The SAR Buzz, February 2013

Official Newspaper of SAR High School

The Buzz

February 2013 — Vol. 8, No. 3

What’s Inside

Make For Yourself A [Male or Female] Teacher (Pirkei Avot 1:6) Female Gemara Teachers in the Yeshiva World

By Olivia Rosenzweig

Ricki’s Rant Page 2

Where Art Thou, Oh President?

izes the school’s unique religious progress.”

Over the past few years, SAR has allowed for the establishment of a weekly Women’s Tefillah group, a Women’s Megillah Reading, and most recently, Women’s Torah Reading. But perhaps even more empowering, but surprisingly less controversial, is SAR’s hiring of women to teach Torah Sh’Baal Peh. Although a taboo in many other schools and institutions, women Gemara teachers have become a very normal phenomenon at SAR, with overall acceptance and support from the student body. Yael Marans (’16) feels that “having female Gemara teachers should be expected at a school like ours.”

She recalls: “When I was looking at high schools, it bothered me that some similar schools to SAR didn’t have female Gemara teachers.” She continues, “Though it may seem like a minute detail, to me, the way SAR has female Gemara teachers symbol-

Continued on page 13

SAR’s Progression over the Years

By Samantha Schnall

Page 4

While female Gemara teachers are expected at SAR, there are many schools in the area that don’t hire women to teach Gemara. The Marsha Stern Talmudic Academy (MTA), an all boys Yeshivah in Manhattan, does have female teachers, but none that teach Gemara or any other Limudei Kodesh

The “Glory Days” of SAR

Page 3

Dveykut B’Tfilah

Ms. Hecht-Koller, one of SAR’s female gemara teachers

class. Rabbi Taubes, the Rosh Yeshivah of MTA, explains that this is because “We believe that when it comes to Limudei Kodesh, especially Gemara, which is our core Limudei Kodesh class, it is the job of the teacher not only to transmit the necessary academic information, but also to serve as a religious guide and role model whom the student can aspire to emulate in his own life.” He continues, explaining that a Limudei Kodesh teacher should “influence the student on a personal level through the establishment and building of a close personal relationship.”

“Such a relationship would be inappropriate between a female teacher and a male student. As an all boys yeshiva, we would therefore not hire a female Gemara teacher,” he concludes.

Frisch, a co-ed yeshivah in Paramus, N.J., also has yet to hire a woman Gemara teacher. Although the school declined to comment on this issue, one Frisch student,

When the first sixty-eight students walked through the doors of SAR in February 2004, they “took a leap of faith.” The first years of any educational institution are bound to have some bumps in the road, and SAR was no exception.

After two years of intensive research and planning, Rabbi Harcsztark opened the high school in 2003. In its first year, the school opened with the Riverdale Jewish Center serving as its temporary home. It was not until a year later that the High School moved into its permanent location, with a total of one-hundred and forty students in the freshman and sophomore classes. By 2008, an auditorium, hockey rink, and running track were added. The Annex and technology center were completed a few years later.

In its beginning years, there were, inevitably, several flaws present in the way SAR was run. But over the past ten years, many changes have been made for the bet-

ter. Mr. Huber confirms, “The students in the first years [of SAR] lacked many things students have now, like the assurance that

SAR High School

their teachers are experienced and highly effective.” Louisa Schindelheim, a fellow and alumni from SAR’s first graduating class, agrees, remembering that she had “some re-

ally nutty teachers in those first few years.”

She specifically recalls that one of her math teachers disappeared in the middle of the year to pursue his political career.

Many procedures and protocols, including the test calendar, an attendance system, and a system for course selections, were not yet fully established and effectively executed in SAR’s first years. Dr. Schwartz explains, “Things run smoothly now and it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but back then students picked out their courses so late in the year that they came back in September and didn’t know which courses they were taking.” There also weren’t effective chesed programs, books in the library, good sports teams, choices of electives and foreign languages courses, or Grade Level Coordinators.

Most surprisingly, teachers weren’t expected to enforce the dress code. Dr. Schwartz recalls that she hardly spoke to students about dress code. Since there wasn’t a set procedure for violating the dress code, Continued on page 13

2

The Buzz, February 2013

Advice Editorial Column

Change From

the Inside

student involvement in school policy making

By Ricki Heicklen Last Wednesday, SAR’s last ever Student Body President Matt Landes sent out an email to the entire school detailing a number of groundbreaking changes being made to Student Government. These changes exemplify an attempt by the school to seriously involve students in the decision-making process that had previously been reserved for faculty members.

The election system of proportional representation further highlights a conscious attempt to fairly represent the entire student body on the newly-formed Student Council, and the broadened number of available spots seems to indicate that students will be granted a larger say in the rules and policies developed by the school. It is thus rather ironic that the entire review and revision process of this new Student Government Charter included only four students, and that the new system was only revealed to the vast majority of the student body once it had been fully developed and was ready for immediate implementation.

It seems jarringly odd that a system de-

STAFF Editors in Chief Ricki Heicklen Judith Kepecs Danielle Pitkoff Layout Editors Rose Frankel Harry Varon Associate Editor Anna Ballan Features Editors Hilla Katz Miriam Lichtenberg Rebecca Siegel Editor-at-Large Avidan Grossman Copy Editor Zachary Nelkin Online Editors Chanan Heisler Shalhevet Schwartz

signed to give the student body a greater say was decided upon by so few students. Love the new Student Government or hate it -- and there certainly exist students in each category -- it was presented to the student body abruptly and absolutely, without room for student feedback or amendment. Moreover, the original version of

If we want to maintain the engagement and participation that we value so dearly, the school must constantly strive to involve students throughout the process. the Charter did call for a referendum - yet this referendum was removed from the charter, and its removal shows a deliberate decision by the faculty to not put the new system to a vote amongst students.

Naturally, unilateral faculty decisions are more efficient than having to consult the entire school. SAR currently boasts (and, sometimes, laments) a growing student body of 500 students; aggregating feedback from each one on any given issue could prove to be downright impossible. However, as the school grows, the necessity to involve students grows along with it. SAR is often criticized for sacrificing unity and student connections as it increases in size; if we want to maintain the engagement and participation that we value so dearly, the school must constantly strive to involve students throughout the process. This means actively reaching out to students while decisions are being processed and debated, instead of relying on post facto feedback for future improvement.

Of course, there is tremendous value in the programs SAR develops. In fact, SAR is great at both self-reflection and “shaking things up.” This was exemplified throughout Dveykut B’Tfillah Week, when SAR’s creativity and responsiveness shone through in the form of 22 different Davening options. And a consider-

Photography Editor Andrew Frenkel Research Manager Elana Rosenthal Faculty Advisor Dr. Rivka P. Schwartz Faculty Supervisor Rabbi Jonathan Kroll

able number of students -- I would wager to say more than half -- significantly benefited from the deviation from traditional prayer.

However, similarly, in the case of Dveykut B’Tfillah Week, there was very little engagement with the student body throughout the brainstorming process. Other than one Beit Midrash period of proposing ideas and a retrospective session with our Tefillah groups, there was little advance dialogue surrounding the entire idea of different tefillot options. While students did offer suggestions and feedback, they were not a significant part of the planning or decisionmaking processes, and they were similarly not consulted about the school’s plans going forward.

To fully engage students, the administration must go beyond mere collaborative brainstorming with students and grant the students significant leadership authority. For example, during Tefillah Week, though many meaningful and spiritually-elevating options were offered, there was a notable lack of student initiative and leadership. Students from a number of Tefillah groups felt that their individual contributions were unwanted and even, sometimes, rebuffed.

To truly change the meaningfulness of Tefillah, the school must empower students not only by changing our daily routines but by putting students in leadership roles and encouraging them to stick up for the changes they want to make.

The necessities and benefits of engaging students through dialogue and leadership are threefold. Firstly, on an ideological level, SAR strives to be an institution in which decisions are shaped by the entire community. To include the voice of the student body, the decision making process must include all members.

Secondly, for students to truly connect to new initiatives, those initiatives must reflect the desires of the students. Only students know what students want, and our voices must be heard. If students are not included in the planning process, the school is missing out on half of the dialogue, and the final result falls short of a cooperative, reflective decision.

Thirdly, students become empowered by leadership and involvement. I know that I have become empowered each Friday morning when I co-run Women’s Tefillah, a group of girls praying together with no faculty member present. I know that every week, I leave room 304 carrying siddurim to return to the beit midrash, having achieved a connection to tefillah that I never

Staff Writers Isaac Breslow Gilad Fortgang Ariella Gentin Rebecca Harris Liat Katz

Melissa Lavine Ronit Morris Deena Nerwen Maya Pretsfelder Olivia Rosenzweig

Dalia Scheiner Harry Scheiner Lilly Scherban Samantha Schnall

feel otherwise. And I know that this connection inspires me to want to “fix” Davening at SAR, both because I know that we can and because I have a role in the process.

The school must empower students not only by changing our daily routines but by putting students in leadership roles and encouraging them to stick up for the changes they want to make.

SAR prides itself on communication with its students: SAR is constantly revising policies based on student feedback and “community meetings” have become emblems of our cohesiveness. But often, the valuable feedback that is so integral to our mission and philosophy comes too little too late. Involvement from the inception of programs, rather than only in retrospective evaluations, along with broader leadership roles for students, would help reinforce our initiatives.

With a new and strengthened Student Government, students may have the chance to implement more leadership roles and expand their say in decisions. Though the design of the new Student Council was not effected through a representative process or a democratic vote, its functions clearly indicate a move toward broader student involvement. While the exact strength of this initiative will only become apparent over the coming months, I urge students to take full advantage of these opportunities immediately.

Perhaps this is just the system we need to bridge the gap and reinvigorate dialogue, and, eventually, re-involve students in the preliminary stages as well.

Online Correspondents Gavriel SteinmetzSilber Toba Stern Rachel Weintraub

Emma Cantor Alon Futter Jessica Kane

Jennifer Kleiman Arly Mintz Benjamin Perla

The Buzz, February 2013

3

Advice School Column Life

Tik, Tok, The 608 Clock

By Gavriel Steinmetz-Silber “Dear AP US History 11.53: We are relocating from the fifth floor to 608, effective immediately,” read Dr. Schwartz’s email.

And so began a forced adventure to the unknown land of 608--one of the few rooms in SAR with walls and an actual door. Unsurprisingly, juniors in this class instantly denounced the move, angrily complaining about the arduous trek from the fifth floor to the sixth.

As A.P. U.S. History class continued to meet in room 608, the number of complaints from the students increased exponentially.

Andrew Frenkel (‘14) said that there were “a whole lot of technological things that were wrong.” However, while there were many technical issues with 608, students soon discovered something so exquisite, easily outweighing all the problems that the room posed. This something was an oasis among the hardships that the room presented.

This oasis was a clock.

“A clock,” you patronizingly sneer.

Yes, a clock.

This clock is no ordinary clock; rather it is a clock poised to become the official eighth wonder of the world. As the second hand approaches approximately the seven second mark, it skips ahead to the forty second mark, then bounces back to roughly the thirty-two second mark. The second hand

then stays at the thirty-two second mark until it has made up for lost time. It then starts to tick once again until it reaches the seven second mark and begins the cycle once again.

This clock, remarkably, is so accurate that it is used as the basis for whether or not seniors praying in room 608 are on time.

I reached out to Tony Baker of Tick-

TockTony, a clock repair company in California. I enquired about this phenomenon, this outrageous freak of nature disguised as a clock. Mr. Baker (Kitson College Leeds ‘74) was truly flabbergasted. He described the clock’s behavior as “weird,” and said that this was “not a common fault.” However, he assured me that if I take the clock to his facility in Palo Alto, he would likely be able to “fix” it. I hastily responded that no “fixing” was necessary, thank you very

much Mr. Baker.

While much glee has ensued due to this clock, it has also been at the center of heated controversies. The A.P. U.S. History class that meets in 608 gets very excited as the second hand approaches the seven second mark. It is certainly the highlight of every minute. In the moments leading up to the clock’s arrival at the the seven second mark, there is often talk amongst students.

One student notifies another of what is about to happen, ensuring that they are both emotionally prepared. One day, Zev Schwartz (‘14) got so excited that he stood up loudly counting down from five to zero, with zero representing the moment that the second hand would reach the seven second mark and jump ahead. Dr. Schwartz (no relation) was furious and informed Schwartz that if he was more fascinated by the clock than her class, he should leave. Schwartz meekly sat down, and worked to avoid gazing up at the clock. Schwartz reveals, “I try not to look at the clock during class. But sometimes the clock’s magnificence overpowers this will, and I just cannot help myself.”

Additionally, some seniors have claimed that the clock serves as a distraction when praying in 608. Yacov Lewis (‘13) remarked, “My davening is often compromised because of the clock. I simply have a difficult time distinguishing between the clock and God.” Yet, while problems are

clearly arising due to the clock, Lewis agrees that “the clock is definitely a keeper.”

The clock is apparently so popular that even students who do not have class or davening in 608 visit the room to witness the clock in action. Max Slepian (‘14) admits: “Personally, I’m ripped, and so going up one flight of stairs is a small price to pay to see the clock.” Slepian further explains that he often goes to 608 during free periods to relax while enjoying the clock. Ruby Toledo (‘14) enjoys the clock’s company so much that one of her biggest disappointments this year was going to 608 during a free period, only to see that a class was taking place and she would be unable to witness the clock.

While many are obviously aware of the clock’s remarkable existence, the amount of students who have never heard of the clock is astounding. More specifically, none of the freshmen or sophomores that were asked seemed to know about the clock. Chana Rosenthal (’16) explains, “I don’t have any classes on the sixth floor, and most other freshmen don’t either, which is why we don’t really know about this clock.”

While many students do not know about the clock, its awareness is certainly growing. The clock is considered by many to be one of the greatest things about SAR. So, if you haven’t seen the clock already, check it out. It truly is a splendid clock.

Where Art Thou, Oh President? student government revamped

By Ariella Gentin As students are being informed in their various history classes, student government is in the process of undergoing some major changes. A charter for a new format for Student Government, written

by Zachary Nelkin (’13), was reviewed, modified, and passed by the previous student government, along with a number of teachers and administrators. The new rules for Student Government were publicized to the student body during the last week of January, and are going into effect this election season.

This charter calls for, amongst other things, the implementation of a Student Council. The Student Council will be a body of ten students from varying grades.

Elections for Student Council will function following the system of proportional representation, similar to the voting process in Israel. During elections, students will run as a group of ten students advocating a specific platform. This group must include a party leader, at least two students from every grade, and equal male and female representation.

Students will vote for a party, indicating which member of the party they want

to win. Seats on the Student Council will be distributed according to the percentage of votes a group receives, with party leaders receiving the first seat that goes to that party. The party leader whose group wins a majority of the votes will become the head of the Student Council. If no slate wins a majority, then the party leader whose group wins the most votes becomes the head of the Student Council, as long as he is approved by the majority of the Student Council. The remaining seats are allocated to party members in the order that students voted for them individually.

With this new body comes the suspension of the three existing student government positions: President, Vice President, and Secretary.

The role of Grade Representatives is being largely kept, although their responsibilities are more clearly defined as “maintaining the grade’s cohesiveness, organizing stress relieving events, and making the small improvements that make a big difference.” They will also now be referred to as Class Presidents. They will continue to run in pairs, one boy and one girl.

In an attempt to institute the fairest voting system, a voting system called instant runoff voting will be used to vote for

the Class Presidents. Nelkin explains that “[according to the new system,] students will rank the candidates. If no candidate wins a majority, then the candidate with the least votes is eliminated.” A round of primaries, which existed in previous years and eliminated contestants before they had a chance to speak or present their views, is also being disbanded. All eligible candidates will compete in the final round of elections.

The faculty component of Student Government will also be undergoing a change. Ms. Krieger, for the first time, will be working with Rabbi Bloom, and next year she will be taking over completely.

Rabbi Bloom, while describing the previous student government, notes that “if the majority of the school votes for one kid, then the rest of the school won’t be represented.” He adds that “[Student Government members] do a lot, but they maybe could or should do more. It’s good for school and students to have a voice.” Ms. Krieger explains that many people think this new system will run more efficiently, and will be a better way to “[have] more people involved.”

Nelkin explains his motivation for

revamping Student Government. “The way that the elections [have been] run [in previous years] produce[d] an extremely unrepresentative student government.... there are a significant number of students who voted for a losing candidate and are therefore unrepresented,” he shared.

Though Student Government is going to be taken more seriously this year, some students remain with doubts of its importance. When a group of students were asked what they think of student government, one student responded “its a joke,” and several other students nodded in agreement.

Indeed, despite these progressive changes, the voice of the students might be somewhat distorted if they don’t vote for whom they really think will be the best candidates. When asked who she was planning on voting for for Class President, Allison Herstic (‘16) responded saying, “Probably my close friends. I don’t really care [about Class President] - it’s kinda is a popularity contest but that doesn’t bother me at all. I don’t think we have such big issues to deal with so I don’t really care who wins.” Emuna Korenblit (‘16) agrees, “I’m voting for my friends.”

4

The Buzz, February 2013

School Life Advice Column

The Road to Dveykut

davening “blowup” week

By Zachary Nelkin All year round, Heschel hosts nine different minyanim that span the range from meditation to egalitarian to chesed minyans. Well, for one week, SAR surpassed this number. The week of January 7th, otherwise known as “Dveykut B’Tfilah” week, offered a record of 22 different tefillah options.

The tefillah week had its genesis in faculty meetings over the summer. It was decided that a brief experiment which interrupted regular davening would be a worthwhile extension of the school’s theme for the year, Dveykut. The new tefillah groups would help students better connect to G-d and prayer. According to Rabbi Kroll, the idea was to “shake up routine and give us an experience that we might be able to learn from about how to enhance regular daily davening.”

Around two months ago, tefillah week was rolled out to students in their Beit Midrash classes. Students were asked to come up with suggestions for minyanim. However, the administration decided to postpone the week long experiment, which did not begin until the second week of January. The delay was caused by the difficulty in forming around twenty brand new and distinct minyanim and in finding adults to staff them. Rabbi Kroll notes that “many teachers who do not usually run Shacharit minyanim five days a week made a commitment to change their daily schedules to participate in this experiment.

I thought that that reflected very well on our staff, both Judaic and general studies.”

Davening “blowup” week was designed to experiment with new tefillah options in the hope of improving students’ tefillah experiences. Many students agree that the regular tefillah minyanim are not

ideal. Geffen Ohring (’15) finds that “it is just very hard to wake up so early and go to davening knowing that you have many hours of school ahead.” Students also feel that, because so much talking takes place during the service, it loses its meaning

week was most notable for its mildness.

Whereas prior “experiments,” such as Lishma or Phase II were controversial, most students were somewhere in between supportive and indifferent to the tefillah experiment. Gentin feels that “it was a

and spiritual dimension, leaving only a sequence of rituals. Maya Apfelbaum (’13) explains, “I don’t find the current davening situation satisfactory, just because many students don’t take it seriously. They think it’s the perfect opportunity to talk to one another.” Nevertheless, other students do find meaning in their regular Shacharit services. Ariella Gentin (’16) feels that “on the rare occasion where people are not talking, it can be meaningful.”

The reaction to tefillah “blowup”

good idea,” and Ohring acknowledges that “it was an opportunity to find new ways of davening and connecting with G-d.” Rabbi Kroll, reflecting on tefillah “blowup” week, explains that “the tefillah options that were radically different from daily tefillah, like meditation, were transformative for many students.”

Though many students felt comfortable with the davening options offered, some students were disappointed that many minyanim were introduced on paper

with the words “following an abbreviated tefillah…” Apfelbaum didn’t like that “davening was rushed, just to have conversations or art or yoga. As meaningful as that may be, davening should be the top priority.”

Though the school has not yet completed its review of student comments, according to Rabbi Kroll, “one thing that seemed to have a lot of support was the idea of having minyanim of mixed grades.” At SAR, it’s very easy for the grades to slip by one another, as they are separated by floors, by davening, and by schedule. By mixing the grades, students might meet people they would not have otherwise. Mixing the grades might also solve the talking problem since students would have a harder time finding someone to talk to, at least initially.

Other schools, such as Frisch, do mix grades in davening in order to achieve the goal of genuine interaction; however, many underclassman view this minyan as impersonal and intimidating. An anonymous Frisch student explains: “I like the small seniors-only tefillah because it is a much warmer environment where everyone feels comfortable participating in the service and going at their own pace.”

To some students, the new tefillah meant a great deal, and for others, it was a good break from routine. Ohring was glad that “the davening elective allowed me to look forward to the beginning of the day instead of doing the opposite.” Hopefully, the school will be able to incorporate lessons from their experiment into regular tefillah.

And the Site Came Tumbling Down

sar tumblr and other online social media

By Miriam Lichtenberg “SAR Tumblr, Y U No Up?!”

You may have heard this line shouted by your meme-crazed friends. If so, you have some weird friends.

But they are not alone. These friends fall under the category of the avid readers of the SAR tumblr, a blogging site that allows users to post videos, pictures, links, quotes, etc. It was created by an anonymous individual, or group of individuals, whose posts were inside jokes meant for only the SAR community to understand.

Many people thoroughly enjoy this site, finding humor in many of the posts.

“I read [the] tumblr and I thought it was hilarious,” notes Yoni Israel (’14). “I have

read the Tumblr and I think it’s hilarious!

Whoever makes it knows what they are doing,” echoes an anonymous student.

These funny posts from within the SAR community create a close-knit circle in which a freshman can share a laugh with a senior. A commonality amongst the students. However, when the creators heard rumors that the administration found some of their posts offensive, the tumblr was taken down for a short period of time.

The removal of the site caused many students to hypothesize reasons for its disappearance. Most thought that it was because of some insulting posts that riffed upon certain students and teachers. “I read the Tumblr [and]... some jokes were very borderline inappropriate and sometimes

even crossed the line,” remarks Noah Benus (’14). Similarly, an anonymous student voiced, “I breezed through the tumblr once or twice...I feel bad people were offended.

I can imagine it’s pretty hurtful to be made fun of on the tumblr.”

Even beyond the specific posts, some felt uneasy with the site as a whole.

“I was somewhat uncomfortable with the anonymity of it,” explains Ms. Schneider.

She feels that students were not willing to put their name on what they posted because they did not want to take responsibility for it.

As with any online social media, these offensive posts exist partly because people feel more comfortable saying something behind a screen then they do

in person. Ronit Morris (‘15) explains that this phenomenon exists because “it feels more distant and everything seems more casual, so people don’t realize when they cross the line.” Ms. Schneider does not like this phenomenon, explaining that “The idea that if it’s online you don’t have to take responsibility for it is something we have to address.”

The great distance people feel from online social media is also evident in the new SAR Compliments facebook page.

The page, modelled after other university Compliments Pages, invites students to anonymously send compliments of other SAR students to be posted on that student’s Continued on page 15

The Buzz, February 2013

5

Advice Op-EdColumn Debate

Should English and History Classes be Tracked?

AFFIRMATIVE

By Shalhevet Schwartz I’ve been learning how to write a thesis statement for six years. And quite honestly, I’m tired of it.

SAR believes that every individual has something to say, that we can all learn from each other, and that it’s important to know different types of people. And I agree with that. What bothers me is that for some reason, we’ve decided that those principles mean that tracking is inherently a bad thing, that although it is sometimes a necessary evil, we avoid it whenever possible.

Untracked English and History classes, to be frank, don’t reflect any of those principles. When the school tries to make us learn from everyone, it really limits our ability to learn anything at all.

How is someone supposed to keep up in a discussion about theme in the Odyssey if he doesn’t yet understand its plot? And how can we expect someone who reads philosophy for fun to have the patience to spend 20 minutes waiting for the rest of the class to understand a page of Locke?

When it comes down to it, saying that English and History don’t need tracking is pretty insulting to English and History.

Aren’t they just as important as Math and Science? Like all of our other subjects, they are about honing skills that develop over time. Like all of our other subjects, they require analytical thinking, insightfulness, and, yes, some brute memorization. Those skills are just as, if not more, important in an English or History class than in our other classes.

And no matter how much we try to ignore it, different students have different skills and therefore different needs. Some write exceptionally well; others are awful writers but can very easily understand trends and themes in a novel or in a historical era. If SAR wants to benefit everyone, it needs to create classes that are differentiated, that come as close as possible to serving the individual needs of students with different strengths and weaknesses.

I’ve seen untracked classes play out for years. Teachers are faced with a dilemma: they can teach to the top half

RESPONSE BY REBECCA SIEGEL By the time you hit Junior year, AP History classes are offered, so students who want a challenge are certainly getting it. In English, the classes are centered around class discussions in which everyone finds a place in the conversation. When given a standard five-paragraph essay, those who seek a challenge push themselves to develop more complicated theses and use more sophisticated writing. A student who struggles in english, and whose paper will pale in comparison, does not hold back the student who challenges himself.

of the class or to the bottom. I’ve been in classes that were dumbed down to the level of the weakest students, leaving most students bored and uninspired. I’ve also been in classes where the vast majority of the class has no clue what is coming out of the teacher’s mouth. Either way, the teacher engages a few of the students, and the others end up either playing snake or checking their fantasy baseball stats.

People are afraid of tracking English and History classes because they think that we would end up with the same twenty students in all of our classes. But there’s no reason to assume it would play out that way--I’ve seen great writers who still can’t quite wrap their heads around pre-algebra, and I’ve seen kids who memorized the periodic table at age four and yet can’t put together a simple sentence. Many students would end up in high levels for some classes and lower levels in others, and we’d still see at least enough different people in class every day.

It’s true; tracking English and History successfully would be a challenge. There are many different types of skills relevant to English and History classes, and it would

How is someone supposed to keep up in a discussion about theme in the Odyssey if he doesn’t yet understand its plot? be hard to decide which to prioritize over others. However, if the school were to come up with some kind of assessment--not even necessarily a test--that incorporated writing and analytical thinking, it could go a long way towards creating some more English and History classes that are conducive to actual learning.

Last week, we all wrote personal essays in english class. For some of the smartest kids, this essay was the most challenging, because it required drawing on one’s own life experiences. Every student in my class found the assignment difficult. And not everyone in my English class is on the same level, in fact, there are many different “tracks” represented in my class. But with the way SAR has set up the english curriculum, there are challenges for even the most advanced student. And as for learning to write a thesis statement for the last six years-who says you can’t get better at it?

NEGATIVE

By Rebecca Siegel A couple of months ago in English, my class did a project. Everyone was assigned to present something creative and unusual that related to the book we were reading. The results were astounding. I was blown away by the unique talents and ideas of people I’d never been in classes with before and probably never would have encountered, had English and History been tracked.

Before I even knew I was writing this article, I knew I liked the fact that English and History are not tracked in SAR High School. In Math and Science, there are right answers and there are wrong answers, and there isn’t much gray area in the middle. If you don’t understand something, you will inevitably hold your class back and overwhelm yourself.

English and History, on the other hand, are more nuanced and subjective than Algebra. Different people with different skill sets and experiences are able to bring different things to the table in English. An ordinary and unremarkable student might contribute something noteworthy to a discussion on literature. There is a give-and-take in the humanities that there is not in other subjects, wherein students on many different levels can learn from each other without holding each other back.

Every single day, I feel thankful that I am exposed to kids who have so much to offer, but who would never be found in my Math class, or I in theirs. I have never once, not once, felt that a student was holding up the class and hindering my learning, nor that any one student was pushing the class too hard and making it too difficult. English and History lend themselves to an atmosphere that feels communal, in which different people with different talents can connect and learn together.

That is not to say that every student in every English or History class will be on the same level. There will be those for whom these subjects come naturally and those for whom it does not. However, these people can learn together in a single classroom environment, and contribute different things to class discussions, even if these things vary in

RESPONSE BY SHALHEVET SCHWARTZ The fact remains that while there is a lot of discussion in English and History classes, there are equally important aspects of those classes that call for more frontal learning. Writing is probably the most important skill we’ll learn in high school, and facts and dates are integral to any History class. Not much discussion there.

And you’ve admitted that even during class discussions, students on different levels will contribute ideas that “vary in sophistication.” It’s no different from a

their sophistication. At home, every student can approach English and History homework at their own level, and the teacher will assess their performance based on a single standard. Some students, those who find the humanities easier, will do better, but that happens in any class and is to be expected.

In addition to the academic benefits, the social benefits of two untracked classes are enormous. Our school day starts at 8:00 AM and spans until 5:10 PM. During that time, many people, myself included, spend a lot of time with the same 25 kids. It’s a nice break coming to a class where you’re going to see people you wouldn’t otherwise see.

For me, the humanities have always felt like hitting the “refresh” page on my day. New people, new topic, new opinions and voices that haven’t been ringing in my ears for the last seven hours. I’d even go so far as to say that all the new faces in these classes help renew my interest in learning, even during the last period of the day.

As a Junior, History has become semitracked with the introduction of AP US History. History is now harder, as we are basically an honors class with honors expectations.

Sometimes, this means that we can move faster and cover more challenging material than a regular history class. And while I do see the benefits of such a system, especially for upperclassmen who excelled in the humanities in their earlier years of high school, I often miss my untracked history classes of 9th and 10th grade. Students who struggled with history often asked questions that really made me question my own understanding of the material. And since the tests were made to suit the average level of intelligence in the class, it relieved pressure from me to perform well on tests and allowed me to simply enjoy my learning. Being challenged can be rewarding and exciting, but it can also hamper your love of a subject. And the new faces in the English and History added a dose of fun and variety into my day.

For those students who need more enrichment and are reading philosophy on their own time, it’s important to remember that learning doesn’t end in the classroom.

There are plenty of opportunities to challenge yourself in english and history within the walls of SAR through different clubs and extracurricular activities.

geometry student who sits down in a BC Calculus class--class discussions happen on different levels, just as math classes do.

You say you felt less pressure in untracked classes, and you were therefore able to love the subjects more, in other words, that English and History were essentially “lishma” for you. But Lishma isn’t happening again this year--it didn’t work. If we want to learn, we need to be pushed.

6

The Buzz, February 2013

Advice Column School Life

A War of Color Wars shiriyah vs. maccabiah

By Deena Nerwen The past few months have seen a flurry of in-school color wars among a network of Jewish schools in the area. SAR, Frisch, and others have all experienced the breakouts, the work, the sweat, the team-building and the sense of pride that have become trademarks of the typical color war experience.

However, what are the values behind each school’s event that makes it what it is? In what ways are these color wars different, or similar?

At SAR, many students can get caught up in the swirl of activities suddenly thrust upon them—they have to sign up for multiple events, find a complete outfit in their team’s color, actually do the event they signed up for, etc. It’s a hectic two and a half days.

Danielle Harris (’15) explains: “Color war is very fun with a lot of ruach, of course, but also very tiring. I know personally that towards the end, people were less motivated because of all the energy that was asked of them.”

While some students may focus on the stress, others view color war as a relaxing break from class. Either way, we forget to think about why exactly we’re not in class— why color war is there at all.

“There are four basic goals,” Rabbi Kroll states. “To educate students about a topic related to the theme of the year, to have

“Color war is a chance for students to collaborate and come together as a grade with a unified purpose.” students thrive in creative ways that they don’t necessarily have the opportunity to do during regular school, to add ruach and

excitement to the school experience, and to have students in a grade work more closely with each other and develop a stronger sense of cohesion and identity.”

Ms. Germano, a team advisor for the sophomores this year, agrees with Rabbi Kroll’s sentiment. She asserts, “I think that color war is a chance for students to collaborate and come together as a grade with a unified purpose. Also, you get a chance to see students excel in what they do best.

So, perhaps, that student who’s not always seen as being a leader gets a chance to do what they’re really good at.” She also adds a new perspective: “I also think it’s a chance for faculty to get a way to know the kids a little bit better, and learn things about them outside the classroom.”

Now, take a step away from the world of Riverdale, and cross the George Washington Bridge. There, at Frisch, it is no surprise at the assembly when they announce that it is finally time for Shiriyah. The reaction is always chaotic—students get on chairs and chant like crazy. Similar to SAR, captains and a Judaism related topic are assigned

to each grade. Different from Maccabiah, however, Shiriyah breaks out on a Friday.

Students begin coming in on Sunday to start working- and the work doesn’t stop, until the next Thursday night. Their biggest project is to decorate each grade’s hallway, so that it is completely filled with pictures, papers, and other objects that, together, tell a story that relates to the grade’s theme. (SAR doesn’t have this event, but then again, SAR doesn’t have hallways.) Other big projects include stomp, mural, and tzedakah. They don’t collect change, though—their method is slightly more appetizing. Each grade bakes, cooks, brings in food from restaurants, and sells it all as a way of raising money. They also have Cake Boss, similar to our Iron Chef competition.

Adel Rubin (’15), a student at Frisch, feels strongly about the heat of Shiriyah week. “Shiriyah is sort of like war,” she says. “Each grade is going against each other and we want to do better than all the others.”

Jordan Teigman (’13), an SAR transfer stuContinued on next page

Language Logistics

examining the language curriculum

By Ronit Morris “Hola”, “Salve”, “Bonjour”, and “Marhaban” are four words you may hear throughout the building. SAR offers its students a choice of four languages: Spanish, French, Latin, and Arabic.

“I would love if Italian was offered at SAR. I want to learn more Romance Languages,” explains an anonymous senior. So why does SAR offer these four specific languages?

Ms. Penso explains that “when the High School opened in 2003, we offered Latin and Spanish because those languages had been requested by the students’ families.

Arabic was added the year after, and French was added in 2008, both in response to interest expressed.” She notes that exposing students to “less common” languages, such as Arabic and Latin, gives students the chance to “pursue a wider range of intellectual interests and gain broader cultural knowledge.”

She elaborates, “Our foreign language program is very diverse for a school this size, and it attracts students and families who may be looking for something they wouldn’t be able to get at other schools.”

By studying a specific language throughout high school, students hope to learn it well enough to really put it into good use. Yael Marans (‘16), a freshman who chose to pursue Arabic, explains, “I

hope Arabic enables me to communicate with people I wouldn’t otherwise be able to communicate with. By the time I am done at SAR, I hope to understand Arabic when I see it on signs in Israel or wherever else I may encounter it.”

Though Marans seems to share this

a half years of class and not that many class periods.” Miriam Lichtenberg (`14) agrees, adding: “I don’t think students are going to be able to really tackle the language given the short amount of time that we have, but I do think it has the ability to sharpen many useful skills.” Though students may not

hope with most underclassmen, some upperclassmen have mixed feelings regarding whether they have mastered the foreign language they have taken. “I don’t feel like I ‘mastered’ Latin, so to speak,” says the anonymous senior. This senior gives a possible explanation: “I don’t think that is possible [to master a language] with three and

learn the language fluently by the end of high school, they will grasp many parts of it.

Unlike other classes, which meet 4-9 times a week, foreign language meets 2-3 times a week for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors because it shares its weekly time slot with Hebrew. In a given week, a student might have six periods of math or science,

but the same six periods available for language have been divided between Hebrew and foreign language.

The small amount of time allotted to language classes does not seem to affect students’ Hebrew education as much as it affects their foreign language education. Rebecca Harris (‘15) explains, “I don’t think of Hebrew as a [foreign] language, because we are very much affiliated with Israel, and at least for me, I’ve been learning it since I was six.” Many students agree that although they do not consider themselves native Hebrew speakers (and some do not consider themselves Hebrew speakers at all), Hebrew is still more native to them than their optional foreign language class. Devorah Meyers (‘15) confirms: “Hebrew will always be more natural for me than Spanish.” She continues, “Hebrew is a part of being a Jew and Spanish is just a language that we learn.”

Because students have already familiarized themselves with Hebrew before coming to high school, the 2-3 periods a week of Hebrew is a sufficient amount of time.

Though it may sometimes seem as though not enough time is allotted to foreign language, we are lucky to be a part of a school that offers such a diverse curriculum.

If not for anything else, students should appreciate the fact that we do have an opportunity to expand our use of language.

The Buzz, February 2013

7

Advice Column Commentary

Assessing the Impeccable the ideal sar student

By Rachel Weintraub Captain of Boys’ Varsity Basketball?

Check. Editor-in-Chief of The Buzz? Check.

Maintaining a 3.8-4.2 GPA? Check. Attend your shul’s Shabbat services? Check. Well, you just may qualify to be under SAR High School’s file of ideal students.

As any Open House representative knows, perception is key in portraying SAR as a “Modern Orthodox co-educational community of learners.” Students selected to serve on the esteemed panel of similar exemplars seemingly depict an accurate portrayal of typical SAR life. Ranging from Stamford to Westchester, Manhattan to Teaneck; these model students supposedly reflect SAR values, academics, skills, and behavior.

But what’s omitted from these panels is the obvious selectiveness with which these students are chosen. What prospective parent would want to observe an average, low-motivated, B- student, preaching about why their child should attend SAR High School? Most parents prefer to see a teenager of prestige, someone their child can too become if they attend SAR. The question at hand thus begs: What constitutes this ‘ideal’ SAR student?

SAR selects their ideal student based on involvement in student government, Varsity sports teams (of the male variety), academic teams, publishing editors (excluding Jubas News), and peer leaders. And an overlap in these activities? Even better.

For instance, Matt Landes is the incumbent President of the SAR High School student body, captain of Boys’ Varsity Hockey, investment club honcho, and peer leader to a group of freshmen. Elliot David: Vice Presi-

Color Wars Continued from previous page

dent from Frisch, agrees with this attitude: “Students are very involved in Frisch due to the intensity and length of Shiriyah,” he discloses.

These activities, and others, continue throughout the week, until the culmination of Shiriyah on Thursday night. Parents and families come to watch, and each grade sits together in the gym. Every grade sings two songs that they have practiced, and the whole school sings and dances together. Watching the ceremony on live stream online, you may be reminded of a crossbreed between a tisch

dent, peer leader, Boys’ Varsity Volleyball.

Miriam Lichtenberg: Secretary, Buzz editor, Women’s Tefillah activist. These prominent figures within SAR politics inhabit several of its most esteemed groups, making them the most ideal SAR student.

Categorically, though, it is hard to describe the finite being that constitutes an ideal SAR student. Because of his or her varying political views, personalities, and

hobbies, no single overarching definition can extend to each prime teenager. Rather, a certain attitude about them inspires admiration (often times bordering on jealousy). The ease with which they walk around the halls of SAR, befriending student and teacher

alike with their casual cordiality. What your mother would call a “good kid”, even though the adjective “good” in itself doesn’t really describe much.

In trying to formulate a description of said students, the GLCs of SAR, women who are responsible for distinguishing ideal SAR students from the rest, were grilled.

Ms. Hoch, ninth grade co-GLC, emphasized the importance of being an invested student.

Although she’s uncomfortable with the word “ideal,” she does believe that “an SAR student should support what SAR stands for by showing a commitment to the school’s mission, values and policies, make contributions, and set a good example.” Likewise, 11th grade GLC, Ms. Schneider, notes that an “ideal” student is “somebody who is enthusiastic about SAR, and is involved in its learning and its activities.” Ms. Schneider, having recognized the larger grade sizes and therefore wider selection of students, suggested last year to add two more color war captains. This would allow for more students to take on a leadership position which otherwise would not have been available.

Just the phrase “ideal SAR student” evoked a sense of discomfort amongst interviewed teachers. It appeared that many felt cautious, afraid they might say something politically incorrect. Some teachers chose to make a joke of the situation, suggesting cartoon heroes (and villains) to typify SAR paradigms, while others instead squirmed out of unease. But fellow classmates had zero difficulty rattling off names of students thought to encompass the prerequisites for an “ideal student.” Admittedly, many were visibly flummoxed though, whilst grappling with the challenge to assign an exact set of

traits and stipulations to befit the archetypical SAR mold.

Despite the vacant guidelines for becoming an exemplary SAR student, the task is not as simple as one might think. It is a difficult feat to respect teachers without coming across as a groveler to your friends. To be studious, but not take yourself too seriously.

To make jokes, but not at others’ expenses.

To navigate the fine line between a humorous and inappropriate tweet. Because the “ideal” student is respected by students and teachers equally, these seemingly trite clauses actually factor greatly into distinguishing between your average and model student.

On the surface, “ideal” students seem to have it all: the admiration of their classmates, friends, teachers, coaches, my mom, and probably your mom too. But they are a complicated species, one that is difficult to join. So difficult, in fact, that there is no application.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. Yes, there are definitely perks to being dubbed by the SAR administration as an “ideal SAR student”, but without us mere mortals to juxtapose with, the paradigms could hold no ranking of significant value.

And if there was in fact a set of guidelines to follow, then we’d all be pristine templates, and really, where’s the fun in that? Keep on living how you do, commoners!

So what started off as your basic profile of Ricki Heicklen’s life (I am barred from disclosing exactly how much cash she slipped me to say that), turned into an encouragement of some sort. Call it “chizuk” if you will. But don’t go ahead and start confusing me with Moshe Rabeinu: That guy surpasses idealism.

at the school wide shabbaton and a chagigah.

Lastly, the winners are announced. Rubin reveals, “Usually the seniors win, the juniors come into second, sophomores come into third, and freshmen come in fourth…But honestly, there are thousands of people in the gym. It just feels amazing.”

Rabbi Eli Ciner, an Associate Principal at Frisch, is the core coordinator of Shiriyah. He describes the event as the physical display of the ideology behind the yeshiva.

“Shiriyah is an integral component of the Frisch Experience,” he claims. “It is a week when all of the yeshiva’s goals- religious, social, academic, and intellectual are realized through the unique talents of the Frisch

students. Through peer collaboration, the students produce incredible works of art, drama, music, and dance, which showcase and bring to life various Torah ideas, texts and themes.”

Ally Schlisser (’15), a Frisch student, shares one of her favorite aspects of Shiriyah: “If you are the quietest person in your grade, and you have many talents that no one knows that you have, this is the time for you to shine.” Schlisser’s opinion is similar to the sentiment expressed by Ms. Germano in her previous comment about SAR’s Maccabiah. It seems that both color wars symbolize a crucial moment in the high school experience, a period of time when each student is

seen for his or her talents and everyone can get involved. “It brings your whole entire grade together as one,” Schlisser confirms.

Noah Benus (’13) expresses a similar sentiment about SAR: “Color war really brings out the true colors of every grade and every individual.”

The activities and lengths of color war and Shiriyah are different, our breakout video was probably funnier, and we’re located in different states. But there is a common denominator that unites the two. Painting, singing, sports, tweeting… we’re doing it all for a reason, for a greater purpose than to win. Shiriyah and Maccabiah: different, of course. But alike in the ways that matter.

Because the “ideal” student is respected by students and teachers equally, these seemingly trite clauses actually factor greatly into distinguishing between your average and model student.

Special thanks to Andy Wolff and the Riverdale Review for printing this issue of The Buzz.

8

The Buzz, February 2013

Advice Features Column

Sports Corner

An Athelete’s Driving Force

By Harry Scheiner It’s a typical Thursday night at SAR High School. For some reason, you find yourself wandering to the hockey rink, perhaps beckoned there by the stench of male body odor and the sound of agonized grunts.

You may have thought you knew what dedication was. You may have thought you’ve pushed yourself beyond your comfortable limits. You might have; but that phrase is about to take on an entirely new meaning.

Take a look at some of the typical practices that go on not once, but twice every week, in addition to the meets against other schools.

In SAR’s prized yeshiva floor hockey rink, perhaps the world’s first rink designed specifically for this figment of a sport, true work takes place. The coaches, two brothers Howie and Noah Falkenstien, are notorious for the pushups they make their team do after a loss. And the ‘no loss is acceptable’ mentality is evident from the typical journey

they’ve taken to find themselves where they are this year. Matt Landes (‘13) reveals, “We started with a chip on our shoulder, expected to be one of the worst SAR varsity teams ever. And we started out the season like that, with two losses to really bad teams.”

But with hard work and true dedication, the Boys Varsity Hockey team found themselves beating some of the best teams in the league, on their way to a six game winning streak.

Landes explains that by “Going into practice with the expectation to improve, our team has gotten exponentially better. Every practice we leave fulfilled, and it really shows in the games, where we execute the stuff we learn.” Goalie, Adam Lavi (‘13), notes that the mentality of everyone on the team has improved significantly. “The night before a game now, I’m thinking about the game, eating the right stuff, so when I go into a game I’m ready, and the same really goes for everyone.” It’s not all talk either; in the first game the team blocked a total of 0 shots,

and, in their most recent game, they blocked 22. Additionally, Lavi reduced the amount of goals he’s been letting in from 4 to 1, an immense improvement (he’s now considered one of the elite goalies in the league). With continued hard work, we wish them the best of luck in hopefully another odyssey to the finals (only this year with a better outcome).

Just when you think you’ve seen the face of someone truly beat down and dripping from a grueling practice, you walk a little further to the unsuspected location of wrestling practice, the davening room.

Wrestling Practice- Jog, jog jog, ready to sprint? READY! SPRINT! Jog, jog, stance motion..SPRAWL...and the list goes on. By the end of the warm ups, the entire team will already be dripping bullets of sweat on the mat, or on the stairwell. The workouts will often feature some essential wrestling moves, such as shots and sprawls, and sometimes bizarre workouts that push muscles you never knew you had, way be-

yond their comfortable limits. Did you know how much it hurts to crawl like a bear? Or how to do a seemingly perpetual army crawl through a circle of your teammates, then jump over them? Well, neither did the wrestling team until they started, fell down, got up, fell down, and then got up again. After mounds of workouts, learning and practicing techniques, and an implausible amount of pushups, the practice ascends, (or descends depending on how you look at it) into live wrestling. The best words to describe the amount of energy live wrestling takes, were said by Robert California in “The Office”; (paraphrased) “I can run uphill for an hour everyday, or I can wrestle for nine minutes once a month.” And it’s true; wrestling works every muscle in your body, including your brain, to its fullest capacity, and then some more. To put it into a tangible number, a typical practice will result in 3-4 pounds of Continued on page 12

College Pressure at SAR To survey opinions on college pressures, the following polls were taken. 9th and 10th graders took one poll, and 11th and 12th graders took a separate one. Elana Rosenthal obtained the following results, polling close to 200 students.

9th and 10th Grade

11th and 12th Grade

In the above and below polls, students were able to select more than one option, so percentages do not add up to 100%

The Buzz, February 2013

9

Advice Column Features

SWITCHED at BIRTH

The Buzzer

How many steps are in the school?

The first person to tweet or email us the correct answer will be featured in our next issue’s Pop Culture Grid. You can reach us at @TheSarBuzz or thebuzz@sarhighschool.org.

Hillel Mannis (‘16)

Ezra Cohen (‘14)

Top 5 Reasons why the Shabbaton was shortened: 5. The Stamford kids were afraid that the school would see their farm if they didn’t leave at night 4. The teachers wanted the night at the hotel to party themselves 3. The Juniors couldn’t miss their 9am SAT tutors 2. Less time at the hotel = less opportunities to pull a fire alarm 1. They ran out of money from buying Rabbi Bloom’s iPads.

STATEMENT FROM STUDENT GOVERNMENT

The rumors are true. You are reading a statement from the last secretary of the student government of SAR. Along with Zachary Nelkin’s infamous charter, we have totally revamped the student government system. Get excited for that! Also, the student apparel sales are underway so please place your orders now so you all can look mighty fine. And thanks to Mr. Elliot David and Co., recycling bins have been placed on each floor, and I hope you are all making excellent use of them. Go green! Additionally, the attempts for the whole school to break a world record are also well underway so that’s super cool. Sting nation, it’s been a pleasure serving as your secretary. But this will hopefully not be the last of me in student government.

For more updates please follow us on Twitter @StingSG. Miriam Lichtenberg

Faculty Facts Each issue, The Buzz features an interview with a faculty member at or around SAR High School. Buzz Correspondent Arly Mintz sat down with William Speedling, an IT manager at SAR. Arly Mintz: Where have you lived and where do you live now?

William Speedling: I have lived in the Bronx my entire life, and still live there to this day.

AM: Have you always wanted to have a profession involving technology?

WS: Yes! As a child, I was a video game enthusiast and that seemed to translate into me becoming a technician.

WS: I started out working in a small computer repair shop, then decided that it would be cool to work in a school.

AM: What made you decide to come to SAR? WS: I had been working at Fieldston, and when this job opportunity came around, I decided that it would be great because I really enjoy being in a school environment.

Name: Mr. William Speedling Position: IT Manager AM: What is the most interestBirthplace: New York, New ing thing about you?

York AM: Where did this passion Family: One brother; one stem from?

WS: Well, I first learned about sister electricity when I was younger

by cutting a power chord with a nail clipper. It turned into a big explosion. I wasn’t hurt, but my mom had to come running in to help me. I’m kind of traumatized- now, every time I see sparks, I get really nervous.

AM: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

WS: I have a wide range of hobbies. I really enjoy building model cars and airplanes.

As a child, I used to make small houses out of popsicle sticks. I really like making pretty much anything miniature. I am also a huge lego finatic.

AM: Do you prefer working with Macs or PCs? WS: They each have their pros and cons. I don’t want to pick favorites.

AM: On average, how long does it take you to do your hair in the morning?

WS: Usually around 10 minutes. I use a lot of hair gel, especially when my hair starts getting longer. Otherwise, it looks like a mushroom cut. I use about a tub of gel a month- maximum hold, of course!

10

The Buzz, February 2013

Advice Column Student Life

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Oh My!

the effects of diversity on school social dynamics

By Hilla Katz Students commute to SAR both locally and from long distances; from many places, ranging from far away Stamford, Connecticut to North Riverdale. SAR seems to attract students from a wide range of communities; from all types of religious, educational, and geographic backgrounds.

Though students ride to school with others that live near them, Noa Friedman (‘16) notes, “Towards the beginning of the [freshmen] year, since everybody came from different schools, people were mostly friends with who they went to school with, but now, as the year goes on, people are friends with more people from different schools.” Jessica Kane (‘15) agrees, declaring: “Cliques would be the same way they are now if every student at SAR lived in Riverdale.”

Yoni Israel (‘14) disagrees with Kane, stating: “I definitely believe that some kids from the same community stick together. I see the New Rochelle kids hanging out a lot and sharing inside jokes and the Englewood kids too. I think this was slightly problematic during freshman year, just because it was harder to get to know people that way, but at

this point it’s no longer an issue.”

While living in a diverse community has its advantages, it also has its drawbacks.

Other schools in the New York area show the advantages of having a homogenous community. Lauren Pianko, a junior at HAFTR, explains that “Since we all live near each other, everyone has known each other since nursery school so everyone knows everything about everyone else. There aren’t any secrets because we’ve all known each other so long.” She further explains that the lack of diversity among the student body promotes a sense of comfort among students: “Since we have all known each other forever everyone is friends or friendly with each other.” Additionally, students at Heschel, a Jewish private school in Manhattan, claim that the social dynamics within their school generally tend to remain static because of the narrow range of communities from which students come.

Dr. Hoffman, taking a different approach, feels that the main issue with a diverse community is that “kids in school will have friendships and develop relationships with other people who they don’t live in proximity to.” He continues, “And in a

school like this, a lot of people will socialize on shabbat, which means that you have less immediate access to your friends sometimes.” Danielle Kramer, another junior at HAFTR, agrees with Dr. Hoffman. She admits that one of the benefits of living so close to all of her school friends is being able to “get together a lot every Shabbos and every Saturday night.”

While we tend to ignore the geographic diversity of the student body in our daily school life, we are reminded of it as a community in various circumstances. “When hurricane Sandy hit, there were certain areas that were much more affected than others,” Dr. Hoffman recalls. “There were kids in Riverdale who didn’t see such a big difference in their lives as opposed to the kids in Long Island whose houses were destroyed. I think that we’re more likely to be aware of that when we have a school community that draws students from all these other places that are still reeling from Sandy.”

Geographic diversity may also lead to an exposure to different definitions of Modern-Orthodoxy. Arly Mintz (‘14) explains, “Just because we are Jewish and a ModernOrthodox school doesn’t mean that there

aren’t different types of people. There’s still diversity that exists.” Ezra Cohen (‘14) confirms this, explaining that “people from certain places do tend to have different religious upbringings and different religious views.”

Others, such as Dorit Sosnowik (‘14), feel the contrary. “I actually think that in smaller friend groups most people tend to have the same religious views,” states Sosnowik.

Diversity, with all of its positive connotations, can possibly have its limits. Our geographic diversity inevitably leads to an influx of students from communities that may differ from SAR in their religious standards. The question of whether or not to accept students from these communities is a debate that is not new to the SAR community.

It seems that students agree that with more diversity comes changes to the SAR community, both positive and negative.

Maybe more kids will create a “more rebellious atmosphere,” as Cohen calls it. But on the other hand, “the more diverse we are, the more interesting the school can be,” declares Shalhevet Schwartz (‘15).

The Buzz, February 2013

11

Advice Column School Life

Gracious, Loquacious, and Cordial examining the roles of glcs

By Lilly Scherban Walk into any GLC office and you’ll be greeted by a room bursting with boisterous students. They may be sprawled on the multiple couches, eating candy, or simply talking to each other or their GLC. If a student needs a place to be, the GLC offices are among the most friendly and relaxed environments in the building.

When students returned to school in September 2008, they were greeted with a new addition to the SAR faculty: GLCs, or Grade Level Coordinators. GLCs were introduced because, as the school grew larger, the administration wanted to make sure that they were still catering to the needs of every individual. Dr. Schwartz, one of the original and current GLCs, explains that the school wanted to maintain a “culture in which everybody knew every kid and was looking out for every kid and taking care of every kid.”

She explains that the administration felt that they “needed another layer of people that knew what was going in students’ lives,” and their response was to create GLCs. When GLCs were first introduced, their

roles were a little ambiguous. As Dr. Weiss, the first GLC for the 11th grade, explained at the time, “The actual responsibilities of each GLC will be more defined by each grade it-

les, Rabbi Stein, and Dr. Schwartz.

GLCs were met with mixed reactions. There were a few students who were very optimistic about GLCs. However, there

Many students felt that GLCs’ roles would conflict with existing advisors’ jobs. That first year was a trial run. Rabbi Harcsztark said: “If something is not working, we’ll fix it.”

Fast forward five years and the GLCs have become a central part of a grade’s dynamic. The GLCs’ job has evolved into an all encompassing one. Ms. Schneider, the current 11th grade GLC, explains, “I’m a guidance counselor about everything ….social issues, academic, personal--it’s the full gamut, obviously focused around their life in school but not always.”

GLCs are different from advisors because, as Dr. Schwartz points out, advisors are only in charge of “the lives of those ten kids,” while GLCs are in charge of “what’s going on in the life of the grade as a whole,” and all of the “social challenges that need navigating.” Despite this difference, Dr. Schwartz admits that there is overlap between GLC and advisor roles. However, she doesn’t necessarily view that as a problem.

GLCs and advisors ensure that students have

self.” The other first GLC’s were Ms. Chana-

were others who doubted their effectiveness.

Continued on page 15

Friends, Enemies, or Frenemies? defining the senior and junior grades

By Maya Pretsfelder Every high school has a pecking order: seniors rule the school, juniors wallow in work, sophomores still struggle with their underclassman status, and the freshmen, new and bubbly, cause one large headache with all their newfound excitement for life.

In SAR, such norms are not to be tampered with. They become the building blocks of each grade’s unique personality. The juniors and seniors of this year, the veterans of the school, have dramatically changed their reputations from year to year.

When the Class of 2013 came into SAR, “No one really thought we could pull off being good seniors, and everyone had such low expectations,” recalls Jordyn Wasserman (’13). The grade had developed a reputation, a personality, defining not only them, but their legacy.

“We really had to step it up, and we all came into this year with so much enthusiasm and excitement,” Wasserman shares. “Now there’s a sense of acceptance and appreciation for each other that I’ve never really felt before this year.”

The change in senior grade dynamics was not only noticed by seniors themselves, but by members of other grades as well. “I used to think the grade was kind of random, and not really so compatible together, but this year they really united,” explains Re-

becca Harris (’15).

The unity of the senior grade sets an example for the grades that follow. Recently, Ms. Pollak sat the 11th grade down, giving them an early peer leadership speech and a preview of senior year. Her speech ended with a warning about the role the juniors play in the future of the school. “You have to think about what kind of seniors you want to be,” she said, “Who you want to become and what you need to do to get there.”

Between all the mayhem of the junior year grind, the Class of 2014 has begun to do just that. They have begun to mold a personality for themselves, defining who they want to become. The junior class’ status in the school has dramatically changed over the past two and a half years. Though the junior grade is no longer the largest grade in the school, their presence still seems huge.

Members of this grade have started to recognize this shift as well. “It took awhile for our grade to overcome our differences, and I think we are still working on figuring some issues out,” Noah Benus (‘14) admits. He then continues to reassure, “But I think we are coming gradually closer.”

Though the junior grade is in the process of improving, it seems that an underlying issue, competitiveness, still stands in its way. “I really think that the junior grade is pretty competitive,” Harris explains. She does acknowledge that “they are also really

talented.” Some juniors do not view this competition as a problem, but believe that it helps create a junior grade identity. “Yes, our grade has a reputation of being competitive, but over the years we have learned to get used to it,” explains Miriam Lichtenberg (’14). “It can be really frustrating at times, when you have so much pressure around

“Yes, our grade has a reputation of being competitive, but over the years we have learned to get used to it” you, but I think our grade has figured out how to embrace it and use it to our advantage,” she concludes.

Competition in the junior grade was especially evident following this year’s color war. As the seniors claimed victory with cheers and cries, 135 juniors stood bewildered by their defeat. They did not simply admit defeat and move on. Was it because of their competitive drive? Was it their need to be the best? Or were they just trying to claim what was rightfully theirs?

Wasserman explains that it is understandable why the juniors were so upset.

“No one really thought the seniors had what it took to be good seniors, so the juniors kind of felt like they were the best grade in the school,” she explains. “There was a huge upset and all the juniors and seniors kind of hated each other around that point, each trying to defend their grade,” she concludes.

Most students, however, feel that color war is by nature competitive, and the tension that resulted was merely a natural response to it. In the wake of the upperclassmen struggle, the differences have been put aside.

Bridges have been mended, and no bad feelings remain between juniors and seniors.

Juniors even admit that they look up to the senior class. “We view the senior class with a sense of admiration (when we are not envious about their elevator privilege),” explains Benus. “In a way we are sort of S.I.T. (Seniors In Training). They set the example for us and we follow. We take what we see them do and we copy, adding our own touch of our grade into the molding pot of SAR.” Just as an individual’s personality fluctuates, a grade’s reputation changes from year to year. And maybe the upperclassmen grades aren’t so different after all. Both grades strive to grow and become the class that will never be forgotten, and each is on its way.

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The Buzz, February 2013

Advice Column School Life

Right Place, Right Deed

students respond to pact

By Dalia Scheiner and Rebecca Harris “We believe that such events are not appropriate for our students and we are concerned about unsafe activities in which some students might engage. We strongly advise you to discourage your children from attending such events.” When PACT was introduced in an email in October, most students rolled their eyes at the sight of yet another email from the high school, and clicked the delete button without a moment’s indecision.

The email warning about a party that was being held in the city was merely a part of the new initiative within our school, PACT. Alongside a smooth transition of PACT into the SAR environment, there seemed to be a realization amongst students that a drug culture might not be dominant at SAR. An anonymous senior affirms, “I do not think that there is a big ‘drug culture’ at our school.

There are always going to be a few incidents, because it is a high school, but I do not think that anyone associates SAR High School as

a school with an actual problem. Especially compared to other schools, I think we are known to have the least problem of all the schools.” An anonymous sophomore agrees,

With the freedom that the PACT document grants to the students, many students want to comply with the requests of the school. stating: “Some kids abuse drugs, but they don’t overpower the school culture.”

“The drug culture at SAR is much less dangerous and severe than any other high school I know. Being teenagers, of course drugs are present in certain social gatherings. However, it is a rarer occurrence than in other high schools,” confirms an anonymous junior.

Most students believe that the passivity which the school is taking outside its walls is exactly the right approach to the relatively tame drug culture of our school. With the freedom that the PACT document grants to the students, many students want to comply with the requests of the school. Parallel to this predominate acceptance, students seem to agree that any other measures taken to address this issue would be an intrusion on the “extracurricular” activities that students partake in.

SAR does not believe in taking extreme measures to monitor drugs, as other schools do. At Frisch, for example, the administration gives drug tests to their students. An anonymous Frisch student explains that “it

[the drug testing] prevents students who would normally do drugs from doing them.”

Even though drug testing may not create the best atmosphere, the goal of diminishing the drug culture seems to be achieved.

On the other hand, SAR’s way of dealing with the so-called “drug culture” successfully reflects many of its values and ideals. Rabbi Harcsztark believes that “what is unique about the way that we’re dealing with it is that we are focusing primarily on building a culture of talking about it, and trust and kind of shared values of trying to work towards creating something, as opposed to something that’s more punitive and threatening.” He continues, “So we’ve been trying to avoid, [and] have traded off the option of using force for culture building. So we aren’t doing drug testing, and we are trying to do a lot more of this optional signing on. That’s why...we haven’t forced them [parents and students] to sign a contract, we have asked them to sign recognizing what our expectations and hopes are.”

Pondering the Parshah

students respond to the new parshah initiative

By Melissa Lavine Last year, Monday mornings meant two things. The beginning of another week and...parshah quizzes. Every week, students were given quizzes to test their knowledge and study of the weekly parshah. However, this year, SAR has taken a new approach to students’ parshah learning. Over the weekend, students and parents study the parshah together. They can focus on the entire parshah, or choose to focus on any idea, concept, or parshan that sparks their interest.

Ms. Schlaff articulates the goals of the program: “The driving idea behind the family parshah program is that we would like to encourage parents and students to have meaningful interactions around Torah. We were not happy with how the parshah quizzes played out and did not feel that they led to meaningful learning. What we really

Sports Corner Continued from page 8

weight loss, no exaggeration.

While most of the school was at Winterfest, I mean Homecoming, Kevin Danishefsky (‘14), or as we like to call him KD, was getting his first win against Frisch. It was pretty too, putting the kid to sleep with a move called the cradle. Kevin accomplished what we all knew he could. (You can find it

wanted was to generate meaningful Torah discussions in homes.”

The new parshah system has rendered the old weekly parshah quizzes obsolete. In previous years, despite students’ enthusiasm to learn the parshah every week, parshah quizzes caused much unnecessary angst and stress.

Ruby Toledo (’14) explains that the new parshah program is better because “It’s very individual in that a student picks what they like the most and writes about that.”

Beverly Satosky (‘14) agrees, explaining that there is a “lishma” aspect to the new system. “If I had to take the quizzes, I wouldn’t like it because I would feel more pressure to get a good grade and that would take away from the learning of Torah,” Satosky states.

Leah Slaten (‘13) is extremely passionate about the program. “The parent student parshah program is amazing,” Slaten declares.

She elaborates: “Every week, I learn parshah with my parents and with a friend. The questions force me to consider possibilities that I never would have conceived before.

It also opens discussions that I otherwise would probably not have with my parents.”

Though many students appreciate the new program, some feel that it is not so efficient. Parshah learning requires not just the focus of students, but parent participation as well. Some parents are not passionate about the learning or have difficulty finding time to learn their children, and students, as a result, are not encouraged to learn the parshah. However, though Hannah Saal learns parshah on her own, she is enthusiastic about her learning. She shares: “Usually, I read Rashis and comment on them. That’s what I usually do, unless I’ve been somewhere or heard someone discuss something that interested me at the dinner table.”

Some students feel that, in order to improve the program, Tanakh or Gemara classes should dedicate time on Fridays to parshah learning. Saal States: “I think the best way to learn parshah would be to learn in class with our teachers.”

Overall, it seems that the parshah program is in a constant state of evolution.

While there might be aspects that not everyone enjoys, ultimately, the hope is that the parshah program will enable meaningful learning to go on at home. Ms. Schlaff concludes: “Our sense is that more students are learning parshah more meaningfully and more families are involved in learning. We will continue to tweak the program as we get more feedback from students, parents, and teachers.”

on facebook.) KD was relentless, you could tell he was hungry. With this mentality contagiously spreading to the rest of the team, SAR has a very solid group of wrestlers. Despite only being a 2nd year team, they have already upped their reputation amongst the Yeshiva League wrestling teams, putting forth a group of impressive wrestlers, and a chance to do very well at the end of the year tournament.

So why try so hard? What is it about sports that motivates us to give up all of our free time, watch what we eat, and wake up an hour early to punish our muscles? For some it may be egotistical. For some it may be purely for enjoyment. While both of those may be partial motivators for many, the true driving force is much more significant. Athletes are all working towards one goal: accomplishment. Whether it be first place, im-

provement, or a healthier and stronger body, through sports athletes channel their desire to accomplish and be the best they can be. In the face of adversity and hardship, they can therefore keep going. There is never an excuse to give in, but there is always a reason to keep going.

The Buzz, February 2013

13

Advice School Column Life Female Gemara Teachers Continued from page 1

who chooses to remain anonymous, expresses her own opinions on this topic. Though she believes that girls should be able to learn Gemara, she feels that “there is a certain female position in Judaism and a certain male position and they should not cross boundaries unless necessary.”

Other Yeshivot in the area, like SAR, feel that hiring women to teach Gemara is completely acceptable. Ma’ayanot, an allgirls school in Teaneck, NJ, currently has five female Gemara teachers and two male ones. Mrs. Appel, the assistant principal at the school, claims that “We are comfortable with the idea of women as teachers of Gemara for both men and women. In fact, we have had communal events at which our female Gemara teachers have taught to large groups of both men and women.”

Ramaz Upper School first hired a female Gemara teacher two years ago. Rabbi Goldmintz, Educational Department headmaster at Ramaz, claims that “we were one of the first, if not the first, to hire a woman Talmud faculty member many many years ago.” He explains that “we have had women teaching in our middle school for some time.” He claims that though until recently there has been a hiatus in hiring women to

SAR’s Progression Continued from page 1

occasionally an individual teacher would address the situation to an individual student.

Mr. Huber admits, “I have to say that some students in the beginning wore outfits that even made me uncomfortable.”

No longer as noticeable, but very much obvious in SAR’s first years, was a “pioneering spirit.” According to Rabbi Harcsztark, all the students had a role in the amazing experience of building up the school from the very bottom. Now, he explains, “it’s much harder to generate that kind of spirit of everyone being able to feel like they are really contributing.” Ms. Brandriss agrees, “Everyone worked hard on building this school, so you felt that this was really a group effort with so many dedicated people.”

Unfortunately, such a “pioneering spirit” simply cannot forever exist. Dr. Schwartz reasons that it’s nearly impossible to “create the sense that everything is new in a school that’s been around for ten years” because “its inevitable for that to change.”

Despite these several shortcomings, several students consider those years to be the best SAR ever had, referring to them as

teach Gemara, this wasn’t a halachic issue.

“Our concern has always been to find the most qualified and effective people to teach, regardless of gender.”

Shoshana Edelmen, a Junior at Ramaz and a student of the sole female Talmud teacher at the school, is pleased with how her class has been faring so far this year.

“I think that people get nervous about things around feminist issues; that it’s a sign of being overly-liberal and there’s concern about how it relates to Halacha.”

She thinks that her teacher “has a more commanding presence and dynamic style than other teachers I have had.” However, she does admit that “I don’t think it has anything the “glory days.” Whereas the high school back then was “laid-back” and didn’t strictly enforce a set guide of rules and regulations, the high school now is the complete opposite.

Adam Friedman, a fellow who also attended SAR in its first years, thinks that students call SAR’s first days its “glory days” because people tend to long for something that they missed out on, instead of focusing on what they do have. In fact, he sees nothing wrong with having rules and structure.

He opines, “[Rules and structure] give our lives a sense of order.” Schindelheim feels that the “old days” weren’t better or worse than now, they were just different.

Dr. Schwartz suggests that because the “overall experience was such a positive one students don’t pay attention to the small pieces that weren’t as tightly in place as they needed to be.” Adam Friedman affirms this statement, stating: “The amazing memories have totally blocked out any ‘bad’ memories.”

Whether SAR in its first years was worse, better, or just different from now, the changes the administration made over the years were necessary due to the growing student body. It’s difficult, and probably very

to do with the fact that she is a woman. I would like to think that there are no gender-based differences.” Initially, this hiring “took some getting used to for some people, but as far as I know no one has expressed being uncomfortable with it.” She believes that “gender should be no obstacle to teaching Gemara. There is no aspect of teaching Talmud or teaching in general that is beyond a woman’s ability.”

Surprisingly, when SAR was first established, hiring women to teach Gemara was not a “given.” “It was a decision, we were interested in making it happen, but we actually did not start with female Gemara teachers straight out,” says Rabbi Harcsztark. “Ms. Schlaff was one of the first hires who was capable of teaching Gemara, and still she co-taught a class with Rabbi Katz, who was on our Gemara staff the first year of school.” Though having a co-teaching set-up was nice educationally and interesting, Rabbi Harcsztark explains that it “certainly was also a way to try out having female Gemara teachers, a way to ease in that idea and see how it worked, have people get used to it.”

He attributes this initial policy to “the politics” at the time, describing how “it was an issue for a lot of people.” He continues, “I think that people get nervous about things around feminist issues; that it’s a sign of being overly-liberal and there’s concern about

how it relates to Halacha.” “We had a value but we also wanted to practically approve of that in a way that was going to not peg us too much and not have people arrive at superficial decisions about what we were about based on things like that.” Regretfully, he admits that “I’m not exactly sure I’m proud about the way it happened in its first run, maybe it would have been bolder to just do it [without letting all the politics get involved].”

Despite the lingering issues with this topic, Ms. Schlaff argues that “In the past it was a much more controversial idea than it is nowadays.” She believes this is because “nowadays, with women being exposed to all sorts of knowledge and being out there in the world, careers, and in positions of power,” all barriers to women’s knowledge essentially have been removed.

Ms. Schlaff enjoys teaching both Tanakh and Gemara, and finds both environments fairly comfortable. “My hope, and I think we’ve pretty much gotten there at SAR, is that we can become gender blind, meaning I don’t want to be a ‘female Gemara teacher’. I want to be a Gemara teacher, and what I really love about the culture of the school is that no one makes a big deal about it.”

ineffective, to use a system that ran a student body of sixty-eight students for a student body of nearly five-hundred students.

Ms. Brandriss asserts that “as the school grew...more formal procedures and policies had to be put in place.” Changes as small as switching to a set and organized bell schedule were made. Ms. Brandriss recounts that the science room was initially the current art room on the first floor, but eventually had to move to a larger area. Mr. Huber

community meetings in which students actually created policies through a democratic process....now, with the school as large as it is, it would be hard to make community meetings feasible.”

Schindelheim considers the size of the school to be the main struggle going forward. She notes that “The school’s challenge is to work with the number of students...and continue to foster the same kind of environment, with the same values, as it did when there were two-hundred kids in the school.”

The creation of SAR was a project that required the initiative and input of both faculty and students. It was a process that, in retrospect, was both an adventure and a challenging task. Over the years, the school has flourished in all areas, and the building has expanded and modernized. Nevertheless, the open classroom atmosphere and unique philosophy first introduced by its founders still remains. It is no wonder that the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) reported, “We cannot recall another school where the sense of mission is so vibrant and evident throughout all components of school life.”

Mr. Huber admits, “I have to say that some students in the beginning wore outfits that even made me uncomfortable.” explains that whereas “back then there were

Readers are invited to submit letters or responses to articles and editorials in The Buzz. Letters may be sent to: thebuzz@sarhighschool.org (Submissions may be edited for length or content). Readers can read and respond to articles on The Buzz’s website, TheSARBuzz.org.

14

The Buzz, February 2013

Advice Column Advertisement

Parents! Staff! Students! Siblings!

Matanot Laevyonim

JOIN US for MEGILLAH READING

The money will be distributed on Purim to needy Jews in the Bronx and in Israel. Through this distribution, you will fulfill your chiyuv. Checks can be made out to SAR.

Saturday Night Motzaei Shabbat

February 23, 2013 14 Adar 8:00 pm at SAR HS

Buy your SAR Megillah Today!

We will have buses for SAR students from Stamford - Westchester - NJ Buses will depart at 7pm from central locations (details to follow) You must sign up online to take the bus!

We will have two readings ●one by men for men & women in the gym ●one by women for women in the Beit Midrash

COME IN COSTUME! THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES FOR STUDENTS & STAFF Students and staff will continue to celebrate together with more music and dancing, a free Chinese Auction, video shpiels, music and a costume contest!

PRE-PURIM GIRLS ONLY PROGRAM!!!

Wednesday, February 20 Come for good FOOD, good LEARNING, and good FRIENDS and FUN!

The Buzz, February 2013

15

Advice Student Column Life

Current Sports Standings (wins- losses- ties)

Girls Varsity Volleyball: 7-2 Girl’s JV Volleyball: 6-2 Boys JV Basketball: 6-3 Boys Varsity Basketball: 8-5 Girls JV Basketball: 7-3 Girls Varsity Basketball: 8-3 Boys JV Hockey: 8-2 Boys Varsity Hockey: 8-5-1 Wrestling: 4-3 These sports standings are as of Sunday, February 3rd

Glorious GLCs Continued from page 11

“a support system in school.” However, students can approach whomever they desire for guidance. Dr. Schwartz explains, “We don’t try to steer students... students should go to whomever they feel comfortable going to,” even if it’s not always the GLC. While GLCs respect student decisions about whom to approach, they do reach out to certain students. The GLCs want to have a connection with every student, and their “goal is to get to know all the kids in the

SAR Tumblr Continued from page 4

wall publicly. They receive hundreds of compliments a day, leaving us with a cluttered newsfeed. The creator reported that the intent behind the page was “to make people feel good about themselves anonymously.”

However, though a few compliments seem warm and heartfelt, many feel that the majority of the posts are inside jokes between friends or insults dressed in nice words that appear to be a compliment.

“I think [the] SAR compliments page

grade,” as Dr. Schwartz remarks, but they realize that some kids need more attention than others. There are students who need help “but are not as obvious as coming to ask for it.” Part of the GLCs’ job is to “reach out to them” and let them know that if they need help, they are there for them.

The amount of help that GLCs can provide varies from grade to grade. Ninth graders usually need the most help because of the difficult transition into high school. Emily David (‘15) notes that GLCs “welcome you in and help you with the transition.” Even though the freshman grade consists of 151

kids, the freshmen are still able to connect with their GLCs. Shira Silver (‘16) remarks, “I love them! They are chill, but caring and effective at helping make life easier.”

GLCs serve multiple roles in the school; many are even teachers. Ms. Schneider claims that this is not ideal, explaining that “[students] might feel like I’m judging them in the classroom on the things” that happen outside of the classroom because “I know more than an average teacher knows.”

However, Dr. Schwartz, as well as many students, thinks that it is good to be both a teacher and a GLC because you can bond

more with the students: “You get to know the kids in a different way by teaching them and interacting with them.”

Students develop strong relationships with their GLCs. Ms. Schneider, and really all GLCs, feel that they “support kids and help them with issues that come up.” They help students become self sufficient; they “get them on the path to advocate for themselves.” GLC offices have become the center of each grade floor; they are an essential component of SAR’s administration, and, as Dr. Schwartz claims, “as a school, we feel that it’s been a very big success.”

is pointless. People use it as a place to post jokes with their friends. I just thinkit’s stupid,” states a student who wishes to remain anonymous. Alana Woloshin (’16) notes that though “I think the SAR compliments page is great idea,” it could get out of hand. “People might mean well when they send in a compliment about their friends or peers, but a total bystander could see it and think its offensive.”

Though some students believe that the SAR Compliments facebook page can become offensive, the SAR Compliments creators claim that they do weed out

the bad compliments that they receive. “I don’t post everything people say because there are sometimes inappropriate things.

I would never want to make the school look bad,” explains a manager of the SAR Compliments page in a Facebook message.

But again, the SAR Compliments page does create a culture in which people talk behind a computer instead of having a face-to-face conversation. SAR Compliments defends themselves by arguing that “Sometimes people may not feel so comfortable going up to someone they’re not

really friends with and telling them something they admire about them.” Rebecca Sichel (’13) expresses an opposing view: “Not being able to sign your name and be held accountable for something you say or write is cowardice and not something I think we should be promoting.”

These problems with anonymity and social media exist not only with the tumblr and the SAR Compliments page, but also the other various facebook pages, including SAR Insults, SAR Match, and SAR Pick Up Lines.

16

The Buzz, February 2013

Advice Column Dear JK, Every now and then I come down for lunch and have no idea what to eat.

Sometimes, it takes me so long to decide, I end up missing lunch because the period ends before I’m ready to choose.

Where is the best place to eat lunch?

Munchless Lunches Dear Munchless Lunches, We know what you mean. Now that we have been in SAR for almost four years we’ve learned the ropes of lunchtime dilemmas, although our lunchtime dilemmas usually consist of thinking of the most inconvenient place to eat my lunch. Sometimes, we set up shops on the stairs just as class is starting, and watch as everyone apologizes for stepping on our legs. At the end of the day our school is very polite.

First, we would recommend Noah’s, as it is by far the closest and most convenient. You can pretty much get anything there, as long as you are will-

ing to sacrifice your right arm and first born child. Once, when I was waiting online and thinking about how cool bowties are, I almost stepped on a baby. Well, I only learned this after I heard a loud “WATCH IT!” from an angry young woman. The next year, I learned that this woman was Ms. Heller. I haven’t asked her if she remembers this.

If you are in the mood, Carlos and Gabby’s is a good choice. We always tell our friends that we are no fun company there because we always get the same thing: jalapeno peppers, lots and lots of water, and lots and lots of bathroom trips.

Dunkin’ Donuts is also a good choice. When we go, we mostly get toasted sesame bagels with tuna. It’s about 3 or 4 dollars. I can’t really tell you the prices of anything else because I learned this neat way to get free stuff when I was a sophomore. When I was in 10th grade, I would ask girls to come

with me to Dunkin’ Donuts, and would have them order before me. They usually did not know what they wanted, and would flirt with the guy at the counter while they decided. The guy would then give us free cookies, which I ate. I stopped doing this, though, because I realized it was wrong. I was taking advantage of them, when what I really wanted was peanut butter cookies. Although the chocolate chunk ones are good, peanut butter is better any day.

like the rest of our grade.

Happy Munching, Knoam and J. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sydney

However, we think the best option is to bring your own lunch. Sure, it’s a hassle and you will have to wake up earlier, but it saves the stress, its healthier, and it can be cheaper. There is also room for variety, unless you decide to bring the same chicken nuggets every single day (although sometimes you eat them with rice, and sometimes with noodles, so hey, you never know).

Knoam Spira and J. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sydney, our advice specialists

Or, you can decide not to eat and can blame it on having too much work,

To submit a question to The Buzz, email TheBuzz@SARHighSchool.org. If you want a serious answer, please make it clear so we don’t embarrass you.

Compiled by Chanan Heisler and Max Altholz

Noa Friedman

Shalhevet SchwartzBuzzer Winner

Aaron Liberman

(9th)

(10th)

(11th)

Gabe Santoriello

Josh Rosenfeld

(12th)

the Fellow

Mr. Zamir

Who are they?

Ms. Taubes hasn’t stopped growing what are you talking about

Give it three weeks

I feel like she was born taller...

She hasn’t outgrown her already?

14 years

If you could face off against your sibling at any one thing, what would it be?

Basketball

Yishai Schwartz the First is better than I am at everything, sorry

Turkish oil wrestling

An intense Japanese fight scene (maybe swords)

UFC cage match to the death

Chess

If Dr. Schwartz was a contestant on jeopardy, what would be her nightmare category?

Eastern European food

She wouldn’t be able to phrase anything as a question. Everything she believes is completely, obviously 100% true.

Patriotism

Nutrition

“I’ll take hairstyles for 400 Alex”

The untold history of the US

What garment of clothing protects you most from the school’s varying temperatures?

A scarf

The cloak of Rabbi Harcsztark’s wisdom

My wife beater

Chain mail

A yarmulke

A light jacket

Which member of the SAR faculty or student body is most likely to make it to the music business?

Nathan Hershaft

Mr. Zamir

Ron Zamir

Judah Goldman

Rabbi Helfgot, although he thinks he’s made it already

I’d probably do pretty well

The next addition to SAR to make it a prep school will be…

Uniforms (mini skirts)

Absurdly high tuition…. Oh wait…

Waspy kids

Mandatory ties and cardigans for both sexes as part of the dress code.

More Ramaz kids

Even finer tracking

POP Culture

How long will it take Libby Courtney to outgrow Ms. Taubes?