A Student Publication of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School • 1609 Avenue J, Brooklyn, New York • Vol 53, Issue 7 • April 2019 / 5779
Male Students Relying More on Guidance Dept Seniors Vote By Elie Esses on New Award for Teachers Contributing Writer
The Guidance Department is busier than ever this year, specifically with male students. Because of the stronger male presence within the Guidance staff, student appointments have increased significantly. Mr. Chattah, a new addition to the department as a Guidance intern this year, stated, “Many boys in the school have mentioned that they feel comfortable talking to another guy.” One freshman expressed a very similar sentiment, saying, “I feel very safe when talking to my guidance counselor. One reason I feel so safe with my guidance counselor is because he is a guy. I think a male presence in Guidance, for boys, has a huge effect.” (At the request of the Guidance Department, all students are quoted anonymously in this article to protect their privacy.) Mr. Chattah is not the only male taking appointments. Mr. David Dweck and Coach Gurock also have become available to meet with students through
Mr. Chattah the Guidance system. In addition to the previously stated increase in male presence, the Guidance Department attributes its greater popularity with male students to a “steady increase in the public’s mental health awareness and understanding.” This opinion is shared by many students, who attribute their increased visits to Guidance to a schoolwide—and even worldwide—cultural shift. A senior said, “When I was a freshman, going to
Guidance as a guy seemed absurd, but now I see a majority of the freshmen whom I know go on a consistent basis.” One freshman was pleasantly surprised by the lack of stigma surrounding Guidance, saying, “When I first went to guidance I was expecting people to make fun, but the truth is nobody really cares because of how normal it is.” Some students said that talking to their guidance counselors is helpful regardless of gender. “Guidance has been extremely beneficial since my arrival at Flatbush,” one freshman stated. “For me the gender of the counselor is irrelevant. My guidance counselor doesn’t make anything awkward and I am perfectly comfortable discussing almost everything that I would with a guy.” For many, Guidance is an opportunity for productive and valuable conversation, but that opportunity may not have been fully utilized by boys as many felt uncomfortable. Whether it has been because a lack of male counselors or fear of backlash from friends, perhaps the stigma has being lifted.
Big Changes to Color War Are a Big Hit Ms. Marcus, who has run Color War for the past six years, said she noticed a lack of student engagement in Color War over the past two years and felt something had to change for it to be enjoyable for the entire student body. After multiple meetups with the SGO, they decided on the “grade wars” format so that students in every grade could take real leadership roles instead of having seniors run every team. The new format was a success by any measure. The most concrete indication was attendance. On Monday, the final day of Color War, attendance was the highest it had been the entire year. Instead of the usual average of 45 students absent, only 28 students were not in school. However, Rabbi Dushey said Rabbi Beyda and Ms. Marcus with this year’s color war captains that the true number of absences for that day is likely even lower, as he suspects mat of making each grade its own team. that more than half of those absent stuBy Barbara Dayan According to both students and faculty, dents in fact were in school but simply Contributing Writer the weekend was a great success; a ma- didn’t finger-scan when they arrived, to This year, Color War was completely jority of students in every grade felt that avoid getting a lunch hold for missing reimagined, with new events, new re- they participated and contributed to minyan. Even if the number is correct, quirements, and of course the new for- what their team accomplished. continued on page 3
In This Issue
World News: South Korea on fire Page 3
18
Special Section: 18 students excelling outside the classroom Page 4-5
Entertainment: YouTube prankster David Dobrik Page 6
By Sam Beyda Editor-in-Chief
At the beginning of April, all seniors received an e-mail from Rabbi Beyda with the subject “Teacher Recognition Award 2019.” The e-mail contained little information about the award other than the fact that the teacher who receives the award will be speaking at graduation in June. The survey attached to the e-mail, which is being used to determine which teacher wins the award, asked three questions that stem from the school’s mission statement: Over the course of your time at Flatbush, which teacher inspired you the most; which teacher challenged you the most; and which teacher supported you the most? Following the questions was a drop-down menu of every teacher that is currently at Flatbush. According to Rabbi Beyda, the award, which will be given annually, is sponsored by and the family of Ezra Shabot A”H, and named in his memory. The award includes a monetary bonus, to be used at the discretion of the teacher. The recipient of the award has not yet been determined; Rabbi Beyda said the winner will be announced in the coming weeks. Seniors were at first confused by the e-mail and what role they had to play in choosing which teacher merits the award, but soon were excited to give credit to the teachers who had helped them most throughout high school. Some seniors even had difficulty choosing only a few teachers. Sophia Mizrahi, said, “I actually had no idea who to choose. I was sitting with a few friends when we got the e-mail, and we all sat for a really long time before answering the three questions. There were a lot of teachers who helped me along the way.” Teachers are also excited about the new award, and generally proud to be a part of an institution that promotes its values in this way. According to an anonymous teacher, there will be no hard feelings no matter who wins. The teacher said, “Honestly, I would love to win but I don’t need to. I’m truly proud to work at a place with so many teachers who could legitimately win [this type of award].”
Sports: JV Football reaches Super Bowl Page 8 www.theflatbushphoenix.com | 1
Faculty Freshman:
D’var Torah:
Ms. Schilit
Do We Have Freedom?
By Eva Cohen
Contributing Writer
Before working in Flatbush, Ms. Esti Schilit was a practicing lawyer for six years. After hearing from her good friend, math teacher Ms. Benzakein, about an opening in the Yeshivah’s History department, she decided to apply her skills to life as a teacher and share her knowledge with students. She is now one of our esteemed faculty members, teaching 10th grade Global Studies. Ms. Schilit said her change in careers has led to some unexpected pleasures. “I am actually surprised by how much I appreciate teaching and the connections I’ve made with my students,” she said. She says she loves spending time with them in and out of class. “I really and truly feel a connection to every single one.” Now that she’s been here for almost a full school year, it’s clear that Mrs. Schilit has been changed by these relationships, as well as her collaboration with the rest of the faculty. She said with a proud smile that her coworkers have been nothing but welcoming and willing to assist her in the ways they could, and that she’s thankful for all the people who have helped her
By Rebecca Coopersmith Religion Editor
In the Maggid section of the Haggadah, Rabban Gamliel said that one who doesn’t discuss the Pesach lamb, the matzah, and the maror has not fulfilled the obligations of the Pesach Seder. The reasoning is simple: the lamb represents freedom and luxury, the maror represents slavery, and the matzah combines the two because it was eaten both when the Jew were slaves and when the Jews were leaving Egypt as free people. But why is it in that order? Why is the order freedom and then slavery? That question is answered by Chassidic teachers who said that only to free people does slavery sound awful. Had the Jews in Egypt forgotten freedom, they would’ve gotten used to slavery. We, too, have gotten used to a new type of slavery. Do you notice anymore how much time you spend on
Ms. Schilit succeed. “I have thoroughly enjoyed becoming a part of the Flatbush family,” she said.
your phone? Studies have shown that teenagers spend around nine hours on their phone daily. Furthermore, people of all ages spend so much time on their phones that the dictionary now includes the word “phubbing”—the practice of ignoring one’s companion or companions in order to pay attention to one’s phone or other mobile device. There was even a study done in our school by a senior who asked other students if they could take a break from their phones, and they all said yes. When the senior went around to collect their phones, they all changed their minds and kept the phones. We are slaves to our phones and we all know it, but at this point, we don’t even care enough to do anything about it. We need to make a change before we forget our freedom to connect to other people. So take a break from your phone and give yourself a chance to talk to a person instead of texting one. Allow yourself to be free.
Meet a Flatbush Family: The Azars By Moe Sutton Contributing Writer
Rebecca and Irwin Azar live the stereotypical lives of freshman twins at Flatbush (there are seven sets of them). And, like several other sets of Flatbush twins, they have an older sibling in the school—in this case, senior Rhonda. Anyone who sees Irwin or Rebecca in the halls, Commons, or auditorium always knows that the other twin is never too far behind. However, as attached as they are, the life of a twin in school isn’t always easy. “Yeah it’s great, but sometimes it could get hard with the teachers and my parents,” Irwin said. When everyone in the school knows who your siblings are it could be hard to live up to the reputation that they have already carved for themselves. Sometimes you’ll even be expected to put in the same amount of work as your sibling did and even do as well on tests.
Rebecca and Irwin say they have to constantly compete for a better grade on a test. Their mother always hears their grades at the same time, making it difficult not to compare them. If one of the
The Phoenix Staff Editor-in-Chief: Sam Beyda Managing Editor: Albert Saad Senior Editors: Jamie Ashkenazie, Ezra Faks School News Editors: Teri Franco, Julie Saadia Religion Editor: Rebecca Coopersmith World News Editor: Sarah Dagmy Entertainment Editors: Raquel Oved, Raquel Silvera Food Editor: Danielle Mehani
2 | www.theflatbushphoenix.com
isfaction makes it not so fun to be a twin. However, having a sibling in the same school can be rewarding, especially a twin. Having a sibling to talk to every day, whether they’re discussing interpersonal drama in their grade or asking for help with homework, is something special that not everyone has. Rebecca says, “Seeing my siblings in school can be fun and I also like talking to my sister’s friends!” Having an older sister has helped the Azar twins become much more friendly with the upper classes. For Rhonda, having siblings to whom she can give advice, explain how to deal with an issue, and even help them buy school supplies is something she loves. “Teachers come up to me all the time and say ‘I love your sister, she’s great,’ or, ‘I love your brothLeft to right: Rebecca, Rhonda, and Irwin er, he’s such a nice kid,’” Rhonda said. Overall, the Azars say that having a sibling in Flatbush is retwins does worse than the other on any ally fun. On the weekends they even talk test, they will be questioned by their parents and have to come up with an expla- to each other for hours about school acnation. Having to always try to do as well tivities and drama, and they really all love as the other one to earn their parents’ sat- each other!
Fashion Editors: Sarit Alkadaa, Celia Banbahji Fun & Games Editor: Allie Saada Sports Editor: Jack H. Dweck Junior Editors: Jayne Haddad, Claudine Hadef Sophomore Editors: Kaden Harari, Michael Oved Design: Carolina Cohen Faculty Adviser: Adam Hofstetter
High School Administration Rabbi Raymond Harari, Head of School Rabbi Joseph Beyda, Principal Ms. Sari Bacon, Associate Principal Ms. Esther Hidary, Assistant Principal / Director of Admissions
South Korea Battles Wildfires SSI Strengthens Flatbush’s
By Sarah Dagmy World News Editor
South Korean President Moon Jae-in declared a national state of emergency in South Korea due to the country’s disastrous record-breaking wildfires. He instructed his A forest fire raging near a town in Sokcho, South Korea government to direct all necessary personnel Dry air and powerful wind gusts as to extinguish the flames and to help dis- strong as 55 miles per hour in South Kotraught civilians. rea’s mountainous areas provoked the inThe conflagration, located in the tensity and spread of the wildfire’s flames. northeastern part of the country, close to South Korea’s topography consists of forits border with North Korea, has killed at ested areas on steep slopes, leaving the least one person and caused more than country especially susceptible to wildfires 4,600 people to evacuate their homes. The that are difficult to contain and suppress. forest service noted that more than 235 By late Friday, April 5, the main fire homes have been damaged or destroyed in the Sokcho region was extinguished, by the flames. To extinguish the fire the causing more than 3,700 people to reSouth Korean government sent 16,500 turn to their destroyed homes, yet other soldiers and firefighters from across the wildfires still burned. Firefighting officountry with more than 800 fire engines, cials suspect that the fire was ignited by a 32 military helicopters, and 26 military spark from an electric transformer jolted fire trucks. by robust winds in northeast of Seoul.
How Much Do Advertisers Know About Us? By Nathan Sidaoui
this bubble of mindlessness, until one day a stream of coincidences seemed a Contributing Writer little too coincidental. How come that ad came up on Instagram for something I googled on my computer? Why do I feel like I’ve seen these shoes the other day? Has this happened in the past? I began my journey by calling up advertising companies, looking for some information. Grabbing bits and pieces from people unwilling to share the tricks of their trade, I finally got a vague idea about what “cookies” in technological terms are, and how we agree to certain things by opening up certain websites. I learned that when you see the terms and conditions on a website, dozens of pages of legal jargon, you may want to start reading instead of just pressing “Accept,” because you’re giving companies a great amount of information and power. As we browse on websites, our browsing history gets saved in the website history, and by agreeing to their terms and conditions, we allow them to share that information with whoever they want. This was just the beginning. I knew there was more to it, so I dug further. I discovered that the way advertising comOnline advertisers collect our data to panies choose which ads to distribute is cutomize the ads we see through cookies, which remember what we’ve done on any given website. When Whether it takes the form of an unno- using a website and agreeing to the use ticed banner ad or a maybe slightly an- of cookies, we give websites the right to noying 30-second video, online advertis- distribute the information held about ing has become a part of life. Most people ourselves to people they choose, in this just grunt over the extended period of case, advertising companies. Additionaltime until Candy Crush lets you beat the ly, storing so much information, (somenext level, not even realizing the signifi- times private things) in one place makes cance of what they’re seeing. The newest our personal information easily accesASOS deal is fogging your memory be- sible and therefore more vulnerable to cause that advertisement is exactly the hackers. Be aware of the things around thing you were looking up the other day, or even similar to a product you bought, you, technology may be essential in our or even something you were talking day to day lives, but always be aware of about. While you might try to argue that the dangers. Especially when it comes to the “skip ad” button is the most innova- online advertising and cookies, check the tive invention of the 21st century, maybe security of a website before providing any it’s time to open your eyes and see what’s personal information, as everyone can be right in front of you. I, too, was stuck in susceptible to harm.
Israel Activism
Mr. Rothbort (third from right) with students at the AIPAC convention last month
By Albert Saad Managing Editor
The Students Support Israel (SSI) organization has recently spread to our Yeshivah Of Flatbush in order to help foster educated, confident pro-Israel voices which can be a force on college campuses. SSI typically works directly on college campuses, with Flatbush being the first American high school to feel their impact. The SSI partnership with our Israel Activism Commission has brought much change to the program and amount of work the commission could potentially accomplish. SSI is the first Flatbush commission to gain outside funding, and their assistance is clearly visible. The funding has enabled the club to bring in prominent speakers and hold more events, along with occasionally providing free food. Another program run by SSI this year was the annual AIPAC lobbying trip. The Yeshivah has sent students to AIPAC in the past, but this year’s delegation was larger than usual. Sophomore Ralph Be-
tesh said he “found the experience extremely enlightening because I was able to see these politics in action after only seeing them from a spectator’s perspective my whole life.” Head Commissioner Ezra Faks considers the new organization’s partnership to be very positive. He believes that being part of a national organization lends more opportunity to students. “I believe it gives students a greater incentive when they understand how connected they are to their future through outside connections.” SSI’s work is more needed than ever, with support for Israel on college campuses declining dramatically, even among Jewish students, according to a study commissioned and published last year by the Brand Israel Group. “While in 2010, 84 percent of American Jewish college students favored the Israeli position in its conflict with the Palestinians, that percentage plummeted to just 57 in 2016,” the Jewish Chronicle recently reported. SSI is hoping to reverse that trend, and its work at Flatbush is one new piece of the puzzle.
Big Changes to Color War
continued from front page
Juniors work on their winning mural it is a significant improvement over last year, when 66 students were absent on the Monday of Color War. The biggest downside to the new format was the many struggles of the Freshman team. This was widely expected, because it is their first year in the school and their first experience with Flatbush Color War. Additionally, it was the first time SGO was trying grade wars, so they were unsure how they would need to help the freshmen. Most students also enjoyed the new format. Instead of the seniors being in charge of all the activities, students in younger grades were able to get involved. Jen Mudick was captain of Boys Dance for the sophomores. She said that last year as a freshman she was never given
the opportunity to get involved. “I liked it much better this year because I had a leadership position in one of the activities, and felt much more involved.” The winning team, the Junior grade, was even more pleased with the new format. Several juniors said that their team’s victory was a direct reflection of the grade being united for the first time since entering high school. As one junior said, “This win was needed because it brought our grade closer together and showed all those who were betting against us how capable we really are.” Ms. Marcus declined to comment on whether the success of the new format makes it more likely that this format will be repeated next year, but many students are hoping that it will.
www.theflatbushphoenix.com | 3
18 18
Barbara Salama, 10th Grade Dance
By Jamie Ashkenazie Senior Editor
Yeshivah of Flatbush regularly celebrates the students who excel in the classroom and on our many teams. But many Flatbush students’ most impresive accomplishmnets occur beyond school’s walls. In this special feature we shine a spotlight on 18 Flatbush students who are achieving remarkable things in a variety of fields and activities outside of school.
Jacob Rishty, 11th Grade Acting and Directing It wasn’t until Rishty was 12 years old that he decided to step into the spotlight, and he immediately fell in love with the idea of getting to be someone else for a while. He began by acting in school plays and then branched out to public plays as well. He has now acted in more than nine plays. While acting, Rishty became curious about the “behind the scenes” aspect of the productions. Under the guidance of YOF Elementary School producer Gail Cohen, he has been the assistant director of every production she has staged. It’s his dream to become a professional actor one day and he continues to grow, always listening to constructive criticism and the advice of those around him.
Diane Azrak, 10th Grade Chesed For as long as she can remember, Azrak has been delivering food every Pesach with her family for SBH. As she grew older, she realized the impact that she was having on others and she wanted to do more. “I feel like my time is just better spent helping others than helping myself,” Azrak explained. She believes that making someone else happy can only make your day better, even when you’re upset, and that encourages her to do even the smallest acts of chesed. She joined the SBH Disney Marathon five years ago, and from there continued to get more and more involved. She now spends most her time helping out with the SBH youth. She hopes that as she gets older she will be able to reach out to and impact more people.
Salama has been a dancer since she started nursery. It was always a good outlet for her to express herself in a fun and creative way. She started with hip-hop, and competed with the SCC dance team in seventh grade. Salama then learned lyrical and jazz dance as well. Her team won many awards, including high gold, in their competitions. She is now on the Flatbush Dance team, which won first place this year. She plans to continue to teach dance in the future, but as a hobby rather than a career.
Adina Cohen and Judy Mizrachi, 12th Grade, Dance Cohen and Mizrahi have been dancing their way through life together since the age of three. They started with ballet, and as they got older they learned hip-hop and other styles of dance as well. They were both on the Yeshivah’s dance team for three years, and when they realized that they would become the team captains this year, dance became the center of their conversation. They decided to open up their own company, Step Up Dance, last July. Through Instagram, they were able to advertise and then set up pop-up classes throughout the summer. They plan on expanding their company this summer with the hope of teaching steady classes during the week to children of all ages and having a recital to display their students’ talents at the end. They also plan to continue their pop-up classes for girls who can’t commit to weekly classes.
It started as a favor to some campers who were desperate for customized shoes. By the end of the summer everyone around her was telling Sabbagh to sell her work. Since then she’s been customizing sneakers, Uggs, bags, jackets, and pillowcases. She promotes her work through Instagram with the account @byshirl. Sabbagh gets inspired by other artists on Instagram, but her designs are always unique and fun.
Shirley Sabbagh, 12th Grade Fashion
4 | www.theflatbushphoenix.com
Mickey Shamah, 10th Grade Food
Ricky Sasson, 11th Grade Tefillah In seventh grade, Sasson began learning how to become a chazan, and by the end of the school year he was the chazan at the kids minyan at Beth Torah. By the end of ninth grade, he took the position of the weekly chazan at the Bnei Yitzchak high school minyan. He had been singing and playing the piano since the age of five; his passion for music and his love of tefillah made this the perfect job for him. He said he can’t help but enjoy the journey and hope that more opportunities come his way.
Shelley Shamah, 10th Grade Fashion While we all go looking for designer clothing, Shamah has been designing her own. She’ll take any of your boring sneakers, bags, or jackets and customize them for you with unique and abstract art. Shamah always had a passion for art, and after painting an old telephone in her house, she realized how much more she could do besides putting paint on canvas. She runs her business through her Instagram account, @artbyshell_, and hopes that it will grow with greater exposure. Her goal is to continue to make art that people will be able to use and enjoy; she gets inspired to continue her work when she sees it being worn around school. Shammah is her own biggest critic, always looking to be better than herself and let her creativity shine.
In seventh grade, Shamah opened up a small business to sell an assortment of homemade pickles and tehina. He has always loved to play around in the kitchen and experiment with different ingredients, which led him to create a variety of flavors of his two chosen foods. When he entered high school, he took a small break due to his busy schedule, but he hopes to start building the business again soon and become more successful than ever before.
Vivian Cohen , 10th Grade Fashion Cohen has always loved to do any form of art that brought purpose to something seemingly useless. She has made pottery, candles, bath bombs, soaps, and now clothing. Any free moment she has she spends sewing fabrics together to create something unique and beautiful. Using her hands to create art helps her relax, especially after a stressful school week. This year she signed up for a “simply sewing” class at FIT, which helped her break out of her comfort zone, develop her skills, and gain more experience. Her current goal is to continue to improve and develop a style that is unique and special.
David Hidary, 10th Grade Chesed After being introduced to a Holocaust survivor by his cousin, 2018 Flatbush graduate Jacqueline Mizrahi, Hidary felt inspired to go visit her more often. He takes approximately eight students every two to three weeks on Shabbat to her home to hear more about her past and just talk to her about everyday things. Right now the group visits only one survivor, but he hopes to find more survivors to visit and more students to join him on his visits. Hidary’s goal is to connect with the older generations and bring a sense of community to their homes. He tries to inspire as many students as he can to support the survivors, listen to their stories, and integrate them into our society.
Jonathan Baum, 11th Grade Music Ever since he was little, Baum wanted to learn how to play an instrument. After years of talking and joking about it with his family, his sister bought him a saxophone. He picked up the instrument for the first time at the age of 16, and is mostly self-taught. Baum had a few lessons to learn how to hold and play the instrument, but he learned all of the notes and songs on his own. After performing at Lunch N’ Listen, he was hired to play at a local proposal. He hopes to be able to turn his hobby into something more, and to continue to play at more events in the future, like weddings, engagement parties, and proposals.
Liad Darmoni, 10th Grade Business After watching his older brother successfully lease cars and help others throughout high school, Darmoni decided to follow in his footsteps. He has been working at Status Auto Group in New Jersey since the end of ninth grade. His passion for cars started at a young age, and as he got older he realized that there were too many people getting bad deals at car dealerships. His main goal is to get his customers the best prices for the car that is right for them. He hopes to build connections to as many dealerships and companies as he can throughout high school so that he can continue to grow on his own in the future.
Joanie Dweck, 10th Grade Writing In September, Dweck became a creative writer for The Jewish Week. Once a month she writes about anything from the latest world news to inspirational stories. Ever since she was a little girl she would read more books than she could count. Eventually, instead of reading stories she came up with her own. By third grade Dweck was writing stories for her siblings to read each day. Writing has become her safe place, a place where she can escape to a new world; it allows her to truly express herself. She’s working toward a career in journalism for a popular magazine like Vogue, in addition to becoming an author or screenwriter for a big franchise book or movie.
Sarina Shalom, 11th Grade Food “To me, baking is a science, an experiment, an art, an experience, and more than anything, it is love,” Shalom explained. It all began when she was a little girl baking in the kitchen with her grandmother. As the years progressed, baking took over her life. She would sit at home and decorate cakes for fun when suddenly people were placing orders and she was selling multiple cakes a week. This past year Shalom’s passions matured from cute cakes to international pastries. She began to create desserts from all over the world and explore their history. All her creations are displayed on her Instagram account, @sarina_shalom, and she hopes to continue to grow and expand her cake business over the next few years.
Dayan found herself living at the gym from the age of four. As a young girl her dream was to go to the Olympics, and she consistently put in the work, practicing three days a week for three hours. In 2014 she started competing, and after this summer she plans to compete once again. Although she doesn’t plan on doing college gymnastics she still loves the sport, and will continue to practice and compete.
Madelyne Dayan, 10th Grade Sports
Alice Franco, 11th Grade Fashion
Natalie Ryba, 10th Grade Writing and Comedy Inspired by Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live and A Closer Look With Seth Myers, Ryba decided to practice comedy writing through her weekly blog, The Natabreeze. She publishes an issue at the end of each week, bringing a little laughter to the lives of her readers. Ryba hopes to expose the whole school to her blog and to eventually add co-writers. In the long term, she plans on pursuing a career in writing. Her current goal is to make sure that her content is not only enjoyable to her readers but also that it is relevant and relatable to all of them as well.
Terri Elmann, 10th Grade Writing While her classmates were complaining about writing a two-page essay, Elmann was busy writing books. She was only in second grade when she wrote her first 10-page book, and things just went up from there. Her next book was written in fourth grade (about 76 pages) and in fifth grade she won a poetry contest. She started writing her first novel, Rogue, two years ago and made it until page 132 when she decided to change gears and write about something new. Her second novel, still untitled, has been in the works for about two months now. She generally writes fantasy or realistic fiction, and would love for her books to be published one day.
This past summer Franco started her own clothing brand, Wild Ones New York. She draws inspiration from the newest trends and integrates them into her own designs. The future of her company is bright, and she already has a collaboration with another other local clothing company planned. Seeing other people wear her designs motivates her to continue creating pieces. Her love for fashion has become more than just a hobby, it has become part of her life.
www.theflatbushphoenix.com | 5
Entertainment David Dobrik Strikes YouTube Gold By Rachel Lincer Contributing Writer
Twenty-two-year-old David Dobrik is an Internet star, a popular Viner, and a YouTuber with a fan following that exceeds 11 million. He’s one of the most exciting young talents to emerge in the virtual world in the past few years. Born in Slovakia, Dobrik took his talent with him all the way to Los Angeles, where he now maintains his digital empire. Dobrik, with the help of friends known as “The Vlog Squad,” edits and posts vlogs on his YouTube channel three times a week. All of Dobrik’s vlogs are slightly over four minutes long and focus on his daily life. The vlogs are hilarious and fun to follow. Through endless pranks, funny friendships, drama-filled relationships, and his boyish charm, Dobrik has captivated his viewers. It all started in April 2013, with Dobrik’s debut on Vine, the 6-second video app where he earned more than 1.3 million followers. The undeniable humor and creativity of then-17-year-old Dobrik immediately attracted the attention of Viners, and he soon gained a steady following. While most of his initial videos featured solo improv, Dobrik soon started collaborating with popular Viners like Gabrielle Hanna, Alex Ernst, and
Lele Pons. And just like that, Dobrik established himself as one of the most sought-after vloggers in the world. He has since gained millions more viewers internationally as he has moved on to YouTube from the now-defunt Vine. Dobrik’s videos show him playing pranks, surprising friends with money and cars, and taking spontaneous trips around the world. His most common prank is to hire a painter to paint the walls of his friends’ homes whenever they leave town. Usually these paintings feature whimsical photos of Dobrik and the rest of the squad. He uses a number of infamous pranks, but one of the best is when he does blindfolded surprises to his friends. They’re often greeted with an animal or Dobrik’s newest toy, a flamethrower. Recently, he surprised his squad with Kylie Jenner sitting in the back seat of their car. Last month, the young achiever won a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for “Favorite Social Star.” Watch a few of his videos, and he might become your favorite, too.
Movie Review: Us By Raquel Silvera Entertainment Editor
The new American horror movie Us was the top movie in the country at the end of March and is becoming increasingly popular by the day. Jordan Peele, the writer and director of the film, concocted the perfect nightmare in his latest masterpiece, his second film. (His first was 2017’s hit Get Out.) The movie is about the Wilsons, a family whose vacation gets interrupted by four strangers who show up at their house in the middle of the night in masks and red jumpsuits. These four mysterious characters end up being the evil doppelgangers of each member of the Wilson family; each family member will be forced to battle it out with their monstrous opposite. For one member of the Wilson family, Adelaide (played by Lupita Nyong’o), this isn’t the first time she has encountered
6 | www.theflatbushphoenix.com
her dark counterpart. The movie flashes back to Adelaide’s childhood when she went into a funhouse mirror room and came face to face with her doppelganger, who tried to strangle her, leaving her traumatized. Once the movie flashes forward, the action starts rolling when these evil doppelgangers, or “the tethered,” are set free from their underground world and begin pursuing their real-world parallels. Adelaide, her husband Gabe, daughter Zora, and son Jason, are soon separated from each other by their counterparts after their house is attacked. Each family member will have to outsmart his or her murderous opposite and fight to the death, along with every other person around the world. These “tethered” characters look exactly like their real-world opposites except for their subtle yet spooky facial distortions, and they can only produce garbled sounds, except for Adelaide’s doppelganger, Red, who can talk.
The Food Corner With Passover coming up, many of us are dreading not having pizza, bagels, or basically anything you can get from Crawford’s for two weeks. I don’t know about you, but I get sick of matzah pretty quickly. Lucky for us, the preponderance of new gluten-free recipes (which are often kosher for Passover) makes going eight days without bread much easier. Passover Pizza Why settle for the same, old matzah pizza when you can make delicious kosher-for-Passover pizza dough? It’s is just as fluffy as regular dough and you can put on any toppings you want! Ingredients: • 1 cup water • ½ stick of butter • 1 pinch of salt • 1 ½ cups of cake meal or fine matzah meal • 5 large eggs • Sauce and cheese Directions: • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. • Heat the water, butter, and salt in a pot until melted, and stir to combine. • Remove the pot from the flame and add the matzah meal, stirring very quickly. Next, place the pot back over a low flame for 1 minute. • Keep stirring until the dough becomes a rough ball. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. • Beat each egg separately and mix into the dough individually. Only begin to place another egg into the dough when the previous egg has been fully mixed into the dough. • Spread the dough thinly on a baking sheet lined with parchment
The movie is mostly centered around Adelaide and Red, as they face off for the second time, and contains many different creative elements that Peele sprinkles throughout each scene. Caged rabbits seen in an early scene are set loose toward the end of the film to symbolize how “the tethered” have been cut loose. He also alludes to the same biblical verse
By Danielle Mehani paper. • Bake for 15 minutes before removing from oven to add your toppings. • Add sauce, cheese and any other desired toppings and bake for 1520 more minutes. Passover Chocolate Cookies: Passover meals often come with dry sponge cakes and potato-tasting desserts, especially if you go away for Passover. But in reality, many gluten-free dessert options can make you feel like we are eating that good old chametz. Ingredients: • ½ stick unsalted butter or margarine • 2 large egg yolks • 4 large egg whites • 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, melted • 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips • Pinch of salt • ¾ cup of light brown sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • ½ cup of matzah meal Directions: • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. • Beat butter or margarine and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. • Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, melted chocolate, matzah meal, and salt until mixture comes together. • In a clean bowl and with a whisk attachment on your mixer, beat egg whites until fluffy. • Gently fold whipped egg whites into chocolate mixture. • Add chocolate chips, and stir. • Let stand 15 minutes. • Scoop 2-inch balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. • Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
multiple times, which foreshadows the uprising of “the tethered.” Peele also uses music to connect scenes throughout the movie as well as to set eerie moods. In the end, Red explains many of the audience’s unanswered questions; however, Peele skillfully ties up the movie mysteriously, leaving the audience deeply unsettled yet desperate for more.
Fun & Games Cryptogram
The Nata eze
Hint: Why do intelligent people say dumb things? Decipher the code to find the answer! (Tip: Start with the smallest words and recurrent letters.)
bre
By Natalie Ryba Contributing Writer
GLASS HALF FULL · I passed a chem quiz... yes it is indeed a good thing · I found out it’s $2.00 for a raffle ticket to win a date with a senior boy...in related news I’m going to go broke · Yachad Play! · I signed in because I was so tired and it changed my life · Apparently some teachers believe that I’m “really intelligent” and now I trust them less..just in general.
Standard of Fabulous Spring Fashion Preview By Sarit Alkadaa Fashion Editor
The sun is out and it’s time to ditch the hats and delve into the sunglasses! No more dull and dark colors; with spring come light and luminescence. This spring, designers take a new approach, incorporating several new styles and trends. Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about this year’s polished trends! We’re taking it back to the ’70s: tiedye is coming in hot this spring! Designers like Prada and Stella McCartney have
showcased their tie-dye dresses and rompers on the catwalk, and the trend has been spreading like wildfire. Stella McCartney modeled oversized tie-dye T-shirt dresses, while Prada has incorporated tie dye in several feminine silhouette dresses. Many celebrities already have been caught dressing in this stylish trend, including Beyoncé and Justin Bieber. While last year’s signature spring color was a soft lavender, this year things are getting a little more fiery with the new “burnt orange” trend. Etsy recently has forecast bright orange to be the new “it” fashion color. This color’s vibrance practically screams excitement. Burnt orange has been circulating everywhere, from clutches to faux fur bomber jackets to chic and stylish dresses! Next time you go shopping, make sure to spot this bright color. Want to spice up your bland outfit? Ruffles are ideal for dressing up the simplest clothing! Designers such as Simone Rocha and Marc Jacobs are incorporat-
GLASS HALF EMPTY · For some reason I was so tired this week · I couldn’t make it to Yachad Shabbaton because I didn’t have anyone to walk with. There is a chem test approaching and I’m utterly petrified...what’s new. We have so many tests, I don’t even have the time to online shop... and so came the day that I chose school over shopping. THINGS TO GET YOU THROUGH THE WEEK SHOWS+MOVIES Glee Legally Blonde Ocean’s 11 The Ted Bundy Tapes Happy Days Great News MUSIC “Rich Love” by One Republic “Close To Me” by Elie Goulding “Stayin’ Alive” by The Bee Gees “Diana” by Paul Anka “Blame it on the Boogie” by The Jacksons
ing this style, turning the casual blouse into a fashion fantasy. Make sure to keep an eye out for these trends the next time you go shopping to catch up on the latest fashion trends of 2019!
Fashion Fact: The handbag was first designed and used to help women attract a husband. They were invented in the 19th century, and women would personally embroider them with colorful and intricate patterns to show off to the men.
THAT’S SHOW BIZ BABY · I was in the bathroom brushing my hair while rapping every word to Cardi B’s I Like It; my dad walked in for a second, then carefully withdrew himself from the situation. · In the shower, I inhaled shampoo that was on my face and I still taste it in the back of my mouth. · On Taanit Esther, when Rabbi Beyda was making a speech, the seven year old in me thought he said a word in a funny way. The first two times he said it, I was okay. The third time he said it, I let out a big laugh and everyone within a 5 seat radius of me turned around, so I ducked. Follow me on Instagram @thenatabreeze
www.theflatbushphoenix.com | 7
Sports Boys Softball Teams Aim JV Football Has Dominant First Season To Improve By Jack H. Dweck Sports Editor
Boys Softball has a new roster and high hopes
By Isaac Soffer Contributing Writer
As spring sets in, so does the Flatbush Boys Softball season. It has proven to be a popular sport in our school, and the school fields both a Varsity and JV team. With his eyes set on a playoff berth, Coach Howie Fleishman is motivating his players to give it their all in practice and on the field. With the JV team looking to rebound from last year’s 2–4 record, there is a lot on their plate. In such a short season, the slimmest of mistakes can lead to big swings in their winning percentage— something that has proven to be an issue in years past. Last season, the team got off to a slow start at 0-2, and was unable to recover. As sophomore Maurice Pardes said, “Last year, our start was rough. If we play well all around from the start, I think we can put together a great sea-son.” In the case of the Varsity team, there is a large contingent of new players, in-
cluding slug-ging first baseman Jack Rosow. Meanwhile, Falcons veteran and ace pitcher Morris Esquenazi has been preparing for this season since September. After a lost, injury-plagued season last year, Es-quenazi hopes to rely on improved fielders behind him to make defensive plays and minimize er-rors, which were a significant problem last year. “We will win this championship if we are pre-pared enough,” Esquenazi stated. “If we are well prepared we can limit errors, we can improve our running on the base paths, and do the little things that help us win.” The team is looking at the “little things” in the game to improve upon, but they also ad-dressed one big thing in the off-season: offense. Rosow, a two-sport star known for his basketball prowess, is an ideal cleanup hitter who can mash home runs as well as hit line drives with runners on. He is quickly becoming the soul of this year’s team, bringing his signature “Rosow hype” to the Falcons’ bench.
The Flatbush JV Football team has advanced to the Super Bowl in its inaugural season. The team, led by sophomore quarterback Michael Smouha and sophomore wide receiver Isaac Soffer, has defied expectations to go undefeated through this season. It appears as if this team is unstoppable, as they have coasted through all of the competition thus far in the season. However, even though the roster is loaded with elite-level talent, the team is hard at work to keep their undefeated season alive and bring home the first Robbie Novick, right, knocks down a pass being place trophy to decorate the new trophy thrown by the Rambam quarterback case in the Student Commons. To ensure that the team is ready for the oncoming The JV Football team is one of the Super Bowl matchup with Long Island’s most dominant forces in Flatbush athletMAY, coach Teddy Beyda has kept his ics in recent memory. Regardless of the team on full throttle with a regular prac- result of the Super Bowl, the team has tice and workout schedule. achieved enormous success this season. The boys on the team understand that However, a Super Bowl victory would be continuing their hard work ultimately a welcome result for a team that has put will lead them to the promised land: a so much on the line to represent FlatSuper Bowl victory. Soffer stated, “This is bush. We wish them all the best on Sunwhat we have all been waiting for. We are day, April 14! ready. And we are ready to win.” Coming off an underwhelming twowin season last year, the revamped Varsity team may be able to change their luck, and maybe even put yet another banner up on our walls. They already are off to a strong start, having trounced Magen David 14-1 in their opening game, which ended in the fourth inning due to the “mercy rule.” Predictions: JV 4-2; Varsity 8-0.
Sam Beyda at bat
Sportsman Spotlight: Lorraine Levy
By Carole Cohen Contributing Writer
Lorraine Levy, a junior, is a major contributor the Girls Varsity Basketball team. A big part of Levy’s success comes from her attitude: Levy plays not only for herself, but for the team. “I really don’t
8 | www.theflatbushphoenix.com
like letting my teammates and friends down, so I try my hardest each game and try to play really well for them and myself,” she explained. Levy also works hard to improve her game. She focuses on understanding her mistakes and what she needs to work on to become a more powerful player on
really like to improve on that.” Levy recognizes how important it is for her to keep improving to try to meet her elite potential. The best way to do that, she surmises, is to work with her coaches and teammates to always keep improving. Levy says that Coach Rozan “teaches us new things each practice, and I feel like I always learn a lot from her.” Levy also relies on her teammates for support and encouragement. “My teammates also really motivate me. During the games my teammates will yell from the bench and tell me to take the shot or put my hands up.” She is committed to continuing that work during the off season as she strives to make herself not only a better individual player, but also a better team player. With hard work and dedication, Levy will be able to take her own game as well as the Falcons Girls Basketball team to the next level.
Answer: Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
Levy, center, pushes herself on and off the court
the court. The team has three practices a week, which cuts into the players’ social lives but, according to Levy, “I enjoy being on the team and enjoy playing so I don’t care as much that I miss hangouts because I’m doing something that I love.” Levy works hard in school and manages her time well while going to SBH, hanging out with her friends, and being on the team. She makes sure that she is up to date on all of her work before games or practice so she doesn’t have to worry about falling behind due to basketball. In addition to working hard in school, Levy is constantly at work throughout the season, always trying to improve her game. For example, Levy realizes that she needs to work on her dribbling skills. She stated, “I don’t always dribble with my head up, which isn’t so good, so I have to practice that. I also want to practice on driving in. It’s a great move while playing and I don’t drive in a lot because I don’t know how to do it correctly so I would