The Phoenix 2022-2023 Issue 2

By Jeanette Cohen Editor-in-Chief

Students’ initial excitement about having no tests until November under the school’s new testing policy intro duced this year has yielded to frustra tion and concern as teachers and stu dents have struggled to adjust to the new workload.

Earlier this year, Yeshivah of Flatbush announced the implementation of a new testing policy, transitioning the school to a greater focus on alternate ways for teachers to assess students’ knowledge and skills. Every subject except science and math will have only four tradition al tests this year, to be given every six weeks during “testing week.” Otherwise, instead of tests teachers will be assigning various forms of alternative assessments in order to prompt more meaningful learning.

Rabbi Beyda said this transition has been long overdue. The school has been trying to move away from the mindless habit of “teachers teach, teachers give a test, students take a test. We want the learning to be significant and produc

tive every day,” he stated. He feels giving teachers the opportunity and time to give more alternative assessments will encourage a deeper understanding of the material among students while also creating better teachers. While this de cision was partially intended to address the stress levels of the students, it was not the only factor; Rabbi Beyda clarified that “our goal is not to make the work easier; our goal is to make the work more targeted and more growth-oriented.”

Many students are concerned that, in

practice, the opposite is happening. An anonymous junior expressed that cut ting down the number of tests has put a lot more pressure on the remaining ones, as there’s a lot more riding on each one. “With a new teacher, every student experiences a little bit of trial and error when first adjusting to their testing style. However, now there’s no room to make mistakes,” the student continued.

Senior Tunie Hanan added that while she is trying to keep an open mind about

By Samantha Ryba Sophomore Editor

This year, students taking Tsei U’lmad courses will receive only letter grades, which will no longer be a component of their GPA, program supervisor Mr. Katz confirmed.

Tsei U’lmad courses will still appear on students’ transcripts.

The Yeshivah of Flatbush High School offers 10th through 12th grade students the opportunity to learn subjects that fall outside the regular school curriculum in mini-courses called Tsei U’lmads. Typi cally for these classes, the student receives a number grade on their report card that is factored into their grade point average, but that has changed for this year.

Mr. Katz explained the reasoning be hind the change: “Since the Tsei U’lmad classes don’t meet with the same regulari ty that most other classes meet with, they should have a different grading method ology. Students will be taking the classes more for the sake of learning rather than to boost their GPA.”

Additionally, if the grading system were to stay as it was, standard classes would be devalued. Students might pri oritize a Tsei U’lmad because it meets only once a week and counts just as much as standard classes that meet up to six times a week.

By Arlette Anteby Religion Editor

The administration has added a weekly “What I Need (WIN) period to every senior class’s schedule this year to help provide them with the tools and time to succeed.

These WIN periods were instituted for the first time with the goal of provid ing students the opportunity to catch up on work; to meet with teachers, college guidance counselors, Pathfinders, or reg ular guidance counselors; to learn inde pendently; or to simply take a breather.

Rabbi David Galpert, senior grade principal as well as the administrator of this period, highlighted that the admin istration took note of the fact that stu

dents often spend their days going from class to class and this provides them with a break in their schedule to take care of responsibilities outside the classroom. In the past, students had to carve out time within their busy schedules to make var ious meetings during class time, which infringed on their learning.

The new WIN periods also provide the opportunity for different teachers or faculty members to meet with students by homeroom in smaller settings.

Dr. Etty Mizrahi, head of the Guid ance department, commented that the period is extremely beneficial to the wellbeing of students. She also suggest ed that the administration should take advantage of the period by adding more programming to maximize the growth

of the students and productivity of the period.

As this is the first time such a period has been added to the Yeshivah of Flat bush schedule, it is also serving as a trial run. The administration chose to start with the senior grade, because they rec ognized the added stresses and respon sibilities that seniors face in addition to their regular academic workload—spe cifically, the college application process.

Since last year, the senior schedule has changed drastically. Seniors have one fewer gym period, which the WIN period fills. Seniors also no longer have Music Appreciation or Israel World Re lations on their schedules, replaced by an added eighth period elective and Civics

Mr. Katz believes that this initiative has not changed the popularity of Tsei U’lmad classes. In fact, there’s been an even greater turnout of students.

“I think more students are involved this year because there are a lot of inter esting options. But even to begin with, I didn’t know that these classes were ever part of your GPA, ” said Lynn Dweck, a sophomore enrolled in the Emergency Medicine and Anatomy Tsei U’lmad.

The overall consensus strongly differs. Some of the instructors of Tsei U’lmad classes believe that the change has made students less motivated to put effort into the class, as the grades have no effect on their GPA. “By removing the reward, you simply remove the incentive,” says Mr. Alex Schneider, instructor of the Archi

Covid leaves lasting mark on freshman lunchtime

By Sylvia Saad Sophomore Editor

Flatbush has a longtime policy of forbidding freshmen from leaving the building for lunch until after Pesach. Due to the chaotic circumstances that have taken place over the past four years, current sophomores, juniors, and seniors have all had slightly different experiences with the rule.

The implementation of the mandate was intended for freshmen to socialize and make new friends before being able to leave the building. The administration also wanted freshmen to mature into high school students before allowing them to represent YOF on the streets of Ave J.

The current seniors, who were fresh men in 2019-20 were having a seeming ly ordinary freshman lunch experience until Covid hit. By the time Pesach came around, there was no hope of returning to the building, let alone going out for lunch. It wasn’t until their sophomore year that they had their first lunch out ings on Avenue J. Senior Hymie Gindi felt it was an easy transition into leaving the building in his sophomore year because of the ability to go out for lunch during finals. Gindi also expressed his support for the traditional restrictions: “It is a fundamental year for freshmen to make relationships that will last all of high school. Without it, freshmen wouldn’t have the same overall experience.”

The freshmen of ’20-’21 had a differ ently unique lunch experience. In light of Covid and in an effort to keep the amount of people in the building at a minimum,

administrators decided against imple menting the usual freshmen ban on leav ing the building. Many of those students, currently juniors, are opposed to the freedom in retrospect. As the purpose of keeping freshmen in house for lunch is for them to make friends, juniors feel they didn’t have the opportunity and privilege to expand their horizons to their full capacity. Junior Maya Yehoshua feels as if she was deprived from mak ing as many friends as she could due to the change in policy that year. While the ability to go out from the start of fresh man year sounds appealing, current ju niors do not recommend it.

Last year’s freshmen were stuck in side until Pesach once again, a seemingly “normal” experience that was changed slightly by the appearance of free lunch. Many students appreciated the savings, but others were frustrated by the limited selection. Sophomore Nina Tawil enjoys the freedom to leave the building this year and to have a different experience every day. “There are so many restaurant options. Whatever the mood, there is a place to go.”

On the other side of the spectrum, sophomore Leah Katash appreciated the time in school last year because all her peers were in the same place and this year everyone is spread out in their respective restaurants of choice. “The excitement of going out was in the air and now, with full access to the restaurants on Avenue J, lunches are repetitive and exhausting. I miss the homeyness of the free lunches in the gym,” she said.

Finally, this year, freshman lunch is back to what it was always supposed to

By Aliya Abergil Junior Editor

Ms. Hen Lerrer, is the newest addi tion to the Hebrew department at the Ye shivah of Flatbush. Ms. Lerrer immigrat ed from Israel to the United States only five years ago, yet she has been a teacher since she was 25. She received her mas ter’s degree from Tel Aviv University and is currently attending Rutgers University in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a clinical social worker.

“I became a teacher because I always knew that I loved children, and I want ed to have a meaningful job,” Ms. Lerrer divulged. She feels that the relationship between a teacher and a student has a “mutual influence” since she teaches and influences her students as much as her students teach her. She also explained that being a teacher in Israel is very dif ferent from teaching in the U.S. For ex ample, “in Israel the relationship and the status of the teacher is less formal than in the United States.”

Ms. Lerrer moved to the United States because she was chosen by The World Zionist Orginization to teach Hebrew to students in the U.S. Additionally, her husband is completing his postdoctoral degree in biology as a cancer researcher at Columbia University. She was influ enced to teach at Flatbush after teaching an adult ulpan class consisting of many Flatbush alumni, and she was very im pressed with their proficiency in Hebrew. “I just thought to myself, wow, I have to work at this place,” she exclaimed. Before she became a teacher, Ms.

be: indoors until Pesach, with the usual choices from the Chanies. As usual, the freshmen complain about being stuck in

Lerrer served in the IDF for four years as a social worker for soldiers who had family issues and were in need of finan cial aid. “It’s very important for people to know that the IDF is not only about fighting and defending Israel, it’s also about helping people in need,” Ms. Le rrer remarked. When recounting her experience as a soldier, Ms. Lerrer de scribed her army service as “one of the most profound experiences I had in my life.”

During her free time, Ms. Lerrer loves spending time with her family and getting involved in her local Israeli com munity in Tenafly, New Jersey. She also helps Israeli families acclimate to their new life in the U.S. and attends Israeli scouts meetings in New Jersey.

school, but the older students know that they will come to appreciate this time with each other.

We Say, They Say Student vs. teacher perspectives on Crawford’s

complained that the caffeine overload causes her to feel jittery and fidgety—not exactly helping her focus in class.

By Hanna Mishan Features Editor

Walking into school every morning, students are welcomed by the smell of fresh muffins and cookies wafting from the Crawford’s Cafe. Breakfast starts and swarms of students make their way to the cafe counter, ready with their morn ing coffee order.

Many students agree that without their Crawford’s coffee they would be falling asleep ten minutes into first pe riod. There is some controversy about the strength of the extremely caffeinat ed morning beverages; one sophomore

Other than their breakfast items, Crawford’s sells a lot of little snacks throughout the day, from M&Ms to protein bars. But although students ap preciate the convenience, they complain about the prices and other aspects of the experience. Senior Joseph Farca ex plained, “Crawford’s strives to be a place for people to conveniently buy snacks during the day, but it’s turned into an inconvenience due to their service and pricing—basically turning into the op posite of what they were trying to ac complish.” The long lines and expensive prices turn away a lot of students who are looking for a little midday pick-meup snack.

It’s first period, and a teacher walks into their classroom only to be greeted by a dozen coffee cups and half-eaten bagels. Most Flatbush teachers aren’t big fans of students eating in class— especially when they leave the result ing trash behind, or when students say they’re going to the bathroom just to re turn with a cup of cucumbers drowning in lemon juice.

“When a student walks into my class late and they’re holding a giant iced coffee, it’s hard to have sympathy when they claim that the staircase was crowd ed,” one teacher said.

That’s how Crawford’s turned into one of the teachers’ greatest enemies.

Additionally, many teachers don’t bother to stop by Crawford’s. Ms. Ber man is one of them. She explained, “I eat the lunch the school provides for teach ers or I bring food from home.”

On the other hand, staff members such as Nurse Fayge and librarian Mr. Katz both expressed their love for the smell of coffee emanating from the cafe each morning, embracing it as they start their day. Ms. Marcus agreed, stating, “I love the coffee and the convenience! Wish they had some more budget friendly options, though,” which is defi nitely something that students and staff can agree on.

High School Administration

Sophomore

Design: Carolina Cohen

Michelle Belenkiy Features Editor: Hanna Mishan Entertainment Editors: David Marcus, Belle Shatzkes

Fashion Editors: Clara Edery, Arlette Mann

Fun & Games Editor: Robin Rawas

Sports Editor: Simone Amkraut

Junior Editors: Aliya Abergil, Jacqueline Halabi, Nitza Hanan, Aleen Jaradeh, Sophia Madeb, Esther Shemia

Editors: Samantha Ryba, Sylvia Saad

Faculty Adviser: Adam Hofstetter

Rabbi Joseph Beyda, Head of School Ms. Esther Hidary, Associate Principal

Rabbi Yigal Sklarin, Associate Principal Rabbi David Galpert, Assistant Principal

Students adjusting to life without free lunch

By Aleen Jaradeh Junior Editor

After a year of providing free lunch to all students and staff, Yeshivah of Flatbush has returned to sell ing breakfast and lunch this year.

In the spring of 2021, due to Covid-19, the state removed the income require ments needed to be able to receive the NYC free lunch program. Therefore, the Yeshivah was eligible for this program, and the government funding allowed the school to provide complimentary breakfast and lunch throughout the 2021-22 school year. With the income requirements back in place, the school no longer receives such funding and has since reverted to its previous market style, which includes various breakfast and lunch options for purchase including oatmeal, bagels, piz za, salads, pasta, and more.

The students’ opinions regarding the lunch situation are pretty split. Many stu dents are opposed to paying for lunch and prefer the free lunch option. One student voiced distaste regarding the paid lunch es, saying that “all the lunch is overpriced and there’s nowhere to get free lunch. So either I have to bring lunch from home every day or pay an average of $10 a day for lunch.” Many students would rather eat lunch that’s free but mediocre than lunch that’s expensive but tastes better. As a result, crowds in the lunchroom are

noticeably smaller than they were a year ago. According to cafeteria employee Esther Beck, “there were more kids last year, it was packed. I mean, it’s obvious, since there was free food.”

However, some students favor the new lunch options as it makes it easier to find lunches they enjoy. Junior Sarah Levy stated, “I love the new op tions this year. Last year, I had to go out for lunch be cause I didn’t enjoy the free lunches. But now I can just go downstairs to buy lunch, which makes it much easier for me.” She continued, “However, I do think they should keep a free lunch option for the people who don’t want to buy lunch every day.”

For students who didn’t enjoy the free lunches, finding somewhere to eat often proved to be extremely difficult; most restaurants on Avenue J became extremely crowded at the beginning of lunch, leaving many students with no where left to eat.

Senior Jennifer Kreizman said, “I am not opposed to free lunch, but I feel like we should incorporate both free lunch es and paid for lunch.” As the school has both free and paid breakfast op tions, it makes sense that many students want lunch to be treated the same. Sell ing lunch as well as offering a compli mentary option could potentially satisfy both groups of students.

Growing pains for alternative testing

the new system, there is no denying that more tests equal better averages. Senior Rebecca Toussie built on this statement, adding that studying for constant tests keeps students reviewing and up to date on material and therefore more prepared for class every day.

Another concern many students have vocalized is that this essentially means there are final exams four times a year instead of two. Junior Sara Salama recalled one of her teachers referring to their test as a midterm, and then saying, “I know I’m not supposed to call it a midterm, but I’m calling it a midterm.”

Sophomore Rachelle Cohen stated that many of her teachers have explicitly told the class that they are using the same test setup as finals. “This really confused me and my friends because, wasn’t this test not supposed to be like finals?” Cohen said.

The mixed messages being given by teachers and the administration has left many students feeling overwhelmed and confused. Toussie discussed the irony of the situation: “They’re trying so hard to not make it finals, but when you think about it, scheduling two tests per day, each on six weeks worth of material, adds up to us studying the same amount of material we would for a final.” Howev er, despite student concerns, Rabbi Bey

da has stated that he is not worried.

The largest cause for complaint from students has been the bombard ment of smaller assessments they are now facing. While acknowledging that alternative assessments can be a great way to promote purposeful learning in the classroom, many students feel teach ers are not taking advantage of the va riety of assessments they can incorpo rate; instead, they’re simply reverting to excessive quizzing. Salama stated that in some classes she now has a quiz weekly, and she feels more overworked than she did with the previous system. Cohen said that in her classes, instead of using alter native assessments to make class more interactive and better gauge students’ understanding, teachers are just piling on more of the same mindless work in the form of quizzes and homework, blaming it on “no tests.” “Everything just seems to contradict each other because I’ve been overworked all semester and now my reward is a final to study for? I just don’t get how this makes things bet ter,” stated Cohen.

“I appreciate the school’s trying to find a better approach, but I just don’t think this is it,” declared Hanan.

Two anonymous teachers have also expressed apprehension over the new policy. “For classes that take Regents

Juniors nostalgic for Writing Workshop

By Sophia Madeb Junior Editor

This year, juniors are staying together for English five times a week, no longer splitting in half for Writing Workshop twice a week like they did as underclass men, and many juniors find themselves missing the old system.

Despite constant assignments, many students find Writing Workshop to be a relaxing period where they can ex press their feelings through writing and connect with the teacher because of the smaller group and the less strict environ ment. “I love it, and it gave me a period where I feel I could relax and most need ed through the day,” said an anonymous junior.

This year, many of them are saying that everything feels out of proportion. “I loved writing because it was a chill peri od, and now the teacher is focusing more on English and less on writing. Now when there is a writing assignment we have less time,” said a nervous student.

The junior teachers—Ms. Cohen, Mr. Hofstetter, and Ms. Shabot—all say they still have been setting aside days for writing, even though the whole class stays together. “My teaching style hasn’t changed because I really try to treat it as two separate classes. Every Wednesday is dedicated to writing.”

Although clearly in the minority, there are students who prefer the new schedule. They say they didn’t like Writ ing classes because they didn’t like split ting off from their friends. “I didn’t even realize, but I am excited because I like staying with my whole class rather than splitting up and having a chance of get ting used to an extra writing teacher,” said an excited junior.

To make it even better, teachers said they have rearranged their assignment

[exams], this can be a setback for the stu dents. The Regents is a cumulative exam, and having to break up the material all year and never test students on more than six weeks worth of material will leave students less prepared when they have to study in June,” stated one of the teachers. Another teacher revealed they feel this new system may work against the students in terms of staying sharp in their understanding of the material.

However, the feedback on this new policy has definitely not been all nega tive. Ms. Freedman, Head of the Science Department, explained the mass benefits of this policy: “A lot of teachers find that a test provides the stick that you hold over students to say ‘you have to know your stuff.’ So in the past, without pulling away some of the structure of the test ing, you couldn’t encourage teachers to provide enough alternative assessments.” Now, she said, teachers have more space in their schedule, and are not under the same time constraint, which provides the perfect opportunity for them to finally be able to try something new and different.

However, she did address the prob lem of teachers simply reverting to mul tiple quizzes along the way instead of really trying new things that will bene fit their students. “That’s just doing the same thing as tests except breaking it up

schedules to make it easier for the stu dents. Ms. Cohen mentioned that she and the other teachers are also trying to match up writing assignments with the literature to make it more meaning ful thematically for the students. “We should be doing new projects or rear ranging to make [students] more sensi tive to the book and writing projects,” she explained.

“I think we’re adjusting well to the new set-up,” Mr. Hofstetter said. “But the smaller Writing classes gave me time to really look closely at each student’s work and give them feedback during class, long before the assignment was due. That’s the part I miss.”

Most juniors agree that the workload has increased. “It’s hard because there’s a lot of work this year rather than the oth er years,” said one stressed junior who added that he didn’t feel stressed about English in prior years.

Junior-year teachers advise students who feel stressed to be more productive in class in order to limit the workload at home. “It’s a lot of moving parts and different assignments all at once, which can be super overwhelming,” Ms. Shabot said. “My advice to students would be to really use the class time to do their writ ing assignments, rather than just doing it when they get home.”

Ms. Cohen advised students to “take a step back and look at it from a different view.” Specifically, she pointed out that students had the same workload last year when the classes were divided different ly. She also mentioned that teachers are available during office hours this year, and students should feel free to email teachers for help as always. When work is assigned, students should “pace them selves, not leave things for the night be fore.” With adequate planning, she said, there is enough time to get work done.

and calling it something else. It’s not ac complishing any of these new goals,” she stated. “It is very important that we are able to have students do more work, but that work should be more meaningful and feel that it’s a part of their growth as a student and academic being. To get there requires a combination of different levels of assessment.”

Since this change, Ms. Freedman has already felt a shift in the classroom, with students more highly engaged and bene fiting from the increase in opportunities to work together and participate. “I think it’s fabulous that we are maintaining a higher academic standard and not los ing out on anything along the way,” she added. ”Ultimately, I think we’re moving in a great direction, and I’m really happy about it,” stated Ms. Freedman.

Freshman Lily Hanan has also felt this to be an overwhelmingly positive change. She discussed the importance of alternative assessments, explaining that they promote independent learning which, at the end of the day, really does assist in a deeper understanding of the material. “I also think it’s much less in timidating than finals, and it promotes studying in advance, which is good for students like me, who prefer to have time to prepare,” she stated.

Lunch in school includes several snacks options

Is your phone giving you wrinkles?

D’var Torah: The courage to reject conformity

By Solomon Terzi Contributing Writer

A key component of any leader is having the courage not to conform, an idea Parashat Lekh Lekha and the story of Avraham Avinu prominently show cases. Avraham was told by Hashem to “Leave your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.”

conform and followed Hashem’s command.

By Michelle Belenkiy World News Editor

Cellphones: we all have them. They have become such an irreplaceable part of everyday life that without them our days would be extremely inconvenient. The average person spends nearly 7 hours a day on their phone! But what if phones are actually making us older? What if phones are dragging us further away from the fountain of youth? What if the filters we use to stay young and beau tiful are actually doing the opposite?

Blue light is high-energy visible (HEV) light, a color in the light spec trum that can be seen by human eyes. These wavelengths of light are measured in nanometers (nm). The shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy. Blue light is a short wavelength; therefore, it produces high amounts of energy. What’s alarming is that the eyes cannot effec tively filter blue light, so more can pass through the eye to the retina. Blue light causes problems for our eyes and over all health. Dr. Jadwiga states, “Excessive exposure to blue light … may have a det rimental effect on a wide range of cells in our body.”

New research has found that blue light affects the brain and makes people age faster. In short, it’s the fountain of youth’s evil twin. One of the molecules in the eye is called retinal. Retinal, when combined with blue light, can lead to the death of cells. In an attempt to prove this phenomenon, researchers experimented with the use of fruit flies. Flies exposed

to more blue light died earlier than those without. In addition, fruit flies exposed to mass amounts of blue light had a de crease in brain function. Dermatologists even say that exposure to the blue light we see every day on our screens “can speed up the aging process by damaging cells. It may increase skin pigmentation and cause disruption of skin barrier func tion.” Think about your own lives. Are you tired after hours staring at a screen? This could be the culprit. The study sug gests that avoiding blue light may even serve as a clever anti-aging technique.

This could bring about a huge change in how the United States and other de veloped countries regard technology. Could it even be a change in the way young people or teenagers begin to in teract with their technology? Many stu dents reported not feeling any immediate ramifications due to blue light, but once given information about the aging risks, answers began to change.

Senior Moselle Goldstein had this to say: “It’s hard to limit my time on the computer due to tests, but I’m definitely limiting my time on the phone because I’ve heard things like that.” When asked what students can do to try to limit the effects of blue light aging, reading paper books, wearing blue light glasses, and spending more time off of electronics were popular solutions. Is the threat of wrinkles and death enough to ward off the mass spread of blue light technology? Or will we as a society ignore the health problems in favor of our favorite addic tion?

WIN period winning seniors over

continued from page 1

classes that integrate the IWR topics into the curriculum.

The response has been overwhelm ingly positive; both the students and the administration have seen the goals of the period really come to life. Leor Edri, Senior Council Treasurer, commented that the additional time allows him to get his college application work done. He remarked that these periods should be worked into the junior schedule as well, because the junior course load is often

demanding.

Talya Shamoelian and Salomon Dusi, both seniors, spoke to the way the WIN periods offer them time to build connec tions and bond with their classmates. Shamoelian emphasized that she and her classmates need this period because, with varying electives, seniors don’t have many classes together with their home room. This provides time to build con nections with classmates, especially out side of the classroom environment.

Why did Hashem need to specify and detail “your land, your birthplace, and your father’s house?” Why was just one of the three not enough? The reason is that people conform at all three of these levels, and stating just one of them simply wouldn’t suffice. People adapt to their surrounding culture, referred to as “your land;” people are influenced by their friends, referred to as “your birthplace;” and lastly, people are shaped by the way they grew up, referred to as “your fa ther’s house.”

Hashem tells Avraham that He wants him to be different; however, the goal is not just to be different, but to create a new legacy as well. Avra ham embarks on founding a religion that will not worship symbols of pow er. Today, Avraham is the father of monotheism, and over four billion people regard him as the father of their religion—all because he didn’t

To be a Jew means not to conform. Time and time again, the Jewish peo ple remained resilient against the cul ture around them. As Robert Frost put it, they “took the road less trav eled.” They didn’t partake in Avodah Zarah when getting persecuted by the Greeks or the Romans. They of ten lived in sheltered communities whether ghettos or shtetls

As high schoolers, we are faced with a plethora of challenges. One of the biggest is peer pressure. It’s a nat ural human tendency to want to fit in and do what everyone else is doing, but the message from the parashah and Hashem is the exact opposite. We shouldn’t conform to societal norms. We need to be leaders, not followers, just like Avraham Avinu taught us.

Hashem gifted us the wisdom to be the counterculture to the societal norms of the world. That is why we are the leaders of nations. It is our duty to continue the legacy of Avraham and fulfill the expectations of God within our own lives, paving unique paths for ourselves while staying true to our core values and beliefs.

This is inspired by Covenant and Conversation by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks.

Tsei U’lmads no longer part of GPA

continued from page 1

tecture Tsei U’lmad.

Mr. Schneider suggested a possible solution to this dispute: “I believe a mid dle ground should be proposed, where Tsei U’lmad grades are averaged in, but as a lesser value.” It is understandable, he said, to not want the grade to be averaged into students’ GPAs, but he believes some

compromise should be made as to give the class some significance on paper.

This rule has only been in effect for a few weeks now, and Mr. Schneider says he hasn’t seen it directly impact his class thus far. It’s still yet to be seen if this new ly implemented directive will reach its desired outcome.

A need for religious tolerance in sports

continued from page 8

the IOC to allow it. We see this when we see a man play in a kippah, as YU basket ball star Ryan Turell does as he attempts to become the first player to wear a kip pah in NBA competition. We see this when Israeli women run marathons in skirts, like in Bet Shemesh recently while men jeered and cursed them. These are powerful acts only because these athletes are choosing to wear religious attire out of their own personal commitment to the practice of their own faiths. When this act of religious representation is chosen and not forced, the meaning and repre sentation that they have are multiplied. It allows for those watching to understand that religiosity does not prevent a per son’s ability to play the sport they love.

A beautiful example of how sports and religion can strengthen each other was seen in 2018 during a rival soccer match between the Shabab al-Ordon Club and the Amman Club. During the

middle of the game a Jordanian play er from Amman Club lost her and she quickly stopped pursuing the ball to try and fix it. Five players from the oppos ing team quickly ran and formed a cir cle around the Amman player, covering her from sight so that she could cover her hair, all while the game play was still going on. Similarly, in 2021 the Saudi ju doka Tahani Al-Qahtani refused to with draw from the Tokyo Olympics, despite many powerful Saudis urging her not to compete against an Israeli. She lost 110. A video clip shared on social media showed Al-Qahtani and the Israeli play er shaking hands three times after the match.

These are powerful examples of how sports are meant to be for everyone and that every athlete has the power and agency to be united in representing the glory of the body, the spirit, and the ho liness we seek.

Light from our screens is disturbing more than our sleep

Entertainment

World turns away from West

By David Marcus Entertainment Editor

“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 on JEW ISH PEOPLE.” This tweet was released with little to no context on October 8th by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. Over the next several days, he continued to express antisemitism in numerous in terviews and public statements, repeated ly insisting that Jews control the banking and entertainment industry and wishing death on Jews who have wronged him. West, one of the most iconic rap artists in the world, has received widespread back lash for his recent antisemitic remarks. There has been an outpouring of support for the Jewish community as many com panies, private labels, and other celebri ties have cut ties with West.

Perhaps the most notable company to cut ties with West is Adidas. West’s long-time partnership with Adidas heav ily contributed to his brand Yeezy, which has grossed billions of dollars in sales. Almost a week after West’s original tweet, and after a petition encouraging Adidas to drop West reached almost 90,000 sig natures, the company released a state ment saying: “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye imme diately, end production of Yeezy brand ed products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate

effect.”

Adidas isn’t the only fashion related company to cease their partnership with West; the Gap and Balenciaga have also released similar statements, asserting that antisemitism is “inexcusable and not tolerated in accordance with our values.”

Even Goodwill, the nonprofit orga nization that redistributes donated used clothing to help the poor, announced that they would no longer accept dona tions of Yeezy clothing.

Aside from West’s fashion partner ships, many of his music label producers (such as UMG, Def Jam, and GOOD mu sic) have also terminated contracts with him. West’s talent agency, CAA, dropped him as a client, and film studio MCR an nounced that it will not release a recently completed documentary about him. All of these companies released public state ments talking about their commitment to combatting antisemitism.

Investment firm JP Morgan cut ties with West as well.

Many celebrities have also publicly condemned West’s tweet; Amy Schumer took to social media stating, “I support my Jewish friends and the Jewish peo ple,” which then prompted hundreds of other celebrities to repost her statement in show of their support. Other notable celebrities who have publicly condemned Kanye include David Schwimmer, Reece Witherspoon, Kim Kardashian, Tyler Perry, Jamie Lee Curtis, and many more. But how do Flatbush students feel

Letter of Recommendation:

The Sandman

By Maurice Silvera Editor-in-Chief

The Sandman is a Netflix television series based on Neil Gaiman’s comic of the same name, starring Tom Sturridge as Lord Morpheus, Dream of the End less—the titular Sandman. Released in early August, the show follows Dream as he endeavors to locate his stolen, mysti cal “equipment” and restore order to his realm, the Dreaming, after being held captive for over a century.

If you happen to be a fan of fantasy and magic, then this series is for you. Rambling ravens and reality-shaping ru bies are just the tip of the supernatural iceberg. This show is steeped in familiar allusions, incorporating mythological figures like the Fates and Calliope from ancient Greek lore as well as biblical fig ures ranging from Cain and Abel to Lu cifer. However, the show tackles these characters in unconventional ways in or der to maintain a sense of originality. Af ter all, since when was Lucifer a woman?

Another main focus of the show lies on Dream and his relationship with his siblings, the other Endless. While they all personify emotions and concepts like Desire and Death, they have flawed, hu man characteristics which allows the audience to resonate with them. Again,

the show does a wonderful job at deviat ing from our expectations providing us the opportunity to completely reimagine concepts we’re all too familiar with.

While Lord Morpheus is indeed the king of dreams, this does not exclude nightmares. Throughout the entire show, Dream is also in search of runaway nightmares of his own creation. This is a brilliant take on humans’ creative abili ty—we have the capability to conjure up our greatest hopes, but we can just as eas ily concoct nightmares of horror.

The most notable aspect of the show, however, is not the phenomenal acting or the unique world building, but rather how completely unafraid the show was to break the mold of regular television. One episode was spent in the same diner focusing on the same six characters, and yet, it was some of the most captivating television I’ve ever watched. Another ep isode follows an immortal human and his centenary meetings with Dream. These seemingly random episodes weave together beautifully to portray themes of mortality, honesty, power, and more.

The Sandman is imbued with a pas sion like no other TV show I’ve ever watched, and it deserves all the success it can get. Next up: reading the original comics!

about West’s bigot ry? Senior Morris Hanan has been a huge Kanye fan for many years. In that time, Hanan toler ated and sometimes even agreed with the artist’s contro versial remarks. He explained, “I know he’s been saying some crazy things for the past few years, and I kind of just ignored some of the things he’s said. I’ve also supported some things he said. What people call crazy, I actually think he was simply speaking his mind.” However, Hanan was disap pointed with Kanye’s latest remarks. “I think recently, he’s gone a bit too far. For the first couple of days I tried my best to stand behind him, because I love Kanye. Then I started realizing the effect that it [the tweet] actually had on people. I saw a lot more antisemitism in the days that followed that tweet than I’ve seen in a while.” These recent events have even af fected Hanan’s ability to enjoy the rapper’s music, stating that “it just doesn’t sound the same. There’s definitely a sour taste in my mouth. I don’t listen to him nearly as much.” Hanan, once a loyal Kanye West fan, has now “lost a lot of respect” for the rapper.

While West engulfed himself in con troversy, Flatbush’s junior English classes were in the midst of a unit on hip-hop in

which classes analyzed rap lyrics. Some classes had planned to examine West’s music as part of the unit, but pivoted and instead held discussions about whether students would continue to listen to his music and about the pros and cons of separating the art from the artist.

Senior Aiden Goldring has based his wardrobe off of his hardcore love for West, a significant percentage of his clos et actually being Kanye pieces. From Ye’s collaboration with Gap to his renowned Yeezys, Goldring has owned it all. “For many years, I’ve been a giant Kanye fan, so I’ve collected his shoes, clothing— pretty much anything he put out. Now, I won’t even touch it. I’m selling every thing. I don’t even want it in my house.” Like Hanan, Goldring’s support never wavered during past controversies. How ever, the recent tweets served as Gol dring’s breaking point. “The second he said something I can relate to, something about my people, about Judaism, I imme diately dropped him,” stated Goldring.

A new way to Broadway

By Belle Shatzkes Entertainment Editor

Have you ever tried to buy Broadway tickets only to get to the website and re alize that the tickets cost way more than a broke high schooler can afford? Well, now you can see Broad way shows for just $50$60! All you have to do is create an account on Broadway Roulette and buy a ticket.

Oh, wait. There’s a caveat. See, you don’t get to pick which show you’re going to see. They do that for you.

I was told about Broadway Roulette by a friend who encour aged me to buy a ticket. I followed his instructions, bought the ticket, and was surprised to learn that I wouldn’t know what show I was go ing to see until several hours before it began. The suspense was probably the best part of the whole experience. And when they send you the text that tells you what show you’re seeing, they celebrate with you! The text refers you to an email which says, “Congratulations! You’re go ing to see [insert show here]!”

You can buy up to six tickets. After you’ve put in your personal information (name, email, phone number, etc.)  you can choose which type of show you’d like to see: family-friendly, premium (costing more money, of course), or just a stan dard, regular show. Then you can choose whether you want to see a musical, a regular play, or you can select both and add to the suspense. Last but not least, you can cross off four specific shows (six, if you pay extra) that you do not want to see, and they won’t send you there. Then put in credit card informa tion, and buy the tickets.

Broadway Roulette offers a discount and a surprise

You can even make a restaurant reservation for just $50. You don’t get to choose the restaurant, ei ther. But I don’t recommend it—the restaurants are not kosher.

Broadway Roulette sent me to see Moulin Rouge! The Musical. I found out that they send multiple winners to the same show; I sat next to a wonderful Ca nadian couple who also got their tickets from Broadway Roulette.

Here’s how it works: first, pick a date and select how many tickets you want.

All in all, the experience of Broadway Roulette was great. If you’re looking for a Broadway show, a bargain, and a sur prise, give it a try.

Adidas was one of the last brands to split up with West

Ask Merle

Dear Merle,

What am I supposed to do when the freshies don’t know how to walk up and down the stairs?

An Irritated Senior

Dear Irritated, Trust me, I feel your frustration. It really doesn’t matter who the freshies are—if you’re a freshie, you’re automati cally slow. (Sorry, I don’t make the rules.) Honestly, when in the Flatbush staircas es my policy is every man for himself. It’s the only way to survive. You have to push through as if you’re suddenly a 300-pound bodybuilder and hope that you don’t fall on your face when you get pushed back. Also, it’s OK to tell the freshies to move over; it’s part of their high school experience.

alized I haven’t done any. Help!

@flatbushisthebest57

Dear Best,

Well, SBH’s Thursday night cooking would have been the move about four weeks ago, but I guess now you know for next time. Honestly, you need to pray that you have a free period tomorrow. If you do, I suggest going around school asking every single administrator if they need help with anything. Usually, you’ll be able to find someone, and maybe develop a nice teacher-student relationship while you’re at it. If not, I’m out of ideas for this one. Good luck!

Dear Merle,

How do I get off of the YOFHS Insta gram feed? I don’t even realize when they take pictures of me until every single rel ative I have is forwarding me the picture, telling me I look so studious and happy. They always get the worst angles!

An Annoyed Sophomore

Dear Annoyed,

Dear Merle,

Why am I so bad at managing my time?

@Falcon98

Dear Falcon98, I need some advice on this one, too! Managing time is one of the hardest skills to learn in high school. Honestly, procras tination is key! If you leave things for the last minute, they always get done. When you know that you have a lot of time to do the work, why would you do it now? At least if you do it at the last minute, you have no choice. Also, it gives you time to mentally prepare for the hardship that is homework. I hope this works!

Dear Merle,

How do I get 5 chesed hours in one day? The deadline is tomorrow, and I re

I’m sorry to break it to you, but the con stant paparazzi comes with the Flatbush package. The best thing you can do is look incredibly horrendous in school every day. Seriously, just put no effort into your ap pearance in the morning. If you look bad enough, no one will want to put you on the Instagram page. Instead of trying to look good for pictures, I suggest trying to look bad. Or, if you want to go totally incognito, put on a hood.

Daniela Nacmias Phoenix Cartoonist

Standard of Fabulous

Controversy floods Fashion Week

By Arlette Mann Fashion Editor

During this year’s Fashion Week, many controversial runway shows and events shook audiences to their core. In the Valentino show, there was a big shoe mishap, while in the Coperni show, Bella Hadid’s dress was sprayed onto her body. Additionally, Kanye West wore a White Lives Matter shirt, sparking lots of con troversy in the media. The Balenciaga shows also caused a lot of talk because

and many people were outraged, saying that it was unfair to the models and that brands need to work on better shoe design.

Kanye West wearing a shirt that said “White Lives Matter” during his Yeezy show attracted a lot of attention to him and his brand. Many esteemed celebrities voiced their disappointment in West’s poor judgment. This was the beginning of a string of many questionable comments to come from the artist over the next sev eral days. The show itself was also very different from other shows we’ve seen before. The models were children from his school Donda Academy, and they were singing instead of walking down a runway. This type of show is some thing new and received very mixed reviews.

large pile of mud, and the models were seen trudging through it, damaging the clothing. While some didn’t enjoy the mud, others did and said it added some thing we’ve never seen before. Another interesting addition to the show was a new bag. This bag was modeled after a Lay’s potato chips bag with only a few minor adjustments. The bag is a leather clutch and is currently selling for $1,500. The bag comes in many different colors

Influencers bringing back trends of the past

By Clara Edery Fashion Editor

For the longest time, what’s been considered outdated has made its bed sleeping comfortably in the past. Recent ly, many fashion trends that have been laughed at or considered “cringey” have been making a comeback into our every day fashion lives.

the brand revealed a new bag modeled after a bag of chips, and their show was held in a mud pit.

During the Valentino show, the models were all given the wrong-sized shoes, in addition to them being poor ly made, causing the models to wobble down the runway. The shoes were con structed more as art and less as some thing functional. Many of the models couldn’t walk; a few even fell. A similar sit uation occurred at the Fendi show, where one of their models took off her shoes halfway down the runway because of her difficulty walking. There were many shoe mis haps throughout the week

Another fashion week event that made the media go wild was when Bella Hadid had her dress sprayed onto her in the middle of the runway at the Coperni show. Hadid walked onto the runway and was sprayed by two men with what originally seemed to be white paint. They sprayed her with what turned out to be new fabric tech nology for about 15 minutes, and by the end, a fully functional dress was formed on her body. The spray is called “Fabrican,” and it is liquid fabric made by Dr. Manel Torres. The media was awestruck and videos were posted on every social media platform.

Lastly, Balenciaga had an extremely con troversial show. Firstly, their show was held in a

to resemble the different chip flavors. The only difference in design between the Balenciaga bag and the Lay’s packag ing bag is that, where it would normally read the chip flavor, it now reads “Balen ciaga.”

Faculty Fashionista: Ms. Harcsztark

By Nitza Hanan Junior Editor

Ms. Harcsztark is one of the most beloved teachers at the Yeshivah of Flat bush. She teaches four Tanakh classes, ranging from grades 10-12, and one se nior Philosophy class. In addition to her inspiring merit and thought provoking teaching, Ms. Harcsztark is looked up to for her fabulous sense of fashion.

“I’m really not a fashionista, at all,” Ms. Harcsztark said. “I try not to make my life about materials … but I do think it’s nice to look put-together and use clothing as a form of self expression.”

It may not seem like it, but her main fashion priority is comfort. She said she always tries to combine “comfort and style” when dressing for school. She ex plained that her favorite piece of cloth ing changes seasonally; however, as of now it’s her long navy jacket since she’s been searching for one for a while. Ms. Harcsztark recently received a gold pin that was gifted to her grandmother by

her late grandfather; it’s one of her favor ite and most meaningful accessories.

Ms. Harcsztark explained that mod esty in her fashion choices is very im portant to her because it’s how she was raised. “The halakhic rules I grew up with always just made sense to me and the way I dress has always felt very natu ral,” she stated. “Sometimes I feel like my clothing choices are different from a lot

of people around me … but I mostly feel like I’m being authentic to myself.”

Although Ms. Harcsztark said she doesn’t really keep up with trends, her favorite trend is midi skirts, since it’s re ligiously convenient for her. When more modest clothes are in style, it is easier to find modest clothing in stores.

Where does she shop? “Everyone knows my favorite place to shop is Zara!”

Ms. Harcsztark uses her sense of style to stress the importance of human con nections. When students compliment her on her clothing, she sees it as a point of connection and is glad she’s able to bond with students over that. Howev er, she does wonder if her students are connecting on an intellectual level as well. While she firmly believes people should be judged solely on the content of their character, she does think that using clothing “as a way to project to the world something about your identity” turns clothing into a meaningful part of who you are.

Have you ever had to face the strug gle of not knowing if you should pur chase something because you were afraid it would go out of style? Well, you are most certainly not alone. Fashion trends are cyclical, because we are constantly being influenced by many contributing factors, one main factor being social me dia. Through various platforms and large fan bases, influencers establish trends through their own sense of style, which encourages their fan base to follow and eventually spread these trends not only to other fans but any people in general.

Social media influencer Matilda Djerf is said to be one of TikTok’s most popular influencers. Djerf is most well known for her fluffy and voluminous ’90s-style hair. Her signature look, rounded layers and perfectly styled curtain bangs, look pur poseful and polished, yet cool at the same time. It’s almost as if she tried just hard enough without going into overachiever or “try hard” territory. It meshes togeth er two of the most dominant hair trends right now: ’70s curtain bangs and fluffy ’90s layers. Many fans are interested in recreating her seemingly effortless hair style, among many other things. Djerf also established her own clothing label, Djerf Avenue, so that her fan base could easily purchase designs that she made, re flecting her personal style which became very well known.

Emma Chamberlain is another ex tremely popular influencer. Chamberlain started her career on YouTube at the age of 17, and five years later she has more than 11 million subscribers. She launched her own coffee company and has also had various collaborations with brands such as Aritzia, Cartier, and more.

Celebrity or influencer collaborations with brands can also greatly influence people. Celebrities bring authenticity to brand collaborations that, if done well, encourage their followers to purchase. Wouldn’t you be more interested in a product once you’ve heard your favorite influencer is obsessed with it?

But ultimately, despite what’s in style and what celebrities and influencers are promoting, what you buy for your closet should reflect your style, what you like to wear, and what you feel most confident in.

Sports

A new bar for religious tolerance in sports

By Simone Amkraut Sports Editor

When I think of diversity, I think of the crowd in the stadium cheering at a pro sports game. Endless rows of unique individuals sitting side by side, cheer ing together for a favorite team, united in their fandom. Sports are and have always been a place where people from different backgrounds and beliefs can come together and share in common goals. This was the dream of the found er of the modern Olympics: to allow for both competitors and spectators to come together in pleasure rather than battle. It is an opportunity for connection and healthy competition between individuals and nations. There is no place in sports for divisions born of cultural, racial, sex ual or religious division. Sports are about pushing our spirits and bodies to their maximum greatness, a tribute to the Di vine spirit embedded in every human since Adam and Eve: b’tselem Elokim

It is why we must be vocal in our op position to individuals and regimes who would use our bodies as platforms for hate, division, and partisan politics.

It is unacceptable that certain groups have put religious constrictions on ath letes and their eligibility to play. Jordan, Kuwait, and Algeria have in the past few years forbidden their athletes from com peting against Israelis—perhaps con cerned that our victory would weaken their claims that we are an inferior dhim mi - second class humans. The Egyptian player Islam El Shehaby, who participat ed in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil and lost to his Israeli counterpart, was punished locally and internationally for refusing to shake hands with him after the defeat.

But it is women athletes’ bodies that are too often the victims of this kind of religious and political coercion. On Oc tober 19, Iranian competitive climber Elnaz Rekabi climbed in South Korea— without her hijab. The Islamic Republic requires that all female athletes must wear a hijab when competing. There was much concern for Rekabi as she prepared to return home after this incident, which she later called “unintentional.” People were justified in their concern, especially in light of the death of 22-year-old Mah sa Amini, the woman who died while in government custody after she was detained by the Islamic morality police for appearing in public without a head covering. Her death has since sparked active protests in Iran. One single hijab has brought civil unrest throughout the totalitarian regime, unrest led by women who are fighting for bodily autonomy.

Rebaki received a hero’s welcome when she arrived back in Iran. The thou sands of Iranian women who saw her competing without a hijab—whether intentional or not—saw a heroic gesture of defiance against the government’s po sition. The Iranian government quickly stepped back from incarcerating her, fearing total civil war. That is power!

The control exercised by the extremist Iranian government is sadly part of the broader abuse of both sports and women around the world.

We also see powerful acts claiming the right of humans to celebrate the gift of b’tselem Elokim: we are all created in the image of the Divine. We see this when a woman plays in a hijab like Muslim ath letes have done in the past few Olympic Games after years of putting pressure on

Sarah Vidal entering her final lap

By Shelly Zebak Contributing Writer

“Fitness Mom” is what Sarah Vidal’s friends call her, and it couldn’t be more of an apt nickname.

Vidal’s love for running began at 12 when she started running with her grandmother. Since then, running has become a staple in her life. Vidal tries to get an early start to her morning whenev er she can with a sunrise jog; sometimes she’s even accompanied by Ms. Wielgus!

Vidal has taken her passion for run ning and fitness and brought it to Flat bush athletics. As one of the four fresh men who made the girls varsity floor hockey team, she was devastated on the eve of the season opener when Covid re strictions wiped away any possibilities of

playing even one game. Although having never gotten to suit up in her hockey gear to represent the Falcons, Vidal is very passionate about getting enough girls together this year to fill a team and com pete. “I loved not only learning how to play a new sport that I never would have imagined myself playing, but also getting a chance to play a sport which involves a little bit of physicality. I will be so excit ed if I get to represent the Falcons on the floor hockey court before I graduate!”

Continuing to try new things in high school, Vidal joined the gymnastics team her freshman year and loved it. By the time she was a junior, she had become the team captain and pushed her team mates to the best of their abilities. Vidal was even on the school pingpong team in her freshman year, a team which no lon

Two busts and two steals in fantasy football

By David Marcus Entertainment Editor

With the season half over, it’s a good time to take stock of the players you should have drafted, and those you shouldn’t have.

Busts

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

Taylor was the consensus number 1 overall pick in fantasy football leading up to this season. The 5’10”, 230-lb back proved that he was a freak of nature last season, finishing as the RB1, and the fifth-ranked overall player in all of fan tasy, with 373 points. With a top offen sive line and a massive quarterback up grade in the offseason, there was little reason not to take Taylor with one of the first picks in any draft. It should be a no brainer … right? WRONG. Taylor has been tremendously disappointing this season, scoring only 71 fantasy points through the first eight weeks. With vet eran Matt Ryan benched and the Colts’ offensive line underperforming, don’t expect the former stud to be fantasy-rel evant this season.

Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers

Harris was the first running back taken in the 2021 NFL draft. After an outstanding season with Alabama, the Steelers, who were heavily in need of a running back, took a gamble by spend ing a first round pick on the young RB. In Harris’s rookie season, he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and finished as the third-ranked running back in fanta sy, with 300 points. All looked well for Harris, as he was considered one of the best at his position. Harris’s ADP (Av erage Draft Position) before the season

ger

exists.

As Vidal said, “Freshman year is the perfect time to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. I am so happy that I pushed myself because If I didn’t I never would have found out that I have a passion not only for running, but for floor hockey and gymnastics as well!”

But Vidal’s main passion remains running. She established herself as a superstar in freshman year when she broke the school record for the fastest female runner. Even when Covid put a stop to many Flatbush sports, one of the few sports that was able to still compete competitively was track. There were vir tual competitions and competitions in big outdoor spaces. Vidal explains that, “Covid put an end to everything, to see ing my friends, not being in school, and losing sports teams. Luckily, I didn’t need a competition to run. It was the one con stant for me during lockdown. Being able to have virtual competitions gave me at least some sense of normalcy and that competitive spirit, which I missed.”

Outside of school, Vidal started her own fitness club, wanting to connect kids from all different schools for one com mon purpose: fitness. Kids from seven

was 7. Through eight weeks, Harris is the 85th-ranked player in fantasy, and is hav ing what many consider a “sophomore slump.”

Steals

Geno Smith,

QB, Seattle Seahawks

This offseason, the Seahawks dealt franchise quarterback Russel Wilson to the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster trade. After the trade, most people dis regarded the Seahawks as playoff con tenders, as either Drew Lock or Geno Smith would be their new starting quar terback. Smith won the starting job but went mostly undrafted by fantasy teams due to his disappointing stints with the Jets and other teams. Now, he’s proving everybody wrong. Through eight weeks, Seattle was sitting at 5-3, a better record than Russell Wilson’s Broncos. Smith is the seventh-ranked quarterback, ahead of Tom Brady, Justin Hebert, and Aaron Rodgers. It’s safe to say that letting Geno Smith go undrafted was a regrettable de cision.

Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

Going into his fourth season in the NFL, Josh Jacobs is one of the more in consistent players in the league, to say the least. After a tremendous 2019 rookie season, Jacobs’s next two seasons were rather underwhelming, and he finished as the 53rd-ranked player in Fantasy last season. With an ADP of 50, Jacobs was mostly drafted as a third RB option on a fantasy team, or even just a solid bench player. Through eight weeks, Jacobs is ranked as the sixth best running back in fantasy, having three consecutive weeks with 30+ points. Even in the Raiders’ crowded offense, expect Jacobs to contin ue to have consistent rushing attempts.

different schools have joined the club. Each week, the club participates in a dif ferent activity, including running, walk ing, tennis, and biking. Vidal loves fitness not only for herself, she loves to bring others together to share in her passion.

In her senior year, Vidal is ramping things up as she enters the final lap and gears up to pull ahead. Flatbush sports can expect big things from Sarah Vidal this year!