Volume 25, Issue 3 (November 1992) - The Rampage

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TheRamPage Volume XXV Number3

November 1992 / MarCheshvan 5753

The Elections: How Ramaz Reacted

Eight New Teachers Join Ramaz

by Arl•I Adtsnlk

by Chanl Bloom and Ctc:Uy Marbach To begin ttus ac:idcm1c year. c1gh1 new members ha\'c been odded 10 lhe Ramu faculty. These teachers agree 1h:i1 lhe high level of nc.adcmics combined wirh school spirit create a plea.s:u:u sur­ rounding.

Ms. Chani Steiner. a Tanach teacher of grodes ten through rw clvc, joined Ramaz from Shevach Ycsh,-o High School for G11ls where she 1augh1 • Pnnha1 HaShavua class. In her opinion lhe students ond faculty hen: wann and open. yet she hopes for an increase in Jewish pride from among sludcnt.s.

Judn1t Studies leaehe rs Robb, Adom Mini, :ind Rabb, Shlomo Stochcl have "'defcc1cd '" from Fnsch. Rabb, Mu112. who nlso taught al HAFTR. served as an interim n:1bb1 of the Young lsne-1 of \\'oodmcrc. He is now the As.sis1:101 Rabbi of Congregation Kchiwh Jcshurun. Rabb, Srochcl hit.cs \he mot1va1ton'of Ramu �tu­ dcnts.

Dr Dor0lhy Ocmentson. v. ho previously L:lught at New York Un,vcntty, has joined R:amu·s English department. She is suq,rucd 01 !he small gap bct"ccn lbc lc\·cl of her former college sru­ dents ond char of her Ramnz stu­ dents The math and sc1.encc dep311mcnts ha, e added Ms. Brenda From, Ms. Lois Nyrcn. and Ms. Robena Bendnhem. Ms. From ond Ms. Bendrihem :m icaching chemistry and nuth respectively in rhe high school: Ms. Nyren teaches general science to Forms I ond IL These rhrce rcachers du­ play Q striking d1\crsiry in their educ:ation:JI careers. Ms. From previously taught 01 the Bcis Yaal<ov School on lhe Lower Eosl Side, an all girls yeshiva. In con­ uast. Ms Nyrcn comes from lhe United Nations ln1ernauonal School and bas al<o taughl middle school science a1 Tnnity. Ms. Bcndrihcm ha5 the expcncncc of l'-AO 1,1,orldJ, having u1ught in a pubhc school and • yeshiva. The cran.silion 10 Ramaz might appear Wfficull. howc\'er. according to all three, the students and faculty have made the ,hin easier. Ms. Bcndrihem "feels very wel­ comed.· and Ms. Nyrcn is happy wi1h the "ha1mish• a1mosphcrc and icrrific staff.

The art department also h:u a n e w member 1his year, M r.

Andrew Needle. Mr. Needle taught 11 Western Conncc1icu1 Staie Unlv,:rsily in Danbury and al Horace Mann . He finds Ramu "cnersetic and lively" and Is Im­ pressed by lhc bard work of !he AUdenu despite the length of each school day.

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Ramu rookl• Rabbi Sl0<h•I �vl,ws Baba Batra

Ramaz Sponsors Presidential Debate

by Jessica Puu,rman On October 28 Ramnz hos1<d • controversinl dcbntc between Republ i can represent:iuve Mr Enc Jav11s and Dtmocnmc rtprc­ scntative Dr D;avld Luchins. Stu­ dents vou::ed stron, feelings about the content of the dc:ba1e. u well as lhc people who partic1pa1cd In iL Whether lhc audience •greed ._'1th either of1hc dcbatcn seemed 10 be lrrclcvanr: Dcmocnt Bill Cl inton won the school-wide elcc­ hon. wtuch look plxe bcfon: the L<Sembly. Ocsp<IC rlus. a lqe number of the s1udcnts said they felt the Republican reprc.scnlative won 1he deb ate . They often bulled the Democratic reprc­ scniauves" failun: 10 address lhe 1.ssucs at hand. "The Democrat d1dn 't answer any questions.• 35. scned seni or Stephanie Mindlin .

Or. Luchin, tried 10 speak lhe srudenr body on a lc,cl he lhough1 ,,., ould be ea.s,er 10 grasp. leading many to feel that he was concle­ s c e nd in g .

One fre5hm.an

rcmnrkcd, "Who did he lhink he was talking to? We're smarter than 1hnL• Or. Luchins used a mc1aphor involving the purchase of• bruised elrog and quoted lhc Chafetz Chaim in trying to relate pol111cnl issues 10 what he 1hough1 was more relevant 10 the student1, li ves.

Mr. hvus approached 1he deb.1tc with a different attJtudc .

On h15 podium he had a looseleaf filled with. the contents of I.be Republican plalform. When hear­ inc the key won;I in• qUC'fflon. Mr. Javus nipped his book 10 the page discussing the topic. Students got the 1mprcss1on I.hat he was more preporcd rhon Or. Luchlns w,lh respeer 10 know ledge of his pany's plalform Although 1mponant members of their n:spcctil'e parties, both representauvcs repeo1cdly mcn­ uoncd thal rhey dis.agreed wi1h some vi ews of the cand1d:itcs Dr, Luchms l'C'ply to many questions began. "J never agreed with Clin­ ton on rhis 11,1,ue." Mr. Ja,·11.'i

(cominu�d on page 4)

Ramaz wns a horbed of pol iti­ c111l ;ic1ivhy during 1h1s year's presidential election c:impa,gn.

Both the Ramu Conservative Caucus and lhe Young Dcmocrnis voiced their "lews through poslcrs, nycrs. o.nd ne'-A·slcncrs. nnd lhe school held o poliucal as­ sembly on the elccuon.

Dcsp11e lhe efforts oflhe newly rcsurrccicd R. C.C • mosl stud<nlS supported Chnron . In lhc mock elccuon1, Clinton received more lhan twice 11.S many votes as Bush did. Funhcrmon:, more people sponcd Clinlon/Gore pins than Bush/Qunylc ones Clln1on supporrcrs, Jong hoping for Dcmocnnic success, were �tnficd. M:iny of them hoped Clinron would deal w,lh lhe mcrcas,ng economic d1fficuhics In Amcnca Sophomore Su.'311nah Gall in conveyed lhc rhoughlJ of many Chntorutcs, uymg that · 11 1s about umc the Ocmocrau a.re back 10 office The present Repubhcan Pony " 100 dc<pcnte for J)O'-Ner. I believe Clinton wi.11 work for lbc less fortunate of our counuy." S1udcnu also feared • nghr-wmg lrend would lead to a neglect of such issues a5 abortion nghu and the env1. ronmcnt Even though their crTorts were for naughl. the R:unnz Conscrv:i­ tive Caucu1 was a proli fic media mnchinc. Flyers lauding Bush's performance and lamb1•aing Chnron's gubernatorial record were posted throughout the school. Many studen1.s whose parenu '1lC physicians were dis• mayed by lhe n:sulrs They fe=d lhat Clinton would inst:Jtutc 11 na­ tfonal heahh msurnnce, making the medical field less lucrative.

Junior Jon Rosenfeld, Co-pres1dcn1 of lhe RCC and lhe son of a doctor, noted that •there arc issucs much more important 10 thJJ country lhan socia lized medicine.• He believes •1ha1 Bush would hal'e made a be11<r pn:sidcn� yer (heJ undcrsr:ind(s( why so many people voted for Governor Ointon."

The candJdaies" polices on rhc Middle East wer e naiurally a top pnoriry among .iudcnlJ. RenJiz. ing rh,s, rhe RCC disrnbured Oyen dewling Prts1den1 Bush's accomplishmenu for Israel.

Juni or Daniel Reich, ■ Bush sup­ porter. was 001 unhappy whh Clinton's victory. "Bush proved himself 1nadcqua.1c a, far a., Israel is concerned. He deserves ere.du for bringing the sides to the ncgoliatmg table, even though the lalk5 arc now sagging " Chnton's supporrers approved or their candidate's Views on lsr:1el, but were more 101cres1ed In h11 domestic agenda.

To be sun:. there wen: some Ramu .iudcnu who bocked Roos Perot. They, bke Perot's naLOnal supporters. w�ted a change aod .saw n o n e c o mini from lhc m21nstn:,am. One Pero< backer, who wished 10 remain anonymous, said lh.athe was "glad Clmron bear Bush. !hough (he wouldl rather have PeroL • At least he added. "Clmron nughl gel somcthmg done for the envtron­ menL" Even those whose favorite can­ didates lost an: not too distruug.ht nt the outcome, lhere seems 10 be a conscnsu.1 of genuine hope among Ramal s1udenu for progress. Many upecr lhar lhe ch•nge in leadership will lead 10 posnive change in Amcria.

tudents Get Creative: Classroom Maneuvers for he Young and Restless

by Craig Dushey Ram:iz students find many creative ways to deal wuh educa­ uonal eMul. The plc1hon or anti­ boredom rcchruquc, range from bathroom breaks 10 complic11ed activities involving scientific clll­ culators.

The simples! ourlc1 of rcsrleu energy ,s • rrip to rhe bathroom.

Such an excursion can provide a brcnlh of air, a change or scenery, and possibly even an impromptu encounter with a friend. The bathroom option iJ surely the most desirable way 10 toleralc lhat borina class. Bur rhe b .. ic problem remains: many 1eachers enforce a •one-studen1-at•a­ tlrnc" sysrem, making for Iona waiu, followed by the inevitable mad dashes to lhe door for lhc rigba to 10 nc1L Some teachers, of counc. do not even allow lhis privileJe al all. So, trapped in lhc

room, >1udenl! arc forced 10 oc­ cupy lhcmsclvcs with whatever ,s Ill hand. The timelcs, procticc of doodling is always a favorable altcma­ uve. A middaynap is a promising op­ uon 1f one is seated far enough away from lhe rcach<r 10 be able 10 cnrch some shu1-e y e .

However. with this technique comes lhe minor problem or lhe ICDCher taking offense.

For lhc leu ar1 u 11c--or so m­ nolent-•cakulator games present themselves as a novel ahcmative for lhc class­ room-weary. Ramu sclls lhe Tuas lnsttumenrs 36. which haJ 1 myriad ol buuon, and functions and i, very well suited for time con5umin calculator ames.

The Thml Hex function, which c.nables you to punch up lettcn •A" through "F" on your d,splay, might jusr be in• tercsiing enou,h 10 amuse your­ self w11h for a of couple pcnods. These lcllers, which mllthcmatically rcprcscnl the d e c i m a l numerals •10· 10 "14." ore readily suited to crciuln1 somewhat a limited lexicon.

Complemenred by lhc USC or "5."

"I." Ind u the letlCr, ·1.­ and •o: you can challenge your­ self to spell lhe longesr word within tbe alvcn conslrainls ("baseball,· for eumpic).

The TI-36 docs not hav,: a ran­ dom number ncn1or; !hose for-

-�=-,,.=

·o·

·s.-

1unn1e enough IO have such a fca­ rurc can undenake lhe qucsr of achieving tnplet.s of numbers.. such as "111." "555," ond "888."

In lcrms of mulli-p laye r games. here ,s I gem th:11 hos been proven helpful for !hose mired in boredom. To stlrt, all rhe por· licip;mts mutually agree upon two random numbers, one large num­ ber to start from, for example "162754." and one smnll number, such u, "4." (Numbers closer 10 one make lhc game lc.u challeng­ ing.) The goal b to n:ach lhc lower number from the higher.

To pllty, all lhc pl.ayers must fol­ low• basic rule: oo simple proce­ dure keys (!he digits 0-9, +, ., ,. and f) lrt allowed In n:achina lhe number established u lhc goal, ach play,r must make use of funcliom 1uch u log. e', cubed root. invcnc, and cosines. Usina !he numbers mentioned befin,

(co,uinu,d on pa1, J)

Pagc2

November 1992 / MarCheshva� 5753

The RamPage

Editorials Let Election '92 Be a Model for Election '93

Th• Pn,skl•ntial dectioo bas revealed Ille American ,i.cto111l•'s desire ror change. Vol,rs dcmonslnlted lhtlr dlsconlenl wllh lh• llalus quo by gMng somN>n• ,i.e a chance lo fill lhe country's llls-<>r, al lust allempl lo deal with lhem. In New York. high voler lurnoul Indicated a desire lo gel back Into lhe pollllcal process.

We hope lbal lhe Jewish voters or New York wUI lak• a cu• from the naUonal election whe.n they vote in ou:t year's mayoral elect.Jon. Th• result or lh• N•lson lrial Is Just on• example or a bungling admlnbtndoo lbal bas llllle concern ror II• Jowish constlluenu.

Mayor Dinkins Is neither an anll.S.mlle nor respoMible ror the murder or Yaokel Rosenbaum. He bas, however, conc,ntraled hlJ ag<,oda on lh• concerns or minorities (actually, slallsllcs show Ibey are the �orily), showing loo lilti• sensllivlly ror th• Jows or New York. Where Is Mr. Dinkins when J•ws are killed and Utelr mur• d•rers are set r....? Why has he supported a plan 10 take city contncl-' away rrom J•wlsh-ownod rtrms bttause or thclr etbnlclly?

Th• Mayor does not represent tho lntoruts orlho Jows orNow York; lhc Je,dsh community should communlcato lhls by llndlng a can­ didate who will be cognizant or the concerns or Now York Cily Jows.

Separate and Unequal in Israel Ramu prides llsdr on Its cotducatlonal pbUooopby. Women, Ram.oz believes, hane every right to a Jewish education. The school fll<oongn females to nplott their Ol\·n goals and doa not place artlOclal barriers that would lim.lt what women can achle ...

However, the options pl"tWnted to th" senior class at "lsntl

Night" al Ramu contradicted Ramaz's philosophy or NJUallly. In a booklet entitled "Regisl111tion Guido to Israeli Yoshlvol," slu• dtntJ were told of the varioos places lo go for ''learning" In Israel.

Usted In lh• bookl•t were the names, addros.ws, and des<ripUon., o(fourtttn yeshlvot, eight for men and six for womrn. T he descrip­ tions stalod th• goals or the YcshivoL It was the paragraphs on the women \'tsh.ivot that we.re vuy upsetting. They staled that thtir purpose wa.1 to tnin womrn lo Hlltr two fitkls: community service and oducalion. Mlchlalah, the Jerusalem College ror Women "provides Orthodox religious girls [our •mphasls) lh• opporlunily to pursue their Torah education...acqulrlng a proresslon suitable ror Orthodox young women, sncb as Education." II seems thal the Yeshivot are saying, "\Ve"U Id womt.n han their fun for• year. but

litt's make.-n dwy don't Co o�r tbdr beads."

Another dlslurblng attltud• was upres...d by Mldreshd Un­ dnibawn. which "provides an_envlronmenl where 11·omen couJd study Torah ln a manner similar to mt:n." Slrnllac to mtn? \Vby not "Niu.al to mm" or, better yet, ''io a tnditJonal Jrwish environ• menl?" This kind or rormuladon would nold making the absurd llateme.nt that women can only imitate men. Obviously, lb• goal, ol these Ytshlvol are not the same ones Ramn holw. Should Ramu be encou111ging its students to att•od such lnstltullons? U the school used its good offic,s to speak to the Yeshh-ot. women would be offered the •qua! opportunllltS or study that have been denied to Ihm,. Ramaz alumna• could continue the phllosophy that their Alma Maler holds dear: complete educalional equality ror all.

The RamPage i@" EDITOJlS.IN.cHIEF RellaA. Davis • Uri Hcilmao • J=y SIWI ASSOOATEEDITOK l..coaJOcin EDITORIAL EDITORS Samm Mail<♦ Tcssi:aPbmzmaa F&\l1/DS EDITORS Rmeeflmmaa♦ArimeMIDdd MANAGING EDITOll SmllZimr '1POllTS El>l'l'OR. llaaS!dxl.

OPEDEDn'Oll Dnidlslmty rACtJLff ADVISD )fr.Albaf(kr.cz

Letters to the Editor RCC Alks:" R-,,•s-p-•-c•l"••Just a Lillie BIi To the Ei.htor:

ume and spoce in order to post posters advertising their Cil�

As the prcsi dcnua.l ckcoons loomed closer. students began 10 affihiltc with one oflhe three can­ didates. Heated debates in the

didate Repeatedly. member.i of the R.C.C. aucmplid 10 display Bush/Quayle posten on different noon Systematically. they were

polilics become proliferate.

Please show us the respect we show you.

halls and lounges regarding

h

seemed that the ITllljority of the student body aligned themselves

with the views of the Democrats.

Clinton\Gore literature became lhc centerpiece of our walls and buUetin boards. Yet. there os a minon1y of students who con­ tinued lo profess conservative

,deals. Through the Ramaz Con• servauve Caucus (R C.C). they

vied with lhe liberals for equal

been tom down by ze4lous liberal

s1udcn1s Ayers announcing club meetings were also removed.

R.C.C. continued 10 affix postcn. but to no av:ul. Within mmutcs.

they ended up in lhc garbage.

R.C.C never retahaled by van­ dal 121 n g any of t h e Young Democrats' matcnals: we hove

higher standards. SlUdcnts who disagree with conservative views arc urged to debate with the R.C.C.. but nOI 10 vandalize its li1era1urc. Please show us the rcspcC1 we show you. It is quuc difficult to ohlam these posters, and by destroying them. students have destroyed hours of wort.

One should not naun1 one's ig• norance by defacing something one docs nol fully understand Talk 10 mcmben of R.C.C . learn more before you rebel.

Since�ly.

The Ramaz Conscrvauvc Caucus

Point-Counterpoint:

Should Ramaz strive for a more diverse faculty?

Point by ll<n Leb,.·ohl R.amnz needs 10 teach ns stu­ dents the vn.luc of the d1vers11y thnt exists in the everyday world.

Unfortun:11ely, the almoM e�­ clus1vcly Jewish teaching slaff cannot teach ttus lesson because u docs nol represent the vast v:mc1y of races :1nd religions lhal the stu­ dents will e,·entually encounler m their lt\CS This make.� Ramaz a sheltered env1roruncnL studdmg 1t.S students from the reality of the outside. t..o.,1 year. Ramaz held an as­ sembly that deal! wuh the problem of racism. Bigoted remarks arc sull heanl ,n the hallways and r.t· c1al slurs can often be seen scrib­

bled on desks. The source of au

this racism stems from ignorance.

Smee mosl of the Mudtnts have

hlllc or no mtcrJct1on with other cultures, they frequently mock what 1s d1fferenl from their norm 111c average Rama1 student might not tx.-come fnendly with o person ouu1Jc of h1s faith dunng his high school years, :1nd as a rcsuh he might not be scns111ve towards non-Jews 1111s environment can be dctnmenrnl to 1hc lives of anyone who attends Rnmaz SIU· dcncs can graduate as mrolcrant people and will have to deal wuh their own prejudices when they meet members of different races and religions afler they leave Ramaz.

The only way to encourage respcc1 and tolerance of other cul­ tures 1s to offer a more diverse group of teachers 1n our own school If lhe students see and learn from other ethnic groups.

they will become sensitive to people w11h d1ffcrcn1 back­ grounds. Rama£ could become a school 1hat shows 11s stodcnls thal there are many non•Jews who arc good pcopk Students should learn through c�pencnce thal �mg Jewish docs not make one supcnor 10 gentiles TI11s would le.ad to an understanding of the great JTK'lung pot Lhal we all live

m.

A more heterogeneous sc1ung created by the .school's hiring tcac:hc.rs of different ethnic groups would be. ve.ry helpful to the in­ dividual Ramu srudcn1. It would teach him aboul d1ffc:rcn1 cullurcs, and it would remove any negative stc�otypes he might have. But m o s t importantly. 1t would prepare the Ramaz student for

Counterpoint

by Jes.lea Rezak The strong Jewish atmosphere provided by Ramaz is a major fac. tor in the decision students make to attend this school This aunos· phcre isestabloshed. ina large pan. by the Jewish tcachen who make up the faculty. Funhcrmorc, JcMsh teachers can add a Jewish perspective to secular subjects through 1heir own knowledge of

Judrusm Ramaz is a yeshiva. Jewish lachers im(X°OVC the Jewishness

or the school by their sheer eth·

nicity. That is not to say thlll non• Jewish teachers arc necessarily

unqualified for the job.

They

could c�pose lhc student� to a brooder dJversny than U\31 of a homogeneus group of teachers.

Although lh1s idea 1s 1mportan1, strength m the JcW1sh communuy and way of hfc 3R even more 1m­

por1llnl. especially during the: for­ mauve yCllr.l of high school· More

than just teaching a subJcct 10 lhc students. Jewish teachers help develop a solJdly Jewish l'.R\'lfOD· menl in the school.

A vital .tspcct of Juda.ism 1s lhc underst:tndJng or iu culrurc and tradition. Jewish teachers have the unique ab1luy to supplement thctr syllabus with Jewish vaJues.

A Jewish history teacher, for ex• ample, can draw upon his knowledge or the role of J(ws in

Ramshackles

ancient Rome when he teaches about the Roman Empire. llus inculcates self-esteem within sru• dents. as well as a respect for Jewish 1rad1tion . A Jcw1�h science teacher could discuss the

conflict or science and h•lacha.

adding a new dimension to the field and showing thar Jud1usm

has something to s::1y on the issue.

Rama.z is more than JUSl a buiJdmg with Hebrew lcncrs on 1L The school represents Jewish values and lrad1uons. The most cffccuvc way of Cre3ling a Jewish :atmosphere is having a Jcwtsh faculty. To this end, Ramaz should cncoorage the hinng of Jewish tcachen.

by Scott Miller

November 1992 / MarCheshvon 5753

PageJ

TheRamPage

Mind Mapping: A New Wave in Note-Taking

by R,na Davis Despite m:iny teachers• exhor­ llllions 1hat '"there 1s only one cor­ rect way to take notes In class: a Florida t«n.:tga n:uncd Lana ls­ rocl has a.ttcmplcd 10 prove other­ wise� The seventeen year old hns populllrizcd a notc-takmg mrthod called "mmd mapping," ;i S)'Stem th.II uses bolh hemispheres of the bram to fac1htatc greater recall of informauon. The method was both inveolcd and published m a book. by a man named Tony Suzan. who claims to have the highest IQ m the world. Lana, now a junior at North M 1ami Beach Senior High School, read his book and � the concept in an eighth-grade science project.

Her teacher was so Impressed by lhc proJCCl th.al she took Lana 10 Austraha 10 present this method 10 the Eighth Conference on G1fied i1J1d lntclhgcnt Oiildrcn Since her hit al lhe confcrcnc� L::uta has self-published three editions of her book on mmd m:ippi.ng fO(' young oduhs, C31led '"Bram Power

for Kids. How to Become an In• stan1 Genius.• She aho sluted a company called Br.tin Power for Kids, through which she conducts rescnrch on lnming techniques and h3S made a video called "Gc1

l.sracl, a pr�tagous summer pro-­ gram for ruturc Jewish leaden.

Lana·s research has proven mind mapping to be effective be­ cause the combination of pictures and colon with words involves

Shown abcn·e ls■ mlnd map of Utb arUcle Abend.· In 1991, Lnna was nllllled Entrcprenew of the Year

by Seventeen magazine SC"veral month.s ago, she wcn1 10 England where she madC" a vuko entuJcd "Get Ahcac.r that focuses on p:liS• mg e:<. arn.s. During the summer. s h e w e n 1 10 lsn:icl on lhe Broofman Youth Fellowships in

1he use of one's entire brain.

When mind mapping. one star1s with a central picture thal rcprc• scnts 1he most imponant theme of the subject being m:ipped. Then one draws thick branches coming off lhat central p1c1Ure On lop of each of these branches should he one word or p1C1urc 10 name a main topic related ro the theme.

One must make t.hm branches off the tl11ck ones. each lopped with a word or picture to indicate the sub-topics of I.he loptc. One then uses the same mctho::I to denote modifiers and verbs of the sub­ lopics. Each bnrrh should hold only one word. unless h contains a proper noun or quotauon lhat requires more words. One docs not need 10 be an •a.rust" to mind map, even simple picturc5. such as suck figures. s uffice . The branches should be drawn clock· wise or coun ler-clockwuc. dc pcndmg on the prefcrcncc of the mapper Mind mappers must prac1,ce before they feel com• plc1cly comfonablc with thJS medium. Ulna herself notes that she 1s "const.a.nlly Improving (her) mind mapping." and developing new p1c1urcs to replace words.

She advises mDppcrs 10 write m cupitaJ lcum. as well as always 10 keep the paper m the same posi• tion. One caveat : a mind map Is exclusive 10 the person who drew iL Thus copying notes. some• limes con.stdercd a Ramu pas• lime, 1s rcndeud worthJcss

Student Spotlight:

Ari Roth: White Sheep in a Black Herd

by Craig Du.<h<y

Senior Ari Roth shown with rdlow Bronl'mao Ftllow Lana Israel

Ending Ennui: The Battle Against Boredom (cont1n11t!d{rom pag� I) o n e could first c u b e root '"1627S4" to lower It, then take the narural log. One wtll find that one arc very close. WluJc u 1s almosl impossible to gtl to o. number ex• actly. the player 10 get closest wm.s.

Some seniors find such cal• culator games crude. In their grade. the clcaronic game Tctris, concealed as a watch, h:n been runmng rampant. Those fonunate enough to have such a watch say their classes arc much more bear.lblc. In one junior class. a ere.alive alternauve has Just recently surfaced. /I pho1ocopied sheet is c1rculated awith a blank square divided Into fony different

pieces. You number each piece nandomly-from one to forty cor• rscponding to the minutes of a pcnod-and then place each piece

Some find calculator games crude; hence, tire prolifera­ tion ofTetris watches in sequence as the clock ticks.

In Macbeth, Shakupcarc wntes. "Come what come may, time and lhc: hourrun.s through the roughest day.• With these new cla.ss wasting ideas, that double per iod chemistry class can be• come a b,t less rough and a per• haps even 1olcrablc

Team u-youts. to �ual convcrsa• uon, lo President Perry Smith's elccuon speech Many of An's professed Con• scrvative views stand opposite to

Who 1s An Roth? Some know tum �s 1he only As.hkcnazi who prays In the Seph.ud1c mmyan, othen know him n.s the only nule "/ ste no while donkLys,,. on the RAJJU1z dance troupe. and still others know him as a spokes-­ responded Rabbi Bakst to moo for the Conscrv311vc move• Aris M�ssianic aspirations. ment. A l l agree he is a nonconfonn1st in the school. An the religious philosophy of the says that he does not mtcnd to be school. yet he never faHs to con­ a nonconformist. but he will 001 tnbute his "two cents; whether confo� 10 something "that is n's during a convcmoon about homoscxualjty and Juda.ism. or an wrong It became apparent that An was argumenl w1lh Rabbi Rubin on somethmg of a black sheep m his Jewish lhcology.

In order "10 satirize the freshman year, wheo he joined the sephard1c minyan dcspJtc has Ash• prt'.'Valent nollon and push of ma• kenaz.1 heritage. He found the at• slanic fervor in the Lubavitch and mosphcrc in his mmyan to be Onhodo� circles," Ari distnbutcs stifling and delc.tcnous to bu con• business cuds procla.immg h1m to ccntnuion. He relt more comfort • be lhe messiah. Rabbi Baks� in able davening In the smaller response to what he considered Sephardic minyan and has antics, remarked. "I sec no white rcmamcd there" ever since, making donkeys a.nd no flaming chillloc:s."

A rtJected applicant for the him !he: only Ashken:u.i regularly attending the minyan. Since 1hen. cheerleadtng squad, Ari hu Ari has written nwncrous Ienc rs to rcccnlly been accepted to the various Ramu publications about Ramu dance 1roupc. His gender davenmg and repression at the docs create new problems; some school. Eight of his letters and dancC'S w i l l have lo be re• anlcles were censored by "The choreographed to avoid any Flame.,· but his views managed to n�giah. �ach all fora, ranging from clnss• room discussions, 10 Debating

Ramchops

Do�s signing up sig n.I• 11ew •lgn or lhe tlrnts' P<rluop!.

Tbe admlnlstrallon bu begun a new p o l i c y of ro■klag latec:omen sign their rwnu on a y,Uow nolt pad In lh• lobby.

So r■r, lt 1ttms that most Jtu• dmb ■re complying; • rttent sip up shttl l"<vtaled a Ost of aboul thirty nam<S. Similarly, Rabbi Goldmlotz has twlc• askNI Stnlors to wrhe lhtlr names down oo a 1htd of paptr to lndlcal< atl<odance al mlncha.

"Button Up " was the ,lee• lion trend ror I 992. If appears Iha! poUUcally astul• studtnls began sporting prtsldtntl■I buttons roUowJog their poUU­ cal lntua:ts. At the fottrronl or l h e movement w a s Sopbomol"< Yalr llakak, w h o ,old customlz.td buUom for 25 ants ■piece. Amons the mo� nonl plm was a "Jucovy for Pr1Sld•nt In '92" bullon thal drt"W scnnt smUes from se.nlon and blank starts rrom rrtSh­ mtn. The controversial h(s.. tory tt:acht.r actually dkt gel 36 votc.s ror Prcsld,nt ln • studtnl election; Ironically, Dr. J him· self suppor1ed a major can• dldale ror the Cini tJm, In years.

The Middl� S/JJJa are com• mlag, the Middle Slates OrT coming . O n O('fObtr 27 Ramu: was host to two r,,•Uddlt: Stnte.s representatives who, among other thlngs, chattrd with Mr. Gort7... the Middle Staid Coordinator. Seve.ral Rnlon round out Orst band whm they saw tbe c:oUq,e of.

Ike cl-.t....nd - b«acut ot any parent mtttlng,! The run actredltJttlon rrvk-w will start ■t the end ol March. For now. the racully ls In th• middl• of Mlddlt St■tes preparation, bavln1 mttllngs and undrri:o­ lng lnl.rosptctlvt ..ir ...1udy. ''Mirror, ,nirror on lite ,.,aa, Who 1 du Kf"eaUd Rabbi of the'" a.Ill" The a n swer thls year is own Ramaz•s Rah b l Lookstdn, who was rec.oily nam,d Rabblorthe Ytarbylhe Ntw York Board or Rabbis.

The award ls granted lo a nbbl "who l, ■n outstanding Ltad,r, Communlly prominent iD Jtwlsh rduca• lion.. lnvolvtd In oulre:ach, ■nd commltt<d lo working "ilh all J rws. r,gardl,.. of afflUaU01L Wr hope lhal Ramaz will mlror lls principal'• principles.

1

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sweating Over Sweets: Candyman Mark Weis

by R,na Sichel You arc sitting in your firth period class. Ifs 12:00 noon and your stomach is beginning 10 make noises because you only hOO lime 10 cal an abbrc..,lated brcak­ f■.s1. Lunch docsn'I begin for u.nolhcr hour nnd a hal(, lllld you need a quick •sug;ir fix." What's your first instlncl7 Go to one of 1he many candy machines. of course! Have you ever thought a.bout why the chocolate ban arc the.re when you want 1hcm� Or

have you C\lcr noticed thal some.. times lhe vile navor of pota10 chips ma, you 1ried yeslerday hil5 been rephtee-d by a 1antalb.ing fudge brownie7 There Is• lot of !hough� plan• nin_g.and knowledge thatgoes in10 filUng the school's machines Mr. Mork Weis manages and owns Marx Vending comp,ny. and he Is the man responsible for lhc machmcs and their contents.

Mr. Weis went to Yeshiva University. although he is now working on a Master's degree in bu�mlC.SS administrotion at RulgC"rs

Univcnity. From the ume that he wu &!tending Y.U.. he knew that he wanted his own business. He started Marx Vending as a smaJI business, working out or his home in Eh1..11bcth. NJ. He works nlone aod personally fills every one of his vending m:K:hincs. He cla.ims 1ha1 there arc "so ma.ny d1(Tercn1 things to rcmember. . :md one per• son has to take care of everything.• This includes, said Mr. Weis, sup, plyins \licluals 10 every machine m every building. as well as sup, plying 1he moctunc i15Clf.

Besides Ramaz, Mr. Weis handles JEC, Brunn, Solomon Schecter of West Orange, and Touro college He tries to deal only with Jewi�h org.o.niz.a.tion.s.

Mr. Wds explained that because of the inconveniences of the Jewish calC'ndar, lherc is "less risk" Involved in deaJing with Jewish eslnblishments Mr Weis ulso claims to hove "done bcucr business in Jewish places.• The •candy-man• primarily supplies to rruu;hincs in schools, since he has discovered thal k.ids buy more food than any other age

gro up. It is the mentali1y of tccMgcrs to be anracted to candy machines, he expl:uncd . Last ycu, Mr Wei. s sold much more here than DI his other schools, 1t11d spccub.tcs th.at it was bcxausc last yeu was the first year that the nu.chines were in the school.

When the machtne-s \\'Crt fin;t inslallcd, �lr. Weis lost money on 1hcir contents. He had )'Cl to learn the preferences of the Rnmaz stu­ dent In the refrigerated moc.hlnc m p artkular, there were itcrmsuch (continued on pagt! 4) ns sandwiches that were very un,

Page 4

The RamPagc

Ramblings by Hilan Warshaw

What CoDows an the ftnt llvrs ol tlle Ont edldon or a nrw c:olumn, bearlDc Ille new and bopellally lllmu1at1n1 Idea or adrasln1 mauen and miseries dlndly alfed.ln1 Ille ■ftnl• batural Ramu latem­ -ln n,._ BopefulJr, tbe task or rtadlng tbe tat wDJ serve to a11 ..1a1elbe misery ralberthaa <1J1J1pound IL lbls Is opinion, storyteDID&, • 1>lnch or absurdity, and a couple orcouplets. 'Ibis, dear friends, Is Jlambllnp.

Arm for the battle, men: ann to the teeth.

Be swift with your sword, and sure of your sheath Be strong in your motive, and don't ever yidd Let sheer courage be your unshnkcoblc shield To face the dread foe. Focc him down on 1he field For you have not yet fought ull his fate is quite sealed.

Run through him, pursue him through loil nnd trouble lb:J:t vrtlnest and vilest of v1l11Uns:thc bubble.

Yes, hunt him down well, for we aU nrc ot stake Hunt down that brute so our world might not break Because of thal bubble, mos, haled and hollowed O,ew him up swiftly and let him be swallowed.

But Look-! Over there, in the neighboring regions AJrcady he lets forth his criminal legions To conquer the school! Look. it almost Drri\'CS-Be armed and be fierce, nnd figh1 for your own lives If not for the ttSl of us, slowly succumbing To the odious foe-The Bubbles o.rc Coming.

Coming now and coming always U p the stairs and down the hallways From SC and up 10 Seven The Gum-Chewers: Plague Ele�n Swamping lhe place in pink cinnamon mud Domg thdr coursework and chewing their cud Crawling like lice, ye..�. wherc\'er you look Drowning the plane! in bubbly gook We arc bemg 3ttacted-and the foes must be slopped Lest our socutl well-being. like bubbles. be popped

But we must not use force, Kindly repack your nnc, This enemy needs some intellect to stifle For gumchewers when they arc caught-so I've heard­ Arc punished in ways to shame Richard the Third Oppressed with a lierceness th:it's at best unfair And sen1 for n week to Tiananmcn Square The truth of these tales I caMol lruly say, Bui of their results in the rc;il world, I may.

The growth of the bubble hos 001 been aba1ed But rather, when persecuted, is inflatedFor look at the parable; what comes to pass When a student is caught chewing gum in his class.

The:: teacher doth flare up, tJ1e teacher doth fume And pulleth him up 10 the fronl of lhe room.

The u-oublesomc bubblesomc beaSI hears his charge­ A Dangeros Gum-Chewer, Armed And Al Largels publicly shamed and. to make rtt.ltlers shon, Is crurled aw:iy to be tned in the coun.

The jailer, the Judge, and the Just-minded jury Gone blind with ferociousness. bubbling with fury.

Look at lhc defendont. Yes, look. D,d you sec­ Or is it just madness, or is II just meIn his eyes, some new glint. or some glorious gleam That would seem to bespeak some new dangerous dream?

And his voice-does II not own !hat trembling treble Th·u told thru hc"d nscn from rascal 10 rebel?

And he docs nol shout, as loud as he's able, As he brought his hand down. hke a brick. on the table With chin raised up high and pnde swelling his chcs1•1 chew gum. I am proud. I shall not be suppressed!"

For he says what he feels, and he feels wh.lt he says, And he marches m joy, singing •1...3 Marseliaise" To go to his work-to make fantasy real. he \\'on't yield ull that day, till his brave fina.1 breath: "Give me bubblegum. or g1\'e me death!"

For free. speech and free chewing arc bonded inseparably

What's Next, Akkadian?

by Enn Farber "Mabsuut. ilh:lmd1lla!· might be hclltd out of the moulhs of st.u­ dcncs involved In one of several new c:xtracunculBr activities. the:: Arabic clu b. This new class has

Mabrnut ilhamdill a,or Ban,ch Hashem met with 3Jl enthusiastic response.

Over lwenly have attended the class. Dnd its popularity seems to

be growing

The Anlbic Ulpan meet5 every Monday after school, and is taught

by Professor Eli Zak of Columbia, a Ramu parcnL Professor Zak said that he ask.ed the class what they would like to focus on. and they were most i nterested in learn• ing the spoken Anlbic ofPales6nc, k.nown as Syrio-Pales11nian Arabie. Professor Zak. compli­ mented Ramaz on being whar he believed to be the first Jewish school in the counuy to teach Arabic. The students will learn how to re.ad and wnte, but most of the class time will be spent in dis­ cussion..

(Though chewing gum blurs one's speech qui te irrep3tably) His goal is his god now, with glory his guide He fights for Free Gum-Chewing here and 1J+orldw1de From salons 10 sewers lei chewers turn strident Am1cd and prcp;ircd und proud of their Trident To stand qs II group for the great 1nst11ution Of 1hc Ragmg and Wrathful Wrigley's Rcvoluiion.

So. IJ over the chewers we still wish 10 domm.ate A subtler syslem do I now nominateFor the mind� of men arc more malleable 1han gum And their masses arc often too dumb to play dumb.

To lend the crusade a civil edge From cnme promo!c 10 privilege.

That's right From treason come to be The pnnled fuhliks policy And, logically. pronounced by law To be our Officio! Classroom Chaw Gum would be made from bubble to b1blc-• Oh yes, we would endorse it And, on occasion, even fon:e it With Towers of Bubble. stories-high stacked To be stuffed down each slucknts's diges1inal tract And can·1 you JUSI su it7 From every last class The pupil emerges with Chiclcts amass Thot he: must consume with a belly of brns s•­ But only, of course. if he's wllling 10 pass To gorge them m gum, 10 rub in blubber...

The bubbles bloom bigger, wherever you go And full of more ho1 air than H Ross Perot And MORE keep on giv,n' cm, MORE of the SlufT Till every las1 student would cry out, •Enough 1" The gum woo Id be swallowed. the bubble would bursl And our school wi1h the gum would no longer be cursed.

If we're battling bubbles, let's do II m style-Now there's some1hmg good 10 chew on for a while.

The Dress Code: Past Preludes

day• Tius scn1imen1 of attempt­ The club will also concentrate

by D1nltl Dtnd ing 10 be more md1v1dual in dress on Arabic culture. Professor Zak. has been echoed by numerous up­ Opulence was the buuword has high gO>.ls: he bopes to bring perclassmen .:and h.:as sparked 3 for boys' fashion in Ramaz hasl in 1apes and songs. have col­ revolution in fOOlwcar. Doc Mar­ leagues of his as guesl speakers, year. The spcndlhrifl approach to :md go on trips 10 Arabic movies style was showcased by 1wo dis­ tens, militant look.mg work shoes, or neighborhoods. Despite th.is, tmctly unique designers. Tommy were originally worn by 11 he maintained tha1 because the Hilfiger, an Americ:in label, club meelS only once a week, not was popular for his bold as much wt.II be accomplished a'i pauerns. which carried would be in a normal language equally bold price 1ags. course taught during school hours. Marithe and Francois Gir­ The: students· altitudes and perfor­ baud. two French designers. mances also affect how much will were favored because of be done. Dr. Si mon is among the their rivetless denim and their do ubl c-plea1cd Professor Zak complimented trousers. This year. how­ Ramaz on being what he ever, heralds a new crJ of believed to be thefirst Jewish conservative design, wuh prices remaining quite school in the country to teach hberal.

Charivarl offrrs • �·ldr St'l�c:tion or tics Arabic In girls" clothing, longer Arabic s1uden11 and is trying to hemlines ore �ing seen more nunonty of "anti-e�tablishmcnt'" improve her "blnckboard Arabic." often, in part due 10 the dogmatic minded youths 11u:sc shoes ha\/c When ask<4 why Anlbtc was approach of the adn11nistra1ion emerged into the main.stream nnd chosen as opposed to another lan­ towards dress code enfOrcemcnl. gnined .:acceptance nmong 11 guage, Mr. Roc,lilin said tha1 1hcrc Even denim skins arc beginning 10 mn1onty of students Individuality in dress has also was great student interest in be shown in longer cuts It s.ccms found its way in10 ncckwcar.

Arabic. and this was only the 1hat lhe Gap has begun 10 fall ou1 From knit tics to no I.Jes, every beginning. Another language, of fa\'Or because, llS one junior time a boy (or e\'cn a girl) knots n such as Japanese, may be added in n01ed, "People arc sick of looking the same as everyone else. every piece of matcnal arouodhis neck the fu1ure.

The Candyman Cometh (con1in11�dfrom pog� J)

popular among Ramaz students.

The most popular item is the chocolate milk. Usually all 48 canons instaJled in the machine arc gone by theendof 1he doy. The polato chips. with the exception of the saunge and pizza Oavored ones, sell very well. In total, there are over a hundred diffcn:nt hems sold In the three food machines, includina 40 types of candy. The chocolate candy in the machines has to be �laced every two or three days. The few healthy foods llull lhere an, In the machines do no, &ell as well as many of the other edibles. Between lhe 1wo

November 1992 / MurCheshvan 5753

Juice machines, there ure e1gh1 navors sold m one and four in the other.

Mr. Weis is in the school build­ ing relilhng the machines every morning, September through May, between 6:00 and 7:30 AM. He has the opportun ity to observe stu­ dents a.J they arc arriving In school and he feels l�l Ramu has • "great diversity" of students, and places like 1his "should exist everywhere." He hopes that his

business will become bluer

someday, and for now, ii is up to Ramu students to help h crow.

Political Assembly

they arc making a staicmenL The most widely worn tics arc those wHh small rcpeaung pauems or Nicole Mlllcr-mnucnced designs. ln contrast 10 last year, OoraJ�pat­ tcrned ties arc waning in populanty. and arc being replaced by lhose of geometrical sryle. Ch:mvan is current• ly showing a line of hand painrcd ues cos1mg about S24S.OO apiece In r c s pon-.c:, junior Jules Winokur suggc:s1ed, "maybe the decimal is misplaced, Jt should be S24.50 • For Graieful Dead funs, Jerry Garcia came oul with 3 line in Sep1ember inOuenced by his anwork--t1c t.ly('d ucs included.

In add111on 10 individual ity, anotJier factor innuencing style 111 Ramaz 1s a trend 1owards a more casual look ·People stnrt 10 care less about how they look as they gel older," rcmarlcd junior Gi1a Spmownz.

Casual look. Jnd1v1duali1y.

Sounds kind of like a Ctw.nvan adl.'cn,scmenL

(con1i11ut'dfrom page I)

answered the question on his party's pro-ltfc pohcy by saying, "Well, I happen 10 be pro­ choice ... " Dr. Jucovy, who mcdialcd 1hc dcbalC, feel, that "ii 1� unfonunote that both rnc:n did

Neither representative fully supported his candidate not ac1ually support their potties' platfonns. If we had 1wo people who truly supponed their can­ didates, it would have been a more lively, fun debue. • DespilC the mostly political DI· ture of lhe 1SSembly, the progn,m

began whh a speech by Ellen Kan­ del. who, as a child, emigrated from the then Soviet Union. Her thoughts on the political process m 1his country •only added to lhe program's success," said Talia Milgrom-Elco11. n panelist In­ volved in the debaie. Ellen started off in Russian with a literal trans­ lalion of her English address, cap, turing lhe audience's auenlioo.

Her speech took the emphasis from which candidalC should be elected; she concentrated ln,tead on the freedom in the United Stoles to elect any candida1e.

The absence of a reprcsc:nllltive of Ross Per01 did no1 seem to bother the students "He·s not going to w in anyw11y, so why bo1hcr?" Slaled fn:shman Emily

'If Dr. Jucovy could get as many student votes as Ross Perot, we don't have to hear from Perot'felt one senior Burak. The general feeling among students, as staled by Ellen Hochberg, is 1hat "if Dr. Jucovy could get as many votes as Ross Pm>t, then we reallydon'1 have to heir from Perot.•