The MHA Lunchley: The Time MHA Voted on Lunch Page 5
SHUT UP! Its Shabbos. Page 6
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Memphis Grizzlies. Thanks to general manager Zach Kleinman, the Grizzlies have been successfully drafting key players in the past few years. They drafted their stars in three consecutive years with Jaren Jackson Jr. in 2018, Ja Morant in 2019, and Desmond Bane in 2020. The Grizzlies Cont’d on next page. The Official Newspaper of the Cooper Yeshiva
High School for Boys
Whether played at the professional level or at a high school one, basketball has always been an important topic in Memphis. Recently, it’s the best it’s ever been. The University of Memphis Tigers and Memphis Grizzlies have taken over the basketball world by storm, winning game after game this season. Both are top teams in their respective
Cont’d fom previous page. have also drafted a few hidden gems in the past two years, with them drafting G.G Jackson last year and Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells this year. Jackson had a great campaign last season, although he has not played yet this season due to injuries. Edey and Wells have both been very impressive so far and are both top 5 in the Rookie of the Year ladder. They also got key players from the G league like Scottie Pippen Jr. and Jay Huff
The Grizzlies had a disappointing season last year due to injuries. They set a record last season by using 33 players which is the most ever by an NBA team. They also set a record for most starting lineups used which was 51. They once had a starting lineup of Jacob Gilyard, Bismack Biyombo, Lamar Stevens, Trey Jemison, and David Roddy. None of those players are currently on the team just a year later. However, The Grizzlies are finally healthy and sit at the 2nd seed in the western conference with a record of 24-13.The crazy thing about this is that although Ja Morant is playing great, he isn't even averaging the same numbers as he did in the past and has already missed many games so far. He averaged 27.4 points per game (ppg) in 2021, 26.2 in 2022, and 25.1 in 2023. He only averages 21.2 ppg so far this season. So you may wonder how this team is playing like one of the best in the NBA? The Grizzlies have put up the
Bane averages 14.9, Santi Aldama averages 13.4, Jaylen Wells averages 11.5, Zach Edey averages 11.0, and Scottie Pippen Jr. averages 10.6 ppg. That's 8 players that average over 10 ppg. They also have a few players just below the mark who may get there by the end of the season like Marcus Smart at 9.2, Jay Huff at 9.1, Jake Laravia at 8.8, and Brandon Clarke at 7.6. Also G.G. Jackson and Vince Williams Jr. will make big impacts when they return and could also get over the mark.
the western conference top teams while they are dealing with key injuries. I predict that the Grizzlies will finish the season with a record of 52-30 and remain the second seed in the west. I also think that this is the best Grizzlies team ever and will have the best shot yet at bringing home a championship to Memphis. The next team I will be talking about is the Memphis Tigers. They are led by Coach Penny Hardaway. First off, let’s talk about Coach Hardaway. Afernee “Penny” Hardaway
Benny takes a picture with star guard Tyrese Hunter.
Photo by: Benny Freiden
attended the University of Memphis in 1992 and was a star on the basketball team. Penny was drafted into the NBA in 1993 and played 14 seasons until 2007. He was selected 3rd in the draft in 1993 and finished his career with 4 all stars. He was born in Memphis and is a Memphis legend. He came back to Memphis to coach the East High school Mustangs from 2015-2017, and in 2018 he went on to coach the Tigers and brought many of his high school players with him including James Wiseman who was the 2nd pick of the NBA draft in 2020. Hardaway has now coached at Memphis for 7 years and has a record of 133-62. He won the NIT in 2021, the AAC tournament in 2023, and had 2 NCAA tournament appearances in 2022 and 2023. Last year's team was looking to go for the third year in a row as they were ranked in the top 10 early to start the year, but they went on a 4 game losing streak and ultimately fell short of the tournament. Penny Hardaway has been a great recruiter and has always got Memphis solid basketball players. But no team
of Pennys has gotten over the hump yet and no one had high hopes for this year. However, Penny assembled a top backcourt in the league with transfers PJ Haggerty from Tulsa, Tyrese Hunter from Texas, and Colby Rodgers from Wichita State. The Tigers are 13-4 and have been in and out of the AP poll all year. They currently sit at the 18 spot in the Ap Poll. They have big wins vs 11 UConn, 18 Michigan State, 16 Ole miss, Clemson, and Missouri. Their 4 losses are against 2 Auburn, 19 Mississippi State, Arkansas State, and Temple. The Tigers inevitable loss in the AAC came Thursday night at Temple and has people questioning if this year will be the same as every other? The Tigers need to bounce back Sunday in Charlotte with a blowout win vs one of the worst teams in the conference. The Tigers have one of the best resumes in all of college basketball right now. I predict that they breeze through the AAC and finish the season with a record of 28-5. I think that Memphis will be a 4 seed in the march madness bracket.
Mock Trial 2025: Lee Jasper v. Reece Witherfork
Yakir Rovner (’28)
It was a bright and sunny day. The crowds were cheering throughout the stands as the tenth place ranked amateur bull rider Lee Jasper walked toward the gate of the rodeo ring after breaking the 8 second record for staying on the rodeo bull known to most as Consume Additional Poultry (or CAP for short). Suddenly, as he was about to exit the ring, a metal chair that Wiley “Coyote” Smith had thrown at Rivers Jenkins during their argument over ownership of CAP flew out of the stands and hit Lee in the head. Lee collapsed instantly and woke up a few hours later in a hospital with a bad headache and an Australian accent. Now Lee has decided to file a lawsuit against the owner of the JCF rodeo, Reece Witherfork. Lee is claiming that Reece should have had better security that could have stopped the incident. He also claims that the limited number of security guards should not even have let Coyote into the rodeo in the first place as he was well known for frequently getting into verbal altercations. What you just read is the case that was presented to the Mock Trial team this year, along with multiple other complications such as evidence, statements from the witnesses, and other extra elements to help with the case. Our school’s Mock Trial team is going to have to use this additional
evidence and the witness statements in a real life simulation of a courtroom. We will be arguing this case once from either side where we will either have to prove Reece Witherfork should have had better security or that Lee should have been more careful after sustaining a severe injury one month prior.
In our team’s most recent meetings, we have started pairing off into groups that include one witness and the lawyer that is going to be presenting them at the trial. These groups have started planning the angle we are going to pursue in order to prove our point and we have also begun drafting up lists of questions to ask each witness. All of the students on the team have been learning a lot about the law and strategy that is put into making a solid case. “Mock Trial has been an extremely educational experience,” remarked sophomore lawyer Gordon Chaifetz. Our expert witness for the plaintiff, Ilan Lowell (‘25), commented, “It is an excellent opportunity for students to learn and grow in their knowledge of debating and their public speaking skills”. In our team’s most recent meetings, we have also been watching videos of past Mock Trial championship competitions in order to examine those team’s winning strategies and attempt to apply those tactics to our
2025 Mock Trial Exhibit A. Source: tba.org
preparations. While watching these videos, we learned about three important aspects to opening statements. These are called primacy, frequency, and recency. Primacy is the very first thing you say, that immediately tells the jury why you are there and what you are trying to prove. Frequency means you have some kind of a catchy phrase that you repeat many times throughout your opening statement, somewhat summarizing your goal and your planned path to get there. Recency is the very last sentence that brings everything together in which you once again state your method of proof, and what you are going to try to prove.
Overall, I’m very much looking forward to the Mock Trial this year. My goal is to gain the experience and knowledge to continue participating in it for the next 3 years. I also hope to build my public speaking and debate skills, all while participating in this activity with my peers.
The MHA Lunchley: The Time MHA Voted on Lunch
Gordon Chaifetz (’27) Shawarma, loaded fries, or seashell pasta? That question was posed to the High School on November 5th, 2024, when they had to vote for a new December lunch in a schoolwide election. The school administration decided to leave the decision of a new menu item to the students, increasing widespread election fervor and creating a fun way to participate in politics. The day before the fi nal elections was a larger, primary election in which the top three winners were shawarma, loaded fries, and seashell pasta.
second and seashell pasta coming in third. Students celebrated in the halls for their favorite dish had won.
Last month, on December 10th, when the cafeteria served the winning dish, students finally found out whether the
shawarma so when I heard that it would still be on this month's menu I was shocked and excited for this new dish.”
Overall, the introduction of a voting system to the school menu has been a great success with many students feeling that the election is a trend that should be continued.
The discussion of which of these three menu items deserved to be in the rotation of school menu items was a topic of great debate for the next few days. By listening around the high school to student conversations, it became clear that the number of loaded fry enjoyers greatly outnumbered both shawarma and seashell pasta fans by a landslide.
Unsurprisingly, loaded fries won, with shawarma coming in
winning loaded fries met their expectations. While some were a little disappointed, many students testified that the loaded fries were tremendous. Furthermore, sophomore Avigdor Zweihorn said he hoped they would find a permanent place on the school lunch menu.
When the January menu calendar came out, many students were surprised when they discovered that the second-place winner, Shawarma, was on the menu even though it had lost the general election. Yakir Rovner said, “I had voted for the
The orchestrator of this event, Jessica Sukhodolsky, put in a lot of work to make this election successful by ensuring there were no difficulties in the voting process. When
questioned about future voting, Mrs. Sukhodolsky said that since it was such a hit among the students, another election in the future is likely. She added that they might improve the process by adding a suggestion box to determine what different and unique foods would join the primaries.
This entire election process created lots of fun for students, exposing them to the election process and the concepts of debate. All students greatly enjoyed the chance to enjoy their democratically elected lunch meal. Bon appétit!
The Winner: Feivel's Loaded French Fries. Source: brakebush.com
SHUT UP! Its Shabbos.
Rafi Goldkin ('25)
The verse in Isaiah says “V'chibadto me'asot derachecha mimtzo chefzecha v'daber davar,” which translates literally as “And if you honor it and go not your ways, nor look to your affairs, nor strike bargains.” The Talmud in tractate Shabbos tells us that the words “V'daber davar” teach us that the way you speak on Shabbos should not be like the way you speak during the week. What are the parameters of this rule? Rashi says that you can't discuss business or do calculations on Shabbos. Tosefos says that you shouldn’t speak excessively on Shabbos as you do on the weekday, meaning just talk less. Even still, these are very broad guidelines. The Gemara later makes it clear that one can only discuss something that would be permissible to do on Shabbos. So one should not say, “I am fl ying to Eretz Yisroel this week,” because one can not fl y on Shabbos. Or one should not say, “I will fix the table tomorrow,” because you are not allowed to fix it today. However, the Shulchan Aruch clarifies that if one doesn’t explicitly say a prohibition on Shabbos then it is okay. For example, it is permitted to say, “I am traveling to Saint Louis tomorrow,” because technically he could do it today if the proper boundaries were set up. So the first prohibition of not speaking like you do on the weekday is not mentioning any
Source: alittleperspective.com
not forgive a loan on Shabbos.
The Shulchan Aruch writes that one should also not make or discuss calculations for things that he has not yet paid for. The Mishnah Berurah writes that one should also not say something that will upset another person or cause them to be distressed, which definitely differs depending on who you are talking to. So topics such as bad news or a controversial topic should not be discussed. An important exception to this rule is charity. One is allowed to make calculations for charity and even donate when called up for
describing a trip, or how camp was this past summer, or how you bought a cool new hat. The Rama says that these should be limited and not excessively spoken about. The whole week, we are running around trying to find Hashem. Shabbos is a chance to rest from the struggle to fight and to focus on what is important.
Rabbi Chaim Naeh brings a parable about what Shabbos is comparable to. There was once a very poor man who would travel around his town, surviving by eating scraps of food that he found in the garbage. One day, this beggar heard that the king was coming,
and soon after, he saw a parade of people with trumpets and banners escorting the king through the village. After the procession was over, the poor man was walking and saw a ring in the dirt on the ground. He saw that this was no ordinary ring, with many jewels fastened around it. He realized that this must have dropped from the king himself. He traveled to the
palace and gained entry, presenting the ring to the king himself. The king was delighted that he had recovered his special ring and told the poor man that he would grant any wish that the poor man desired. The poor man thought for a second and requested that the garbage be refilled in his town. Since he survived on finding scraps from the trash, and the
trash had been running low lately, therefore, he needed it to be refilled, so he could survive. On Shabbos, we are granted the opportunity of a lifetime to connect to Hashem, it is our one wish. Yet if we waste this one wish by discussing unnecessary things all day, then it is like we are wasting our opportunity and asking for scraps.
With midterms finished, the CYHSB is ready to tackle the second half of the school year with pride! The return of our intramural football league, the CYFL, is just around the corner, along with our weekly updates, stats, and reports on school players and teams. The school is gearing up for an exciting rest of the year, with clubs like Model UN and Mock Trial in full swing. The CYHSB Weekly staff is ready to cover all the exciting events and elements of the school year that we’ll be seeing in the near future.
