Volume 30 Issue 4

the

lion’s tale charles e. smith jewish day school 11710 hunters lane, rockville, maryland friday, january 18, 2013 • vol. 30 issue 4

Weighing the pros and cons of cheating under pressure see page 08

photo by Hannah Becker

02

• the lion’s tale • opinion the

lion’s tale editors elana schrager

editor-in-chief •

shira becker, samantha wiener

managing •

abby birnbaum, aaron boxerman & stu krantz copy •

jacob dorn, ass’t: jeremy kaplan web •

jonathan reem design •

r’ay fodor, annie schtevie graphic •

miriam israel, ass’t: rebecca panitch photo •

jon galitzer

business •

david kulp

social media •

dore feith, jesse zweben

NEWS

04 New Head of School announced

FEATURES

10

Classroom competition

CHADASHOT

07 Jewish values beyond the classroom

ENTERTAINMENT

11

A backstage look at Curtains

INDEPTH

08 Why would students cheat?

SPORTS

16

Where is the fan base?

Stop cheating, star t a revolution Honesty or success? For many students facing this dilemma, grades have come at the expense of their personal integrity. Why? Competition, pressure and laziness all contribute to cheating. Our school has taken steps to try to curb competition among students. For example, students are not ranked and graduating classes do not have valedictorians. Unfortunately, there are many other factors in our learning environment and community that lead students to cheat.

news •

matthew foldi, haley lerner

chadashot •

alison kraner, yael krifcher features •

as though they themselves, not just their work, are inadequate compared to others. This is a destructive attitude and we need solutions. The students must take action themselves: we need to acknowledge that grades are between a student, his teacher and his parents. They are no one else’s business.

There are many actions we can take as a school to prevent cheating. First, teachers can institute simple policies to rein in cheating. The Bring Your Own Device policy has made it easier than ever to cheat.

In history and English, students can have notes

eitan snyder

entertainment •

steven reichel, ass’t: dina rabinovitz in depth •

ari charnoff, jeremy etelson & alexander flum sports •

senior reporters cole aronson • reuben cohen gefen kabik • matthew halpern david solkowitz

reporters robbie belson • isaac dubrawsky maddie dworkin • rachel evans kobi fodor • malka himelhoch emma hofman • evan kravitz matt litman • adina pollak brian schonfeld • alec schrager nina simpkins • shira ungar joseph vogel • danny waksman hannah wexler • allie wiener

photographers ari fontheim • symon ginsburg max greenberg • sam hofman hannah josovitz • jessica kamjou evan satinsky

staff adviser claire burke

adviser emerita susan zuckerman

PowerSchool, the online gradebook, can distort students’ views of their achievements in a class. Constant access to grades can lead students to focus on them to an unhealthy degree. Of course, every student should care about trying his or her hardest to get good grades, but with PowerSchool, we look at our grades as though they define us. Nothing is wrong with checking grades frequently, but the culture that PowerSchool creates makes students feel as though whatever grades they have are inadequate. Mistakes are vital to the process of learning. PowerSchool sometimes makes us feel that there is no room for mistakes.

When students get assignments back from teachers, their first instinct is often to turn to their friends and compare grades. This is a result of two main factors: CESJDS’s open, inclusive atmosphere, where everyone is friendly with everyone else; and the emphasis on grades. In this environment, students who may not otherwise feel comfortable sharing grades fall prey to peer pressure. This often makes students feel

open at the same time they are taking the test on their computers. In science classes, students can have equations saved in their calculators that are supposed to have been memorized. In all classes, students often share information about a test with other students who are taking the same test later in the day. One short-term solution that could be easily implemented is having students turn their computers toward the teacher during a test. Calculators should be checked. The math and Science departments should continue their excellent policy of grading based on work shown and not only on correctness of the solution. Tests for different class periods should be different.

Even simpler are “walls of honesty” — folders to shield one’s eyes from another test that serve as constant reminders not to cheat.

Our school is filled with kids who want and naturally feel the need to do extremely well.

Based on the experience of the editorial board,

The Lion’s Tale Editorial and Ethics Policy As the student newspaper of the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, The Lion’s Tale is a forum for student opinion and expression. All content is determined by students. Its purpose is to inform the CESJDS community and to express the views of its staff and readers. The staff has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and objectivity of its news.

Signed columns reflect the opinion of the writer; staff editorials reflect the opinion of the majority of The Lion’s Tale editorial board. The Lion’s Tale staff welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, all of which must be signed.

The staff reserves the right to refuse any material and may edit letters or columns for length, clarity, libel, obscenity and/or disruptiveness.

Submissions may be emailed to lionstale@cesjds.org, mailed to The Lion’s Tale at 11710 Hunter’s Lane, Rockville, MD, 20852, or brought to room 328.

The Lion’s Tale is funded by The Simon Hirshman Endowment for the Upper School Newspaper and The Kuttner-Levenson Endowment for the Upper School Cultural Arts and Student Publications, and community advertisement.

The Lion’s Tale reserves the right to refuse advertisement for any reason.

The staff will adhere to the ethics policies of The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Scholastic Press Association. The adviser will be held to the Journalism Education Association’s Adviser Code of Ethics.

For more tales from the lion’s den visit:

lion’s tale .org the

most students at our school want to be the best that they can be. But the hyper-competitive environment, which comes in large part from our obsession with grades, make us feel that we need to be better than our best. The self-worth that we derive from grades makes us feel as though we need to cheat. This environment takes naturally motivated students and makes them work harder than is healthy. We have observed students in the school who feel so overworked that they have to take what students commonly call “personal days” or “mental health days.” There is undoubtedly something wrong when students feel the need to stay home from school because they are so overwhelmed by school work. When the learning environment is negatively affecting not only students’ learning ability but also their mental health, something in the system is broken.

We need both short-term and long-term solutions to this urgent problem. In the short-term, we ask that teachers use simple methods to crack down on cheating. Teachers should acknowledge the shift in learning styles — if we are going to be using computers more often to take tests, new counter-cheating methods must be incorporated to keep up with the times.

Students must take responsibility for their actions and recognize that cheating is wrong and teachers can help remove the temptation by enforcing the rules.

We strongly believe that at the beginning of the college process, the college counseling department ought to sit students down and explain that where we go to college is not the be-all and end-all of our lives. What we do as people is more important than where we go to college. Grades, GPA and standardized test scores are important to our future, but they’re not measures of selfworth. The administration and college counseling department need to promote this mindset among students. We’ve seen the ruinous effects when they do not.

opinion • the lion’s tale •

Actor for a day

03

Competition OK to an extent by susan rexford director of college guidance

photo provided by Jerry Eisner

Senior Jake Mintz (center, second row) jokingly poses among the cast and crew of the high school musical Curtains directed by Arts Director David Solomon. Mintz was junior Eitan Snyder’s understudy in the role of Aaron Fox.

by jake mintz guest columnist

I was sitting in the atrium during fourth period when Dr. David Solomon approached me with a request. He asked if I was interested in filling in for an extremely sick Eitan Snyder, should he be unable to perform. It was Dec. 12. Opening night? Dec. 13.

I knew I could act out, but could I act? I had never been in

a play before. My voice has been likened to nails on a chalkboard.

The only thing I had going for me was my world-renowned dance skills. So I said yes. Why not? #SYFI, right?

I spent the rest of the day cramming for my part, and when the bell rang at 3:15, I headed to the theater, not knowing what to expect. I spent three hours in dress rehearsal with the rest of the cast. I will remember those

three hours as one of the best experiences I ever had at JDS. Doc Sol had approached me in September about trying out, but I declined. He told me I would regret my decision. Turns out he was right.

When I look back on my JDS high school experience, I have very few regrets. I regret eating the sloppy joes, I regret never taking a class with the esteemed Mr. Paul Blank, but most of all, I

regret not going out for the play.

I encourage anyone who thinks he or she is “too cool” or “too shy” or “too busy” to tryout for the play to reconsider his or her position.

Eitan eventually got better, and I watched opening night from the audience with everyone else.

I was a little bit disappointed, but that didn’t make my day as a thespian any less memorable.

photo provided by Ethan Kramer

My petition to implement renewed restrictions on assault weapons

by ethan kramer guest columnist

The Ban on Assault Weapons petition is against civilian ownership and use of assault weapons. The petition does not contradict the Second Amendment, as it does not call for a ban on all guns. For example, small handguns, hunting rifles, etc., are not included in this petition.

I started the petition because of the recent shooting in Newtown, Conn., the shooter that killed two firefighters in upstate New York,

and many more shooting incidents.

Both the Newtown and New York shooters used the Bushmaster AR15, a semi-automatic assault rifle.

In the Newtown shooting, the rifle was legally owned by the shooter’s mother. The same model was also used in the midnight premiere of the Batman movie over the summer in Aurora, Colo. Semi-automatic assault weapons can shoot 45-60 rounds per minute.

On Dec. 14, seven adults and 20 first-graders were murdered.

Anyone outside of the armed forces should not need semi-automatic assault rifles or any other assault weapons.

If I reach my goal of 500 signatures, a copy of the petition will be sent by mail to President Barack Obama and Congressman Chris Van Hollen, who represents the 8th district of Maryland.

Healthy competition can be a good thing — but can students have too much of that good thing and let their competitive nature get out of hand? During my four years at CESJDS, my observation has been that overall, JDS students understand and embrace healthy competition and can channel their competitive nature in beneficial ways. Sure, on the day of something as significant as Color War, the opposing teams are fierce competitors in every way possible; still, at the end of the day, even though the losers are disappointed, there is sincerity in their congratulations to the victors.

What I see specifically in the college application process is a strong desire to achieve the greatest success possible, yet I don’t see any one-upmanship among classmates and friends or between those who were admitted and those who were not. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I have seen seniors temper their excitement and joy over a college acceptance because a fellow classmate and friend had not received the same positive news.

In the classroom, on the athletic field, or in striving for leadership positions, students become competitive as a matter of course. Sometimes in a small, close-knit community, this could easily get out of hand. “I need to have the highest GPA in my grade.” “I need to get the most playing time.” “I just have to win that election.” Statements like these could become common through the halls of JDS. This is the kind of competitiveness that no one wants to see. Certainly competition both in and outside the classroom does exist, but I see it more as the healthy kind. Students want to be successful, but more often than not their biggest competitor is themselves.

Still, in striving for personal bests, students can become too focused on the goal and forget the joy of the journey.

Is it necessary for students to be better than their classmates, or can they not just try to be the best they can? It is our task as educators to guide, counsel and teach students to understand the best ways to channel their competitive natures for positive outcomes instead of potential detriment. Students should not reach the point that they cross ethical or behavioral lines to achieve success. Winning or succeeding at all cost is neither necessary nor beneficial. Healthy competition, on the other hand, can raise the achievement level for everyone.

04

• the lion’s tale • news

Head of School search ends with hire of Rabbi Malkus by sj hyman reporter

The Search Committee has chosen Rabbi Mitchel Malkus to be the next Head of School beginning at the end of August 2013.

Malkus was chosen through an extensive process by the Search Committee, which began last summer when current Head of School Jonathan Cannon notified the President of the Board of Directors David Topol that he would be leaving after the 2012-13 school year.

“I think that we are transitioning from a very strong Head of School in Jonathan Cannon to another very strong Head of School in Rabbi Malkus,” Topol said.

Cannon anticipates that Malkus will continue the school’s progress.

“One of the things the school was looking for was somebody who was committed to the direction that the school was already going in,” Cannon said. “But also it’s exciting to see a fresh set of eyes and a fresh set of ideas.”

The Search Committee was led by board members Nancy Hamburger and Michael Levy, along with Topol. The committee hired Wickenden Associates, a search firm based in Princeton, N.J., for additional aid.

Topol and the Board of Directors sent community-wide emails in an effort to solicit input and opinions throughout the search process.

Consequently, members of the administration and faculty were given a chance to provide feedback about the final candidates.

“The surveys [filled out by the

administration and faculty] that were taken after the sessions [with search finalists] were immensely helpful and taken very seriously,” Topol said.

In addition, students were given the opportunity to meet the committee’s top contenders during both middle and high school lunches.

Sophomore Tessa Silverman thought that the lunch sessions were only partially helpful.

“I really appreciate that the school [did] these lunches, because it’s a good way for the students to get involved and to take an active role in our education and schooling environment,” Silverman said. “I think that it’s a good idea for us to have met with the candidate face-to-face instead of having information just through email.”

Eighth-grader Sara Heckelman did not think the lunch sessions were productive, nor did she believe that students should have a large impact on the decision to begin with.

“We really shouldn’t be affecting anything that much because in the end it should be the administration’s final decision,” Heckelman said.

Senior Ethan Walfish agreed that the lunches were not effective.

“I don’t think they’ve done too good of a job,” Walfish said. “We know they were searching for them and now all of a sudden we had the two finalists here for lunch at the school. So, there’s not a whole lot of in-between there.”

Cannon thought that students’ feedback was important during the search.

“I know that students were certainly given the opportunity to

meet with the candidates and I think that was very valuable and actually the student input was very helpful,” Cannon said.

Topol thought that the amount of student involvement was good in relation to the amount of people interested in providing suggestions to the Search Committee.

“The caveat which made it tough is that we have a lot of people legitimately interested in participating in the process,” Topol said. “That includes students, that includes parents, that includes teachers [and] that includes other administrators.

There was a finite amount of time, though.”

Regardless of how much students participated in the process, many could agree that the transition is frightening.

“I’m not really sure how it’s going to affect the school next year,” Heckelman said. “I don’t really see it as a bad thing at the moment. I guess things will be different, obviously because we’ll have new people with different opinions, ideas and different ways of running things, but I don’t think it’s necessarily bad.

Change is often good.”

Dean of Students Roslyn Landy believes that, although the new administrators will take time to adjust to our school culture, the impact on students should be minimal.

“On an individual basis, I don’t think the changes will affect students,” Landy said. “I have seen many changes in my 35 years and CESJDS always remains strong and vibrant. Those people who have a personal relationship [with] or

who have worked closely with Mr. Cannon, Mrs. Vander Walde and Dr. Kay will miss them personally and will miss working with them. But the day-to-day experience in the school for students will probably not change.”

Malkus will try to create a good relationship between himself and the students as soon as he arrives.

“I think as they get to know me they’ll see that I’m very approachable and very open to new ideas and that I’m hoping that I’ll develop a nice relationship with the students so that students will be able to take on a real leadership role in the school,” Malkus said.

Cannon reflected about his tenure as Head of School.

“I came into what was already a fantastic school,” Cannon said.

“Much of what we’ve done has been to reflect how education has changed over the time that I’ve been here.”

Cannon added that the community should not be concerned about any radical changes.

“I don’t think it will change that much,” Cannon said. “There’s really two reasons why that relationship exists: we have such fantastic students ... and we work to bring in great administrators who really love the work that they do and really love the students. Some of the people will be different and some of the people will be the same, but I think you guys are truly amazing and so are the people coming in.”

additional reporting by Malka Himelhoch and Nina Simpkins

6 things to know about Rabbi Mitchel Malkus 1. Has served as Head of School at the Jacob Pressman Academy of Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles since 2001.

2. Earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Columbia University in 1990.

3. Husband of Caryn Malkus and father to twin second grade boys.

4. Certified at The Principals’ Center at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education in 2002.

5. Spent a year at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem during college.

6. Co-chair of the Israel Education Panel for the Consortium for Applied Studies and Jewish Education. sources: Wickenden Associates and www.tbala.org

news • the lion’s tale •

05

Will you go to Prom with me?

Promgoers get creative with their promposals by malka himelhoch and nina simpkins reporters

Senior Alexa Bennaim walks down a red carpet covered in rose petals. On either side are crowds of people cheering and holding sides.

At the end of the carpet, junior Jon Prigal waits for her with a bouquet of roses.

“Will you go to Prom with me?”

Prigal whispered.

‘Promposals’ like Prigal’s are viewed as a typical method of asking someone to the Prom. However, the tradition of going to great lengths to ask someone to Prom has not existed for very long.

“One grade, a few years ago, started [the tradition of ‘promposing,’] and then every class thinks that they need to continue the tradition,” Dean of Students Roslyn Landy said.

“But it’s actually not an old tradition in the school; it’s a fairly new one.

And in actuality, not all seniors do a promposal.”

The pressure for each ‘promposer’ to outdo the last is one thing that those promposing must take into account. A new policy was introduced that made it a requirement to get each

promposal approved.

Senior Michael Paretzky believes that it is a good policy.

“Mrs. Landy made that required … to make sure that people weren’t getting embarrassed … or promposing to someone who was going to say no,” Paretzky said.

Freshman Ariela Diamond feels that promposals are “really cute.”

“They show how much you care about the person you want to go with,” Diamond said.

Sophomore Arianna Tuwiner enjoys watching promposals, but sees their drawbacks.

“I think that they’re sweet but also distracting,” Tuwiner said. “It’s cool to make it a big deal by promposing in front of the whole school, but it’s not really necessary. … People also might feel left out by not being asked with a whole big promposal, or even being asked at all.”

Those promposing usually tailor the promposals to fit their dates.

“Usually everyone’s promposal reflects their personalities, so I’m sure the people who are asked more privately are happy with that,” senior Julia Schwalb said.

Landy noted how uncomfortable boys often are with promposals.

“The boys, for the most part, hate it,” Landy said. “They find it to be a lot of pressure and they feel that they have to outdo the last one. Even boys who do not go to CESJDS but are going to Prom with one of our senior girls emailed me to find out what they can do. This is because the girls want it.”

Schwalb admitted that she contributed to the pressure that her date felt before promposing.

“I definitely put a lot of pressure on [senior] Jon [Galitzer],” she said.

“I kept telling him it better be good, so he definitely felt the pressure. It was amazing, though. I couldn’t be happier and I think, even though there may be pressure, it’s fun for the boys too.”

Paretzky believes that the pressure does not come entirely from the girls.

“Mostly, [the pressure] comes from this general feeling that all the other guys are doing this thing, [so] I need to match that,” he said.

No matter what pressures or difficulties those promposing must go through in the end, many believe that it is worth it.

“It’s a really fun way to kind of get into the Prom festivities,” Paretzky said.

“At first, I felt like my promposal was more of an obligation than a privilege and it was hard to create an original idea, but in the end it was worth the work and it was really fun.”

- senior Sam Hofman

Seniors Sam Hofman and Aliza Layman pose after his promposal. photo provided by Shira Winston

“I knew how much she loved art and I wanted to incorporate her love into the promposal. I was excited to see her reaction to everything ... It was very worth it.”

- senior Ethan Walfish

Senior Ethan Walfish’s promposal to senior Emily Shoyer was a day-long scavenger hunt. photo by Miriam Israel

“I wanted her to be happy, and that, in thirty years, she could look back at her promposal from high school.”

- senior Jon Galitzer

View more promposal pictures online at lionstale.org.

Senior Jon Galitzer read a poem to senior Julia Schwalb as part of his promposal at Kabbalat Shabbat.

photo by Arielle Oppenheimer

Junior Jon Prigal promposed to senior Alexa Bennaim by unrolling a red carpet covered in flowers. He enlisted the help of juniors Sammy Felson and Keera Ginsburg and seniors Jessica Kamjou, Danielle Masica and Natalie Eyob in his promposal.

photo by Penina Graubart

06

• the lion’s tale • chadashot

Deprioritizing Judaic studies?

Students say Judaics classes tend to be second in importance to general studies by adina pollak reporter

The pressure of balancing nine periods consisting of both secular and Jewish subjects can at times leave students wondering whether General Studies classes should be prioritized over Judaic ones.

Sophomore Lila Bilsky appreciates her Jewish education.

However, she views Judaic courses as, ultimately, less important than secular ones.

“I don’t think [Jewish subjects] are as important [as secular subjects] because the majority of people attending [CES]JDS will go on to have secular jobs, not religious ones,” Bilsky said. “I still think they are important since we attend a Jewish school, but I value subjects such as chemistry and history over Ethical Dilemmas.”

Junior Seth Cohen takes his Judaic classes seriously. He believes students should try their hardest in each class because there are advantages to putting forth the effort.

“You learn analytical skills and you learn how to read text; I think there are definitely certain things in [Judaic classes] that are important,” Cohen said. “[That is why I take my Judaic classes just as seriously as my secular studies] because I get a grade in them so I feel like I need to put effort into those classes.” Cohen added that “[Judaic classes should be easier than secular classes] because we take important tests like the SATs and the ACTs that test us on secular subjects, not Jewish subjects. We should put more time and energy focusing on those classes and not

photo illustration

by Shira Ungar

waste our time with loads of homework from our Jewish classes.”

Jewish History teacher Rachel Bergstein disagrees that Jewish studies do not have an impact on a student’s education later on in life. She believes that many of the skills she teaches in her classes are applicable to future courses.

Bergstein also expected that most students would share Cohen’s views on prioritization.

“I think that students do actually [take my classes seriously],” Bergstein said. “Coming here I was more concerned about students [not taking my classes seriously], but I feel like my students have pleasantly surprised me.”

While Bilsky thinks that secular subjects take precedence over Judaic ones, she still believes that it is wrong.

“If I have a test right after a Jewish class, I may study a little bit, but I definitely don’t write essays for English or do my math homework in my Jewish classes,” Bilsky said.

Bergstein was concerned that students would not work hard and would focus only on secular subjects.

Bergstein agrees that it can be difficult for a student to balance both secular and Judaic courses, but she believes that the benefits of learning Jewish subjects outweigh the costs.

“I understand that there are a lot of subjects that need to be juggled and sometimes you need to make decisions, but that’s sort of a life lesson of how you juggle everything in your life and manage your time,” Bergstein said. “It’s something that continues as your life goes on. I just hope students understand how lucky they are to be [at JDS] and getting this type of education, because obviously, you’re all unique for getting this kind of education, since the vast majority of people don’t have it.”

chadashot • the lion’s tale •

photo illustration by Matthew Foldi

Jewish values play a role beyond the classroom Principles taught in school influence students’ actions in own communities by dina rabinovitz

assistant in-depth editor

Students spend a large amount of time studying Jewish values. They are taught to respect others, to perform mitzvot and to help the less fortunate. Once they step out of the classroom, however, they must decide how to put these values into practice and incorporate them into their everyday lives.

Between the multiple minyan options and range of Judaics classes, CESJDS’s environment has had a major effect on its students’ Jewish identities.

“I go to a Jewish school and I get to see Judaism happening every day,” sophomore Micah Cowan said. “It influences all my actions.”

The Judaics curriculum itself provides an opportunity to instill Jewish values in its students.

“In seventh grade, we had this whole

unit on how you acquire your friends,” junior Hannah Iskow said. “Out of all the things we’ve learned in Jewish classes at JDS, that’s kind of stuck with me, what you need to do in order to have friends.”

Jewish holidays also provide an ideal opportunity to encourage students to bring Judaism into their lives.

“There’s a lot more of an emphasis on Rosh Hashanah,” sophomore Dorina Langer said. “We’re encouraged or sometimes required to look back on our mistakes and try to fix [them].”

Students are also constantly influenced by their family’s values and believe their identities reflect their parents’ beliefs.

“I’m part of a Conservative family so we celebrate our Judaism in the house: we do Shabbat and Friday nights, we keep kosher [and] occasionally I’ll go to synagogue,” Langer said. “Without the foundation that

my family has laid out for me I wouldn’t be practicing my Judaism in the way I am currently.”

Part of the way students practice Judaism is through incorporating Jewish values into their everyday activities. However, some values are not just Jewish, but universal. The ideas of honoring one’s parents and helping those in need are morally correct, so many students naturally incorporate them into their lives.

“There are a lot of values that we consider to be Jewish values that I consider to be important values to have every day,” Langer said.

Others, like Iskow, do good deeds for the sake of being kind, but think of it as an “added bonus” when their actions happen to reflect a Jewish value as well.

Similarly, many Jewish holidays coincide with those on the secular calendar.

Both Rosh Hashanah and New Year’s Eve provide students with an opportunity to reflect on the past year and resolve to do better in the coming one. While many students take part in both days, Iskow found that the Jewish new year offers better opportunities.

“I tend to make resolutions about how I ... want to change on Rosh Hashanah and then on the secular new year I make resolutions about what I want to do in the coming year,” Iskow said.

Langer believes the timing of these holidays affects her observance. “[New Year’s] is not as much for me a chance to start over and change things up because I’ve already started my normal schedule [and] my everyday life, whereas Rosh Hashanah comes at the beginning of the year, so it’s a way for you to kind of take it from the top,” Langer said.

07

08

• the lion’s tale • in–depth

A cheater’s dilemma An inside look at the causes of cheating by malka himelhoch reporter

A girl’s eyes flit quickly to the side and then back to her test. A boy twists his body in his chair, straining to see other tests under the guise of stretching. A student glances at a hand covered in equations.

In the Student Handbook, the consequences for cheating are definitively stated.

In middle school, students are given the opportunity to make up an illegitimate assignment. However, in high school, any student caught cheating not only receives an automatic zero, but his parents are also notified and he is suspended from extracurricular activities.

Dean of Students Roslyn Landy expects strict enforcement of the policy outlined in the handbook.

“It is important for students to have consequences [for cheating],” Landy said.

“High school is not only about teaching content; it is crucial that we help students develop the skills to make good decisions and to choose between what is right and what is wrong. Learning to make good choices is a major focus of our teaching in the Upper School.”

Making the right decision can be difficult for students fighting for spots in top colleges that require high marks. According to a Lion’s Tale survey of 157 students, 45 percent believe that, depending on the circumstance, cheating may be acceptable.

Freshman Alysse Weinberg explained a possible motivation for cheating on an assignment or test.

“If I were to cheat, it would be because I didn’t feel prepared and I wanted to get a good grade,” Weinberg said.

Arabic teacher William Schatz described how it might be tempting for a student to cheat under such circumstances.

“People don’t necessarily have strengths in every subject, so in a subject that maybe they are particularly weak in, they might think that it’s alright,” Schatz said. “I really think that it’s the pressure

thing. Grades seem to be the only thing that really matters a lot, and when [there is] a lot of competition to get into choice universities, then people feel the kind of pressure and necessity of cheating.”

As grades become increasingly significant in high school, cheating becomes an attractive option for students. According to a study done by researchers at Stanford University, students who experience pressure to get into top colleges are much more likely to cheat; they feel the need to “succeed at all costs,” according to Dr. Denise Pope, senior lecturer at Stanford University.

This need to succeed is highlighted in the many different ways that students have found to cheat. Students have witnessed methods from discussing questions after the test, to looking over at another’s test, to mouthing answers to each other across the room. The variety of methods illustrates the lengths to which students will go when faced with the pressure of success.

While there is a significant amount of pressure being placed on students, some still choose not to cheat.

A freshman boy, who wishes to remain anonymous, believes cheating is never acceptable, but has accepted the fact that others still cheat all the time.

“I think that it’s not surprising anymore,” he said. “Although it is unfair, many people do it. It’s not right but it just seems like many people do it ... That still doesn’t mean it’s OK.” Sophomore Miranda Escobar feels that regardless of the gain a student might obtain from cheating, the risk is much too great.

“It’s really scary because you don’t want the teacher to see you cheat, so I really feel that the risk outweighs the benefits [of] cheating,” Escobar said.

Freshman Jonah Shrock is also deterred from cheating due to the risk of getting caught. “[Teachers] can see the screens on our computers and, on a lot of tests, the teacher

would definitely be able to find out,” Shrock said.

Even if the teacher does not find out about the cheating, some students still do not cheat for moral reasons.

Senior Avichai Ozur Bass cheated once when he was a freshman, felt ashamed and promptly confessed to what he had done.

“I did cheat once on a test and I turned myself in because I couldn’t handle the guilt,” Ozur Bass said.

Ozur Bass is an exception to the norm.

Students rarely turn themselves in. While other students may feel the same guilt, the consequences that the school has in place are serious and prevent students from reporting themselves and others. Only seven percent of those surveyed said that they would turn others into the administration.

Landy thinks that the hesitation to cheat is exactly why the policies were implemented in the first place.

“Our hope is that with these policies in place, students will learn that there are major consequences to their actions after which we will help them to accept responsibility and move forward,” Landy said.

Ozur Bass believes students will feel a sense of shame regardless.

“There is a feeling of guilt associated with [cheating,]” Ozur Bass said. “I don’t know if it is societal or inherently moral, but it is definitely there.”

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• the lion’s tale • features

“Wh d’ya The consequences of learning and working in a competitive school environment by evan kravitz reporter

“I’m going to hand back your tests now,” a teacher tells the class.

Staring at the paper, a student thinks “Wow. This grade will not cut it,” while his friend smiles and quickly announces his high grade.

Sharing grades is just one way that academic competitiveness manifests itself in school.

“I think that naturally in any academic environment, there’s going to be competitiveness,” junior Noah Mayerson said. “It’s sort of just a part of human nature.”

Mayerson finds that comparing grades is a useful way to monitor progress. Comparing grades with other students can often indicate what grades he should expect from a certain teacher or course.

“It gives you a chance to know where you’re at in comparison to others,” Mayerson said. “[You can learn] whether you’re in the right level, whether you’re putting enough effort into your class.”

Some students who are dissatisfied with their scores choose to share their grades in hopes of motivating themselves to improve.

“If someone gets a good grade, you want to get a better one,” freshman Alysse Weinberg said. “That’s just how school is. Everyone is

always trying to be the top student.”

However, the constant comparisons can also cause students to feel embarrassed for receiving lower grades.

“If I did poorly [on an assignment], I do not like to share grades, because if the rest of the class did better than me, it will not be a good feeling for me,” freshman Brett Halpern said.

Students’ competitive natures are visible with standardized test scores, too. “[Sharing your standardized test scores] can make you feel either really good about yourself or really bad,” junior Ronit Schwartz said. “If you see you didn’t do so well, the competition between other people in your class can make you really want to do better in the future.”

Others believe there is no benefit to competitiveness.

“Sharing scores does not motivate me in any way to do better,” junior Jason Cohen said.

Many feel that that academic competitiveness can be linked back to the specific nature of CESJDS and

get?”

its students.

“JDS is a competitive school and I think people compare themselves to others to motivate themselves,” Weinberg said.

Teachers are not oblivious to the competition between students.

English teacher Melissa Fisanich recognizes the benefits of peer motivation, but worries about the focus on scores.

“I feel like it’s destructive when

cation of how much you’ve learned.

[Students] are [in school] to learn, which, in terms will ultimately make them better, more ethical people.”

To avoid unnecessary competition, teachers take measures to prevent students from sharing grades.

“I try to share grades back after school hours,” Fisanich said. “At first I got a little pushback about that, but I would say universally, students seem to appreciate that practice, so then you can share your grade if you want to, but then if you don’t want to you can ... get some space, have some time to think about it, and then tell whoever you want.”

However, teachers also allow students to assist each other in improving.

“I feel like teachers generally trust their students, because of the prominence of group work, and … in English peer reviewing,” Mayerson said. “The teachers trust that you’re going to genuinely try to help the other person, which I think most people do.”

Mayerson believes that competition between students mostly stays

“JDS is a competitive school and I think people compare themselves to others to motivate themselves.”

-freshman lysse Weinberg kids lose sight of the big picture of learning for learning’s sake,” Fisanich said. “It leads to things like kind of incessant checking on PowerSchool [online grading sytem] and stuff like that.”

Jewish Text, Thought and Practice teacher Paul Blank deters his students from sharing their grades for similar reasons.

“It’s not [about] what [score] you get, it’s about what you learn,” Blank wrote in an email. “I don’t think a grade is necessarily an indi-

in the classroom. “[My English class] in particular is a very smart group of people and competitive,” Mayerson said. “I think we have a good bond as a class even though at times we ... get into intellectual arguments.”

But these arguments, according to Mayerson, can actually lower stress levels.

“If you get a B- on an English test, you would normally feel bad until you find out that that’s the same grade that everybody else got, comparing yourself to others,” Mayerson said. “It isn’t out of malice. It sometimes makes you feel better.”

Some teachers use class competition to detract from students’ stress levels. Junior Jeffrey Blackman found competition helpful for his math final last year.

The teacher chose two captains from Blackman’s class and had them draft classmates they thought would help their team receive the highest average grade on the test. The teacher then awarded a bonus point to each student on the winning team.

“It kind of didn’t feel like a test anymore,” Blackman said. “It was definitely just more of a competition and that helped relieve the stress that I had about the test.”

entertainment • the lion’s tale •

11

Tech week: Curtains behind the curtains Monday

by shira ungar

Tuesday

11

10

reporter

On December 20, the cast of Curtains held their last performance, wrapping up a run of soldout shows. Hours of hard work were put into this production, especially during ‘tech week.’

‘Tech week’ as it is called by all involved, is the week leading up to the opening night of the show. Cast and crew members stay at school until 8:00 p.m. each night, running through the show from beginning to end and incorporating costumes, set pieces, props and microphones. “[Tech week] is vastly tiring,” freshman Rebecca Morris said.

3 more days!

Go to math lab

Wednesday

“Our feet are aching like crazy from dancing in character shoes for three to four hours.”

Members of the cast and crew of Curtains become stressed during this intense week of rehearsals. It is important for those involved in the play to keep a balanced schedule and stay focused throughout the week. Some cast members affectionately refer to it as ‘hell week’ because it becomes difficult to balance both school work and rehearsal.

Morris, like all the other members of the cast and crew, got home late every night and had to find some way to do her homework in a short time frame.

“I did what homework I

12 did have during a study hall and finished anything else at home,” Morris said. “I tried to go to bed early, but that didn’t work out.”

Each member of the cast and crew found a way to avoid being overwhelmed by school work during tech week. Sophomore Zoe Orenstein was burdened with school work and production responsibilities.

“I would not let myself get distracted on the Internet like I usually do,” Orenstein said.

Some students looked to find humor to cope with the stress during tech week. Energized warm-ups before rehearsals, silly ad-libbing when cast members missed their cues during rehears-

2 more days!

One more day!

Math test today

Finish BU application Word Scramble

Can you unscramble the words associated with JDS theater?

1) EALIC NI DEDWORNNNAL — This year’s middle school musical.

2) IIKN RRSAHI — Naive understudy to the dead Jessica Cranshaw in this year’s high school musical.

3) TREDSES HEATETR -— A series of one act plays directed by librarian Mirele Davis, to be performed in February.

1) ________________________________________ 2) ________________________________________ 3) ________________________________________

Friday

Thursday

14

13 als and going off script when they forgot lines were all helpful tricks to maintain a positive attitude.

Morris remembers the good times that she had with her friends and recommends joining the play to any potential actors.

“Once you’re in the theater, nerves will try to consume you, but by the time you’re on stage you’ll calm down,” Morris said.

Other advice for future student-actors includes practicing lines and lyrics at home, keeping costume changes quick and efficient, and knowing where all the props are kept.

“There’s not much time until the show so we need to be serious.” Morris said. “However,

Opening Night!

somehow we still find time to have fun between the scenes during tech week.”

Junior Janie Macklin agrees and explains how it is important to stay calm during “tech week.” “[It is important] to keep your cool and know that it’s all happening for a reason,” Macklin said. “Tech week makes the play better in the end.”

Even though it is a lot of hard work, the cast and crew of Curtains remained strong and determined during the toughest week of rehearsals.

“Tech week is when we really see the show come together, so we’re all really proud,” Morris said.

Don’t forget to wear pajamas

College decisions during tech week by isaac dubrawsky reporter

Anxiety is high as seniors begin to receive the results of their college applications. For seniors participating in Curtains, this year’s high school musical, anxiety about college decisions piled onto performance nerves.

A college application is the culmination of four years of hard work, grades, standardized tests and extracurricular activities. All seniors want to see is “Congratulations!” at the top of an e-mail accepting them into their dream schools.

For senior Sarah Freedman, the Curtains stage manager, the college admissions process had little effect on her work on the musical.

“I found out from [University of Maryland, Baltimore County] the Saturday before the performance,” Freedman said. “I was admitted, so

I was happier than usual and probably a bit more happy and energetic than I would otherwise have been.”

The college admissions process gave some performers like Freedman an extra boost. However, for others, such as senior Benjamin Steren, the process hindered their ability to work and perform at their best.

When Steren was deferred from Brown University, he was understandably upset. Unfortunately for him, the high school musical was set to open in a few days and leaving was not an option.

“When I was deferred from Brown, I felt really tired and out of it and I didn’t want to continue working on the musical that day,” Steren said. “I was really tired and wanted to leave and go home, and that really messed up one of our rehearsals.”

Some college deferrals, like Steren’s, had a negative impact on their performance, but for others,

such as senior Madeline Paulson, the deferrals had no impact whatsoever.

Paulson has dreamed of attending Harvard University for years and her decision was due opening night of the musical. Paulson understood how a deferral or rejection might affect her performance that night and forced herself not to check the decision until after the show.

“Being deferred had very little impact on my work in the musical, because I only found out after the Thursday performance, giving me time to feel better,” Paulson said.

Although Paulson, Steren and other seniors who got deferred continue to wait for their results in the spring, performing in the musical provided a distraction from college related anxiety.

“Having the musical allowed me to get through it unscathed,” Paulson said.

Sick and have a big show coming up?

Or just interested in hearing tips from a fellow JDS student? See senior Ilanna Starr’s tips for curing a sore throat and more online at lionstale.org.

12

• the lion’s tale • features

Buy it by yael krifcher features editor

It does not take a time machine to transport you to a world of overalls, neon windbreakers, and light-up sneakers.

For the students of CESJDS, it only takes a three minute walk across the street to the local Goodwill store.

Senior Sydney Exler, a frequent ‘thrifter,’ appreciates the unique style of clothing found among the miscellaneous assortments of a thrift shop.

“It’s not mainstream clothing,” Exler said. “No one else can say, ‘Oh, yeah, I saw that at Forever 21,’ ... it’s something you can only find [at thrift stores], that there’s only one of.”

Amidst the perceived repetitiveness of brand-name stores, students often welcome the diversity of these secondhand castoffs.

“What I tend to notice at conventional stores is they all have the same kind of look,” junior Natalie Mark said. “Whereas at thrift shops you can find really funky shirts that aren’t in style, but that you could easily pull off.”

Mark takes advantage of the low prices that accompany her thrift shop favorites: huge sweaters and old-fashioned dresses.

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“[The clothes] don’t have to be extremely expensive,” Mark said. “They can be as low as five dollars but still be made of really good material.”

And, unlike a usual shopping spree, spending at a thrift store benefits more than just your wardrobe.

“A lot of [thrift stores’] profits go to charity,” senior Ben Steren said. “So this trend is actually secretly helping a lot of people.”

Some students worry, however, about buying the secondhand clothing.

“I think I wouldn’t [wear thrift store clothing], because I don’t know where it’s been or who’s had it,” seventh-grader Matthew Paulson said.

Yet, for others, the mysterious pasts of the clothing can add an exciting, personal element to a typical shopping endeavor.

“It’s an experience,” Exler said. “Every piece of clothing you buy has its own story.”

Treks to the thrift stores are always an adventure.

Constantly changing and never boring, this rising trend presents one more way for students to express themselves. “[The clothes] suit my personality well,” Steren said.

“It’s an experience trying to find something to wear and see how people react to your nonsense.”

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“I’m sort of colorblind, so I was checking out [at the cash register] with these blue pants and this red button down, and I asked the cashier ‘so do you think these would, like, match,’ and she was like ‘yeah, you know, if you’re not planning on going out in public.’”

“I found cowboy boots for the play [Curtains] at a thrift shop and I was really excited for that. Cowboy boots are, as it turns out, really expensive for some reason.”

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features • the lion’s tale •

13

14

• the lion’s tale • sports

Playing for a greater purpose Girls varsity basketball dons Wrestling team memorial patches for coach’s mother dedicates season to senior reporter

It is not uncommon for a team to dedicate its season to a person or cause. The Baltimore Ravens dedicated their 2012 football season to their former owner Art Modell. The New England Patriots dedicated their 2011 season to Myrna Kraft, the late wife of their owner. This season, the girls varsity basketball team has dedicated their season to Patricia Rose Rich, the late mother of Head Coach Nicholas Rich.

Rich’s mother passed away unexpectedly in August of this year, shortly before school began, and as photo by Alexander Flum a result Rich was out The girls varsity basketball team wears a ‘PRR’ patch to memorialize Head Coach Nicholas of school on personal Rich’s mother. Rich’s mother passed away unexpectedly at the beginning of the school year. leave for the start of “It is going to be hard for me to look out there and not see my mother at the games,” Rich the school year. Many said. “I know that this is going to be an emotional season for me as it goes on.” players took the loss personally, as it directly the Lions’ game against McLean and, The team is aware of the emoaffected their team family. Rich’s according to senior Elana Handeltions that are brought up by this mother attended many of the team’s man, has attended many games in season, especially for Rich. games in past seasons. the past.

“We didn’t want to do anything “It is going to be hard for me to Rich is serving in his third too quickly,” Kamjou said. “We had look out there and not see my mothseason as the girls varsity basketball to give him time before we decided to er at the games,” Rich said. “I know head coach and is coming off of a go through with this idea, but I think that this is going to be an emotional year in which he led the team to the he is glad we did it.” season for me as it goes on.”

PVAC Championship game, where Members of the team, both This year’s team decided to wear they came one win short of a banner. current and former, have been there patches with Rich’s mother’s initials, Rich and many players are aware for Rich. Kamjou and fellow senior PRR, on their jerseys to honor her that this season they are playing to Natalie Eyob attended the viewing of memory. Along with the patches, honor the memory of a beloved fan Rich’s mother. every member of the team has a shirt and a valued member of the team’s The give and take between playthat says ‘Girls Varsity Basketball’ family. ers and coach has provided a strong on the front and ‘No Regrets’ on the The team, especially the seniors, bond between both parties. back, which senior and co-captain are so close to Rich as both a coach The efforts that the players Jessica Kamjou says is also related to and mentor that they nominated put in mean so much more with the Rich’s mother. him and honored him as one of the black patches on the uniforms. The “It was the girls who had the ‘Chanukah Heroes’ this year. players, as well as Rich, are continuidea to do the patches and it’s thanks The girls do not remember who ing to build on their success in an to them and [Athletic Director Mike] had the initial idea for the patches, extremely meaningful way.

Riley that it happened,” Rich said. “It but nonetheless it was a team deciCome season end, no matter really means a lot to me.” sion for Rich. what the team does, players and The girls varsity basketball “I can’t remember who had the coaches alike will be able to look team still has one of its biggest fans idea first, but we were all in support back on the season and know that showing up to games, Rich’s grandof it and we are doing it for him,” they were part of something special. mother. Rich’s grandmother was at Kamjou said.

victim of tragedy by alexander flum and brian schonfeld sports editor and reporter

The world was shocked and saddened by the tragedy that occured at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012.

Many people took the initiative to commemorate the lives of the victims and aid the affected families.

Among the 20 student victims of the shooting was six-year-old Jack Pinto. He liked wrestling, skiing, football and reading.

After learning about Pinto’s tragic death and his passion for the sport, the wrestling team decided to dedicate its season to him.

Sophomore Daniel Zuckerman is appreciative of the way that the team is honoring Pinto.

“He was a wrestler himself and he’s now lost the opportunity to continue his wrestling career,” Zuckerman said. “So we decided we wanted to go out there this season and wrestle all of our matches for him and we [wrestled the] matches, he won’t be able to.”

Senior Max Smith is inspired that Pinto was a wrestler and thinks that because the wrestling community is very close, dedicating the season to Pinto was a good idea.

“We want to show support for the victims of Sandy Hook and the most personal way the wrestling team can do it is by supporting another wrestler,” Smith said.

In addition to the dedication of its season, the team has chosen to buy jackets that say Pinto’s name on the back.

Once the team receives the jackets they will take a picture of themselves with the jackets and send it, along with a card, to the Pinto family.

The wrestlers are not the only athletes commemorating Pinto’s life.

On the professional level, New York Giants wide reciever Victor Cruz dedicated one of his games to Pinto and brought his cleats from the game to Pinto’s family.

Mr. Smolin’s workout tips Shoulders

elopment oulder dev A good sh f well developed consists o d deltoids. an trapezius it’s not a t. t starting, When firs to lift a lot of weigh good idea exercises: Shoulder raises ell lateral 1. Dumbb dumbbell raises 2. Reverse umbbell lateral 3. Front d raises.

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by david solkowitz

sports • the lion’s tale •

15

WINTER

BRINGS SUCCESS

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9-2

6-2

“I think it’s probably everybody having the same goal.

For us everyone has the same goal and that goal is to win the championship.”

-junior Jon Prigal -Max Smith

“The dedication and hard work that each member of this team shows on a daily basis is fantastic. Coach [Jordan Lipp] always tells us that practice is the foundation of success. ” -senior Alex Ingber

photo illustrations by Miriam Israel, Maya Goldstein and Alexander Flum

GVB

5-2

“I think that success comes from our hard work and how our team has united in the past couple of months.”

-senior Jill Griminger

-Max Smith

*records as of Jan. 15, 2013

Sophomore dedicates herself to skating on and off the ice Hopes to fulfill dreams of figure skating career in her future by sarah rubin reporter

photo courtesy of Gabriela Morrell-Zucker

Sophomore Gabriela Morrell-Zucker skates with her partner Andre Sitiks.

Morrell-Zucker skates five or six times per week.

Every sport requires a vast amount of talent, dedication and passion. Gabriela Morrell-Zucker has these three attributes.

Morrell-Zucker has been skating since she was five years old. She practices five to six days a week for between two and three hours each day.

Morrell-Zucker’s success in the sport hinges on her heavy time commitment. Her life is significantly busier than that of the average student.

After a long day at school, Morrell-Zucker’s partner, Andre Sitiks, picks her up. Sitiks picks Morrell-Zucker up as early as she can leave school so they can fit in more practice time.

Morrell-Zucker sometimes

misses school to practice her routines.

“I don’t go to clubs and I try to leave 10 minutes early every day,” Morrell-Zucker said.

On the way to the skating rink, Morrell-Zucker usually takes a nap and eats something so she’s prepared for practice.

“I don’t really get a break between school and skating besides my nap and power food in the car, so I’m pretty exhausted by the time I step on the ice,” Morrell-Zucker said.

During practice, Morrell-Zucker warms up on and off the ice and runs her routine while the coaches critique her.

Morrell-Zucker also does a lot of physical training during practice.

“I have to do physical training like weights and running,” Morrell-Zucker said.

When practice is over, Mor-

rell-Zucker does as much homework as she can during the car ride home.

When Morrell-Zucker gets home she eats, tries to finish her homework and is in bed by 11 p.m.

Although she loves figure skating and performing, practices and performances can be very difficult.

“I would say everything is difficult, but the hardest part by far is maintaining my stamina,” Morrell-Zucker said.

Because her training is so time consuming, Morrell-Zucker sometimes struggles to keep up with school assignments.

“A lot of time I have trouble completing assignments on time and studying for tests,” Morrell-Zucker said.

Morrell-Zucker usually competes four or five times in the figure skating season, which take place between June and January.

“This year was more of a learning process,” Morrell-Zucker said. “We were up against very good skaters who have been skating longer than I have. We did not win, but we did not expect to.”

Sitiks and Morrell-Zucker have been partners for two years.

They have performed their Free Dance routine to a song from the musical “Chicago” and their Short Dance routine to “Yankee Polka.”

Morrell-Zucker and Sitiks failed to advance beyond sectionals this past year.

Morrell-Zucker hopes to pursue figure skating as a career.

“I would like to skate for a living,” Morrell-Zucker said. “It has always been my dream to skate in shows.”

16

sports • the lion’s tale •

Is there a fan base?

Left, students in attendance at the Hebrew Academy game. Right, parents and family watch a different boys varsity basketball game.

Why do students attend sports games?

• 80 percent for friends • 58 percent to support school • 51 percent for entertainment • 40 percent nothing better to do

ld

honfe

other sports events.

“I go to wrestling [matches] with my family because the whole family likes it,” Cohen said. “I also enjoy going to basketball games for … entertainment.”

Eighty-nine percent of students who responded to the survey said that they have attended a basketball game at JDS, making basketball the most-watched school sport.

While varsity basketball games get the most fans of any team, the coaches still recognize the lack of fans they have compared to the game against Hebrew Academy and hope to see more fan support in the future.

“I would like to see the crowd that we draw for Hebrew Academy at every home game,” boys varsity basketball assistant coach Bob Marshall said.

Girls varsity basketball Head Coach Nicholas Rich notices his team “feeds off the energy” of the crowd at the Hebrew Academy game and wishes they could feed off that type of energy every game.

Both Rich and Marshall made it clear that they would like to see more fans at home games in the future.

“I think what we need is to get the message spread in the school that we have a really good team here,” Marshall said.

“A team that’s worth coming out to watch.”

n Sc

Of 121 students polled, nearly 50 percent said they rarely or never attend CESJDS sporting events.

and rescheduled to 2:30 p.m. on a long Friday, so many students came out to support the team during the last period of the day and after school.

“It was a really great experience to play in front of all my friends,” Mintz said.

While this experience was a positive one, Mintz noted that the boys varsity baseball team usually does not attract big “I think what we need is to get the crowds. message spread in the school that we Similar to have a really good team here. A team regular season thats worth coming out to watch,” boys baseball games, there are often varsity basketball Assistant Coach Bob very few student Marshall said. fans at junior varsity basketball The exceptions are home games, games. which students with “nothing to do” “[The number of fans at junior will come watch. varsity games] is usually never as Sophomore Joel Halpern, who close to as many fans as a varsity plays on both the varsity basketball game gets,” Hein said. and soccer teams, notices a signifAlthough for most students icant drop off between the amount going to the varsity basketball of fans at the boys varsity basketball games against Hebrew Academy is a games and the boys varsity soccer priority over going to others, many games. At soccer games, Halpern also enjoy attending other sporting said, “less people come.” events.

Most JDS athletes never expe“I’ve been going to a lot of rience the number of fans that the sporting events this year since I got varsity basketball teams receive at my [driver’s] license,” Mintz said. “I the game against Hebrew Academy. enjoy going to the games because I Senior Jake Mintz has only like seeing my friends excel in their experienced the “Hebrew Academy natural environments.” type of crowd once.” This experience While Cohen feels that going occurred last year in the semifinal to the Hebrew Academy game is the baseball game against Covenant Life. most important game to attend, she, The game had been canceled much like Mintz, also enjoys going to

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by B

The bleachers overflow with students dressed in all blue, cheering their hearts out. For most, this rivalry game against Hebrew Academy is the one varsity basketball game of the year they attend.

Although parents form the majority of the spectators at CESJDS sporting events, when the the girls and the boys varsity basketball teams play the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy, the gym becomes jampacked.

While reasons for attending the game vary, according to a survey conducted by The Lion’s Tale, 75 percent of 121 students surveyed feel an obligation to go the the game against Hebrew Academy.

Sophomore Drew Hein feels that all students should attend the Hebrew Academy game to show school spirit.

“I definitely think anyone at the school should go to the Hebrew Academy games,” Hein said. “It’s a great way to show school spirit and to help root on the players.”

Sophomore Rebecca Cohen believes that attending the Hebrew Academy game is more important

than attending other games because “it is [a] tradition.”

Although the varsity basketball games against Hebrew Academy receive many fans, other sporting events rarely attract even close to the same number of students.

Eighth-grader Danielle Katz, who plays on the girls varsity basketball team, said that the fans who attend games are mostly parents.

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reporter

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by maddie dworkin

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photo by SJ Hyman

photo by David Kulp