The Phoenix 2022-2023 Issue 3

Construction will close main gym next semester

By Hanna Mishan Features Editor

Every morning, students and teachers are bombarded by the sight of construction inside and outside of the building. Most of the ongoing work can be seen in the staircases, in classrooms with partially missing ceilings or temporary intrusions in the corners, and in the basement. The construction is quiet now, as school officials want to ensure that it doesn’t disrupt learning. But that will change drastically in the coming months.

Rabbi Beyda explained that the construction was initially planned to start soon after the completion of the new building, but Covid delayed that. They now plan to begin the bulk of the work in April and through the summer in order to reduce the impact during school months.

However, the main gymnasium, home to the Flatbush sports teams and many Physical Education classes, is going to be closed with renovations starting in January. The administration hopes for the gym renovations to be completed by the start of the fall 2023 term, and pushed it off until January to provide as much time as possible for teams and PE classes to utilize it this semester.

While the gym is under construction, sports teams will be playing more away games, and practices will be located at alternate sites. PE classes will be moved to the Laniado Gym and the Jack Charles Levy A”H Fitness Center. A group of freshmen expressed their concern about losing the gym saying, “It’s our breakfast spot, lunch spot, and studying spot. Now we’re going to have to find somewhere else

New policies largely going unenforced

By Robyn Beyda School News Editor

On the first day of school this past September, Yeshivah of Flatbush students were welcomed back with an assembly introducing a new series of policy changes. In addition to the revival of test week, the administration announced three major new policies: T-10s, teacher office hours, and the phone policy. As the semester draws to a close, feedback from students, teachers, and the administration demonstrates that none of these policies have been widely enforced, resulting in little change to classroom life.

In previous years, arriving late to class yielded no consequence, other than a harmless “Tardy” displayed under the attendance tab on a student’s Plus Portals

account. Conversely, this year, if a student arrives up to five or ten minutes late to class, they would receive a T-5 or T-10, respectively. Accumulating four T-10s would result in a detention.

However, as a survey answered by 125 randomly selected students suggests, this new system has not resulted in any punishments. 52% of students reported never receiving any penalty for being late to class, and 40% responded to being penalized for tardiness only some of the times they arrived late.

The administration is not blind to this lack of enforcement and concedes that the goal of the new tardy policies was to serve as more of a wake-up call for students rather than a punitive measure.

Cell outage on Avenue J sparks wild rumors

By Bella Shamayeva Contributing Writer

Complaints about the speed and reliability of the school’s WiFi are nothing new. But in recent weeks, many students and teachers noticed a significant decline in cell service in and around the school, leading to lost signals, slow loading times for apps and websites, and a delay in regaining cell service when emerging from the basement.

Many students instantly believed a rumor that these signal problems happened because the school installed cell blockers to prevent students from using their phones during school hours. A cell blocker doesn’t allow any signal to be easily transmitted to or from cell phones. However, Rabbi Galpert refuted this rumor, saying that the service disruptions were caused by technology malfunctions unrelated to the school. “For a few days the cell phone service was reduced in the whole Avenue J area due to an outage by the cell phone tower in the area,” he clarified.

Nearby stores on Avenue J reported

similar problems. A cashier at Oh Nuts! said that the cell service has definitely become a problem during recent weeks and wasn’t surprised by the question. On the contrary, employees at Dunkin Donuts, which is slightly further from school, said that they haven’t experienced any recent issues with their cell service. Rabbi Galpert said that the outage affected only a few blocks, which would explain why it did not affect service all the way down to East 14th St., where Dunkin Donuts is located.

Verizon has already fixed the problem, Rabbi Galpert explained.

Calls to Verizon to verify Rabbi Galpert’s information were unhelpful, as Ver-

izon customer service representatives declined to provide any information.

While students complained, some members of the faculty barely noticed a difference. An anonymous teacher said that the cell service interruptions barely affected her teaching experience, explaining that it’s not as significant an issue for teachers who are more “low-tech.” Similarly, a member of the IT department noted that laptops are on the school WiFi and therefore don’t require any additional services to keep them up and running. He said that students rarely come for IT support for cell service.

Rabbi Besser jokingly claimed to be unaware of the whole issue. “Phones? Students are allowed to have phones?” he asked.

As frustrated as most students were, a few saw a silver lining in this predicament. Freshman David Rashty said that bad cell service is annoying during his free time, but it has a benefit. “This way, we are focused in class and not in anything else,” he stated.

“We felt like we needed to send a message that being late is not OK,” said Rabbi Beyda, “I don’t think many people have been consequenced over this. I think this is just a healthy way of sending a message.”

Is that the message that’s being sent? According to the survey, the answer is a resounding no, with about 70% of students disagreeing with the statement “I am more diligent about coming to class on time this year than I was last year.”

Senior Ginger Ammar backed this up by putting it simply: “T-5s and T-10s don’t

Ms. Mikhli’s phone pouch in room 308

Seniors are paying too much, too often

By Belle Shatzkes Entertainment Editor

“We commend you for taking such rigorous courses! That’ll be $291 for three APs.”

“You want to be on the basketball team? $100, please.”

“The college you want to go to costs $60,000. A year.”

“Baked ziti? $10.50.”

It costs a lot to be a student at Flatbush. We pay tuition, then pay for supplies, then for food, and then to be on teams. And as seniors, we pay college application fees. All so we can get into the school of our dreams—just to finally pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for college. This all seems like a ridiculous amount of money, right? We pay way too much already, right? Flatbush is understanding of this, right? Wrong.

I’ll admit it—I’m not wealthy. My parents make enough money to afford food and clothes and to maintain our house for our family of seven plus my great-grandmother and her aide. But now I’m being asked to pay at least $65 for each college application I send in, plus another $100 for each seminary application, and that’s all before the actual college tuition. And now Flatbush is asking me to pay $500 for a trip we’re going on in six months?

We were told that we’d lose our spots on the Senior Week trips if we didn’t hand in a down payment of $500—and in some cases $1,000—within the span of a week. My friend and I were discussing the hardships of this: they said that they had to ask Rabbi Galpert specifically to let them

pay in increments, because they couldn’t scrounge up the money in time. I took the money out of my own college fund. The amount of money is huge. The time span was tiny

Next, we paid $50 for our American Dream ice skating trip and our hoodies. That seems reasonable, right? Well, they asked us for that money barely a week after Senior Week down payments were due. So, no. Not reasonable at all.

A few days ago, we got an email about Senior Ski Trip: all the attractions, the food plans, the costs. The cheapest attraction, snow tubing, is $120.

I’ll be the first to say that I love Flatbush and I love our new building and I love that they love to splurge for their students at Open House and at the freshman melava malka and on the family shabbaton. It’s wonderful how much they wish for us all to have a good time and enjoy ourselves. But they’re asking students, specifically seniors, to pay for trips one after the other. Even when the prices are reasonable, they add up very quickly, and some of us just can’t afford it.

Flatbush should pay. I’m grateful that students don’t pay for Seminar or Senior Trip. And I understand that students pay for their hoodies and that the school can’t afford to send over a hundred students in planes across and out of the country, but give us some time. Senior Week is months away. You could have paid for us, then we could have paid you back later in the year. Ski Trip and American Dream are closer in time, so we can pay for those now. But even then, Flatbush should pay for our ski trip. They plan it, they pay for it. You can

Is chatGPT good or evil? A little

By Jeanette Cohen and Maurice Silvera Editors-in-Chief

As a society, we place a great deal of value on education and the ability to communicate effectively through writing. As such, it’s not surprising that many high school students turn to technology to help them improve their writing skills and produce high-quality essays. One such tool that has gained popularity in recent years is chatGPT, a language model that uses artificial intelligence to generate text.

On the surface, chatGPT seems like a dream come true for high school students. It has the ability to generate well-written, coherent essays on a wide range of topics, making it an appealing option for students who struggle with writing or who are looking for a quick and easy way to produce a high-quality essay.

However, the use of chatGPT also has its pitfalls. One of the biggest concerns is that students who use this tool may become too reliant on it and lose the ability to think critically and write independently. Instead of learning how to express their own ideas and opinions, they may simply rely on chatGPT to do the work for them.

Additionally, while chatGPT may produce essays that are well-written and coherent, they may lack originality and creativity. The essays generated by chatGPT are based on pre-existing information and

afford to get ice cream for the freshmen at their melava malka

Don’t let future students go through

may not reflect the unique perspective and voice of the student.

Furthermore, the use of chatGPT raises ethical concerns. Plagiarism is a serious offense in the academic world, and using chatGPT to generate essays could be seen as a form of cheating. This could have serious consequences for students who are caught using chatGPT, potentially jeopardizing their academic and professional careers.

In conclusion, while chatGPT may offer some advantages to high school students, such as the ability to quickly generate well-written essays, its use also carries some significant risks. Students who use chatGPT may become overly reliant on it and lose the ability to think and write independently. Additionally, the essays generated by chatGPT may lack originality and creativity, and using it could be seen as a form of plagiarism. Ultimately, it’s important for high school students to carefully consider the potential advantages and pitfalls of using chatGPT before incorporating it into their writing process.

Editors’ Note: We did not actually write a single word of this op-ed. It was written entirely by chatGPT in about 20 seconds, based on the following prompt: “Write an op-ed explaining the advantages and pitfalls of high school students having chatGPT write their essays.”

this. And please don’t make us pay for anything else—at least until after winter vacation.

We Say, They Say Student vs. teacher perspectives on Grade Day

STUDENTS: TEACHERS:

Grade Day is a day for students to vouch for themselves, and fix possible mistakes in their report card grades. Many students are grateful for this opportunity.

Junior Leah Lati exclaimed, “Grade Day gives people a chance to fight for the grade they deserve.”

Countless students’ grades have increased a few points after they expressed their concerns. Their teachers realized that they made a mistake, and fixed it.

On the other hand, some students

have issues with this system. Many see this day as useless because teachers refuse to understand their concerns regarding their grades. “Grade day doesn’t change anything. The teachers are too stubborn,” an anonymous sophomore mentioned.

Senior Lilly Salame raised another concern, explaining that students are not given a lot of time “to respond to the form on Grade Day. Almost every time I missed the opportunity to even voice my concern.”

Students also see this day as the first day of vacation, not a chance to improve their grades, with many saying they are grateful for the “free day.” When a group of freshmen were asked their opinion on this controversial day they replied, “What’s grade day?” amplifying the lack of seriousness surrounding this day.

Similar to the students, Grade Day is a very controversial day among teachers.

While students believe teachers don’t respect and listen to their concerns, teachers like Ms. Zaltzman disagreed. She explained, “I take this day seriously because sometimes there is a mistake with grading. When it is done with respect, I am glad to reevaluate a student’s grade.” Many teachers are happy to help solve the problem if students are concerned that there is a mistake.

However, that is not the unanimous belief. Ms. Jaclyn Cohen voiced that there are also struggles that come with Grade

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Day: “Students abuse this power. Many times students don’t even think there is a mistake, they just want to try their luck.”

Multiple teachers agreed with the sentiment that grade day has become an ordeal in which students “see how many points they can raise their averages.”

Multiple teachers expressed appreciation for the relatively new policy that students are limited to only two gradechange requests.

However, many teachers believe that this system still needs to be fixed, because it is very difficult to differentiate between students who are genuine and those who abuse this privilege.

“I want my students to feel heard,” said one anaonymous teacher, “but I’m very careful to get their grades right the first time. I almost never make changes.”

High School Administration

Ms.

Rabbi

Rabbi

Design: Carolina Cohen

Faculty Adviser: Adam Hofstetter

Nitza Hanan

Junior Editor

The Phoenix Staff

Editors-in-Chief: Jeanette Cohen, Maurice Silvera

Senior Editor: Isaac Dweck

School News Editors: Robyn Beyda, Beverly Dweck

Religion Editor: Arlette Anteby

News Editor: Michelle Belenkiy

Editor: Hanna Mishan

Editors: David Marcus, Belle Shatzkes

Rabbi Joseph Beyda, Head of School

Esther Hidary, Associate Principal

Yigal Sklarin, Associate Principal

David Galpert, Assistant Principal

of both

Students clinging to Macs over school Chromebooks Going by the book

Is the library just a hangout space?

By Beverly Dweck School News Editor

Every year, Yeshivah of Flatbush distributes Chromebooks to the incoming freshman class. The Chromebooks are meant for the student to use throughout the entirety of high school to cover all the student’s technological academic needs, and they are the only electronic devices officially permitted in classrooms.

But is the Chromebook really sufficient enough for a student to use throughout high school? According to senior Ninette Setton, they aren’t. “Most kids in my class have MacBooks, and it’s necessary,” Setton said. “Our teachers give so many online writing assignments and if I didn’t have a Mac, I wouldn’t be able to get them done. The Chromebooks we got in freshman year are useless by now.”

This may be because the seniors were given brand new Chromebooks in their freshman year. Three years later, their Chromebooks don’t work as well anymore and are inefficient. “Since they are all so old, they are slow and aren’t good for online tests or assignments,” stated senior Esther Esses.

“My Chromebook sits on my shelf and is collecting dust overtime,” stated senior Daniela Nacmias.

However, some freshmen have a different perspective. “My Chromebook is

pretty new,” said freshman Esther Levy. “Even though it’s not as fast or big as a MacBook, it works and is easy for me to use in school,” she continued.

Freshman Yvette Dweck said, “I use a MacBook, but about half of my class uses Chromebooks. The new Chromebooks we received work just as well as MacBooks do. A lot of times, the issue is more that the teacher only wants us to use a pen and paper.”

No matter which type of computer they use, many students are upset that some teachers don’t let them take notes using their computers.

“It’s just easier to take notes on my computer,” senior Michelle Baum said. “I wish the teachers would let us do that instead of using a notebook.”

Most of the teachers who let students take notes on an electronic device don’t care what that device is. MacBooks, Chromebooks, and even iPads, are all usually accepted. “They allow whatever is most convenient for the student,” Dweck said of her teachers.

Despite being given Chromebooks for free, the ease and convenience of iPads and MacBooks has them slowly taking the place of Chromebooks. While some students rely on the devices the school gives out, many others don’t feel the need for them and believe the school should only give them out to those who will actually utilize them.

Seniors adjusting to Hebrew Text classes

By Arlette Anteby Religion Editor

The Hebrew Text curriculum has been revamped by the administration in order to provide seniors with a better opportunity to learn the core fundamental beliefs of modern Jewish Philosophy, according to Rabbi Sklarin, associate principal.

This new curriculum contains topics that are intended to be practical and relevant to the lives of students. It differs from last year’s curriculum in that there is less of an emphasis on an understanding of the siddur as a basis for Jewish philosophical learning.

According to Head of School Rabbi Beyda, this class was created last year after the administration heard the requests of students expressing the need for a more formal component of Jewish Philosophy within the curriculum. The purpose of the class is to provide a solid foundation for students to approach challenging religious and philosophical questions from an educated and informed perspective. The curriculum is also intended to foster skills for students to continue this learning process independently. The classroom setting for a Hebrew Text class is unique in that it allows for open conversation rather than being taught in a traditional

lecture style. Such a setting provides an opportunity for higher levels of learning and encourages analytical and theoretical thought processes.

Senior Benjamin Lin argued that, although such a setting is important, ultimately “the essence of the class gets lost,” because it’s still confined to a classroom setting. Lin proposes a setting devoid of the expectations of a regular classroom.

It’s important to note that, while all Hebrew Text classes aim to explore the same complex ideas, the classroom settings seem to vary based on the teacher. Rabbi Sklarin described that this flexibility is both a necessity and a strength as each teacher aims to find a teaching style that works best for them and their students. Senior Rosie Abed, currently in Rabbi Besser’s Hebrew Text class, said that the flexibility allows students to form closer relationships with their teachers as they navigate the very personal journey of exploring these complex ideas together.

Many of the Hebrew Text classes have also taken on the identity of a Jewish Philosophy class. Some Google Classrooms for these classes are even titled Jewish Philosophy. Senior Albert Kroub spoke of the marriage between these two “classrooms” through his experience in Rabbi Hayoun’s class. Kroub articulated that he

By Isaac Dweck Senior Editor

As a central piece of the “New Building,” the Yeshivah of Flatbush library is used by hundreds of students and faculty every day. The two-floored complex is a go-to for students who are enjoying free periods, studying, working on assignments, printing documents, playing backgammon or chess, and more. However, serving as a place to take out and read books seems to have fallen pretty far down the utility list for Flatbush’s library. How many people actually check out books from the library? Has it just become an extension of the Commons?

When this question was presented to Mr. Katz, one of the school’s three librarians, he opened up the school records to check the statistics. According to the library’s records, an average of approximately 15 books are checked out of the library per day. Compared to past years, that number has not changed much. In 2013, around 18 books were checked out per day. This year, the most books checked out in one day was 84, and the least was 0. However, these statistics include books that are required to be taken out for classes, which likely explains that high total.

Since the opening of the new library, its utilization has shifted from one of literary significance to a more laid back environment where many students spend free time. Mr. Katz is not concerned about the library straying from its original purpose, saying, “The library is a great space to do everything, like meetings, clubs, and work. The library is a multipurpose space that was created to serve many different needs.”

However, some students still use the library for its most obvious purpose: books.

felt guided to contemplate new questions as he was being exposed to new ideas. He explained, “It’s my first time learning Jewish Philosophy, and I already feel more comfortable taking a deeper dive into the topic.” These philosophical questions are often approached using texts of various religious scholars.

As with any new development in school, this curriculum has received pushback from some students. Various seniors have voiced their concerns about approaching questions that may never have a definitive answer. It’s challenging to accept that certain fundamental questions may never lead to answers that are suffi-

Ronnie Hidary, a senior who frequents the library on a daily basis, said, “The library is full of the best books in the world.”

Although the number of books being checked out has not changed much since 2013, the importance of the library in the average Flatbush student’s life has definitely increased since the new library opened. Hidary stated, “Kids come to the library to focus on things and find a quiet space for a book or assignment. It is an academic environment where work gets done. When there are people around me focused and driven, it allows me to adopt that mindset.”

Almost all who enter the library can agree on this. Throughout any given school day there are students and teachers working on the computers, studying in the rooms, quietly reading The Phoenix, or filling out a crossword.

“I go to the library during my free periods to hang out with friends or do work. It’s a great space to spend time during the day and just relax,” said freshman Steven Ezon.

However, there are also times when students’ use of the library strays a little too far from its intended purposes. “During lunch there are so many people in the library. It’s hard to even hear yourself think sometimes,” Ezon stated.

Additionally, after the lunch periods, food and trash carelessly left behind can make it difficult to find a clean place to sit. In an attempt to combat this, new signs have been posted on every table restricting food and drink consumption in the library.

No matter how they use it, the library has clearly become a staple in the lives of Flatbush students. “I can’t even imagine what Flatbush would be like without the library,” said Ezon.

ciently appealing.

Rabbi Sklarin does not believe these concerns hold much weight; he argued that “there is a validity to being thoughtful with what you do with your life.” He illustrated that the seniors are sophisticated enough to approach these ideas; now, they just need to be “equipped with the tools to identify ways to reconcile with these questions.” He went on to assert that to be a Jew in the modern world, we have to be intentional and thoughtful in the way we engage with the outside world. Therefore, these questions are vital to having a meaningful approach to religion.

The library is often crowded during lunch periods

Faculty Freshman: Dr. Shahar

By Jack Gomberg Contributing Writer

Born and raised in Minnesota, Dr. Doron Shahar moved to Arizona for high school and stayed there to attend the University of Arizona. He studied math and physics for his undergraduate degree and math and statistics during his graduate studies. Not only did he excel in the university, but it’s also where he discovered his passion for teaching. “I think it happened when I started my PhD program. They threw us into teaching as well, and I really liked it, and at that point I knew I wanted to do something with teaching.”

Upon getting married, Dr. Shahar and his wife moved to Brooklyn, where he started teaching at the Yeshivah of Flatbush. Dr. Shahar teaches four classes, including multivariable calculus, geometry, AP Physics 1, and AP Physics C.

His favorite part about teaching at Yeshivah of Flatbush is the students. “You guys have a lot of energy. It’s very exciting and nice to see all that energy that you guys bring to the classroom,” stated Dr. Shahar.

While Dr. Shahar immensely enjoys teaching at Flatbush, he admits that he does struggle with being a new teacher at times. “As a new teacher in a new school, it can be scary getting used to the culture and making all of your materials,” he noted. Regardless, he remains optimistic, remarking that, “once you’ve been at a place

for a while, you know all of the ins and outs, and it gets easier.”

In his free time, Dr. Shahar enjoys playing chess, going running, playing with his son, going on hikes with his wife, and watching various TV shows. One fun fact about him is that, despite a widely held belief among students, he is not actually from Israel. “A lot of people think I’m from Israel, but really only my parents are Israeli. Hebrew is actually my second language, because I didn’t start speaking until I was 3,” Dr. Shahar elaborated.

How Daylight Saving Time hurts our bodies

By Emily Tarrab Contributing Writer

Most of the United States turned the clocks back one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 6. This was the official end of Daylight Saving Time. No more dark and gloomy mornings on the way to school. No more Shabbats ending at 8 p.m. Standard Time is now in place, providing us with a natural morning alarm clock— the sunrise—as well as a sunset at roughly 4:30 p.m.

Science in English:

“Falling back” and “springing forward” has recently been a hot topic nationally since the Senate unanimously voted last March to make Daylight Saving Time permanent and to eliminate Standard Time. (The House of Representatives has not yet voted on the bill.)

Regardless of how lawmakers resolve it, there are multiple issues concerning Daylight Saving Time and our health, especially as students.

Waking up to darkness completely contradicts the human trait instilled within us to rise with the sun.

According to freshman Sam Gindi, who commutes to school from Manhattan, “walking to the subway every morning during Daylight Saving

Time is gloomya, mopey, and tiring.”

On the other hand, science teacher Ms. Mikhli believes that Daylight Saving Time should be implemented all year round. “I don’t mind driving to school in the dark at all, but I absolutely hate driving back home after sunset during Standard Time. I begin to feel very drowsy and unproductive,” she communicated.

Scientists have proven that sleep loss and heart attacks are more prone to happen as we transition to Daylight Saving Time. Neurologist Beth Marlow firmly believes that our biannual clock switch should be eliminated, and we should follow only Standard Time. Confusing our body clock and waking up to darkness results in weary drivers in the morning, thus making collisions far more prevalent. When evening arrives and there’s still light out, this too “messes with our brains,” claims Dr. Marlow.

As high school students, falling asleep can be extra challenging during Daylight Saving Time. It’s so bright during the evening that, by the time we want to go to sleep, we still aren’t “tired” enough. Our melatonin hormone, which notifies us when to go to sleep, gets released an hour or two later than it’s supposed

Europe’s energy crisis getting worse

By Michelle Belenky World News Editor

Millions of people travel every year to see the beautiful lights that decorate the Champs-Élysées in France. However, this year the lights will be shut off earlier to save energy. France isn’t the only country struggling with energy insufficiency—all of Europe is currently going through an energy crisis caused by a decrease in oil supplied by Russia. Sanctions on Russia (instituted after their attack on Ukraine) put many European countries in a tight spot regarding their energy consumption.

The European Union stated that the drop in Russian energy supplies has gone “from 45% of our gas imports last year, to just 14% in September 2022.”

Without the oil that Russia typically provides, gasoline and electricity prices have skyrocketed.

While this has been a prominent issue for the past couple of months, the coming winter is significantly exacerbating the energy crisis. Heating bills and availability of heating power are set to make this winter a brutal one for many European countries. Last year, 7% of the European population was unable to heat their homes adequately. Heating bills have already grown far more expensive than they were last year, foreshadowing the precarious position European households are being cornered into this winter.

The countries most at risk this year are Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus as they got the brunt of last year’s heating poverty. However, even European countries that have historically been more resilient regarding heating conservation are in trouble this year. In the UK alone, one third of all households are projected to be pushed into energy poverty or to be devoid of access to modern energy technology this winter. This means no functioning heating or light fixtures throughout the house.

The European Union has created a plan of action in order to remedy the energy situation. The REPowerEU Plan’s goal is to end European dependence on Russian fossil fuels before the year 2030. The EU’s website states that this is a plan for “producing clean energy, saving energy, and diversifying energy suppliers.” The EU claims to be working with international partners to locate alternative energy supplies, aiming to speed up the green transition and spur massive investment in renewable energy. They would also like to enable industry to substitute fossil fuels with green energy faster to bring down emissions and dependency on Russia. Finally, the EU also pushes the conservation of energy on the industrial and local level.

These efforts may ultimately provide more and cleaner energy throughout Europe in the long term. In the short term, many Europeans are bundling up in anticipation of a very uncomfortable winter.

to, so our bodies don’t get the trigger to go to sleep on time. When we consider early school start times, it further proves to be a recipe for disaster.

In 2017, the Cherry Creek School District in Denver conducted an experiment, switching school start times to 8:30 a.m during Daylight Saving Time, and as a result, their students got more sleep. This ultimately improved their functionality and attentiveness in the classroom, since they got more hours of sleep and woke up to daylight. This year, the majority of high schools in California followed suit and implemented later school start times in order to benefit their students’ health and sleep time.

As the Senate’s plan to make Daylight Saving

Time permanent is still pending, pediatric pulmonologist Sonal Malhotra has a couple of helpful tips for dealing with early mornings during DST: keep a consistent sleep, meal, and exercise schedule as well as avoiding caffeine and afternoon naps. The main focus of these tips is to minimize the negative effects of DST on our bodies, since it is very unlikely that the Flatbush administration will change our school start time to 8:30 any time soon.

Holiday lights on Paris Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Israel

Alum in Israel: Shoushou

By Robyn Beyda School News Editor

Recent Flatbush graduate Shulamit “Shoushou” Ashkenazie is currently thriving at Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv.

Ashkenazie attends classes every day and is currently enrolled in eight Judaic classes and two secular classes. Bar Ilan is different from seminaries in Israel because, like Flatbush, it combines Jewish and secular learning. Some of her Jewish classes include “Sifrei Torah,” “Contemporary Halacha Issues,” and “Women and Jewish Law,” while some of her secular classes are Calculus, Biology, and English Composition.

She loves the variety of classes offered and the freedom it enables her to have with her schedule. Her favorite class is World of the Sages with Rabbi Khan, where they learn parasha. It’s very thought provoking, and she appreciates Rabbi Khan’s respect for the students’ opinions. She also feels passionate about the learning as it has spurred her to think about her connection to Judaism beyond the surface level.

However, that’s where the similarities

Ashkenazie

between Bar Ilan and Flatbush end. One of the biggest differences between the two, in Ashkenazie’s opinion, is the religious environment created by the faculty. While the teachers are intent on strengthening the students’ connections with their religion, she expresses that they take a “no-pressure approach,” which has given her the room to think for herself and grow spiritually. For example, the students aren’t forced to go to minyan, but there are

Could Israel’s far-right coalition inspire more American antisemitism?

By Joseph Farca Contributing Writer

Benjamin Netanyahu will return as Prime Minister of Israel, but this time with a coalition with Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionism bloc. This new partnership will bring many changes to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Recently, a deal was made giving Smoltrich power to oversee the Civil Administration and COGAT, the Israeli agency for Palestinian civil affairs. This will affect areas in the West Bank where hundreds of thousands reside. Smoltrich has been an advocate for increasing settlement building in the area, but at the same time increasing enforcement against illegal settlements—primarily Palestinian settlements which house as many Palestininans as Israelis.

Some say that, like the previous one, this coalition won’t last. There are some big differences between the two parties in charge which could cause trouble within. An example of this was seen recently in an NBC interview with Netanyahu. He was

asked how LGBTQ rights in Israel would be affected after the coalition deal which gave the Noam party authority over the Education Ministry unit. The Noam party has previously been criticized as transphobic, anti-LGBTQ, and sexist, including wanting to end female employment in the IDF and end the Jerusalem Pride Parade.

To the outside world, this would not be a good look for Israel. Many Jews worldwide are afraid that these new government officials will give the world reasons to call out Israel and act antisemitic. Being publicly anti-LGBTQ and hostile to Palestinians would harm Israel’s public image, especially due to the recent increase in outward antisemitism led by Kanye West. As the world continues to give him a voice, whether on podcasts or social media accounts, there has been a vast increase in antisemetic attacks. A student recently saw an antisemetic line written on the staircase of the Quentin Road–East 16th subway station.

Former President Donald Trump

D’var Torah: Parshas Vayeishev: Eerie Connections

By Elisha Kahan Contributing Writer

Chanukah is one of the holidays least discussed by Chazal. Many of its halakhot are concentrated in Masechet Shabbat, starting from Daf 21. Here, strange connections can be made to the events of this week’s parasha

On Amud Bet of this Daf, the Gemara discusses cases centered around damages caused by fire. The Gemara bases itself on a Mishnah, which states that the owner of a hammer is held responsible for damage caused by the sparks emitted from it during the act of striking it. The Gemara then relates a seemingly stilted scenario of a lamp setting aflame a pile of flax situated upon a camel, and the halacha’s dependence on whether or not the lamp had been a chanukiah

Fascinatingly, Rashi describes a similar scenario as a parable for the destruction of the Edomite kingdom by Yoseph. At the end of last week’s parasha, the names of the many great chieftains of Edom are listed, and upon seeing the Edomite kingdom’s glory, Yaakov wondered who would be the conqueror of such a mighty nation. And yet, the Torah informs us in this week’s parasha, “These are the generations of Yaakov: Yoseph,” for it would be Yoseph, Yaakov’s own son, who would devour Edom, the progeny of Eisav. Rashi compares Yaakov to a blacksmith questioning how an incoming transport of flax born on the backs

of camels can be stored, when indeed a single spark from his hammer can turn the entire pile of flax into a small pile of ashes. Rashi’s and the Gemara’s situations closely parallel one another, despite the uniqueness of the situation.

On Daf 22 Amud Alef, the close ties between Chanukah and our parasha are further strengthened. In the midst of discussing the proper placement of the chanukiah, the Gemara interrupts to tell us a drasha based on the double expression of emptiness employed to describe the pit Yoseph was thrown into by the brothers. Importantly, the drasha was based off of a pasuk in our very own parasha!

A few lines later in the Amud, the Gemara discusses the restrictions on the use of the chanukiah’s light. In regards to this matter, Rav Yoseph directly compares the light of the chanukiah to blood. Just like the blood of shechita is treated as holy and during the mitzvah of Kisoi HaDam (covering of the blood) can only be covered using a hand and not a foot, so too, the light of the chanukiah must be treated as holy and cannot be used for personal gain. In fact, Sefer HaChinuch states that the foundation of the mitzvah of Kisoi HaDam is a mitigation of the cruelty induced by shechitah, by covering and respecting the life-blood of the creature. Excluding the mitzvah itself, the concept of Kisoi HaDam only appears once else in the Torah, in … Parashat Vayeishev! In persuading his brothers to sell Yoseph instead of leaving him to die,

Yehudah rhetorically questions, “What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood?” Although apparently an act of salvation, Rav Meir in Masechet Sanhedrin states that anyone who blesses Yehuda for this act in fact “blesses (euphemistic for [curses])” G-d.

Yehuda’s own words are self-incriminating. He employs the word Betzah, an expression of ill-gotten gain. Many parshanim also see Yehuda’s mention on the covering of Yoseph’s blood as an implication of killing Yoseph in a concealed fashion, inside the pit, in the same fashion that a killer buries his victim’s body. Perhaps, the act of covering the blood of a victim is also an act of shame. Although the brothers believed that what they were doing was right, they failed to “cover” Yoseph’s blood and grant him intrinsic holiness, an act of respect afforded even to wild animals.

This lesson is exemplified in the light of the chanukiah. The miracle of Chanukah, the Maccabean’s victory over the Hellenistic Romans, descendants of Eisav, is an indicator of Beit Yoseph’s eventual destruction of the Edomite empire, hinted in the beginning of this week’s parasha and explicitly stated by the prophet Ovadia, “And it will be that the house of Yaakov will be a fire, and the house of Yoseph will be be a flame, and the house of Eisav will be straw, that they should burn it and consume it.”

Abarbanel describes the house of Yoseph as the Jews who are returning from

exile, who will fight the nations ascending to wage war on Yisrael. Yoseph and his sons are primary examples of victors of the struggle to follow the Torah under foreign pressures. Jews bless their children to be like Ephraim and Menashe to this very day! In the days of the Hellenists, the Maccabees fought for the freedom to practice their religion tooth and claw, no matter how improbable their victory was. So too, today we must also struggle from outside forces of assimilation, in order to bring the Geulah, Bimheira B’yameynu. To unjustly gain from the chanukiah is an expression of contempt for the Yoseph-like struggle which we must persist to this very day.

In a Midrash Rabah on this parasha, it is noted that all the children of Rachel endure similar trials, and are thus rewarded similarly in greatness when they inevitably succeed. While Yoseph was able to defend himself against the advances of Eshet Potifar, Mordecai, a descendant of Binyamin son of Rachel, was able to stand in the face of danger, refusing to bow to Haman. Both were rewarded the favor of the king, replete with chariot rides and royal edicts. We, too, must endure the same tests and tribulations, but just like our forefathers, we will merit eternal reward, Bimheira B’yameynu

Few teachers have been using the T-10 option when taking attendance

affect me at all.”

According to faculty member Ms. Lamm, it can be difficult for teachers to give students T-5s and T-10s due to the inconvenience of pausing a class to write them down. “I find it a little bit hard. … It means that I have to go back ten minutes late and mark students differently, which is not my strong suit.”

While the T-10 policy was meant to revamp the already existing lateness policy, office hours were introduced this year as a completely new policy in order to serve as “a good opportunity for teachers to interact with students outside the formal setting of the classroom,” according to Rabbi Beyda.

The expectation set at the beginning of the year was that every teacher would be required to designate a weekly time and place where students could meet with them freely. Office hours would potentially allow students to casually ask their teachers questions, get feedback on assignments before they are due, or receive

extra help in areas where they’re falling behind.

However, 96% of students have either never been to office hours, or have gone only once or twice since September. Only 11.3% of students affirmed that all of their teachers have made it clear when and where office hours take place, with one student even asking, “What’s office hours?” He isn’t alone in asking that question: 30.5% of students proved to be completely ignorant of the concept and selected “false” when presented with the statement, “I know what office hours are.”

The teachers were informed about the office hours policy weeks after the other policies were presented to them at their first faculty meeting in August, explained Ms. Lamm. The policy, she said, “was very unclear until information trickled down.”

This lack of clarity has prevented some teachers from explaining their office hours to students. “I didn’t know I was supposed to. I thought information was supposed to go out to students,” admitted Ms. Lamm.

While the administration does not plan to hover on top of teachers too harshly this semester, they intend to make sure every teacher holds office hours once the faculty has adjusted to the rest of the changes made this school year, including the rebirth of Assessment Week, according to Rabbi Beyda. “We’ll talk about it for next semester,” he continued. “We want to have it enforced, but there’s a lot of new things on teachers this year, and we’re letting them ease their way into it.”

As for the phone policy, which requires teachers to confiscate any phone they see during class, its enforcement and effectiveness is unclear. Rabbi Beyda affirmed that “there’s been a consistent application of it, and it’s been pretty good. I

think most people will notice that there are fewer phones out in the class.”

However, according to the survey, 63.5% of students disagree with the statement “Because of the new phone policy, I make sure to keep my phone in my bag during class.” An alarming 48% of students reported feeling comfortable keeping their phones on their desk during class.

The teachers who actually are enforc-

ing these policies, like Ms. Mikhli, are teachers who have been doing so since before the policies schoolwide establishment. “I’ve always had that same phone policy. They walk into my room and put their phones in the cubbies,” she said, referring to the numbered calculator holder on her wall, “I’ve always had [office hours], it’s just that now I have to be in that exact location during that one period.”

Construction will close main gym continued from page 1

that’s not as crowded as the Commons.”

Rabbi Beyda acknowledged that it will be complicated to “create alternate spaces in and out of our building” in order to accommodate the classrooms and parts of the building that will be off limits while undergoing renovations.

Although construction creates an unconventional space for learning, Flatbush is aiming to update their facilities so that they can be “first-rate” for their valued students and staff.

Students expressed excitement for the upgraded facilities, but frustration at the

inconveniences caused by the construction. An anonymous freshman explained that although he is excited to take advantage of the new facilities for the rest of his high school years, he feels like he’s missing out on a part of his freshman year experience with the coming absence of the gym and the current renovations of the outdoor area outside Crawford’s.

Senior Nicole Reghini expressed disappointment as well, saying, “I’m very upset that I’m not going to be here to see the new renovations.

Israel’s new far-right coalition continued from page 5

hosting dinner with Kanye and antisemite Nick Fuentes doesn’t make things better. Asked for his thoughts about the dinner, Netanyahu praised the accomplishments made between the US, Israel, and other Middle Eastern countries during the Trump Administration, but concluded by saying Trump must condemn antisemitism.

As antisemitism rises, so does public

support for Jews. On Saturday night in Orlando, Israeli UFC fighter Natan Levy won his second UFC match against Genaro Valdez. After the win he did not shy away from questions surrounding Kanye West’s many antisemitic comments. He condemned West and said he pities hateful people, adding, “Life’s too short to hate.”

Shoushou’s year in Israel continued

from page 5

many classes that teach students about the value and importance of prayer and the enrichment it can bring to one’s life.

The students are also very different from what she’s used to. “They’re just raised differently than Syrian kids; they all have different worldviews.” There are 150 students, and Ashkenazie’s extroverted personality has helped her build connections with almost all of them.

After her classes, Ashkenazie heads to a weekly activity, which varies by day. For example, on Wednesdays, she takes a four-hour class to get EMT certified, and on Thursdays, she gathers with her friends for a Tisch. Her favorite post-class activity is heading to her Em Bait’s house for soup and a d’var Torah

In high school, Ashkenazie had her heart set on going to Israel for a year. Part of this desire was due to her fervent love for the Holy Land. “I just love Israel. I love it. I love the country, I love the people, I love the food,” she enthused. She has considered making aliyah and views this experience as a test run. “How can I know for sure if I haven’t tried it?” Additionally, Ashkenazie also holds value in taking a gap year after high school. “Taking a year away from my normal life has given me the time to clear my head and think things through. It’s nice to have a change in scenery.”

Despite her self-assurance in her decision, Ashkenazie couldn’t help but feel a little nervous about the newfound inde-

pendence that moving to Tel-Aviv would provide. “It’s a big step. For the next five years, I’m probably not going to be living at home. It’s like all of a sudden I’m a real adult,” she divulged. However, she said that had she known how positive her experience was going to be, she wouldn’t have worried.

For all the wonderful aspects of Israel, Ashkenazie did note that she is not a fan of the bus system. She misses New York’s convenient subway system and thinks that Israel should adopt something similar. “Everywhere you go you have to take the bus, and every bus stop is like a 15 minute walk away from each other. Also there are some buses with the same number that go in totally different directions. It’s very confusing.”

She has great appreciation for the faculty and the compassion they have for their students. She’s currently looking forward to eating Shabbat dinner at the head of the program’s house. “She’s making me kibbeh cherry for dinner, because she knows it’s my favorite.”

Every Sunday, Ashkenazie either goes on a Chesed trip or a hike. Her favorite trip so far was a five-hour hike in Ein Gedi, as it served as an opportunity to meet new people and bond, something she doesn’t get to do during class time.

Ashkenazie is currently in the process of applying to colleges in America for when she returns.

Lohan’s ‘Lohanaissance’ resurrecting career

By Belle Shatzkes Entertainment Editor

After years of irrelevance brought on by multiple bouts of substance abuse and several criminal convictions, Lohan is poised for a comeback.

She’s had quite the career: in her youngest days, she modeled for Calvin Klein Kids and Abercrombie and starred in numerous commercials. By the age of 10, Lohan was cast on a television soap opera, and by 12, she was well-known for her portrayal of twins Annie and Hallie in Disney’s 1998 remake of the film The Parent Trap. Her role in Freaky Friday earned her worldwide fame, and by the time Mean Girls came out, she was so fetch. She even released two pop albums, which both did very well.

You’ve seen the movie Freaky Friday And if you haven’t seen Freaky Friday, you’ve seen The Parent Trap. And if you haven’t seen The Parent Trap, you’ve seen Mean Girls. And if you haven’t seen Mean Girls, you’ve been living under a rock. What do all these iconic movies have in common? Two words: Lindsey Lohan. The legendary red-haired child actress with whom Hollywood fell in—and then out of—love.

Her career all but crashed and burned in the late 2000s. She began to receive negative press when she was criticized for bad behavior on movie sets and started to appear in New York nightclubs. She struggled with alcohol and drugs, and entered a rehab program for the first time in 2007, followed by an additional five times over the span of five years. She was arrested 10 times: twice for drunk driving, once for reckless driving, twice for lying to law enforcement, once for felony possession of cocaine, once for driving on a suspended license, once for shoplifting, once for allegedly fleeing the scene of an accident (although this charge was dropped), and once for assaulting a woman in a club. She also created a reputation for herself

Phantom attendance causes show’s closure

By Sophia Salem Contributing Writer

The Phantom of the Opera, a musical that has been popular worldwide for decades, announced its exit from the Broadway stage. There is a simple reason the show is being canceled: attendance has been down since theaters reopened after Covid shutdowns, and the show’s expenses are simply not being met.

Producer Cameron Mackintosh told The New York Times, “For most of last year, we were losing every week. There comes a point when you become theatrical wallpaper. People took it for granted that it’s going to run forever.”

However, after the musical’s final performance was publicized, fans were devastated, which caused the ticket sales to rapidly increase. Because of this, the mu-

sical’s final show date has been postponed from February of 2023 to April 16, 2023.

The musical is based on the 1910 novel Phantom of The Opera, by Gaston Leroux, which tells the story of the ghost of a deformed musical composer haunting an opera house and falling in love with a young soprano named Christine. Phantom’s first showing was in 1986 in London, and the show debuted on Broadway for the first time in 1988. Currently the oldest musical on Broadway, Phantom of the Opera will leave the stage at 35 years old. Its closure will leave Chicago, which opened in 1996, as the longest-running Broadway musical.

Although the Opera is definitely becoming a phantom, it remains in the hearts of many as a visual and musical masterpiece, and many of its songs remain a beloved part of the Broadway canon.

as a thief, shoplifting and stealing jewelry from parties, movie sets, and friends’ homes. She disappeared from the public eye in 2015, reappearing again in 2018 announcing a reality show involving a beach club, but that soon got canceled, too.

And now, Lohan is back and better than ever! In a period being dubbed the “Lohanaissance,” Ms. Lohan is reviving her career and getting her life back on track. In 2021, she signed a deal with Netflix to star in a Christmas movie, then got engaged a few months later! People magazine confirmed that she married partner Badger Shammas this past July.

My personal favorite aspect of the Lo-

hanaissance is her new movie, which was released on Netflix on November 10. Titled Falling for Christmas, Ms. Lohan plays spoiled heiress Sierra Belmont, who, minutes after getting engaged, has a skiing accident and finds herself an amnesiac in the care of a ski lodge owner and his daughter and mother-in-law. If you, like me, are a huge sucker for Hallmark-esque holiday romance movies, this once comes highly recommended. Lohan has received many positive reviews on both her acting and the film itself, furthering her revival.

I don’t know about you, but Lindsey Lohan’s recent re-rise to fame has me quite excited to see where she will go next.

The Nanny Letter of Recommendation:

By Samantha Ryba Sophomore Editor

Many television shows from the ’90s have made roaring comebacks throughout the 2020s, such as Friends, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Boy Meets World However, there is a particularly amusing sitcom that has been overlooked by the newer generations: The Nanny The Nanny, which starred comedian Fran Drescher, follows the life of Fran Fine, the very unqualified nanny to three children on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Before she became a nanny, Fran worked at a bridal boutique in Queens. After being dumped by her longtime boyfriend and boss, Fran uses her persuasive attitude to sell makeup door to door to the well-to-do’s of Manhattan. She encounters Maxwell Sheffield, a wealthy English widower in need of a nanny to look after his children, Maggie, Brighton, and Gracie. Desperate for the help, Mr. Sheffield hires Fran on the spot, despite the fact that she has no relevant experience.

While everyone in the Sheffield house is subtle and composed, Fran Fine is the total opposite. With her amusingly nasal voice, bold style, and witty humor, Nanny Fine quickly wins over the children and befriends Niles, the Sheffields’ butler. She livens the home that was once dull and

boring.

The show brings viewers a unique sense of comfort. Jewish and in her 30s, Fran Fine is constantly referencing Jewish customs and habits, making her very relatable to those in Yeshivah of Flatbush. The children are also very engaging characters. They accurately portray teenage problems and face hardships due to the fact that they lack a motherly figure in their lives. Nanny Fine nearly fills that void by giving the children advice and guidance in ways Mr. Sheffield can’t, while still keeping the show light and friendly.

Before long, romantic tension builds between Mr. Sheffield and Fran. Their relationship follows an intriguing will-theywon’t-they storyline which forces watchers to return.

Through it all, Niles and Fran are always cracking jokes about C.C. Babcock, Mr. Sheffield’s rather sour female business partner. C.C. is always bothered by Fran’s antics and by the fact that Mr. Sheffield only has eyes for the nanny. The rivalry between the three characters is naturally hysterical and it creates an amusing dynamic.

The Nanny’s clever humor and relatable characters makes it an unmatched series. Next time you reach for Friends or Everybody Loves Raymond, watch The Nanny instead for a good laugh.

Lohan in a scene form her new movie

Lohan with husband Badger Shammas

SCHEDULE A PATHFINDERS MEETING

Ask

Dear Merle,

Merle

How do I eat healthy in school? The only option is a $20 salad, and I definitely don’t have enough allowance for that.   flatbushgirl38

Fun & Games

line, things would be so much easier!  Alex from Chock

Dear Alex,

I can’t imagine the daily stress you go through. Take it as a compliment! It just means your food is so good! Nothing beats a hot bagel with chips and a red drink for lunch after a long, tiring morning. You should just pretend you don’t hear anyone who yells at you—that’ll teach them a lesson! We love you, and couldn’t get through school without you!

Love,  Merle

Dear flatbushgirl38,

I’m having the same problem! Obviously when choosing between a $5 Chock bagel and a $20 Jus salad, I’m gonna choose the bagel. Honestly, there’s no way to solve this problem. You should just wait to eat healthy until after you graduate. Enjoy those $5 Chock bagels while you can, or you’ll regret not taking advantage of them (they’re so good)!

Love,  Merle

Dear Merle,

How do I get these high school girls to calm down? If they just made a single file

Faculty

By Robin Rawas Fun and Games Editor

Dear Merle

Frustrated senior

Dear Frustrated,

good morning/afternoon when you walk into class. Just like we, the students, have long and hard days, so do our teachers. A simple smile or hello could make their day, while at the same time give that good impression you want to make.

Love, Merle

Dear Merle,

How do I escape the endless cycle of walking up late, then getting early arrival, not waking up for early arrival, and then getting detention? It’s so hard to wake up on time, especially in the freezing cold!  @1609avejfanpage

Dear @1609avejfanpage, I’m almost up to my last semester of high school, and I still never mastered this! My mom and I have this routine where I have to send her a selfie showing that I’m out of bed so she knows I got up. Ever since we started that, I’ve been on time to school and haven’t gotten one late! If that doesn’t seem like it’ll work for you, try setting a funny/fun alarm ringtone, and make sure to change it once in a while so you don’t get too used to it and sleep through it. Good luck!

Love, Merle

Flatbush Cartoon

By Jen Kreizman Phoenix Cartoonist

Standard of Fabulous

Tailored for Taylor

By Sylvia Saad Sophomore Editor

With a large number of Flatbush students planning to attend Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert in May, outfit ideas are the main thing on a Swiftie’s mind. Considering the fact that Taylor Nation, Taylor’s management team, is notorious for scouting people in unique outfits to upgrade their tickets, fans always dress to impress. Styling an outfit solely based on aesthetics will not cut it at such a competitive event. References to Swift’s past history, albums, outfits, etc. have to be made in order to stand out in the crowd.

In light of the title “Eras Tour,” an outfit has to consist of inspiration from Swift’s different “eras” or albums. Her debut album, Taylor Swift, could influence a country-esque outfit. A white sundress with cowboy boots and hat would fit perfectly in the debut album category.

In Swift’s next album, Fearless, there are several iconic songs and music videos. In an ode to the “You Belong With

Me” music video, Taylor’s iconic pajama outfit could be spruced up. Instead of the flannel pajama pants and T-shirt shown in the video, a skirt with the same pattern as the pajama pants and a top with the same wording as the shirt could have a similar yet chicer effect.

Taylor’s Speak Now era brings chic dresses to play. A reference to the iconic Speak Now album covers, with Taylor in a beautiful purple or red dress (as seen in the deluxe edition) can be made. The tulle purple dress would certainly make a splash at the concert.

A more niche idea to Taylor’s Red (TV) album and its hit song, “All Too Well,” could reference a lyric in the song. \“I still remember the first fall of snow and how it glistened as it fell,” is one line that can be used to construct an outfit. A dress decorated with snow-white pom-poms and glitter added on top will give the effect of glistening snow. This idea also can be applied to “Snow on the Beach,” from the Midnights album. If you’re going for a more stylish rather than unique approach, a red hat similar to the one on the Red (TV) album cover, white top, and red skirt should do the job.

1989 fans could go for an outfit referencing her hit single “Welcome to New York” and the 1989 album cover. As most students will be attending the concert in MetLife stadium, home of the New York Giants and Jets, you could write “Welcome to New York” in the same font

Swift used on the cover all over a light-colored dress or pants.

Swift’s Reputation era brings many fashionable prospects. Her usual look during this time consisted of black clothing and an edgy

feel. Any black leather ensemble would fit right into this aesthetic; a black leather dress certainly has potential. If you’re looking for a more abstract idea, you could pin black and white ties onto a dress or top, write “lies” and Xs on the white ties, and carry a car-shaped bag as an allusion to the lyrics “The ties were black, the lies were white” and “X marks the spot” in the song “Getaway Car” from Reputation.

The next album, Lover, brings an entirely different vibe. The theme of this album is love and the happiness it brings. The main color palates are pastels, with an emphasis on light pinks. A top decorated with clear and pink Christmas lights making the shape of a heart would be an original idea from the title song. An alternative could be any pink clothing with a heart motif and paper rings as the chosen jewelry from the song “Paper Rings.” Lyrics from the Lover songs have lots of possibilities.

However, Swift’s next album, Folklore, has more complex lyrics to work with. An easy idea is the classic cardigan from “Cardigan,” or mirrorball earrings with a silver dress referencing “Mirrorball.” Although both ideas will be done and lack a little originality, they’re both still great

and reliable contenders. Another possibility would be to wear pants with key limes and carrying a purse in the shape of a dog, alluding to “The Last Great American Dynasty’s” bridge. The iconic bridge will be recognizable to the most elite of fans.

Evermore contains somewhat predictable outfit ideas such as a “Champagne Problems” or “Gold Rush” inspired outfit. Although both of those could be very well done, an underrated classic deserves an outfit idea as well. “Right Where You Left Me,” is an unexpected song to reference, but a white dress covered with shattered pieces of glass and a pinned up hairdo would definitely attract attention from Taylor Nation.

Heads will also be turned by Midnights-inspired outfits. A skirt decked out with crystals in the shape of raindrops, paired with an asymmetrical navy top gives the “Midnight Rain” feel. “Paris” lovers could wear a top with an Eiffel Tower motif, paired with a champagne colored skirt.

Regardless of the outfit you choose, all the Swifties on May 28 will look fabulous alongside the best dressed of them all, Taylor Swift herself.

Uggs making a sudden comeback

By Clara Edery Fashion Editor

If someone told you three years ago that Uggs would be one of this winter’s most sought-after and desired footwear, would you believe them? After years of being considered unfashionable, Uggs are back in a variety of styles ranging from platform soles to mini below-the-ankle cuts. The recent craze for Uggs has many wondering—why? Despite the fact that these shoes have been seen on a variety of celebrities such as Dua Lipa, Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, and Gigi Hadid, many remain confused about why Uggs are sud-

denly back in style.

Staple articles of clothing are the foundation of all fashion. A clean white T-shirt, a plain pair of jeans, and a simple jacket are essentials to ensure you will always have an outfit to put on—basic or not. Uggs fit right into that category of basics. They’re so appealing to their customers because they aren’t an extreme fashion statement, and just about anyone can wear them. You can take any style and/or shape of Uggs, and cater them to your own taste. They’re perfect for day-to-day wear. You can dress them up or throw them on with a pair of jeans and a T- shirt while going shopping, like celebrity Hailey Beiber. Fans have

been going crazy over recent photos of Beiber wearing her platform embroidered Tasman Ugg slippers. She paired the slippers with blue jeans, a dark green button down, and a large, white sherpa vest. However, you can also dress Uggs down with sweatpants and a hoodie for running errands and hanging out with friends.

Uggs are also extremely comfortable. They are made from natural wool shearling, which ensures your feet will stay warm all winter. The inside is lined with sheepskin, which allows your feet to breathe well so they don’t get sweaty. Uggs also feature soft and flexible outsoles, which provide extra cushioning and insu-

late your feet.

You might be interested in buying Uggs for yourself right now, but good luck finding them! A variety of sizes of Uggs cannot be found online. The Uggs website is sold out of many different styles, as are popular websites such as Amazon, Zappos and Bloomingdale’s. Even if you were to find your desired style and size, they would surely cost far more than the retail price. Uggs have been increasing in price ranging from $100 to $400.

If you do manage to get your hands on a pair of Uggs, think about how you can style them to make them your own!

Uggs are easy to find in Flatbush halls and classrooms

Combating fast fashion with slow and sustainable

By Arlette Mann  Fashion Editor

Slow fashion and sustainable fashion are two new movements that were created to combat fast fashion and have recently been gaining traction. But do people really know what they are?

First, it’s important to understand what fast fashion is: the rapid production of cheap and trendy clothing meant to be worn for only a few months before it goes out of style and/or falls apart. Many wellknown brands create such items, and the term has become synonymous with retailers like Shein, Zara, and H&M, to name a few. These companies often replicate other brands’ designs, and produce them with cheaper materials in order to sell them at lower prices. Fast fashion is so rampant because it gives consumers the instant gratification of seeing something trending and being able to buy it that night. The rise of fast fashion in recent years has allowed

for trends to cycle out much quicker than before, and now a look can go out of style in just weeks.

Fast fashion has caused many problems, including dangerous working conditions in factories and negative impacts on the environment. Low-quality clothing doesn’t last the customer very long and ends up in landfills soon after being made. Additionally, the cheap materials these clothes are made of are not recyclable or biodegradable, leaving them residing in these landfills for decades or even centuries.

Hence the rise of slow fashion and sustainable fashion. Even though they sound similar, slow and sustainable fashion refer to two different alternatives to fast fashion.

Slow fashion is concerned with the production process, ensuring a regular quantity of clothing is in the market. Practicing slow fashion would reduce overproduction and overconsumption, and involve buying longer-lasting, high-qual-

ity products. In general, it’s usually the smaller brands who focus more on slow fashion. This was the only type of production system used in pre-industrial times. There were no factories, and thus much less clothing to go around, and products were made by hand with a much greater attention to detail. Some brands have begun to bring back slow fashion; however, many people will continue to buy fast fashion, because they want the newest thing for a cheap price.

Shein is a popular ‘fast fashion’ retailer

Sustainability is another important concept that has been slowly making its way into the fashion world. Sustainability is the idea of making sure that what we are doing now will not affect the future in a negative way,

while still fulfilling our present needs. There are a lot of different ways to incorporate sustainability into fashion. First, by using eco-friendly methods in production, such as reducing water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Another way to sustainability produce clothing is by being cognizant of the materials being used. Environmentally friendly materials such as recycled fabrics, organic cotton, and wool can be much easier to recycle into new clothing. Lastly, there is a responsibility on the consumer to shop sustainably as well. There are many ways to do this, such as shopping less, upcycling old clothing, and taking care of clothing so that it can last longer.

Neutral sites: the future of NFL football

By Simone Amkraut Sports Editor

Home-field advantage: a concept as old as competition itself. Think of the thousands of Pittsburgh Steelers fans waving a sea of Terrible Towels as they amp up the decibels at Heinz Field, a packed-tothe-gills student section of Cameron Crazies haranguing their hapless opponents at Duke University, or Mr. Whammy putting the kibosh on opposing free throw shooters as he riles up the Nets’ home crowd at Barclays Center.

Such support is incredibly valuable to the home team. This was clear from lifeand-death battles for actual land in ancient times. It is just as true today when the oddsmakers in Las Vegas set the betting lines for games. Bettors on NFL games know full well that playing at home is worth at least 3 points to the home team. So why have NFL teams so readily accepted that half the league should get one more home game than the other half?

For as long as professional leagues have existed, regular seasons have consisted of an even number of games, thereby

ensuring that every team plays the same number of home and away games. Balance. Equity. Fairness. That was universally true, until last year. In 2021, the NFL implemented its first 17-game season, the first odd-numbered total of games in a season since 1961.

One of the reasons the NFL gave for expanding the schedule to 17 games was the ability to play regular season games in overseas markets without forcing teams to give up one of their 8 home dates. Growing the game globally is fine, but is it worth the price of competitive imbalance, with one half of the League hosting an ex-

tra home game while the other half has to play an extra road game?

The Commissioner and the owners along with the players’ union agreed at the time that the two conferences (the NFC and the AFC) would alternate which one’s teams would get the extra home game from season to season.

Perhaps there is a more equitable solution: 16 neutral-site games.

Why sacrifice competitive balance when you can achieve the dual goals of increased revenue streams and the expansion of the global footprint at the same time? With 16 neutral-site games, each

FIRST-PERSON

team plays a balanced home-away schedule of 16 games like it had for over 60 years, and each team also plays one neutral-site game.

The NFL already plays 4 such games (this year the League had showcases in England (twice), Germany, and Mexico. Adding 12 more similar sites is definitely a doable proposition. Clearly, the world is interested (the four international games were quick sell-outs). Plus, there are other U.S. cities that do not have their own franchise that would surely welcome the opportunity to host an NFL game. Imagine NFL games on every continent. Cities like Rome, Rio, Athens, Paris, Tokyo, Madrid, Sydney, Beijing, Seoul, Barcelona, and Montreal all have both the venue and the population to meet the NFL’s hosting needs. How about cities like Birmingham, Alabama; Salt Lake City, Utah; Richmond, Virginia; or Oklahoma City, Oklahoma— all cities that have local populations that could easily sell out a local venue?

Competitive balance, increased revenue, and a larger global footprint? Sounds like a win-win-win!

Bus delay forces frustrating forfeit, but team will fight on

By Isaac Dweck Senior Editor

This year, the varsity flag football team is arguably the best team competing in Flatbush’s name. Sitting atop the league standings at 5-0, we were looking to continue our undefeated season against Mesivta Netzach HaTorah, or Netz, a yeshiva based in Woodmere, New York. Although we had clobbered most teams we have played against so far, this game was different. Netz was, and still is, viewed as the best team in the league by those who follow the league closely; they were also 5-0. We prepared all week for the biggest matchup of the season, one that would have drastic playoff implications in the future and prove if this year’s Flatbush football team are legitimate contenders. All league games are played at Law-

rence High School’s football field in Cedarhurst, which is approximately an hour away from Flatbush. Every week, we travel by bus to and from the game. On Sunday, December 4, Flatbush’s highly anticipated matchup against Netz was scheduled for 3:45. Coaches Mo and Joe called for all players to be in school at around 2:10 to load the buses, so the team would arrive at the field with a half hour to warm up and stretch. By 2:10, the Commons was filled with juniors and seniors wearing white Flatbush football jerseys, tossing around a ball, and blasting music on a speaker; we were zoned in.

At around 2:30, the bus had still not arrived to take us to the game. We started getting worried that we wouldn’t make it to the field with enough time to stretch and warm up. By around 2:50, we were worried we’d miss the game entirely and

began formulating a plan to drive to the game, taking all the players in five different seniors’ cars. Coach Joe decided to call the bus company one last time and was informed the bus was five minutes away. We decided to scrap the plan and wait for the bus. The bus did not come for another half hour. For the entirety of the drive, we were unclear on whether we would be even able to play. We put our cleats on and went over the game plan in hopes that the league would understand our transportation struggles. When we arrived at the field, all we saw were Netz’s players and the refs driving away. We missed the cutoff, which was 4:00, by 15 minutes. We were forced to forfeit the game.

We stayed at the field and scrimmaged for an hour, then rode the bus for an hour back to school. You could feel the devastation on the bus the whole way home as

we had been forced to take a loss we were not even able to fight for in the biggest game of the season. We all had that game marked on the calendar since before the season started, and we were robbed of the opportunity to show who we are as a team. We would have felt much better if we had gotten to play and lost than just forfeiting, because we would have at least had a chance to fight for ourselves.

As a team, we are very frustrated with what happened. Through no fault of our own, we were forced to forfeit the biggest game of the season and now have 1 in the loss column, sitting right under Netz in the standings. I know one thing for sure, though: we will use this loss as a chip on our shoulder and carry it into all our future games, because we know the team that we are and we know that we do not deserve that loss.

The New York Giants and Green Bay Packers played in London in October

Time for a fantasy redraft

By David Marcus Entertainment Editor

Here are the top 5 picks that were taken in fantasy football drafts this summer.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, IND

Christian McCaffrey, RB, SF

Derrick Henry, RB, TEN

Cooper Kupp, WR, LAR

Austin Ekeler, RB, LAC

Most of those picks did not pan out like we thought they would. Here is what a redraft would look like if we drafted our fantasy teams with the knowledge we have today.

Austin Ekeler, RB, LAC

Ekeler is the only player on this list that was drafted in the original 5 above. In a Chargers offense that has not met expectations, Ekeler has thrived in fantasy football, being the number one-ranked running back. He has recorded 12 touchdowns in 12 games, and has 270 full-PPR fantasy points through 13 weeks. Ekeler’s insane receiving ability will make him a first-round back for many years to come.

Josh Jacobs, RB, LVR

This offseason, the Las Vegas Raiders declined the option to pick up Josh Jacobs’ fifth-year contract option, and boy, has Jacobs taken that personally. Jacobs leads the entire NFL in rushing yards, scrimmage yards, first-down rushes, and yards by contact. He is even in consideration for the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, which is surprising given that he was drafted in the sixth round of many fantasy drafts. Jacobs would be the second player taken if there was a redraft today.

Stefon Diggs, WR, BUF

Sunsets, waterfalls, and watching Josh

Allen throw the football to Stefon Diggs are some of the most beautiful things you will ever witness. The Bills can attribute their 9-3 record (through week 13) to the pure talent of Stefon Diggs. The pass catcher is currently the top-ranked wide receiver in fantasy football, and he was taken mostly in the second round of drafts. With 271 fantasy points through 13 weeks, Diggs has taken over the wide receiver position.

Jalen Hurts, QB, PHI

It HURTS to say this, but yes, a quarterback would be taken top 5 in a redraft. Jalen Hurts has taken a massive leap as a passer, and as a rusher this season. As the Eagles sit at the top of the league, Hurts is sitting at the top of fantasy QBs. He is the highest-ranked player in all of fantasy football. His nine rushing touchdowns and his 20-3 TD-INT ratio is the reason he has a whopping 304 fantasy points through 13 weeks. Expect Hurts to possibly win MVP, The Super Bowl, and many fantasy football leagues.

Travis Kelce, TE, KC

Kelce is the top tight end in all of fantasy football, having 250 points, and he is the 11th overall player in fantasy. Who’s the number two tight end, you ask? Well that would be Mark Andrews, who has 150 points and is the 60th ranked player in fantasy. Travis Kelce has taken over the tight end position, and many people have begun to put him in the GOAT TE conversation. Mahomes’s number one target has 12 touchdowns through 13 weeks. Since the tight end position has been extremely weak this season, having a player like Travis Kelce is definitely worth a top 5 pick.

Varsity football team continues dominance

By Shelly Zebak Contributing Writer

On the first day of tryouts, it was already clear to Coaches Joey and Mo Maswary that the Varsity Football team had the potential for something special this year. And with more than half the season in the books, they have not been disappointed by their Falcons’ performance on the field. In fact, the only thing that has managed to slow down this team was their own transportation.

Buses aside, this has been a very promising season for Flatbush, as they have not only won every game they have played to date, they have done so convincingly. That is the direct result of Flatbush having as solid a roster across the field as it has ever had. In the past, the team has had a dynamic quarterback, a speedy wide receiver, a lock-down defensive back, and a beefy lineman. But never has it had all of those things at the same time—until now. And, the record shows it!

It all starts with the offense, keyed by quarterback Sammy Weinwurzel. Weinwurzel brings both a cool head and a steady hand to the helm. With protection provided by Eli Mizrahi and his fellow linemen and the fleet feet and sure hands of the Falcons receiving corps headlined by Jack Alhadeff, the boys have an offense that can strike quickly as well as maintain sustained drives to salt away games when

the team has a comfortable lead late.

The defense has proven equally successful, thanks in large part to the play of Sammy Zeitoune and Abie Tawil. It is truly the balance on both sides of the ball that has led to the team’s dominance on the field so far, and Weinwurzel is quick to acknowledge that.

“Since day one, this team has been on the same page,” he said.

“Whether it’s offense or defense, we all trust each other to do our own jobs, and that’s what’s led to our success. Any set back in that area just made us grow stronger for the future.”

The team’s perfect record was marred when they had to forfeit a game because the team bus did not show up in time to take them to the game. Despite the frustration over that incident, with a few weeks left to play in the regular season and playoffs on the horizon, it looks as if the bus troubles may only be a bump in the road as these Falcons look to make their dreams of a first championship a reality.

Though their record is now blemished, the question still remains if there is a team in the Mesivta Football League that can actually stop these Falcons on the field. Weinwurzel knows there is still work to be done, but the camaraderie developed along the way is key to their success. “This team has become a family and winning has become the standard,” added Weinwurzel. “We’re excited to see how far this team can go.”

Sportsman Spotlight: Goldman dominating the Athletics Department

Senior Jack Goldman is nothing short of an athletic triple threat at the Yeshivah of Flatbush. How many other students can say they’re a valued member of the football, baseball, and softball teams?

It only makes sense that Goldman’s sports debut occurred many years ago. One of his first memories of playing baseball was being a part of Victor Gindi’s Little League program. He fondly recalls how his team, the Orioles, won the league during his first year in the program. This triumph spurred him to continue playing sports, and he spent many Saturdays playing street games of football with his

He joined his first school sports team in sixth grade: the hockey team. He was on the football team in 10th grade and reprised his position of wide receiver this year. Additionally, he’s played center field on the baseball and softball teams since 11th grade. His year-long hiatus from the football team in 11th grade can be attributed to the long-lasting effects of Covid; the football team didn’t play a single game in 10th grade—they only had practices—and Goldman felt quite discouraged by the

game. However, he returned better than ever this year, and he’s ecstatic to be back!

When Goldman steps up to the plate, he feels an intense drive to win. He expresses that it’s “as if nothing else in the world matters except for me getting a hit. I want to do anything I can in my ability to get on base.” But Goldman acknowledges that any game comes with pressure, whether it’s the routine nerves before his quarterback calls “Hike!” or the feeling that every eye is on him when it’s the bottom of the ninth and he’s at bat. To overcome that apprehension, he endeavors to “block it all out, and just focus on what I need to do to help my team win.” This seems to be good advice, as his team did win the division last year.

Goldman makes sure to set himself up for success by following certain routines. He stays at the top of his game by practicing even when he’s not in school. Going to the batting cages when he can is one of his favorite ways to practice, and he still plays football every Saturday with his friends all these years later. To prepare for every game, Goldman likes to “put my headphones on, listen to some music, and lock

in” beforehand.

There are many aspects of being on sports teams that Goldman appreciates, including getting to play the sports he loves, winning, and just having fun in general, but he values spending time with his teammates the most. He describes an enormous sense of camaraderie between him and his teammates. “I like to treat my teammates like they’re my brothers. Like I’ll do anything for them,” Goldman asserted. He believes that strong team chemistry is vital to winning the game, maintaining that, “We don’t even need to communicate. It’s as if they know every single move I’m going to do, and I know what they’re going to do.”

While Goldman loves being on three sports teams, he admits that it can be quite overwhelming at times, especially as a student athlete. Juggling long school days and schoolwork with hours of practice and multiple games a week is something he is still trying to figure out. But it’s all worth it when he gets to celebrate with his team after a win by “going for dinner with the teammates, building up some more chemistry, and getting back to work.”