students talk about their high school experiences.

“I spoke with some eighth graders in a classroom and I really liked it a lot,” remarked Senior Vice President Reuben Adolf ‘12. “It was great because we were able to be relaxed around the kids and still give a positive reflection on the school in all aspects.”

Many other students also helped out at the Open House.

These volunteers represented their respective clubs, gave speeches to the eighth graders in classrooms, and some even sat on a panel to answer the prospective parents’ questions.

Some students even arrived at school at 7:30 am to help set up, and didn’t leave until 12:30 pm. After the Open House, the volunteers were rewarded with pizza and soda for their work.

Some of the students who

sacrificed their free time to help out at the Open House claimed they did so out of a love and commitment for Ramaz.

“I felt an obligation to the chamber choir and also to Ramaz as a whole to go and participate in the Open House,” said Jonathan Koptyev ‘13.

The Open House, run by a collective effort from Ms. Benel, Ms. Laurie Bilger, Ethan Stein, and student leaders, proved to be a tremendous success.

After the Open House, many of the eighth graders who walked in apprehensive and scared left feeling much more comfortable and possessing a much better understanding and appreciation for Ramaz. We’ll see them as “freshies” walking Ramaz’s halls next year.

explanation as the documentary was shown, highlighting the main issues based on his background in business.

Inside Job showed the black and white facts, allowing the students a chance to know the facts before making up their minds on which views to sup-

dealt with the rise in homelessness and hunger that has accompanied this recession.

The clip told the story of a once comfortable family who, as a result of the recession, lived in their minivan. The children told their point of view, making the recession more relatable to the student body.

Fortunately, the family featured in the 60 Minutes clip now has enough money to afford a motel room and soon may be able to afford a home.

Many found the clip very eye-opening.

“I thought it was really informative. It was something that I think not many students were aware of and I wasn’t aware of how extreme it actually is,” said Nina Rohr ‘13 who went on to say that “it was really hard to see kids my age having to go through such hardships.

No person

Ramaz Casts Its Vote

Michal Hubert ‘14 On Tuesday, November 8th, Ramaz held its annual Election Day assembly. The goal of the assembly was to help students understand the issues at stake during the upcoming election. As a result of the current state of the economy and the many major issues surrounding it, this year’s assembly revolved around the economy and what has led to the economy’s current condition.

Once the school gathered in the auditorium, the documentary Inside Job was shown. The movie featured economists’ explanations as to what led up to the recession, why the economic downturn occurred and its effect on millions of Americans and people across the globe. Mr. Hillel Rapp, Marketing and Investor Relations Associate at Dunbar Capital, offered additional commentary and

port or oppose. After the clips from Inside Job concluded, an additional clip from 60 Minutes, the CBS news show, was shown. The clip documented the increase in the number of homeless families in Florida and across the country. It showed the devastating effect the economic downturn had on millions of people and

Continued on Page 12

This year for the first time the Business Investment Club is attempting to create a more realistic investment experience. Students in BIC are preparing research reports on various investment opportunities with the goal of making recommendations to the Ramaz investment committee. While this project has yet to be given approval the idea is to raise limited funds for the Ramaz endowment from alumni of BIC who are interested in giving students this opportunity.

Mr. Hillel Rapp, the faculty adviser for BIC who works in investor relations for a hedge fund, said that the project will only get underway if students “put in the time and effort to come up with well-researched stock recommendations.” The students must first show genuine commitment before trying to raise money. Once they prove their dedication and settle upon a list of sound suggestions, their next step will be to present it to the Board of Directors of the Ramaz Endowment Fund for approval and possible implementation.

Many club members reason that having real money at stake will give them further incentive to make realistic investments rather than extreme bets that can potentially pay off well or fail miserably.

“It’s a good idea,” said James Weiss ‘14, “because you have to be responsible with the money, think about what you’re doing and not take big risks.”

BIC has been around since the 1980’s and has consistently been one of the most

popular clubs at Ramaz. This year, the club attracted around 60 students. Its popularity is largely attributed to students’ awareness that the global economy has a major impact on world affairs and their own futures.

“The club is responding to student interest,” explained Mr. Rapp, “not generating the interest.”

Adam Bandler ‘15 joined because he sees himself “having a future in business and heard that BIC incorporates fun with learning investment skills.”

The club’s board is composed of ten students who have proven their ability to make sensible business decisions. To be admitted onto the board, students must submit essays about stocks they believe will increase in value and defend their choices based on the current market and the appeal of those companies. “[I am] primarily interested in skyrocketing Apple,” said BIC’s Chief Analyst Brandon Cohen ‘14, “but the key to successful investing is to find undervalued stocks and find reasons for why they would make good investments.”

Natan Tauber ‘14, said he makes decisions in part by “studying graphs and trends, and also by using common sense and thinking like a consumer.”

Members of BIC hope to use this opportunity to gain real world knowledge and experience and maybe even help the school at the same time.

Have an issue with this issue?

Email all letters to the editors at rampage@ramaz.org.

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

Three’s the New Two

The RamPage News

Page 3

Ram Nation

Jonathan Koptyev ‘13 This year’s class president election proved to be one for the ages, resulting in three winners in three grades. The freshman, junior and senior elections all ended up with a tie for second place, which resulted in three presidents for these grades.

Joyce Harary ‘15, Gabriel Low ‘15, and Andrew Merczynski-Hait ‘15 were elected as the freshmen class presidents. The sophomore class elected Stephanie Felder ‘14 and Jonathan Silverman ‘14 as their representatives. The junior grade selected Eliza Ezrapour ‘13, Nina Leibowitz ‘13 and Raffi Snow ‘13. Dyana Beretz ‘12, Zahava Presser ‘12 and Efraim Saltzman ‘12 were elected as senior class presidents.

At first glance, it may seem that the sophomore class election resulted in the only normal outcome, however, considering that it is the only class without three presidents, it stood as the “odd one out” from the other grades.

“Yeah, our grade is just exceptional like that,” joked Joey Tabakin ‘14. “We like to stand out.”

Members of the G.O. also gave their opinions about election anomalies.

“It’s strange, but it’s an interesting coincidence,” observed President Rafi Schulman ‘12. “I think that this makes a great statement about the elections in general, and that is: every vote counts. If

one less person voted, the results would have surely turned out differently.”

“It’s quite crazy,” added Senior Vice President Reuben Adolf ‘12. “It’s unfortunate that it has to happen from the standpoint that there is only one unsuccessful campaign... Having said that, I’m really excited to work with the eleven class presidents because each one of them has unique qualities to offer.”

Also unique to this year’s elections was the number of candidates that ran for class president positions. In the junior class there were ten candidates. All stood to represent their valued ideals, but being that Ramaz is a democracy, the nominations rested in the hands of the people.

“At the start of the run I realized that there weren’t great odds of me winning, because there were nine other people I was competing with, but I still remained hopeful,” reflected Junior Class President Raffi Snow ‘13. “I just tried my best to show people how much the elections mattered to me.”

Perhaps this year’s interesting election turnout will only enhance what the class presidents can do for their grades.

Perhaps with more manpower the class presidents will be able to enact more change to help their constituents.

Ariella Lerner ‘12 On School Spirit Day, Tuesday November 15, many students came clad in their blue and yellow Ramaz apparel. After a short day of school, the students piled into the auditorium for a pep rally.

The rally started off with the National Anthem sung by Jeremy David ‘15. After hearing rumors of his singing talents, many students filmed the performance with their cameras and phones.

“I think Jeremy did an awesome job,” said Zoe Schreiber ‘15 of the performance. “He sounded great.”

Unlike in previous pep rallies, a lot of effort was put into the soundtrack of the rally to get the students excited to cheer on their fellow classmates. Various students and G.O. members remixed Ramaz versions of hit songs.

Adam Amsalem ‘12 and G.O. Treasurer David Cohen ‘12 rewrote the lyrics to The Game’s “Red Nation” while Fiona Tarzy ‘12 and Samantha Felder ‘12 rewrote Wiz Khalifa’s “Black and Yellow.”

G.O. President Rafi Schulman ‘12 put the remixes together to create a special play list.

Many students responded positively to the music selections.

“I was really impressed with the song choices in the first part of the pep rally,”

said Daniel Dishi ‘15. “The remixed rap was pretty cool.”

While the pump-up music was playing in the background and smoke was filling the stage, President Schulman called the captains of each team out from behind the curtain. Some captains came out modestly embracing the crowd, while others chose more creative ways to excite the students, like sliding onto the stage.

JV Volleyball Captain Samantha Bryk ‘14 felt appreciated by the students when she stood on stage.

“It felt really cool that the whole school was cheering me and the other captains on,” said Bryk.

After all the captains were on stage, members of the G.O. threw T-shirts and noisemakers into the jumping crowd.

Before the rally, some students expressed their disappointment in the lack of free food. In previous years the G.O. gave out foods such as doughnuts and chocolate to those wearing Ramaz apparel or colors.

“At first I was kind of disappointed that there weren’t any free doughnuts given to those who wore blue and yellow considering I was pretty decked out in the colors,” said Daniella Deutsch ‘12, “but I was really happy to get a free

T-shirt.”

The second part of the rally included two games of volleyball. In the first, the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team took on the Boys’ Varsity Hockey team and won. The second game was between the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team and the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team. The boys’ hockey team won the first game.

It didn’t come as a surprise that the girls’ volleyball team beat the girls’ basketball team.

“I thought it was really unfair that the volleyball team played against the basketball team,” said Varsity Volleyball Captain Mattie Kapito ‘12, “because we’re obviously more skilled at the game than they are.”

The G.O. was most definitely satisfied with the way the rally turned out.

“The rally had some minor bumps along the way, but overall we were very happy with how it went,” said President Schulman. “It was 100% student planned, and the G.O. members, along with the help of a few students and the Audio Visual Club, put it together from start to finish. We really appreciate the autonomy that the administration gave us and the advice we received from Mr. Dulny and Ms. Cohen along the way.”

Page 4

The RamPage News

French AP Says Bonjour to New Test Format Rachel Huebner ‘13 It’s official: Advanced Placement exams are changing significantly. These changes are being implemented largely in response to changes in college courses.

New AP French, AP German, and AP World History tests are being administered in the 2011-2012 school year. Next year, AP Biology, AP Latin, and AP Spanish will also undergo drastic changes. The new format will test students’ understanding of concepts and ideas, rather than emphasizing memorization of facts.

The French Language exam, now called the French Language and Culture exam, underwent radical modifications. Unlike the previous format, which focused on grammar, half of the test will test students’ comprehension and analysis of contemporary French politics and culture.

The remainder of the test will be devoted to speaking and writing.

“Oral skills are a very important part of the language,” said French student Alexandra Lobel ‘12. “Now that the AP changed its focus from grammar and vocabulary to oral and auditory skills, I feel certain that I will be able

to converse confidently in French whether it is in college or abroad.”

Because of the changes to the French AP exam, Ramaz is instituting changes to the students’ French curriculum.

Dr. Thommeret, the new French teacher, will play a critical role.

“The students have a solid base and I would like to develop the oral communicative aspect of the language,” said Dr. Thommeret. “The way I teach my classes is not so different from how I conducted them before, because I come from the college environment.”

He believes that the oral part of the language is the most important part.

“Ideally, you want the grammar to come to you when you’re speaking rather than simply being able to recite charts of verb conjugations by heart,” added Dr. Thommeret. “After memorization, it must come naturally.

People can sometimes recycle lists, but in a speaking situation, it doesn’t always come to them.”

He hopes that through his role as a teacher whose main focus is on the oral skill, his

students will be able to speak French more naturally, instead of mentally shuffling through thousands of facts before composing a sentence.

Dr. Thommeret is also focusing his classes more on culture and modern day events.

“I am teaching the students more about current events through the internet,” Dr. Thommeret said.

Many students recognize the importance of discussing and reading about current events in French.

“Because Dr. Thommeret is exposing us to French newspapers and websites,” said Emmanuel Cantor ‘13, “I feel like I’m finally applying the things I’ve learned to everyday events.”

Despite the changes to the Advanced Placement test, Dr. Thommeret believes that his students will be sufficiently prepared.

“I think that many of the Honors French students will be ready for it,” he said. “I am confident that a number of the students will do well on the test. I hope that we all will do well in this new era together.”

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

Flamenco Fire

Jonathan Herman ‘13

On Monday, November 7, a flamenco group serenaded Spanish students of every grade as part of the poetry unit many juniors are studying. Flamenco, a musical expression of poetry, is the style of music from Southern Spain, from where the band came.

The band was recruited by Ms. Amparo Baron’s husband, who works in the music industry. The group performed poems that Spanish classes studied by Federico Garcia Lorca, a Spanish poet, including “Romance de la Luna, Luna” and “Romance Sonambulo.” The entire show was conducted in Spanish, including Ms. Baron’s introduction, the band’s biography, and even the students’ questions.

To many students the concert was a welcome reprieve from standard classroom learning.

“I enjoy learning Spanish in class,” said Aaron Kohl ‘13, “but the concert took learning to the next level through an interactive experience.”

“I thought it was interesting to hear the flamenco music live, and not from YouTube,” added Robyn Saad ‘12. “It was a great experience.”

Students also welcomed the

infusion of Spanish culture to their burgeoning knowledge of the language.

“I liked getting a taste of Spanish music,” said Kohl.

“It’s so different than what we listen to on a day-to-day basis.”

There was one aspect of the concert that disappointed some: the students were told to expect cultural flamenco dancing but, instead, the lead singer asked his sister to dance on short notice. The result fell short of some expectations.

“At first I expected a dance performance with the dresses and everything,” said Saad. “so it was a little bit disappointing when a woman in jeans came in for three minutes.”

But the amateur dance performance appeared not to ruin the overall experience, and on the whole, the show was a cultural experience that the students enjoyed.

Are You Smarter Than An Eleventh Grader?

David Major ‘15 For most students in Ramaz, being in an honors class is challenging enough.

Honors classes are the most rigorous classes in the school.

They require loads of hard work and commitment. However, some juniors have taken these demands to a whole new level. Several juniors now take extra-honors classes (referred to by some as “superhonors”) in calculus, physics, and Spanish. The existence of these classes worries some other students in the school, especially those who think honors classes are already hard enough. “I think additional honors class [are] too harsh, because our curriculum is rigorous already,” said one freshman. “I would not want to have these classes.”

Some worry that this could change how the school tracking system works.

However, according to Mr. Miller, these students need not worry. These extra-

honors classes began when the juniors were only freshmen. Since some had already learned geometry, the administration did not want them to have to relearn what they already knew, so they created a special class for them.

“It’s not something you should strive to move up to,” explained Jacob Margolis ’13, who is in the “superhonors” math and physics classes.

Many of the students in the extrahonors math class were switched to a higherlevel science class for the sake of convenience.

“Since we are learning calculus in math this year, we might as well apply it in physics rather than learning it again [next year in AP Physics],” added Margolis.

The issue with the “super-

honors” Spanish class is slightly more complicated.

Dr. Warshall teaches the Sophomore Advanced Second-Year Spanish course, the highest course for students who began learning Spanish

as freshmen (as opposed to in middle school). The range of ability in last year’s class was too wide; some students felt the class was moving too slowly, while others had

trouble keeping up. To accommodate all the students, Dr. Warshall requested that a new class be established so the higher part of the class could learn at the level of which they are capable. This led to the creation of a new extra-honors Spanish class, the majority of whose members had started high school without any prior knowledge of Spanish.

The extra-honors classes were not established to push students too quickly; they are just a way to allow students to learn at the highest level at which they are capable of learning. “When we see students who have special abilities, we try to accommodate them,” said Mr. Miller.

The administration is just trying to put everyone where they belong.

“The classes are small, so the teachers can give more personal attention to each student. This helps balance out the faster pace of the class,” said Zachary Weiss ‘13, who is in all three of the “super-honors” classes. “It’s challenging but definitely worth it.”

This idea of accommodating students’ needs is the same ideology behind the Learning Center, which serves students who need extra help.

The extra-honors classes will not influence the curriculum for any other grades because they are only taught to grades that require them.

Students do not have to worry about being put into extremely hard “super-honors” classes against their will because the classes are only formed for students who both would benefit from and really want the extra challenge.

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

The RamPage News

A Visit From Rabbi Lau Jonathan Herman ‘13 On Thursday, November 3, the Ramaz student body congregated in the auditorium to hear from Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau, the former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel (from 1993 to 2003). Rabbi Lau spoke about his struggles during the Holocaust, including the loss of his father.

In response to this, one might ask: what is the point of these assemblies, and what do students gain from them? The answer may be that many students are actually interested in, and could learn from, these assemblies.

“I thought it was important because he is such an important Judaic figure in the past century that it really would be a shame not to hear him,” said

Adi Rosen ’13. “It’s not like this is just a man who speaks to high-school students; anyone would be honored to hear him speak.”

Rabbi Lau has many credentials to boast about; he is so influential that he was even considered for presidency.

While some students may not be interested, others believed it important to hear such a figure speak.

“I think we got really lucky,” added Rosen. “Otherwise, most of us would never have heard him speak. It’s something I’ll remember for a while.”

Some students also believe that hearing Rabbi Lau speak helped reinforce some of the ideals that the school strives

to impart on students, specifically those ideals that are put forth in the school’s mission statement.

According to Ramaz’s mission statement, the school offers “a commitment to menschlichkeit, reflecting fineness of character, respect for others, integrity, and the centrality of chesed in all its manifestations.” Many students feel that there is more to education than good grades and getting in to the best college, and that assemblies like this are a critical part of a full education that encourages being a good person as well as growing academically.

“In the classroom we learn from a curriculum, and that can be banal,” said Josh Jaspan ‘13. “When we gather as a school and a speaker is brought in, we are exposed to a good role model; a living paragon of the ideals we strive for.”

It seemed that some students were more interested in catching up on sleep or cramming in some last minute studying than listening to the discourse. Other students seemed to simply be daydreaming as they watched the clock tick.

These assemblies are not held in vain; many students appreciate and gain from them. Maybe next time even more students will realize their importance.

Page 5

The Case of the Missing GameCube Sam Feldstein ‘14 At the end of October, a few students brought a GameCube to school, hooked it up to a TV monitor, and placed in the fourth floor lounge. It was taken away a few hours later, but a question remained in the students’ minds: What happened to the days when the students were allowed to play videogames? Mr. Miller offered an answer.

“They still are allowed,” Mr. Miller said. “They’re just only allowed in the auditorium.”

Mr. Miller explained that having video games in the lounges creates noise that disturbs classes, and also might tempt kids just going to the bathroom to stay out of class too long.

Mr. Miller then expounded on former plans to make a third lounge. About three years ago, the G.O., along with the Parent Council, tried to make a lounge in the auditorium. The TV monitor in the auditorium was meant to be hooked up to a Wii. The committee even bought beanbag chairs and a ping-pong table for the lounge. However, the table and Wii were vandalized, and the Wii eventually broke. The administration and the G.O. agreed that the items should be removed from the lounge until students took better care of them.

“Then the year ended and there was never a push to replace the things in the lounge,” Mr. Miller said.

However, there have been some minor attempts to get back some of the things from the auditorium lounge. A Nintendo 64 was put in the third floor atrium for a little while with hopes that it would eventually make it back to the auditorium. The ping-pong table was also put back in the auditorium, but when the ping-pong team needed it, they took it, and no one ever set it back up.

“It’s also become harder to have video games since all the classrooms now have SmartBoards [and] the school only has two TV monitors,” Mr. Miller explained.

However, Mr. Miller said that he is more than happy to have video games and a pingpong table as long as they are in an appropriate place. He is just waiting for someone to take responsibility and bring him a solution to the issues at hand.

Becoming Bekiut Rachel Huebner ‘13 Since Bekiut was first offered two years ago, hundreds of students have participated in the program. Last year alone, Bekiut had about 300 members. During each lunch period, when Bekiut takes place, dozens of students flock to the auditorium or beit knesset in order to learn with Rabbi Stechler. Many students agree that spending one lunch period a week learning Talmud is a pretty good way to avoid the stress of a Talmud final.

“It’s definitely worth it to be in Bekiut because you get to learn more Talmud and receive the added bonus of not being obligated to take a Talmud final,” said Orly Mintz ‘15.

“We are trying to create a program,” said Rabbi Stechler, “that encourages

learning out of class without taking away from the importance of class.”

However, students have wondered why this same method of learning with a reward isn’t offered in other subjects.

“I don’t see why Talmud is any different than any other limudei kodesh subject,” said Josh Adler ‘13.

Many faculty members agree, and are working on expanding the Bekiut program to include other subjects.

“We’ve considered Tanakh Bekiut, and hope that in the future we will be able to have that as an alternative,” said Rabbi Stochel.

The program’s style has undergone a series of changes since it was first established.

The first year that it was offered, students were required

to take weekly quizzes in order to remain in the program. The program met two days a week: one day to learn, and one day to take the quiz.

The students’ reward was a bump up on their report card grade. Last year, students who handed in their weekly Bekiut notes received an automatic 100 on their Talmud final.

However, to many students’ dismay, this year students will be required to take monthly quizzes and there will be no increase in their Talmud grade or 100 on the final; students will merely be exempt from taking the final.

Rabbi Stechler explained that he and the administration are “experimenting with and evolving the program.”

“A quiz makes the learning more serious,” said Rabbi Stechler.

Some students think a more serious Bekiut atmosphere would be a positive change.

“I think that it’s better to make Bekiut more serious, because more people will be more serious about gemara,” said Aaron Kohl ‘13. “This is important because although Bekiut is seen as a way out of the Talmud final, it shouldn’t be looked at that way.”

Rabbi Stechler explained that it is hard finding a balance between learning lishma and testing.

“The Bekiut learning experience is more important than taking an assessment,” he reasoned.

The second change in Bekiut this year, no bump up on final grade or automatic 100 on the final, was deemed necessary by Rabbi Stochel.

“It makes sense that

Talmud students should be evaluated on a grade based on that teacher and not based on a voluntary, beyond the curriculum activity,” explained Rabbi Stochel.

“I think it’s fair because they are already doing us a favor by not making us take the final,” said Mia Shoshany ‘14, “[and] not giving us a grade [for Bekiut]… can’t help us, but it also can’t hurt us.”

Despite Bekiut’s constant evolutions, the program continues to receive avid support from both students and faculty.

“Overall it’s a wonderful program,” said Rabbi Stochel.

“It’s an inspiration to see many people learning during lunch.”

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The RamPage Features

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

A Fireside Chat with Rafi and Reuben:

RamPage Sits Down with the G.O.’s President and Senior Vice President Raffi Snow ‘13 RP: Couldn’t that be seen as a weakness, a lack of general experience among the G.O.?

RS: No, I think that it’s actually an advantage, because we have no preconceived dispositions about the limit of government. We have open minds.

We didn’t come in with any ideas that we’re not going to be able to do things just because that’s how it works.

RA: Right, exactly.

RS: We won’t take no for an answer.

RP: Ok, so tell me a little bit about any activities you guys have planned.

RA: We have a lot of fun activities planned, yes, so many activities!

RamPage: Hello Mr. President and Mr. Vice President.

How are you guys doing?

How is the G.O. going?

Rafi Schulman: It’s good to be here.

Reuben Adolf: I’m having a blast.

RS: If I had to sum up our G.O. in one word it would be “progressive.”

RP: Progressive in what sense?

RS: Well, we’re not your

usual ‘chagigah G.O.’ RA: Everyone on the G.O. has their own important issue that they want to get passed – hence “progressive.”

RP: So you would say that you’re a new group of characters?

RS: Definitely.

RA: Yes, I think that actually only one of us has ever been a class president, so we’re all mostly new to the process.

RP: There is a rumor going around school that a celebrity, Will Ferrel, will be here on book day. Can you confirm this?

RA: I can neither confirm nor deny this notion, but yes.

RS: Is this really true, Reuben? Have you heard about this? Ms. Benel really keeps me out of the loop on stuff like this. Wait, is that a real question or a fake question?

RP: Okay, now back to serious matters. Please rank the following four movies in

order of awesomeness: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Field of Dreams, Battlestar Galactica, and Pineapple Express.

RA: Rather than answer that terrible and just arbitrary list of movies, I’m going to rank my own four movies, if that’s okay with you: 1) Rudy 2) Step Brothers 3)Rudy 2 (he’s back!) 4) Rudy 3.

RS: Being that I am a combination of James Franco and Matthew Broderick, I’m going to have to make [Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Pineapple Express] a tie for first, and I don’t care about the other two.

RP: We all know there is some secrecy in the G.O., some stuff that you’re not telling us. So, regarding any secret plans you guys have, now’s a chance to tell the entire school.

RA: Being that it’s a secret, obviously I’m really inclined to tell it to the school newspaper, especially one that publishes issues so frequently.

Well, actually, our main goal actually is to have a gradewide game of hide-and-goseek, where everyone really gets into it. You know, people jumping on each other. That could really work.

RP: Superman or Batman?

RA: Neither, Chuck Norris.

RP: Mac or PC? RS: What’s a Mac? RP: Kenny or Dwight?

Choose Wisely.

RS: Mendy.

RP: Okay, if you were a Super Smash character, which would you be?

RA: I’ve always thought of myself as Samus, but recently I learned that Samus is a girl, so now I would probably choose Luigi.

RS: I would be the giant hand at the end.

RP: Is there any other important information that was not mentioned that you guys wish to say here?

RS: Yes, regarding the RamPage, we intend to use it to communicate with the student body, in order to push our initiatives. When we need something done, we think the best way of communicating it to the students is through the annual RamPage.

RP: What do you guys say to students who may think that you didn’t fulfill all of your campaign promises?

RS: Two months is not enough time to judge us.

We still have months and months of legislation left to push our ideas. Just because you haven’t yet had schnitzel doesn’t mean you will not get schnitzel. And that’s a metaphor for all of our promises.

Just because you’re mouth isn’t full with schwarma yet doesn’t mean that you’re not about to take a bite.

RP: Who wears the pants in this relationship?

RA: Obviously me.

New Extracurricular Opportunities

Esti Flamenbaum ‘14 This year at Ramaz has heralded the arrival of many new co-curricular clubs, covering everything from a fencing team to a new publication, 78 Magazine.

Guitar Ensemble, a new Tuesday after-school, should prove to be as popular as its compatriot, Percussion Ensemble, but features guitars, both acoustic and electric.

Mr. Rami Yadid is the faculty advisor for this club, which aims to be a creative outlet for all guitarists.

Some clubs blur the line between new and returning: Drumaz, for example, is back

after a several year hiatus.

Drumaz, a former Ramaz staple at the Salute to Israel Parade, is back after a several year hiatus. The group will learn a series of drum rhythms with which to lead the school at the parade this spring.

Meetings will be held during school hours, and spots are available on a first come, first serve basis.

The Philosophy Club recently had its inaugural gathering, and is planning on meeting once a month.

Each meeting will center on a different topic. The faculty advisor and founder, Rabbi

Ilan Schimmel, is hoping the Philosophy Club will inspire students to dedicate some of their time to thinking and learning outside of the classroom.

The Fencing Club, still in its tentative stages of development, is open to all who wish to join; previous fencing experience is not required.

Coach Randy Dulny is the faculty advisor.

The new publication, 78 Magazine, which is dedicated to 78th street between Park and Madison Avenues, will provide information on all the going-ons at Ramaz,

along with advice for surviving school. Unlike its fellow publications, which center on topics such as sports, current events, school events and controversies, Shabbat, and science, the staff of 78 Magazine hopes to create a publication focused on the students of Ramaz and what they want to know.

Finally, a comedy talk show has been created, with faculty advisor Ethan Stein.

The club will meet after school when members will perfect acts like those on late night comedy talk shows.

Members will be recruited,

but those interested in acting in a skit or in writing for or submitting a script to the show are also welcome to join. The hope of the club founders is that Comedy Club will provide a creative outlet for future comedians, and for those who just wish to make others laugh.

New clubs seem to be popping up each week, joining these newcomers in the Ramaz co-curricular community.

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

The RamPage Features

Page 7

Does Halloween Get the Hechsher?

Rachel Kahtan ‘13 America loves Halloween.

Halloween is romanticized in our culture, as either a youthful ideal or a time of teenage abandon. There’s a sort of collective childhood memory enveloping the nation, in which everyone remembers pumpkin picking, hay rides, and dressing up, whether he or she actually participated in any of these activities. It is the one night on which receiving candy from strangers is not frowned upon.

The Ramaz rabbis and administration, however, take a somewhat different stand on the matter of Halloween.

While Ramaz has no official policy on the holiday, Halloween is not included in our planners nor is it endorsed by any member of the faculty.

“It’s scary and gives kids nightmares,” said Rabbi Stechler. “It’s anti-Judaism, because Judaism is about peace and love. It’s nicer to give candies at sukkah hopping.”

Many, like Rabbi Goldmintz, think of Halloween as anti-Jewish for another

reason: avodah zarah. The holiday draws its origins from the Pagan Celtic holiday of Samhain, a day on which it is believed that supernatural beings (witches, ghouls, etc.) walked the earth, and the devil was called upon for clairvoyance and prophecy.

Paganism is antithetical to the beliefs of Judaism.

In addition, we are generally forbidden from adopting others’ religious holidays or festivals. Since the origins of Halloween are decidedly at odds with Jewish beliefs -however lost the significance of its genesis has become -- Rabbi Goldmintz does not think it is an appropriate activity for Modern Orthodox Jews to embrace. As Modern Orthodox Jews, he says, we need to assess for ourselves which parts of secular society and culture to “adopt, adapt, or reject.”

He brings up the examples of Christmas and Thanksgiving to illuminate his viewpoint further. While Christmas has lost, even for many Christians, its religious

significance, and has become mainly a commercial venture, just as Halloween has, it is still highly inadvisable for Jews to commemorate the day on which Christ was born. Celebrating Thanksgiving, however, is permissible because the holiday is not necessarily related to any one specific religion; rather, it is a day on which we can thank God for the freedoms America affords us daily. (Some, nonetheless, disagree and say that it is still unacceptable for Jews to commemorate this day). The halachic authorities generally agree on Halloween, however: it’s not for us.

The Ramaz student body’s opinion on Halloween generally lies between those of mainstream American culture and Jewish religous authorities. Most students wished for their comments on the subject of the celebration of the holiday to remain anonymous. A student said that she thinks Halloween is “a time

to hang with friends, dress up in cute costumes, and go to parties.” Nina Leibowitz ‘13, came forward with her plans: “If there’s a party, I’d like to attend,” she said before Halloween this year.

Jacob Bergfeld ‘13 gave his opinion on the matter: “Halloween is becoming an American shtick, so it’s losing its avodah zarah values.

It’s fun for the kinder to go around collecting candy.” As for his plans on that night, he said he’d be “doing nothing.”

Ilana Leggiere ‘14 disagreed.

“Halloween is fun,” said Leggiere, “but Jews shouldn’t

celebrate it even if they just want free candy. It is still wrong because it is a pagan holiday and we are Jews.”

Halloween, whether or not we as Jews accept it, is something that we all must make a decision about during our lives and as Americans.

While to some people, the Constitution and the rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” and of course, private property rights (have I been spending too much time in Dr. Jucovy’s Junior American History class?), embody the soul of our country, others immediately think of Halloween.

It is a large part of the culture of America and, so it is not easily forgotten by those living in its midst. According to Rabbi Goldmintz, Jews must first consult the halachic authorities and only then be at liberty to agree or disagree.

From Smart Board to the Big Screen: Dr. Gaylord’s New Book Optioned for Movie

Jonathan Silverman ‘14 As many students know, Dr. Joshua Gaylord is an esteemed English teacher at Ramaz, with a literary portfolio that is quite impressive.

He released his first book, Hummingbirds, in early 2009.

His next book, The Reapers Are the Angels, was published a year later, gaining recognition and praise, and many literary award nominations. The book was the 2010 ALA Alex Award winner. Dr. Gaylord, who published the novel under the pseudonym Alden Bell, described his latest book as a “post-apocalyptic Southern gothic zombie novel.”

Now, Dr. Gaylord’s work is being turned into a film.

Some students and faculty heard surfacing rumors that The Reapers Are the Angels is being optioned for a movie, which is no small feat.

“I wrote this book, The Reapers Are the Angels,” said Dr. Gaylord, “and a particular director, Chris Milk, who has directed music videos including the online video for Arcade Fire, is working with a handful of musicians who are putting out an album inspired

by Spaghetti Western music.

The director wanted this album to be the soundtrack for

his next movie, so he looked for a book that would fit the

soundtrack. He chose my book.”

When asked why he thought the director chose his book specifically, Dr. Gaylord replied that his book “is not Western, but post-apocalyptic.

It’s still a frontier story about being alone in the wilderness.”

The movie deal has not been officially finalized though. Most movie deals fall through in a stage of filmmaking that requires third party funds to produce the movie.

However, Dr. Gaylord’s book has made it through this phase, and will hopefully soon make it to production.

Ethan Fuld ‘12, who read the book, is eager to see the movie.

“The book has a lot of potential to make a great film,” said Fuld.

In spite of all the hype, Dr. Gaylord does not see the movie deal as his greatest achievement in writing.

“My dream was to be a writer. The book becoming a movie is only the cherry on top. My first greatest achievement was putting out the book. My second greatest was when the book won multiple

literary awards. Then comes the movie. They make movies out of bad books all the time, so it really doesn’t mean the book is good. I don’t take it as an achievement, I just want the money,” explained Dr. Gaylord.

Although he wrote the book, Dr. Gaylord does not expect to be consulted in visionary matters concerning the film.

“The movie is his art, the book is my art,” said Dr. Gaylord.

Even with Dr. Gaylord’s work hitting the big screen, he doesn’t expect his students to start flocking to him for autographs and pictures.

“I thought winning awards would change the way they look at me, but no,” said Dr. Gaylord. “All they see is someone who gives them hard tests. Even writing books won’t change the way they see me. So I really don’t expect any change.” Dr. Gaylord’s next project is to publish a sequel to The Reapers Are the Angels.

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The RamPage Photospread

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

PINK

Ramaz Battles Bre

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

DAY!

east Cancer in Style

The RamPage Photospread

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Page 10

The Aim of Assemblies Rachel Huebner ‘13

Many administrators, teachers and students insist that the schedule consisting of eight different kinds of possible days effectively accommodates the majority of the assemblies and speakers that we have. Although it seems ideal to many to almost never miss class, I think that there is a real flaw in our schedule system. When we are honored with the presence of esteemed figures such as Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and Rabbi Rafi Peretz, government representatives for Election Day, or former NFL player Courtney Hall, we are never given to the opportunity to discuss, debate, and analyze the speakers’ words and the important messages that they convey.

We almost never prepare for a speaker’s visit, and we are rarely given time to respond to and discuss what the speaker has said with teachers and peers.

On the day that Rabbi Lau poignantly addressed us, most of us were moved by his inspirational words. After we listened to touching recounts of the bravery that was demonstrated in the Holocaust by Rabbi Lau’s brother Naftali, many of us were close to tears. The story resonated with many because of the personal empathy, for many of our families can identify with Holocaust stories such as the ones that Rabbi Lau shared.

In response to these stories we are engrossed in the tragedies and miracles that our own families experienced in the Holocaust. However, after this intense program, we immediately returned to class with no time to debrief.

Two periods after the speech, I had Tanach class with Ms. Weinstein. These thirty five minutes provided my classmates and me with a unique opportunity that we almost never have. The program had touched Ms. Weinstein so much that she devoted the entire period to discussing our reactions and thoughts on Rabbi Lau’s speech. As much as speeches during the AM

Assembly period are learning experiences for me, this period was, too. In this half hour I was given a glimpse into the minds and hearts of my classmates and how they were affected by Rabbi Lau’s speech.

This class also provided me with the opportunity to learn about Ms. Weinstein.

She begged us to help rationalize how some students could have been incessantly talking throughout the entire program. As a class, we tried to come up with many different explanations as to why they were talking: perhaps the subject was too sensitive so they refrained from listening; maybe they had a huge test next period; perhaps as Rabbi Lau was speaking, they were discussing his words.

However, what I was thinking throughout the duration of this conversation was how the situation might have changed had the day been structured a little differently. What if we had been given an excerpt of Rabbi Lau’s book to read during the last five minutes of the previous period? What if we knew that after the program we would have the opportunity as a group to reflect upon what Rabbi Lau spoke about?

Maybe students who otherwise chatter continuously throughout programs would recognize the once-in-alifetime opportunity we have to hear these prominent and influential figures speak. Perhaps if these students knew that afterwards their questions concerning the speech would be answered, they would pay more attention to what was being said during the time we take out of our day to welcome these visitors.

Providing opportunities to learn about these respected leaders of our era and to reflect upon the lessons that they teach would not only perhaps eradicate the problem of the disrespect which people show to guests during assemblies, but also might provide more meaning to each one of us on a more individual level.

The RamPage Opnions

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

Conferences Through a Freshman’s Eyes Ben Nissim ‘15 Coming into my first Student Teacher Conference Day as a freshman, I had heard plenty of rumors and information about it, both good and bad. I was pleased to hear that it was a short and relaxed day just to catch up with teachers. On the other hand, sophomores and juniors complained that the lines were always a pain to wait on and that the seniors always cut ahead of underclassmen.

Another complaint was that students were not allowed to leave until after mincha, even if they’ve already finished all of their conferences. Most of what I was told was accurate, but the day didn’t completely go as I expected.

After being dismissed from davening, students immediately ran out the door to be among the first in line to meet their teachers. Not really having a plan of action

yet, I just decided to find the shortest line and hop in it.

For some teachers, I was able to walk right up and take a seat. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that much luck for most of my teachers; there were lines I was waiting on for up to half an hour. While waiting on lines, I was expecting seniors to just walk right up to the front and hold conferences at their leisure, but I was surprised to see them waiting their turns like the rest of the students. I was not looking forward to the lines, but I didn’t mind the waiting periods so much because I ended up having a fun time with friends and older students. It was nice to meet and talk to other students I wasn’t familiar with before.

The only line that became hectic was the line for music because many of the freshmen went up to the seventh floor

at the same time. Eventually, we worked the order out amongst ourselves, and we all got a chance to meet with Mr. Elisha.

I had no problem going from teacher to teacher and finished my conferences relatively early. I really enjoyed talking to my teachers and it was beneficial to hear what they had to say about how I am doing in class. I took away a lot of tips and advice from the conferences.

After I was finished with all of my conferences, I had the rest of the day to myself.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to just walk home from school, which is one of the disadvantages of not living in the city.

In spite of this, I walked away from the much-anticipated day feeling good about the overall experience after all.

Stairway to Heaven Rebecca Brill ‘12 As I entered the school building on a brisk morning earlier this month, the sleek screen in the lobby, usually announcing the daily lunch menus and schedule information, instead flashed an unusually celestial image.

A winding flight of stone steps lined with wildflowers and un-groomed greenery hovered over a glassy sea, working its way toward a rosy, sunblanched cloud in the horizon.

The scene was lovely, albeit a bit saccharine, and admittedly, in my exhausted state of pre-history test anxiety, I found myself longing to enter the romantic onscreen world. A part of me wished to escape my dreary, college application filled life by climbing the magic staircase. I wanted to explore the brightly colored utopia that stood before me as I waited for an elevator. The only problem was, according to the picture’s accompanying text,

I, a girl, was not invited to utopia. “Become a ben Olam Haba in under 5 minutes,” read the flyer, non-digital versions of which could be found tacked onto bulletin boards throughout the school.

“Where? Beit Knesset. When?

4:46-4:51 PM every night.”

I can certainly understand why the creators of the sign, an advertisement for afterschool ma’ariv services, felt more compelled to appeal to the male student population than the female. A minyan is crucial, and it’s not every day that Ramaz boys huddle outside of the beit kinesset eager to partake in optional after-school prayer rituals.

But why had it been necessary to exclude women from this lofty promise of a share in the world to come? Does such a guarantee not exist for those who would like to become batei olam haba? Or is ma’ariv at Ramaz an exclusively male affair? My questions about the sign’s gender exclusion lead me to an even more difficult one: What gave the designers of this flyer, whoever they might be, the legitimacy and authority to determine the nature of students’ afterlives?

I have learned, in my fourteen years at Ramaz, that among the most disconcerting topics in Judaism is olam haba. Over the years, I have been told that the Jewish hereafter resembled everything from the Garden of Eden to the first beit hamikdash. I have also had teachers who said that olam haba was not a physical place but a spiritual Continued on Page 12

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

The RamPage Opinions

Page 11

Reactions to the Release of Gilad Shalit One Over One Thousand: Why the Swap Was Good for Israel

Jonathan Deluty ‘12 The recent prisoner swap in Israel, which freed First Class Sergeant Gilad Shalit in exchange for over 1000 Palestinian prisoners, has come under heavy scrutiny by some in Israel. According to a Dahaf Institute poll, fourteen percent of Israelis opposed the deal. This heavy majority of Israelis that support the prisoner swap speaks to a critical element of Israeli culture: the value of one life. It is mainly because of this value that I believe the prisoner swap was, and ultimately will be, good for Israel.

For five years, Gilad Shalit sat alone in a dungeon. For five years, Israelis pushed for his release. I distinctly remember Ms. Barak teaching my eleventh grade Hebrew class about an op-ed, titled “Yeled Muval La’akeidah.” Because army service is compulsory in Israel, the article said, Israelis empathized very strongly with the Shalit family. The government, it argued, clearly did not, or Shalit would surely have been released earlier. Instead, the government simply left Shalit to be dealt with as Hamas wished. I believe this anger can be traced to two main sources.

The first is Israelis’ value for human life. There is a well-known motto in Israel: “They sanctify death; we sanctify life.” Israelis cannot rest when the status of one of their own is in such jeopardy.

The second source is the mentality of the soldiers. The way the Israeli government handled this swap shows that no Israeli soldier will ever be left behind. When one Israeli soldier is standing on guard duty in Kiryat Shemoneh, the only barrier between Hezbollah terrorists and Israeli civilians, it is absolutely essential that he rest assured that if he were to be taken into captivity, God forbid, he would never be left behind.

“There is a well-known motto in Israel: ‘They sanctify death; we sanctify life.’”

Those who oppose this deal posit that those who are being released will surely murder again, and if they kill even one Israeli, the deal is not worth it. It is also nothing short of traumatic for the families of the victims of these prisoners to see them go free. Though there are no simple answers to these objections, I do think that there are several quasi-answers that illustrate that the pros outweigh the possible cons. Firstly, we do not know for certain that Israel is not keeping these terrorists under the strictest of surveillance, something that could seriously mitigate the ability of the terrorists in question to kill more civilians. Additionally, these terrorists will almost definitely be working with new terrorists whom Israel can now learn more about because it is tracking their colleagues. Secondly, the impact this deal has on the mentality of the chayalim is invaluable. Thirdly, Israel will finally be praised for something by the international community.

This is a bold risk that Israel is taking, exactly the type of risk that many countries demand of it. These three factors, I believe, demonstrate that, though the choice is no doubt complicated, Israel will ultimately benefit from the swap.

I recently heard an interesting interpretation of this swap: the Palestinians who danced in the streets as these murderers returned to their homes would not be celebrating if they thought for one second about what Israel just did. The fact that Israel values life to such an extent that it would agree to such a lopsided deal shows that one Israeli is worth one thousand Palestinians. I know if I were a Palestinian, I would feel pretty insignificant because of that. Israel has shown that its dedication to human life is steadfast, and that the Jewish state will not sink to the level of a primitive enemy. The near unity in Israeli society regarding this deal really speaks to the moral depth of Israel, and history should salute Israel for having the courage to stand up to save one life.

Risking Too Much: Saving One Puts Countless Others in Danger

Rafi Schulman ‘12 To put a value on a life is a nearly impossible task; we view life as sacred and unquantifiable. One of Israel’s strengths through its existence has been recognizing the innumerable value of life, treating every single one of its citizens as a unique, important entity. The nation of Israel’s solidarity behind every individual is unequaled in the world. The death or injury of a single citizen is front page news. This virtue is even magnified when it comes to its soldiers. The nation still says tehillim, mourns, and searches for members of the IDF kidnapped decades ago. Unlike joining the army in many other countries worldwide, the mandatory military involvement is something that many teenagers look forward to; they know that they will be cared for, looked up to, and be backed up by an entire nation as they serve their homeland.

According to many, this justification was the principal reason behind the prisoner swap for Gilad Shalit. They posit, and I agree, that Israel must continue its legacy for protecting the lives of every one of its soldiers, and maintain the integrity and trust that the IDF has worked so hard to earn from the men and women that serve. We saw the videos, and they gave us chills and a feeling of warmth, of Sgt. Shalit sauntering off the plane, gaunt but, thankfully, very much alive. Wasn’t this concrete, material evidence of Israel’s dedication to its armed forces safety?

Unfortunately, no, it was not. Although the life of one was secured, it is impossible to measure the danger and peril so many members of the IDF are being tossed into with the release of over 1000 prisoners. This is something we cannot trace; the paths of the miscreants that Israel let loose will mostly wind off into the dark, as they rejoin the leagues of terror they came from. While the dangers that this creates for the many IDF soldiers are not as concrete and material as the threats to Gilad- he was at the whim of the trigger finger of Hamas- the problems, dangers, and hazards that releasing 1000 convicted terrorists poses a far greater threat.

“The paths of the miscreants will mostly wind off into the dark, as they rejoin the leagues of terror they came from...”

It is difficult to balance where the line is, when to do business with terrorists, to gauge how many villains the life of a hero is worth. That said, in this case, the pros and cons were cut and dry. The release of such a scale of violence is a cost that puts Israel’s citizens, soldiers, and well-being at too great of a risk.

Individual opinions expressed in this or any issue of the RamPage do not reflect the view of the paper itself.

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The RamPage News

Student Teachers

Veterans Day

Continued from Front Page one or two teachers,” said Shoshana Edelman ‘14.

After waiting for hours, many of Dr. Koplon’s math students had to stay after school in order to meet with her.

“The conferences with Dr. Koplon took such a long time because we reviewed our tests with her and she went over every question that we got wrong,” said Jackie Mehl ‘15.

“Although it’s important to establish a personal relationship with teachers outside of the classroom, it was not ideal that Dr. Koplon spent a lot of time talking to us about school in general during the time allotted for our individual conference.”

Many believe that it would be appropriate if teachers such as Dr. Koplon had finished their conferences during class time.

“I think that the students who hadn’t finished up with all their teachers should have had their conferences during class time the next day,” said Samantha Adler ‘14. “It doesn’t seem fair to either the teachers or the students to make them stay after 4:45.”

Despite the complaints about the structure of the day, many feel that they obtained valuable information from teachers that will help them achieve success in the upcoming quarter.

“Not only did many of my teachers provide me with important information that will be helpful to keep in mind for the rest of the year,” said Celine Ifrah ‘13, “but I feel as though I got to know many of my teachers on a more personal level through Student Teacher Conferences.”

Continued from Front Page menorah or some kosher food could light up the day of a lonely Jewish soldier. Bradley Brecher ‘15 found Captain Lanz “inspiring, as a Jewish American.” Fellow classmate Camren Villinsky ‘15 agreed with Brecher and stated, “It was emotional and amazing how they have religious services in Afghanistan, and a Rabbi to counsel fellow Jews.”

Ramaz history teacher Dr. Stone briefly addressed the assembly. He explained that he was a member of the Army Reserves for 21 years as a mechanic. He said that most of his peers made up excuses to avoid serving in the military but he was not comfortable doing so. Dr. Stone, in advocacy of military service,

Election Day Continued from Page 2

should ever have to go through that.”

The second part of the assembly was a debate between a Republican and a Democrat.

Democrats were represented by Ms. Minna Elias, who serves as Chief of Staff andCounsel for Carolyn Maloney, the Congresswomen who represents the Upper East Side. While Mr. William Smith who serves as District Director for Congressman Michae; Grimm of Staten Island presented the Republican side of the debate. The representatives were asked questions by Mattie Kapito ‘12 and Jonathan Metzman ‘12.

Metzman and Kapito asked questions that interested them about the current economic status such as the affordability of healthcare and the stalemate in Congress. Ms. Elias and Mr. Smith responded to these questions with their own views, revealing to the student body that these issues are extremely complex and do not have one “right” answer. After Kapito and Metzman asked their questions, Dr. Jon Jucovy and Mr. Rapp both asked follow-up questions on subjects such as the Occupy Wall Street movement, President Barack Obama’s health care

bill, and plans to stimulate the economy were. These topics were discussed thoroughly with Ms. Elias and Mr. Smith presenting their point of view clearly to the audience.

Each question furthered the understanding of the student body to the questions that are plaguing Americans across the country.

Many students seemed to really enjoy the assembly “I liked the assembly; it was really interesting,” said Sophie Mintz ‘12. Mattie Kapito ‘12 added, “It was great in that it made the whole student body more informed of today’s issues. It broke down all the complicated issues into terms that teenagers could understand. Showing the movie was a good idea because it was unbiased and showed the facts. Then with the debate the students were able to see both sides of the issue.” Kapito wasn’t all positive about the debate, however: “The

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

republican was a New York Republican so his views were more liberal then Republicans from the rest of the country.

It would have been interesting to have a Republican who was not from New York. The assembly got me to re-think some of my views of today’s issues and made it possible for me to see both sides of the debate.”

Though the majority of the student body was not able to vote in this election, the Election Day assembly gave many the opportunity to understand what is happening in this country, as well as a chance for students to form their own opinions. Not only did the assembly inform the student body on the complexity of the issues America faces, but it also gave students the chance to truly understand the depth of the economic crisis and all of the lives that were affected by it. The Election Day assembly made it quite clear that in order to get out of this recession, something must be done. Many students will be voting in the next election and it is up to them to become informed on the conflicts facing the American people. This way, they can vote for the person they feel will help the country through this difficult time.

stated, “citizenship has its price and rewards.”

Fellow Ramaz history teacher Mr. Deutsch also addressed the assembly to discuss his army service.

Echoing Dr. Stone’s remarks he stated that he felt citizens need to actively participate in their democracy. As a high school student in Milwaukee, Mr. Deutsch felt “there was no better way to serve [his] country than to kill Commies.”

Most of his friends and family were joining the army at the time, he explained, so service was common. Mr. Deutsch observed that “there is a disconnect nowadays between those who serve and those in the Orthodox world.” He also advocated making a connection between Election Day

and Veterans Day, which occur within days of each other.

“It is our responsibility to vote for the welfare of soldiers, to ensure that veterans receive proper benefits on their return home.” Daniel Korff-Korn ‘14 found it “informative and interesting, and fun to hear from our own teachers about their experiences. Mr. Deutsch was funny as always.”

The assembly made certain that 11/11/11 was not just a lucky day on the calendar, but a solemn opportunity to remember the actions of those who had served, and were serving, their country on our behalf.

Olam Haba Continued from Page 10 one, and a few who expressed doubt about the concept altogether. And, while I was at some point taught that mitzvot would be rewarded with an extended stay in the world-tocome, I have been told many more times (by intelligent, learned educators) that olam haba is an abstract concept not meant to be understood in this lifetime. Jewish works tend to refer to the postmortem state as olam haba, but we do not have a clear narrative about what happens after we die. Views regarding the afterworld and how to save a

spot in it vary drastically, but all are just hypotheses.

It is lovely to believe that a five-minute prayer service will grant you some spiritual ticket to a sunshiny heaven atop fluffy clouds. And by all means, you idealistic flyermakers, you, maintain your faith in the picturesque paradise you have plastered across hallways. Just don’t make it seem like such a simple equation. After all, my male counterparts might, in 120 years, find themselves disappointed.

The RamPage Editorial Staff Editors-in-Chief Zahava Presser Michael Schumeister Associate Editors Rebecca Brill Jake Sarachek News Editor Zach Eckstein Arts Editor Carly Stern Opinion Editor Ariella Lerner

Photo Editors Daniella Deutsch Andrea Edelman Junior Editors Jeremy Hoffman Rachel Huebner Nina Rohr Faculty Advisor Dr. Steven Milowitz

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

The RamPage Features

Page 13

As Fall Leaves Jeremy Hoffman ‘13

Across

Down

4 de ________, inspirational artist for Senior Studio Art 5 Dreaded girl’s aerobic dance routine, briefly 7 “Get in the _____,” IOS 5 slogan 8 Head of Science department 9 Fitness center around the corner 11 #_____WallStreet 13 Dr. Honig’s mag 14 Tallest height category at Hershey Park 15 Most famous Jewish-American novelist 16 Missing from the arena 17 Warshall and Klotz 18 ______ Lyonne, former Ram and actress in American Pie

1 Number of stalls on C 2 New Junior English teacher 3 Color of popular football “gang” 6 Head of the “lawyers” 8 Holiday used as excuse to see camp friends, abbr.

9 Religious item Ben Eneicha 10 Park where the # of 2-Across is based 12 Colloquial term for the inner lockers on 4 or 6 15 Lectures on Tuesdays and oversees the G.O.

Give Us A Little Choice: We Might Just Become Passionate Leora Mincer ‘12 In the middle of the second half of our junior year, my grade gathered in the beit kinesset, palpable excitement filling the room. As Dr. Koplon spoke, we repeatedly exploded with bursts of animated chatter about what was awaiting us. When the explanation was over, my entire grade sprang out if its seat practically in unison and rushed towards the tables where the packets and sheets lay.

This wasn’t about some new twist added to junior retreat or a program that would get us out of taking our U.S. History final; it was simply the beginning of the process of creating our senior class schedules.

So why were we, kids who had already been grinding through Ramaz course loads for almost three years, so ridiculously excited about the prospect of more classes?

Because, for the first time

ever, we were told, “Choose the classes which most interest you, choose the teachers who make you excited about the material, and choose the assignments you will willingly do because the subject is actually important to you.”

Now of course, there are very legitimate reasons why we are not given the freedom to choose our classes every year. There are fundamental tools which every student should be equipped with before leaving as prestigious a school as Ramaz. Math and History and English can’t all just be abolished for those who don’t feel like learning those subjects. There would also be the risk that students would choose every class based only on the work and effort required.

Yet I cannot stress enough how much more excited my classmates and I have become about school, about classes, even about work, now that we

are learning about material we’re genuinely passionate about, and from teachers with whom we are able to personally connect. Our teachers, as well, seem to enjoy teaching us more now that they know that we truly want to be in their room learning from them. The entire atmosphere of the classroom is one that exudes a real excitement about scholarship, something that sometimes feels lacking in Ramaz as we are loaded down with quiz after test after paper.

And now I can’t help looking back at my previous years at Ramaz and wondering this: is it totally impossible to inject some of that passion into those first three grades?

At the last SFAC meeting the G.O. brought up the possibility of each of the younger grades having one elective class, which they would have the freedom to choose, which would meet a few times a

week. This would allow them to take all the necessary classes while also getting the chance to enroll in a class which personally intrigued them. Only a general proposal was discussed, but according to Junior Class President Rafi Snow, “the vast majority of student leaders were in favor of any kind of elective system at all, no matter how big or small.”

“There was a nice sense of empowerment and leadership among the student government in advocating a vision of their own education,” added G.O. faculty advisor Mr. Hillel Rapp.

However, the proposal was met almost immediately with firm resistance by the administration.

A G.O. member stated that a more detailed and specific plan was in the works to be proposed at a SFAC meeting in the near future, but at the present time it doesn’t

look like it will make much headway.

I am disappointed that the program isn’t more likely to take effect. Ramaz students are often weighed down by work and classes; perhaps having even just one class which they choose for themselves would create an excitement we don’t always see in the hallways of our silver box on 78th Street.

The mission statement of Ramaz, now posted in every single classroom in the school, states that, “Ramaz strives to educate students towards the following goals…” among them, “A commitment to …a life-long love of learning.” We seniors have experienced first hand how a little choice can so greatly foster love of learning. If giving a little choice to the younger grades will engender this same passion, doesn’t our mission statement itself demand that we do so?

The RamPage meets in room 601 at 5:00 pm every Thursday.

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The RamPage Arts

Tower’s Cast Impresses Yale Buchwald ‘15 Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy lead a cast of wellknown actors in Tower Heist, a new comedy about workers seeking revenge on a Madoff –esque Wall Street tycoon who has taken their money in a Ponzi scheme.

Stiller plays Josh Kovacs, a hardworking manager of a lavish apartment building in Columbus Circle. The employees who work at the “Tower” lose their retirement money to business mogul Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), who says he will “invest” their savings for them. Stiller takes leadership as the Tower’s manager, and plots to take back what was rightfully theirs. In order to do this, Stiller recruits Slide (Eddie Murphy), a funny, smacktalking criminal, Mr. Fitzhugh (Matthew Broderick), a financial expert who lost all of his money, Odessa (Gabourey Sidibe), a maid at the Tower and a safe-cracking genius,

and Charlie (Casey Affleck), the Tower’s concierge. The members of this team know the ins and outs of the Tower and Slide teaches them how to break in and retrieve their money from Shaw’s apartment.

Slide teaches the team how to shoplift while Odessa practices safe-cracking, because the money they are planning on stealing is believed to be in Arthur Shaw’s hidden safe. There is a slight hint of romance in the film between Stiller and Agent Claire Denham (Téa Leoni), the F.B.I agent investigating the Ponzi scheme, but that romance unexpectantly fades away.

Tower Heist is a funny and entertaining movie where Eddie Murphy is finally himself and not an animated character, or someone in a dress or fat-suit. The comedy in the movie doesn’t inspire rolling-on-the-floor-laughter but it was enough to incite

smiles for much of the movie.

In contrast, the mystery part of the movie wasn’t entirely believable and was often predictable. Much to my doubt, Stiller and Murphy ended up working well together in this film. While it is not Comedy of the Year material, Tower Heist is definitely good for a few laughs.

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

Moneyball: On the Money Yehuda Bloom ‘15 As an avid baseball fan, I used to wonder how baseball scouting worked, so I decided to read the book Moneyball.

I really enjoyed the book and was excited to learn that it would be turned into a feature film. I went to see the movie the weekend it came out and felt it did the book justice.

The movie Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt as team manager Billy Beane, begins with Beane’s struggle with his inability to pay as much as other big organizations to his top players. On a trip to Cleveland, while trying to replace one of his team’s star players, Beane meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), an Ivy League graduate trying to make it in the management business. After talking to him, Beane decides to bring Brand from Cleveland. After learning of Brand’s belief that star players should be replaced by using Sabermetrics, a way of analyzing baseball statistics in order to measure how much a player helps his team score,

Beane decides to use this strategy to build his team.

Usually, when scouts analyze players, they only look at certain statistics. They typically include batting average, home runs, and runs batted in, but when using Sabermetrics, scouts also look at how often players get on base, which effectively allows a team to score more runs more easily.

Following Beane’s discovery of this tactic, he brings in different players that may have defects according to the naked eye, but who, according to the science of Sabermetrics, are good replacements for star players.

Moneyball uses its storyline as a starting point to explore in depth the life of Billy Beane as a draft bust. The film’s comedic moments stand out. While the movie may be hard to follow if you have not already read the book, it is still worth seeing as it tells an important story about revolutionary men, baseball, and life in general.

Like Crazy: Making the Audience Stir (Like) Crazy Jeremy Hoffman ‘13 Like Crazy, winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture, evokes a plethora of emotions for viewers. The plot is simple.

It is about two lovers falling in and out of love. The love oscillates from infatuation to addiction to intoxication to withdrawal to re-addiction.

It is not a particularly deep or psychological film; it is raw and keeps the audience’s stomach in knots.

Jacob, played by Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett), is American. Anna, played by Felicity Jones, is British. They attend the same Los Angeles college, where they take the same media-studies class.

After the last class, she leaves a long note for him under his windshield that says, “Please don’t think I’m a nutcase, but ...” He comes to see her and they know immediately that they’re right for each other.

No explanation necessary.

Director Drake Doremus pulls the audience in deep, as his goal is to reel the viewers in to the point where they can feel both the tension and happiness that the lovers feel

throughout. The connection between the two is almost preverbal. A montage of pictures of the lovers cuddling, and even simply lying next to each other, exhibits the intimacy. The handheld camera gives the movie an even more intimate feel, constantly going back and forth from Jacob’s young scruffy face to Anna’s big British teeth.

But the story isn’t about their constant romace. As in all movies about love, something gets in between them.

No, unlike most rom-coms, it is not another man/woman interfering, or a neglect of one for the other--it is something more difficult they have to overcome. The obstacle is U.S Immigration and Naturalization Services. When Anna’s student visa expires and she is required to return home, she impulsively overstays her welcome and is not allowed back in the country the next time she tries to enter.

And so begins the gruelingly long last two-thirds of Like Crazy, during which the couple is not quite together, yet by no means apart. Jacob

builds a furniture-design career in Venice Beach while Anna makes waves writing for a London-based magazine. There are other lovers in the picture, too. Jacob has a relationship with his assistant, played by Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class). She has a more exuberant personality. Anna meets a nice, taller, more handsome Brit named Simon, played by Charlie Bewley, who doesn’t have much in common with Anna.

But when Jacob phones Anna in London, it’s hard for them both to stay cheerfully impersonal — and when he agrees to come see her at the spur of the moment, her laugh spills over into a sob.

Doremus makes sure to jump into action and fluffiness when he needs to, and then returns back to the agonizing slow scenes shortly after. The back and forth tempo lets the audience in for a ride along the young love bandwagon.

The ambiguity of whether or not Jacob and Anna are simply infatuated with each other because of their bizarre circumstance, whether they

are truly in love, or whether they have grown apart or not, makes Like Crazy as compel-

ling as it is quirky.

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

The RamPage Arts

Fostering Devoted Fans Jeremy Hoffman ‘13

Sure, everyone knows the catchy melody of “Pumped Up Kicks,” which reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 this past summer, and ignores its disturbing lyrics.

Not everyone, however, appreciates the up-and-coming band behind the composition, Foster the People. Its first album, Torches, was released on May 23, 2011, and the band then went on tour, landing at Terminal 5 in New York City on September 27, 2011.

Foster the People’s three core members and the two touring multi-instrumentalists stared down the expectations of the hipster crowd and then blew them all away. Yes, there

Page 15

A Little Help Never Hurt Anyone Aliza Hornblass ‘15

was the obligatory wow-lookwhere-we-are-now aside to the crowd—“We’ve never played this place before,” lead singer Mark Foster said between songs. “Months ago, we were playing at the Mercury Lounge.” But the show felt surprisingly distinctive for a band with only one album.

The audience knew what was coming, but didn’t care, because Foster the People flat out brings it live.

The band that opened for them, The Cults, set up Foster the People nicely with little crowd interaction, simply playing their set. It was the homecoming for the two main members of the band- lead

singer Madeline Follin and guitarist Brian Oblivion, who previously attended NYU. They closed with their mostpopular hit “Go Outside,” which included a xylophone riff that snapped the crowd to attention.

And then it was Foster the People time. Opening with the drum hits of “Houdini,” the percussion was phenomenal.

In addition to drummer Mark Pontius’ traditional kit, there were various other percussion instruments played standing up: a cowbell, a maraca, a maraca played as a cymbal, and a maraca being thrown into the crowd. Lead singer Mark Foster kept the crowd captivated with power sliding and shoulder shrugging, not even losing its attention when he described the band’s charity.

“He was a cutie. Great voice, great moves, and a sweetheart when he described the charity,” recalls fan Leila Feldman ‘12.

Feldman did not know much about Foster before the concert but has even more of an infatuation for the band as a result of his performance.

Foster the People rocked it in their New York debut, and will continue to rise to fame, hopefully landing in Madison Square Garden someday soon.

Here is some advice: go see The Help. Whether you’ve read the book, or have no idea what it is about, it is definitely worth the price of admission. The Help tells the story of Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan (Emma Stone), a privileged white woman who is on a quest to unearth the truth about the ill treatment of female black maids by their employers in the Deep South during the Civil Rights era.

The movie, set in Mississippi in 1962, is filled with gripping drama, emotion and even some humor. The acting is impeccable and the screenwriters managed to provide an excellent adaptation of the novel. The film is well acted with excellent casting.

The cast is led by Stone along with Viola Davis, who plays

Aibileen Clark, a middle aged African American maid who has spent her life raising white children and has just lost her only child.

The Help is able to illustrate that racism in the South was not just a “separation” of the races but a true illusion.

These women were essentially house slaves with a different title. Skeeter uncovers not only the blatant racism towards the black maids but also the maternal bond between the maids and the white children they raise. Not only does the audience, along with Skeeter, uncover the story of Aibileen and her best friend Minny, but we also get a glimpse of the racism and deceit going on in Skeeter’s own household.

Amid the somber messages of the film, there were real comedic moments. I even laughed out loud when the movie got to my favorite part of the book. It quickly became my favorite part of the movie, as well. What self-respecting high school student wouldn’t want to sit and watch the evil employer eat a chocolate pie cooked by her maid that has “poop” in it? In this film, goodness, justice, and hard work triumph over evil, prejudice, and entitlement. This film will make you laugh, cry, and just feel good.

The Tides of Politics Sam Feldstein ‘14 The 1des of March marks the fourth movie George Clooney has directed, and it’s his greatest one yet. The captivatingly dark and sinister political drama delves into the world of insider politics.

The story takes place a little more than a week prior to the March 15th Ohio Democratic presidential primary (hence the clever title).

Ryan Gosling stars as Stephen Myers, the idealistic yet tenacious junior campaign manager of Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney), the passionate, honest, revolutionary, Obama-like candidate, who gives off the impression he can do no wrong and who promises hope and change.

The senior campaign manager, Paul Zara (outstandingly played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman), is trying to get a

senator to endorse Morris with his rival delegates, while the rest of the crew is trying to win the Ohio primary where Morris is slowly losing the lead in the polls.

Things become more complicated for Stephen when he gets involved with an intern (Evan Rachel Wood) and when his rival candidate’s campaign manager (Paul Giamatti) gives him a call. Stephen and Paul also struggle with a New York Times reporter (Marissa Tomei) following them around telling them that even if Morris can win with his clichéd “I’m gonna make the world a better place” schpiel, he’s only going to disappoint— perhaps she plays the voice of

Americans right now and their attitude towards Obama.

The movie, which is adapted from the book Farragut North by Beau Williams, is reminiscent of famous presi-

dential scandals like those during the Harding and Nixon administrations. The writers, one of whom was George Clooney, cleverly made the scandals engaging and packed them into an intense two hours without making anything seem crammed. The parts were perfectly casted (look out for Oscar nods to Gosling, Clooney, Giamatti, Wood and especially Hoffman), their stories are appealing, well told, and take the viewer on a dramatic thrill.

However, there was one feeling I couldn’t shake off the entire second half of the movie: the characters don’t evolve in a realistic manner. That’s not to say there is no character development; personalities and values do 180-degree spins, but they

do so in just one scene. The development is too rapid and sudden. It’s like they are A in one scene and Z the next, without touching any of the other letters. After the movie was over, there was another feeling I couldn’t shake.

I felt unsatisfied, like the movie hadn’t ended, and it wasn’t because it was left on a cliffhanger of a sort. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it was, but something felt unfinished.

All in all, though, the movie delivered what viewers went for. It doesn’t teach anyone anything they don’t already know about the behind-the-scenes of politics, but it does give them a thrilling, gripping story that will surely provoke moral debates afterward.

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Basketball Teams Start Strong Avi Goldman ‘15 The Ramaz High School basketball teams are off to a fast start. The Varsity Boys’ team, under coach Randy Dulny, won their first regular season game against Hillel 49-39. Additionally, the team was the runner-up in the Magen David tournament, defeating Kushner, DRS, and Frisch, three powerhouse teams.

The Junior Varsity Boys’ team has begun their season under the guidance of two new coaches, Brett Harstein and Eric Moerdler, in dominant fashion. In their first two games, the team defeated both Maor and Hillel by major margins.

The Varsity Girls’ team has played three games so far.

Their first was a pre-season game against HANC, which Ramaz won handily. The next two regular season games were against Ma’ayanot, each of which Ramaz won by more than 20-point margins.

The Junior Varsity girls have continued Ramaz’s winning ways in their first two games, both against Ma’ayanot, against which Ramaz was victorious both times.

A quote from Vince Lombardi sums up why Ramaz teams are so good: “Winning means you’re willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else.” This is exactly what Ramaz teams seem to strive to do.

Remember to come and cheer on your teams. The upcoming games schedule is posted on the SC level outside of Mr. Dulny’s office.

The RamPage Sports

November 2011/Cheshvan 5772

JV Hockey Starts Off Strong Adam Bandler ‘15 Before the Ramaz Hockey season started, the Junior Varsity and Varsity Hockey teams decided to have a practice game against each other.

Before the game, the varsity team acted like they were certain they’d win, but the junior varsity team had other thoughts.

“I was feeling good about this one,” said JV Captain Duvi Grumet ‘14. “I thought we had a good chance to win.”

During the game, the JV

team showed a lot of confidence in themselves by playing well against an older, more experienced team. The final score was a 2-2 tie.

As members of the JV team celebrated, some varsity players were concerned with the outcome.

“The way we played today can’t happen again,” said varsity player Benjy Schwartz ‘13 after the game. “There is no way we can win games against other varsity teams if we can’t even beat our own

JV team.”

The varsity team has a 0-3 to start off the season, which means it needs to up its game soon if it wants to be successful this season. The JV team, on the other hand, is only 0-1, which can be easily managed into a successful season.

Potentially, if the JV team can rebound from this loss and play the way they did against Varsity, the Ramaz hockey program could have a bright future.

NBA Lock Out Locks in Homework Time Brad Waldstreicher ‘14

Students all over Ramaz are despairing at the prospect that there may not be an NBA season this year. But how bad would that really be? Think about all of the extra time we will have on our hands to do homework and go to sleep at a normal time. If the NBA were to start on November 1, as it was supposed to, many of Ramaz’s Knicks fans wouldn’t start their homework until approximately 10:30 pm (taking the game and post-game show into consideration). Others may not even start their work until their Facebook and Twitter statuses are updated to “#Melo + Amare=championship.”

While it is always possible for students to use their newly freed-up time by playing NBA video games or watching Eddy, the movie in which Whoopi Goldberg becomes Head Coach of the Knicks, there is no real replacement for a Lebron James choke in the fourth quarter. “[As] a kid who watches every Knicks game,” said Zev Prince ‘14, “I think I’ll definitely focus more on my work.”

This might be another one of his jokes, but in reality the bigger joke is on the diehard fans that live to see NBA superstars play every night… while still doing their homework.