Panther Post The
VOL. VI NO. 2 YULA High School Feb 2022 | Adar I 5782 yulapantherpost.com
Girls Drama Club Presents Hamilton By Nili Torbati (‘24)
Photo by Meira Ives (‘22)
YULA Open House Events Welcome Record Turnout By Noah Chriqui (‘22) and Adiel Nourmand (‘22), Executive Editor
YULA’s Boys and Girls Division Open Houses, which took place in the first two weeks of November, were huge successes. With a record number of attendees, each division’s Open House events were split into two nights to accommodate social distancing guidelines. According to YULA Head of School Rabbi Arye Sufrin, who spoke at the event, “Open House is more than a recruiting event. It’s an opportunity for YULA to celebrate our students who are developing into genuine B’nai and B’not Torah.” The Levkowitz Leadership Center at the Boys Division and the Rubin Auditorium at the Girls Division were the centers of attraction at each event. There, student ambassadors for YULA operated information stands for various student-led organizations, including Mock Trial, Model UN, YIAC (YULA’s Israel Advocacy Club), and Model Congress. The Innovation Labs and Schlesinger Steam Studio were transformed into technological havens. At the former, a Virtual Reality stand allowed visitors to visit space through a pair of goggles. At the Girls Division Steam Lab, visitors had the opportunity to demo YULA’s steam tech. At Open House at the Boys Division, students introduced their own startup companies to prospective YULA families. Moshe Darvish (‘22) introduced his photography business MD Productions; Aidan Stephen (‘22) showcased his political debate startup app, YapPolitics; and Arshia Kohanteb (‘22) and Jeremy Wizenfeld (‘22) presented their student scheduling app, Planner Peak. “We were thankful for the opportunities to both share our ideas and receive feedback from prospective parents and students,” Wizenfeld said. At the Girls Division, Drama and Theater students performed a sneak peek of their rendition of “Hamilton,” which premiered in December. According to Girls Division Head of Recruitment and Admission Samira Miller, “Open House is about giving prospective students and parents a glimpse into why YULA is so special. The class sessions, leadership fair, and student Q&A showcase our amazing teachers and students and how talented they are.” The Open House events would not have been possible if it were not for the enthusiasm of YULA students and faculty. According to Boys Division Dean of Students Rabbi Shimon Abramczik, their collective effort allowed prospective families “to see firsthand all of the potential opportunities for a student at YULA.”
YULA Girls Division’s production of the highly-acclaimed musical, Hamilton, was enthusiastically received by the broader community. The production, directed by Margy Horowitz and featuring a cast consisting entirely of members of the school’s student body, was presented in three performances in December. Each performance drew a sizable (female-only) audience, and tickets were sold out the week prior to each respective show. Many cast members, who had little or no previous theatrical training, had spent several months preparing. The production triumphed in promoting arts and culture and adhered to Orthodox Jewish values. Beyond the cast’s being well-prepared, many factors contributed to the success of
the production – namely, the choreography. Throughout production, the ensemble could be seen performing well-synchronized, detailed dances in the background. Additionally, the costume designers, Shira Cohn (‘22) and Orelle Maghen (‘22), worked tirelessly to ensure the actors’ clothing accurately represented the original musical’s wardrobe. Arieli Mahler (‘22), Chana Horowitz (‘23), and Nellie Javaherian (‘24) donned the iconic Schuyler Sisters’ gowns. Meanwhile, the backstage production members managed the lighting, sound, and props to ensure an optimal viewing experience for the audience. The show’s success, along with the collaborative efforts of the production’s cast and crew, has set the bar high for YULA productions going forward.
Seniors See Most Competitive College Admissions Cycle to Date By Israel Gootin (‘22), Editor-in-Chief This year’s college application cycle is shaping up to be the busiest YULA Boys Division has seen in a while. Twenty-two out of 48 Boys Division seniors applied via the Early Action or Early Decision programs to 19 different universities, while just seven of the 34 seniors last year applied early to schools. On an international scale, the number of college applications has increased by 11% to over 6,000,000 in 2021, making this year’s admissions the most competitive ever. Students who apply early compete with a smaller applicant pool, which increases their admission chances, and enjoy receiving their admissions decisions earlier. However, those accepted via Early Decision are legally bound to attend that school, meaning they can only apply to one school via the program. Those who apply Early Action aren’t bound to the same requirement. The most popular early application schools among YULA boys this year are the Binghamton campus of New York State University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Michigan. They accept 44%, 9%, and 25% of applicants, respectively. Since such a small pool of applicants are admitted to their top choice universities, students mix and match schools based on admissions difficulty to ensure themselves a spot somewhere. The average YULA student applied to multiple self-described “safety” schools – those with more generous acceptance rates – via Early Action, while reserving their top “reach” school for Early Decision. Many YULA students have also applied to several Regular Decision schools this month.
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AP Classes, Good! But AP Tests?
For years, the Boys and Girls Divisions could not come to a consensus. With the merger, what will happen next?
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Is free food better then Olam Haba?
Read into the Halachik issues faced while taking advantage of food delivery apps via promo codes.