A Student Publication of the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School • 1609 Avenue J, Brooklyn, New York • Vol 55, Issue 3 • December 2020 / 5781
Older grades being less honest on daily health questionnaire
New Owl device enhances Zoom experience
By Daniel Beyda
out the form truthfully came from the freshman grade. The second most came Junior Editor from the sophomores, the third most Every morning before we enter the from the juniors, and the least from the building, we are required to answer seniors. questions related to our potential expoMost students interviewed specified sure to Covid-19 in order to get past the that the form is usually the last thing on front desk. The question is: how many their mind, and is just a last-second toof us are genuinely taking the time to do as they walk into the school building. answer those questions And as a junior or a setruthfully? nior, there is usually a eeping each At first glance, it other safe and lot more on your mind would seem that most every morning, as ophealthy is a team people would not put the posed to a freshman or safety of others at risk effort which requires sophomores, who may to spare a couple of sec- each of us to play not have as much on onds, but a little bit of their plate. our part. Kol Yisrael digging revealed that the But nonchalance is opposite was true. Mul- Areivim Zeh baZeh” only one factor when tiple students from each students answer the - Rabbi Beyda grade were interviewed health questions disabout their experiences filling out the honestly. Many students who actively daily health questionnaire, and these in- have Covid symptoms decide not to terviews revealed that honesty depends check the boxes anyway. These stulargely on grade level. dents, who all requested anonymity, Specifically, most students who filled said they genuinely believe their symp-
By Betty Hidary
”K
Entertainment Editor
that Seminar gives students the opportunity to learn lessons that aren’t traditionally taught in a classroom. Lessons
on respect, responsibility, and religious connection are just as important as math and English, and Seminar is the place
The Meeting Owl, an egg-shaped, 360-degree smart video conferencing camera, was recently purchased by Flatbush as a way to improve the experience quarantined students are having over Zoom. This camera which is currently being tested in select classrooms including the Bet Midrash and room 301, is able to automatically highlight and shift focus to different people in the room as they speak, allowing students at home to feel more like they are really in the classroom. Many students in quarantine have complained about feeling forgotten when the rest of their class is in a room together. They also had trouble seeing the board, as the single camera in most classrooms usually faces the teacher or faces out at the students, and were not able to effectively pay attention. Alison Mudick, a junior, said, “At times I didn’t even bother taking notes, because I couldn’t see the board or pay attention.” Now, with the use of the Meeting Owl, students have reported being able to clearly see the teacher, the board, and the other kids in the class. Abby Tuachi, a senior, said, “I liked it because I could see everything, not only the teacher like before, and it felt like I was more a part of the class.” So far Flatbush has purchased a total of six Owls, each costing about $1,000. They are being used in classes with large numbers of students in quarantine. The Owl contains a 360-degree camera, a speaker, and a microphone, and is able to connect and function as a part of Zoom. As of now, Flatbush is not looking to purchase any more Owls, but depending on the level of improvements to the Zooming experience that may change, the administration confirmed.
Entertainment: Will Adele ever release her album? Page 5
Fashion: Sweatpants are everywhere Page 7
Sports: Meet the Flatbush surfing team Page 8
toms are a result of allergies or a common cold, and don’t want to end up unnecessarily quarantined for a sniffle. So far, any dishonesty on the health
continued on page 4
After success with seniors, ‘Seminaren’t’ event planned for each grade By Elie Esses Junior Editor
Seminar is a key aspect of the Flatbush experience. New friendships are made and old ones are strengthened. It’s a time to come together and really get to know your peers, and also your teachers. With the rise of Covid, shipping off almost 200 kids to live in cramped hotel rooms for a weekend is about as dangerous as you can get, which makes Seminar as we know it almost impossible. This seemingly irreplaceable experience is in need of replacement. Seminar is to Flatbush what baseball is to America—you can have one without the other, but it just isn’t as fun. Student Activities Director Ms. Marcus explained that Seminar is a huge part of the “reach of the school.” But she also added
In This Issue People: Page 2 D’var Torah: Page 4 Fun and Games: Page 6
Michael Oved (left) and Isaac Chappan enjoyed the day
phoenix@flatbush.org | 1