shabbaton issue
TRANSCRIPT
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8/10/2019 Shabbaton Issue
1/8
By Eytan Shamsian
As the Shabbaton draws near,
a feeling of excitement over-
comes the students at Rae
Kushner Yeshiva High School. Weeks
of preparation lead up to a two day
weekend spent with all our friends
from school. The day nally comes
and we board the busses to the hotel
that we will call home for the next two
days. Before you know it, the round
robin of activities begins and the mur-
murs start, Hey guys, why are westill here? Lets ditch.
The schools goal of the Shab-
baton is to give a more informal
Jewish education experience that we
hope students will nd relevant and
enlightening, said Mr. Singman, for-
mer Student Activities Director and
current Guidance and Student Servic-
es Counselor. Mr. Singman added that
the school wants to give students the
opportunity to engage in social inter-
action with students and teachers with
whom they might not have otherwise
received the chance. However, is all
this bonding time being well spent?
Are the countless hours of sessions
and singing looked at favorably in the
eyes of the students, or does it give
the students an opportunity to ditch
something that is meaningless in their
view?
Many Kushner students do
not see eye to eye with the school on
this idea. As part of a survey, Kushner
students were inquired if the sessions
and singing add to their Shabbaton ex-
perience. 23 percent of students said
yes, 30 of students said somewhat
and 26 percent of students said not
at all. The polls portray that students
may not be enjoying Shabbaton to the
greatest extent because of the count-
less programs and singing activities
the school makes mandatory. As a re-
sult, the students rst response is to
nd the quickest way to get out of the
singing or learning sessions.
In addition the survey also
says, 65 percent of the students sur-
veyed have previously ditched a
Shabbaton event and 63 percent of
those surveyed think that it is ab-
solutely worth it to ditch regardless
of the risk of getting caught. Arthur
Greeneld 16 said they are annoy-
ing about small things, so people start
to complain about everything and not
want to do anything. Arthur also
mentioned that the school makes ev-
ery program mandatory. He added
that the school should give students
choices and at least cater more to the
desires of the student body.
An anonymous senior voicedhis opposition to the schools meth-
od of conducting the program. I
think the reason that people ditch on
the Shabbaton is because theres not
enough content catered specically to
the students and the events are mostly
cookie-cutter, some-people-enjoy-it-
so-everyone-must-enjoy-it events.
The student gave a very intrigu-
ing solution to the ditching problem.
Maybe if more breaks were given,
the sessions ended earlier, or the stu-
dents could choose which activities
they wanted, fewer people would
ditch.When asked in regards to
whether ditching is worth the risks,
another anonymous student pointed
out that the worst thing that can hap-
pen is that I get sent back to the same
boring act ivity from where I started.
Many students interviewed
are not interested in what the Shabba-
ton has to offer and plan to ditch again.
Putting it simply, Arthur Greeneld
16 said, I plan on having a good time
without getting in serious trouble by
the school.
inside this issue
page 2
page 4
HoK: Mr. Malitz
page 8
Sports on Shabbat
The Curious Case of Ditchers on ShabbatonMajori ty of Students Admit to Skipping Shabbaton Programming
Shabbaton Pricing
The Student Run Newspaper of RKYHS
Special Shabbaton Edition 2014
I think the reason that
people ditch on the Shabbatonis because theres not enoughcontent catered specically tothe students and the events aremostly cookie-cutter, some-people -enjoy- it-so-everyone -must-enjoy-it events.
-Anonymous Student, 15
page 5
Dress to Impress?
page 3
Keeping Up with Shabbaton
November 21-23, 2014
Volume 17, Issue 2
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8/10/2019 Shabbaton Issue
2/8
News2 November 21-23, 2014Volume 17, Issue 2
By Alyssa S chnipper
Electronics can have both positive and
negative effects. Being addicted to devices can be
unhealthy; however, using devices at a more con-
trolled rate can have a positive effect on a person.
The New York Times says that on average, kids
ages eight to eighteen spend more than seven and a
half hours on devices such as iPhones, iPods, com-
puters , laptops, etc., a day. This means that most
of a childs day, aside from school hours, is spent
staring at a screen.
Electronics can be harmf ul to a persons
life. When device usage gets out of hand, and a
person no longer reali zes that they are spending
endless hours staring at a screen, things can get
bad. Star ing at a screen for many hours can cause
a strain on your eyes and can cause headaches,
states The New York Times. Another harmful ef-
fect is that, the persons focus will no longer be
on school work and their grades will sta rt slipping
lower. Many people use electronics to procras-
tinate, instead of working they will spend hours
on the internet, social media, and games. When
Im doing my homework I usually end up on In-
stagram or Snapchat. says Naomi Kestler 18.
What started off as simple procrastination could
result in piles of homework for a later time. As a
result of this, the person might be required st ay upextremely late in order to nish their homework.
This can later result in sleep deprivation, and the
person being unable to func tion properly during
the day. The people that spend endless hours on
social media are really just hurt ing themselves. By
focusing on what happens during their online so-
cial life they are damaging their real social life.
Mrs. Malashock says it is supposed to be a so-
cial network, but instead, it is an Anti-Social Net-
work. While we have such a long friend list, so
many of us are friendless, because more relation-
ships are broken because of social networking, so
many of us are sitting at home and measuring our
self-worth by the number of followers and Likes,
ignoring those who ac tually love us.
Instead of talking to their friends they will tune
them out or half-listen to what their friend is say-
ing, and let me tell you people do not enjoy be-ing ignored. Ruthie Lando 18 comments I would
be t rying to speak to them and they would ignore
me (because of their phone). Slowly they will
nd themselves los-
ing friends, and losing
batte ry. Overall, elec-
tronics can be harmful,
but do not immediately
assume that they are
bad, they are a tool,
and like any tool it can
be used in both a good
and a bad way.
Although electron-
ics can have harm-
ful effects on
a person, they
can also have
positive effects.
Electronics are
extremely use-
ful, when used
in the correct
way. One girl
says (students)
often use them
to jot down
when tests are
scheduled or re-ceive texts from
their teachers
informing them
on upcoming assignments. Utilizing devices to
assist and improve the way you do your school-
work is a good th ing. She continued If student(s)
use their devices as organizing tools electronic
hours can be used to their advantage. Instead of
using devices as distract ions, one should use them
as tools to assist themselves in whatever they are
doing. Electronics are also extremely useful to
teachers. They can easily email the whole class
about tests and homework. Using a website called
Turnitin students can quickly and efciently turn
in papers. In class, teachers use smart-boards tohelp them explain concepts. Mrs. Bochner, a teach-
er at RKYHS, comments I rely on technology (for
teaching). Without devices life would be ver y dif-
ferent. You may not realize how much you depend
on devices and technology. These electronics have
become part of our daily routine, when you have
a question you use google, when you need to go
somewhere you use a GPS, when you are bored
you might call or text a friend, and many more
things. Electronics are our tools, to use to assist
us. Electronics can be extremely useful, and thats
why we use them practically every day, but that
From The Editors Desk Its that time of year again. No
not Christmas, but wonderful Shabbaton
weekend we all adore. This years Shab-
baton is lled with new exciting act ivities
and opportunities to bond with your fel-
low Kushner classmates. We hope that this
years Shabbaton themed newspaper is go-
ing to uncover any curiosities or evoke any
thoughts one has regarding the Shabbaton.
Also, if anyone is interested in
voicing his or her opinion in the form of a
letter to the editor, talk to anyone on the
staff and we will point you in the right di-
rection.
Enjoy the paper,
Eytan Shamsian
Editor-In-Chief
The Voice
The Voice StaffJonathan Pedoeem, Editor-in-Chief
Eytan Shamsian, Editor-in-Chief
Dalya Dickstein, Editor-in-Chief
Jacob Stein, Media Editor
Joey Kirsch, Page Editor
Editors
Efe Auman, News Editor
Eitan Scher, Opinion & Reviews Editor
Joe Berger, Sports Editor
Josh Degen, Sports Editor
Ben Wagner, Science Editor
Lindsey Blenden, Photography Editor
Zach Caplan, Photography Editor
General Staff
Aaron Dickstein
Alyssa Schnipper
Anna Kaplan
Ariella Shua
Avery Bell
Avi Bendory
Becky Weisberg
Daniel Moradi
David Needle
Doni Schanzer
Estee Wagner
Gabe Zuckerman
Gideon Rubin
Greg ArtmanJacob Nelson
Jonah Bash
Jordan Shanskalil
Koby Stadtmauer
Nina Kahn
Sam Raab
Sam Shersher
Shep Gerszberg
Yoni Kaynan
Yonatan Raskin
Mrs. Bohs, Advisor
Distraction or Benefit?Do the Disadvantages of Technology Outweigh the Advantages?
The Pricing of ShabbatonWhat Goes into Budgeting the Shabbaton?
By Jonathan Pedoeem
$265. What can you do with $265?
You can purchase about 43 crispy ds fromthe after-school cafe, buy about 12 Kushner
scarves, or pay the fee for the 2014 RKYHS
Shabbaton. $265 is no chump change, so is it
money well spent?
According to a recent Voice student
poll, 55% of the 80 students interviewed said
that the Shabbaton was too muchwhile 44%
said it wasfair. It is important to note that the
students are not the ones picking up this tab;
96% of students said that their parents com-
pletely cover the costs of the Shabbaton.
Yet, parents are paying $22,800 (or $23,100
for seniors) for tuition. It is understandable
that an extra fee for the Shabbaton may both-
er parents who have several other bills to pay.Julia Labovits 17 explains that her
parents understand: Its pretty expensive but
my parents know the school does a good job
with the money. I have a lot of fun so they
think its worth it.
We understand that it is difcult
for families to pay the entire cost, student
activity director Mr. Levy noted. There are
a number of factors that drive Shabbaton
planning, cost is one of the most important
factors that we consider.
Mr. Levy went on to explain how
important price is when planning for the
Shabbaton: When we go through the foodand the hotels, everything we think about has
cost in mind.
Price has been such a big factor
that because of it the school decided to can-
cel the extra day of Shabbaton, that has been
traditionally for freshman, and changed last
year to seniors. Rabbi Rubin, the principal of
RKYHS and head of school, said that the de-
cision to remove the extra day was strictly
nancial.
We heard from parents that the ex-
tra amount for an additional night at a hotel
and for food was a price they were not want-
ing to carry, Rabbi Rubin explained.
I think it is a good decision. Jamie
Rubin 15 said. Parents already have to pay
tuition, sports jerseys and a bunch of other
fees. The extra day was good, but it was not
worth the extra money.
On the other hand, there were stu-
dents who were disappointed with the schools
decision. Alex Silver 15 is one of these such
students: I think its unfair, and weird howtheyve been doing it for years and now sud-
denly its nancially problem. I think that its
a real experience, for either grade that gets to
go up early, that the administration is taking
away from us.
Julia agreed. She offered a better
solution : The administration could have at
least made it an option to parents and if the
majority was willing to spend it for their kids
to go up early they still should have done it.
But cutting it completely isnt really fair
Ben Ronen 17 explains how he
would have liked to have the extra day when
he was a freshman. I think its not fair that
they stopped doing for my grade when I wasa freshmen. However, he went on to concede
that there is not much the school could do if it
was a nancial problem.
Mr. Levy also echoed the idea of
cutting costs. He explained that: On the
Motzei Shabbos activity we are going in yel-
low busses. Why? Because they are cheaper.
It is cheaper to go in the yellow busses than
Both Rabbi Rubin and Mr.Levy were quick to say thatthe Shabbaton this year is $35cheaper than last year
SEE TechnologyNEXT PAGE
SEEPricingNEXT PAGE
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8/10/2019 Shabbaton Issue
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News 3November 21-23, 2014Volume 17, Issue 2
does not mean that they are not overused.
Why, one might ask, does a person become addicted to their
electronics? While this is a very good question there is no
denite answer, but there are many possibilities. I think
people get addict ed to elect ronics because they are very eas-
ily accessible and portable... (and) because it may sound eas-
ier than actually doing what they have to get done (an easy
route to distraction), says Emily Gruber 18. Another reason
might be simply because we are bored. Alyssa Bloomberg 17
says People use the electronic world as a break f rom the real
world, but the further you slip into the false fantasy, the more
danger you put your real self in. We get addicted to electron-
ics because we use them to ll time, but then we start using
them during times when there simply is no reason for them.
When people get bored they do different things, some mighteat, others might exercise, and some might sit down with an
electronic. Electronics can be very addicting so it is impor-
tant that one lear ns how to control themselves.
Electronics have both bad and good effects on the
world. Once we learn how to manage them the effects will
not be as negative. Self-control is all thats needed to pre-
vent (device) abuse. says Mrs. Bochner. She continued to
explain that there are apps that can be downloaded to help
prevent overusing your device. A person that really wants to
control their device usage has the ability to do so. Electronics
have changed our world for the better in some ways, and for
the worse in others. Whether it is worth it, well, thats up to
you to decide.
the coach busses.
Has all of this cut back had any effect? Both Rabbi Rubin and
Mr. Levy were quick to say that the Shabbaton this year is $35 cheaper
than last year ($265 vs $300). Rabbi Rubin credited this drop in priceto the their conscious effort to reduce the price. We were able to re-
duce the food costs by a recognizable amount, concurrently we have
been working with some of the vendors to see if they can cut the fees
and prices they charge the school for the services they give.
Surprisingly, the price students pay is actually less than the actual
cost. The cost of the Shabbaton is more than what you guys pay,
Mr. Levy said. He went on to explain that,The students pay more than
50%, but it varies by the year.
All in all, price has been a signicant concern on both the
side of the parents and the administration. Students who are caught in
the middle understand the situation.
Pricing (cont.)
Technology (cont.)
Keeping Up with Shabbaton
By Yonatan Raskin
Shabbaton, the one time a year whenthe entire school gets together and spendstwo days in a hotel somewhere in the magicalland of Connecticut. But what makes Shabba-ton what it is? Was it always like the Shabba-ton we know today? What is Shabbaton likefor a teacher, then and now? In an interviewwith Mr. Bryant, we were able to nd outhow teachers view the Shabbaton, and how ithas differed from different ones in the past.In another interview Joey Kirsch 15 sharedwith us what might be missing in this upcom-ing Shabbaton, and traditions that should bereinstated.
How many Shabbatons have you been on inthe past?
Mr. Bryant: Since the fall of 2008, so seven.
What do you think are the most importantcomponents of the Shabbaton?
I think its really neat to actually see thatwhen the teachers say Alright Shabbas isstarting lets go, everyone packs in the elec-tronics and gets ready for Shabbas. To actual-ly see people get into it is amazing. Honestly,I never appreciated it before I went on my rstone. Its an amazing bonding experience forfreshmen, and they get an opportunity to seethe amount of fun they can have in school.
People who go on the Shabbaton never regretit, and the people who dont go really regretmissing out on it. As a Catholic, to see whatyou do, the sessions that you guys participatein, its incredible.
Do you think the upcoming Shabbaton willsurpass previous ones or fall short? Why?
We know its a good location, a really nice ho-tel. Weve been there in past years includinglast year. The hotel has the perfect set up forour needs. We can consolidate ourselves ona couple of oors and not bother anyone, notthat we bother anyone of course. We should
have a good time.
Do you know if there is anything specialplanned that will set this Shabbaton apartfrom previous Shabbatons?
Im interested in the Saturday night activity.Im not sure what were doing this year butits usually a lot of fun. I think it helps thekids to see that their teachers come out ontheir own time to help on the Shabbaton andthat school isnt just a job and that theyre re-ally invested in their lives. I like being to beable to joke with the kids and tell them funny
jokes about my wife and kids and just havea good time with everybody. Its a fun timefor me, and I really do believe what we do isimportant work and I love doing it.
How many Shabbatons have you been on inthe past?
Joey: At least 5 maybe more.
Compare your rst and last Shabbatons,are there any signicant differences?
Actually, yeah. One thing that really standsout is back then the seniors were able to per-form their song. They used to have a teacherand student sort of thing going on together.They also used to change up the hotel some-times and not have the same hotel for 3 or 4years.
What do you think is the most importantpart of the Shabbaton year in and year out?
I dont think the programs matter as muchas being with your friends and bonding withthem during free time.
Are you excited for this years Shabbaton?
Yeah. Its going to be good; its fun to have
A Look at How Shabbaton has Changed Over the Years
SEEKeeping UpNEXT PAGE
Satire:A Tale of Two FreshmanBy Cynthia Lando & Gideon Rubin
Caution: the following is a veryoverdramatic caricature of the
freshmens view of high school
and how the freshmen are treated
.
It was the best of times, itwas the worst of times. ( A Tale
of Two Cities) Freshman thought
life couldnt get any worse. The
hatred towards freshman wasgetting out of hand; the revenge
from the sophomores, the hatred
from the juniors, and the disdainfrom the seniors creates the up-
perclassmen aristocracy. I think
everyone should be treated equal-
ly except freshmen declared oneanonymous sophomore. Day by
day the freshmen grow hungrier
for a new status quo, wishing tobe treated as equals to the upper-
classman.
From the perspective of the
boys they had it worse; living in
darkness, fear, and despair everyday being called a classic fresh-
man; being defined as nave,
dolt, and annoying. According tothe aristocratic sophomores, who
view themselves as gods, fresh-
men are nothing; worthless as
was stated by a sophomore him-self. The short freshmen citizens
are towered over by the giant
seniors wondering when their
time will come, in other wordsfreshman boys are not living in
a city of rainbows and unicorns.
Through the eyes of a sopho-more this freshmen dilemma is
thought of as divine punishment
and the freshman deserve every
ounce of it. The ostracizing of thefreshmen boys is not only limited
to upperclassman; it ensues with
the teachers, who view freshmenas more deserving of punish-
ment. These citizens (freshmen)
are called upon to the guillotine
in Rabbi Hirscheys office where
they receive a lunchtime impris-onment, a letter home or the loss
of their heads.
Meanwhile across the di-vide the girls are also experienc-
ing torment. From being pushed
in the treacherous halls, to the
stereotype of loudness, rude-ness, and irritation that defines
a freshman girl. It is experienced
throughout the generations and
is considered tradition by most,that no matter whom you are and
what school you go to, if you are
a freshman girl youre annoy-ing. You will spend your entire
9th grade being the newbie, al-
ways considered a child. But you
dont want to be caught wearingchildish clothes because if you
do you will be sent to change.
For the rest of the day you willbe shamed by your peers. Some
dont even bother ack nowledging
freshman, Whats a freshman?
is a question often asked by our
prestig ious Kushner students. Allof these events pose as a wel-
coming of newcomers says an
anonymous sophomore, addingthat; the freshman should be put
in their place for thinking that
they are so cool to be in High
school; because theyre not. Sothat leaves us all with one ques-
tion whats a freshman?
All in all, sure the stereo-
type of freshman is not lovely butit is part of what compiles the en-
tire high school experience, from
being pushed , to the annual wel-coming of newcomers. Deep,
deep, deep inside we are actu-
ally enjoying it. Eventually as the
years come and go so too do thefreshmen, and at least you only
have to survive one year of it. As
for this year: it was the best oftimes, it was the worst of times.
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8/10/2019 Shabbaton Issue
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News4 November 21-23, 2014Volume 17, Issue 2By Sam Raab
In your early years, what attracted
you to pursue a career in science?
Mr. Malitz: A professor of mine in mygeneral Chemistry class was teachingabout certain chemicals and the way
people used the language [on labelsfor food] when they are marketing.A lot of times the language that thecompanies used for marketing froma scientic point of view didnt re-ally match up. Such as if a companywouldnt really give the chemical rea-son why they were using a preserva-tive. So, [my professor] tried to ex-
plain that it really wasnt to preserveit but it was to prevent the food from
spoiling. From this, I got fascinatedwith other things that are misrepre-sented from a marketing standpointand I said I want to know the real sci-ence behind it.
Where have you studied before
coming to Kushner?
I went to college at Illinois StateUniversity, and Ive studied varioussymposiums with other professors atuniversities dealing with aerosol tech-nology when I was doing research. Ialso did a little bit of masters workwith some dna.
What lead you to come to Kushner?
Initially I was looking for a teachersposition and I kind of felt that a small-er pool would be better for me. WhenI met Mr. Landau, who actually inter-
viewed me, he talked about this place.The way he talked about it; with whatit has to offer and with the way thefaculty and administration are, be-came very attractive to me.
What do you feel is the hardest part
about teaching High School stu-
dents?
Making sure things are fair and con-sistent. Lots of times in the adolescentmind they think fair has to be equal,
but fair and equal are not the samething. So, I have to be fair and consis-tent, which is not an easy thing to do,and make sure I am treating everyonethe same way.
How do you feel like you havechanged religiously compared to
how you were when you came here
originally?
Its denitely enriched me from a re-ligious standpoint. Ive gotten myown education from where I grew upas a reform Jew to orthodox judaism,learning more and more about someof the traditions and the meanings andit really has made my life more mean-ingful.
Tell me about the rst time you put
on Tellin.
It meant that I truly belonged here,like it was a sense of somebodys
people embracing me being here andembracing my willingness to shareand experience. I felt so accepted andwelcomed it was almost overwhelm-
ing.
How has the Shabbaton changed
your connection to Judaism?
I remember on my rst ShabbatonI was asked to give a dvar torah af-ter one of the onegs and I was verytouched by that. I think the studentsappreciated a different perspective
that was not necessarily a rabbinicalone, so [the students] really embracedit and embraced me being there and
being a part of their experience.
What are some of your hobbies out-
side of School?
Well I like to read, ride my bicycleand motorcycle, and I really love go-ing to movies and broadway shows.
What are you favorite TV shows?
My favorite would denitely be Mod-ern Family, but I also watch Sons ofAnarchy, Homeland, Survivor, SharkTank, and football.
Any Fashion advice for your stu-
dents?
This is really only to the guys: Losethe fohawk.
Humans of Kushner: Mr. Malitz
The Fault in Our Newspaper?Is it Ever Effective to Work in a Group?
By Avi Bendory
The school newspaper isholding a meeting. Those in atten-
dance are discussing the problem
of widespread failure to meet dead-
lines. A recurring theme is that peo-
ple simply dont tr y hard enough to
do things on time, and articles are
often completed lazily and literally
put off to the last minute. The con-
clusion of the meeting is that people
just arent working as hard as they
should be.
You trudge grudgingly into
your last class of the day. Youve just
nished an impossible test and the last
thing you want to do is sit through yetanother class. Youre just about to put
your head down for a nap when your
teacher announces that your class will
be working in groups.
Groups? Excellent! You look
to your right to your best friend whom
you would love to discuss your test
with. You look to your left to the clas-
sic freshman that always does all the
work when hes in a group. Youre just
getting excited for the class that is to
come when the teacher puts you with
your fellow snoozer and your dreams
of catching some sleep are crushed.
You groan at the prospect of actually
having to do some work in a group.
The dislike of putting in in-
tense effort in a group setting is not
just exclusive to you. It is shared by
64% of RKYHS students who re-
sponded such in a survey. This ten-dency is a well- documented psy-
chological phenomenon called social
loang.
Social loang is described in a
University of Iowa study as a tenden-
cy of individuals working in a group
setting to not put in full effort. In the
study, both individuals and groups
took part in a series of tasks. Groups
were noticeably less productive than
individuals could have been working
alone. The problem described is that
everyone in the group thinks that his
group mates will work hard enough to
compensate for his lack of effort, re-
sulting in a loss of productivity. This
problem extends beyond the walls of
the University of Iowa to the halls of
RKYHS.
Following the broad survey,
a smaller number of students were
asked whether or not they liked work-
ing in groups in a classroom set-ting, and why. While answers varied
greatly in content, two general themes
emerged. Most correspondents liked
working in groups because it allowed
them to contribute less personally.
Anonymous responses included Yes,
because it means less work, Im ok
with other people doing most of the
work, and If my partners are help-
ful/ if they do it for me.
However, there were several
a weekend to hang out with yourfriends.
Do you think it will surpass or fallshort compared to previous Shab-batons? Why?
Itll probably be mostly the samething, same hotel, but I thin k it could
be bet ter this year.
What do you want to see be changedthe most as a student?
More free time maybe and someoneshould be going up a day early; its atradition. So there you have it. Accord-ing to both teacher and student, Shab-
baton has had some pret ty signicantchanges compared to past years. Thisyears Shabbaton is shaping up to beone of the best.
Keeping Up (cont.)
SEENewspaperPAGE 8
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8/10/2019 Shabbaton Issue
5/8
By Avery Bell
Life on earth has become
unbearable. The largest agricul-
ture crisis the world has ever seen
unfolds before the viewers eyes.
Food is no longer abundant, the
life span of earth is decreasing
ever so rapidly and time is run-
ning out. Faced with this problem,
a four man team is sent into space
to attempt to nd a new planet that
is habitable. While this may seem
like the plotline to many sci-
movies, I assure you it is not any-thing close to what you expect
Christopher Nolan deliv-
ers once again. The Dark Knight
Rises, Batman Begins and In-
ception are just a few of Nolans
phenomenal movies he has put
together and written. Interstel-
lar competes with all of Nolans
past movies and some say that this
movie triumphs over his others.
The movie follows ex-NASA pi-
lot turned farmer, Cooper, played
by Matthew McConaughey who
does a superb job as always. Mc-
Conaughey delivers in his south-
ern accent beautifully throughout
the entire movie. McConaughey
is chosen to pilot the ship, named
Endurance, which will take the
four-man crew through space. The
only female member of the crew is,
Brand, played by Anne Hathaway.
When you think of Christopher
Nolan you automatically think of
Hathaway because of her stint in
the Batman series so it was only
logical to cast her in Interstellar.
As always Ha-
thaway is able to
make the view-
er feel directly
what she is feeling by the way
she portrays her emotions. While
some of the cast members were
a bit confusing in the decisions
they made throughout the movie,
the entire cast performed admira-
bly, overal l.
What makes any movie or
TV show good in my opinion is the
score (music). Interstellar does
not drop the ball. The man behindthe magic is legend Hans Zimmer.
It was a no brainer to have Zimmer
work on the score because he and
Nolan have worked together on
the Batman series. Other notable
movies, where Zimmer worked on
the score, are; Black Hawk Down,
Sherlock Holmes, and Pirates of
the Caribbean: The Curse of the
Black Pearl and numerous oth-
ers. At times the music played too
loud and it mufed what the actors
were trying to say but I think I can
attribute that to the sound quality
in my local theater
or it might have
just been the de-
sired effect Zim-
mer was going for. What I person-
ally like about Zimmer is that his
choice of placement is extremely
interesting. At certain points the
music will just boom and you be-
come completely engulfed in what
is going on. In other times there
is no music at all, just silence and
you are still completely enveloped
in the movie.
The movie itself is beauti-ful. You know its a Christopher
Nolan movie just because it is ab-
solutely gorgeous and stunning.
The movie was designed as an in-
movie event and if you choose to
watch outside of that format you
will not be able to fully experience
the greatness of the cinematogra-
phy. The way space is depicted is
stunning, I feel as if I have been
there myself. Aside from the visu-
als itself the movie at times fails to
deliver the plot. For the most part
the plot is coherent and the viewer
is informed as to what is happen-ing, but at times the movie leaves
you lling in the blanks and won-
dering how this just happened.
The movie deals with very
complex scientic theories but the
way it is portrayed on screen, you
dont need a PHD in physics to
understand what is going on. For
the most part, the events that oc-
cur throughout the lms are plau-
sible, as in they can happen, and
I loved that Nolan did that. No-
body, including myself especially,
likes when you are watching amovie and you know that half of
the scenes that are happening are
completely ludicrous and would
never be possible.
The Good:
Phenomenal cast lineup and superb
acting. The cinematography is abso-
lutely beautiful and leaves you want-
ing more.
The Bad:
Some points in the plot were not ad-
equately explained and leaves the
viewer to form their own conclusions.
The score in some parts mufes the
actors voices. (It may have possibly
been due to my local theater.)
The Bottom Line:
Christopher Nolan outdoes himself
again. Anybody who sees this movie
will immediately be sucked in and
will leave wanting more.
When/Where:
Currently in theaters
Opinion 5November 21-23, 2014Volume 17, Issue 2Dress to Impress?
By Nina Kahn
With Shabbaton impend-ing, a major topic at the forefront
of the minds of many female stu-
dents is what to wear. The fol-
lowing are just a couple of ques-tions that girls have about attire
on Shabbaton that causes them to
be insecure: Is an outf it too casu-al? Is everyone going to be wear-
ing heels? What if everybody
else looks nicer than they do?
Because there is so much atten-
tion on the looks of women thesedays, it is an important issue to
address.
When anonymous femalestudents were asked why they
like to dress up at Shabbaton, it
came down to one basic answer;
it gives them confidence when
they know they look as good
as, if not better than their peers.What is even more interesting yet
not surprising, is that many girls
linked their desire to look goodto impressing boys.
A video was recently post-
ed on YouTube called 10 Hours
of Walking in NYC as a Wom-an. Throughout these ten hours,
a woman recorded herself walk-
ing through the city, minding her
own business. She was verbally
harassed over one hundred timesin this short time period. On a
similar note, according to theNew York Times, women are
12.8% more likely to be called
back for jobs if they are deemed
attractive. It is no wonder that
the female stu-
dents of our school
feel pressured tolook presentable at
Shabbaton. These
problems can re-ally be traced back
to men and women
in society.
For thesereasons, High
School age girls
should be confi-
dent in themselves,
no matter whatthey are wearing.
Our schools strongenforcement of the
rules of Tzniut illustrates this
point and allows students to feel
at home walking through the
hallways. As the old adage says,
true beauty comes from the in-side, and not from the outside.
Does it Really Matter What You Wear?
Movie Review: Interstellar
-
8/10/2019 Shabbaton Issue
6/8
Entertainment6 November 21-23, 2014Volume 17, Issue 2UnDivided
Dystopian Novel by Neal Shusterman With an Exciting Plot
By Gabe Zuckerman
Parents of children ages of 13-17 are
permitted and encouraged by the govern ment
to rip their children apart and sell the pieces
of their body for money. And the scariest part
is: They do it. All it takes is a couple of minor
offenses and before you know it youre being
cut into pieces by surgeons. This is the type of
society that protagonist Connor Lassiter aims
to bring down in the epic end to the Unwind
Dystology.
The book was phenomenal, until itcame to t he end. Im not going to give it away,
but it was way too good to be tr ue. In dys to-
pian novel s it creates an unrealist ic feeling if
all ends well. Now obviously any ending nev-
er satisfies the readers. That being said it was
a bad ending. On to the positives, I thought
Shusterman did a really good job keeping the
multiple plots going on simultaneously. Usu-
ally, authors build up one, really intense plot
following one person and then some other mi-
nor and boring plots, and usually overcompli-
cate the main story. Shusterman really came
through and made me excited to switch plots
and perspectives as opposed to dreading it.
Shusterman took the situation of Unwinding,
(parents selling their kids parts) and really
explored every type of personality a charac-
ter could have. Throughout the series you see
different effects of unwinding on the world.
Authors of dystopian books tend to only focus
on a core group of people, whereas Shuster-
man tries to give a glimpse of everyone. This
really enhances the read and separates Shus-
terman from all other authors. If you are new
to the Unwind Dystology start with the first
book, Unwi nd.
The Good:
Multiple plots done in a unique and exciting
way.
The Bad:
Bad ending to an otherwise amazing series.
The Bottom Line:
Definitely one of the best series I have read in
a while, maybe just skip the ending.
Sports on Shabbat
By Jonah Bash
The question has been
pondered for many centur ies
and like with any issue in Juda-
ism, there is a myriad of opin-ions. Should sports be allowed
on Shabbat?
The answer to the ques-
tion isnt so simple, as there are
many problematic factors that
go along with playing sports.One problem is the possibility
of violating Er uv. Another issue
is changing into clothing thatis not appropriate for Shabbat.
There are even some pe ople who
say that it is ok to play with just
a ball, but using other equip-
ment such as a baseball bat or
a hockey stick is problematic.And others say it depend s on the
formality of the sports you are
playi ng.
Besides all of these more
prac tical issues , the main ques-
tion is whether it is appropriateto spend Shabbat in such a man-
ner. Shabbat by definition is
supposed to be a more relaxing
day that is designated for moreholy activities such as learn-
ing Torah, for example. This is
where the real problem arises.
There are many different
opinions regarding this within
our school. Rabbi Rubins opin-
ion comes from the Gemara.
The Gemara in Masechet Be-itzah writes that there are cir-
cumstances that young boys
can play sports on Shabbos,Rabbi Rubin said. He explained
that the reason for this was for
them to release their energy soit would be easier for them toenjoy Shabbat. It has evolved
that boys at a certain age should
stop playing sports on Shabbat.That age is a little bit socially
determined by community and
by society, Rabbi Rubin elabo-
rated. The question is to whatage and what extent.
Rabbi Kirsch also has a
strong opinion since he is thehead of the athletics depar tment.
Its a complicate d question, hesaid. I feel that kids go throug hstages in terms of Shabbat ob-
servance. In other words, is it
the ideal way to spend Shabbat,
to play ball? No, I dont thinkso. But, youre deali ng now with
teenagers and Shabbat obser-
vance doesnt happen overnightfor some of the se kids. So, if its
heading in a growth position,
then I feel that [a kid can dothat,] as long as theyre not vio-
lating Halacha. Rabbi Kirsch
also added that if it causes kidsto daven with a Minyan after-wards for Mincha and Maariv
then he would support it.
There are also a multi-
tude of opinions within our stu-
dent body. Eli Longman gave
the simple answer of I dontsee a problem with it. Zach
Ansel said, Its not right, but
I do it anyways. Avi Bendory
addressed the issue as beingmore complex. I think every-
one needs to decide for them-selves how they want to spendtheir Shabbos in a meaning-
ful way. If that means spend-
ing time with friends, even by
playing bal l, thats ok. Eve ryoneshould have something Shabbos
means to them personally, not
what someone else told them itshould mean.
Should sports be condoned on Shabbat?
... the main question
is whether it is appropri-
ate to spend Shabbat in
such a manner.
-
8/10/2019 Shabbaton Issue
7/8
Sports 7November 21-23, 2014Volume 17, Issue 2College Basketball on Shabbaton
By Josh Degen
After t wo fun days of hanging out
with friends, flirting with the op-
posite sex and dit ching the ses-
sions that involve singing comes
possibly the most enjoyable part of
Shabbaton, college basketball. It is
a time, at least for the g uys, where
we all huddle around the standard
hotel flat screen TV waiting for
the clutch three pointer, acrobatic
dunk and (the rare) buzzer beat-
er for an excuse to go absolutely
crazy. In fact, one of the great-est college basketball games ever
took place the Saturday night of
Shabbaton three years ago. In-
diana hit a buzzer beater to upset
top seeded Kentucky and every
guy in the school was watching to-
gether screaming their heads off
said Joe Berger 15 recollecting on
what happened during the game.
When asked about why
he watches college basketball the
Saturday night of Shabbaton, Ja-
mie Rubin 15 responded, When
something crazy happens its bet-
ter to celebrate with a bunch of
people, it makes the game thatmuch better. He also then added
We only watch the close games
with the anticipation of what could
happen and the ensuing dog pile
making it more cr azy and intense.
When also asked about watching
college basketball on Shabbaton,
Oren Mendelow 16 said that he
watches it For the ruach.
So this year, do not miss
out on the fun. The notable match-
ups to watch on Saturday night
are North Carolina vs. Davidson,Eastern Washington vs. SMU, Ne-
braska vs. Rhode Isl and, Boi se
State vs. Wisconsin, and St. Thom-
as Aquinas vs. Gonzaga.
What to Watch on Saturday Night
The Man. The Myth. The LegendBy Sam Bernstein
What do you primarily do forkushner athletics?
Im an assistant basketball coach
for the boys JV and varsity basket-
bal l teams and Im al so the assistant
baseball coach. Additional ly I assist
Rabbi Kirsch with some adminis-
tration within the athletic depart-
ment.
What made you come back to
kushner?
I came back to Kushner because my
coach, mentor, and friend Jan San-dusky came back after a seven year
absence and our athletic director
Rabbi Richard Kirsch is not only a
mentor, Rabbi, and friend but one
of the nicest human beings I know.
What do you think of the basket-
ball teams you are coaching this
year?
I think the JV basketball team has
a great mix of talent, Im expect-
ing a great year for the team, we
return a great sophomore class
that has played under our coaching
staff for a full year as well as a tal-
ented freshman class. Our varsity
team returns with only three play-
ers from last seasons playoff run,
it will be a season of growing pains
and molding new players with the
juniors. We wil l def initely bat tle
and make up for our inexperience
and loss of talent with hard work
and intelligent play.
What are your thoughts on the
upcoming baseball season?
Im excited for t he baseball season,
and not just for the nice weather!
While we lose a great group of se-
niors from a season in which wewere runners up in both the Jew-
ish World Series and the Yeshiva
League, we return with a great
group of kids with talent and heart.
During the interview process for
our new head coach Rabbi Kirsch
and I loved coach Larry Canales
from the moment we met him. He
is a great baseball mind, with an in-
credible passion for the game. I am
excited to coach with him this year
and see what our squad can accom-
plish.
How has RKYHS changed in the
athletic department since you
graduated?
Rabbi Kirsch has done an amazing
job of bringing in top level coaches
and improving our schedules and
facilities including out of confer-
ence games and getting a batting
cage for the baseball program. This
has led to a better
all-around athletic
department includ-
ing more champi-
onships and better
per formances on
the field since I
was a student.
What about the
school itself?
The school has also
changed drasti-
cally since I was a
student, Rabbi Ru-
bin has brought a
focus and serious-
ness to academics
that wasnt always
there when I was
a student. Some
of the technology
in the classrooms
and programs that
are offered now are
so much more ad-
vanced than when I
graduated in 2008.
There are also some incredible ex-
tra-curricular programs such as the
marathon in Israel and the Aipac
trip. Some class that are offered
such as Rabbi Kirschs sociology
class and Dr. Steins engineering
class are classes I wish I was able
to take when I was a student. The
one thing missing is the Mifgashim
prog ram, it was a tr ip we took to
Israel during our second semester
of sophomore year which had thebiggest posi tive impact for me as a
student when I was in Kushner.
So, what have you done since
graduating?
Since graduating I attended the
George Washington University,
where I majored in Political Science
and was a manager for the basket-
bal l team
Tell me about the i njury.
During the summer of 2009, I wasworking as a camp counselor when
I was struck over the head with a
karate stick and suffered a traumat-
ic brain injury. It was about a 5 year
recovery and rehabilitation process.
What were some of the effects
from the injury?
From the injury I developed Pos-
tural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syn-
drome, which is a form of dysau-
tonomia. It was a difficult process.
Whenever I stood up there was a
risk I would pass out; I had bad mi-
graines, dizziness, tinnitus etc. It
was an extremely difficult ordeal
but I thank hashem ever yday that I
was able to recover and that during
the process I had such an amazing
support system.
Where are you working now?
Since then I have worked as a busi-
ness development director at a glass
installation company, and have re-
turned to academic life at Rutgers.
Interview with David Pitalis, Assistant Coach for Boys JV and Varsity Basketball, and Baseball Teams
-
8/10/2019 Shabbaton Issue
8/8
Schedule8 November 21-23, 2014Volume 17, Issue 2
TIME FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
8:15 AM Wakeup
8:45 AM Wakeup Davening (Grove)
9:00 AM Breakfast
9:30 AM Davening (Grove)
9:45 AM Breakfast
10:00 AM Board busses
10:30 AM Leave Kushner Kiddush (Grand Ballroom) Leave Hotel
11:00 AM Torah & Mussaf (Grove)
12:00 PM Arrive at hotel & Lunch Arrive at Kusher
12:15 PM Session 2 (Choice Session)
12:30 PM Distribute keys and rooms
1:00 PM Girls Swim Shabbat Meal (Grand Ballroom)
1:45 PM Mincha (Grove)
2:00 PM Basketball & Boys Swim Opt. Krave Maga
3:00 PM Prepare for Shabbat
3:15 PM Photo Shoot (Lobby, Mezanine)
3:30 PM Pre-Shabbat Ruach (Ballroom)
4:00 PM Candle Lighting (Ballroom)
4:05 PM Dinner (Ballroom)
4:20 PM Davening (Grove)
5:17 PM Maariv (Grove)
5:30 PM Seudah Rishona (Ballroom) Havdalah (Ballroom)
6:30 PM Friday Night Circle
7:15 PM Session 1 (Choice Session)
7:30 PM Motzei Shabbos Program
8:00 PM Sergeant Anthony (Grove)
8:45 PM Board Busses
9:00 PM Oneg (Ballroom)
9:15 PM Tisch (Ballroom) / Freshman (Grove)
9:30 PM Optional Tisch (Ballroom) Night Activity
11:00 PM
11:30 PM Bed time (12AM for seniors) Go back to hotel
12:15 AM Melaveh Malka (Ballroom)
1:00 AM Bedtime / Senior Kumzitz (Ballroom)
2:00 AM Senior bed time
Shabbaton Schedule
Newspaper (cont.)
Please dispose of newspapers properly. Leave a Kiddush Kushner, not a mess.
ing those students who end up bear-
ing the brunt of the responsibilities.
I hate having to do all the work and
everyone slacks off. Then whatever
grade I get, I feel like its unfair that
the other person did well if I pulled
all the weight said Ariella Savitz 17.
Anonymous 18 responded Nothing
ends up getting done and then one
person gets stuck with all the work,
and anonymous 17 said If the people
whom Im working with are going to
use me for my work, then no. The
general consensus is that the slackers
enjoy having others do the work for
them, and the hard workers do not en-
joy having others take credit for their
work. If this is the result of group col-
laboration, then what is its benet in
a classroom setting? Why bother to
work in groups at all?
Despite the clearly appar-
ent negative effects, group work
does have potential benets. Doni
Schanzer 17 described it best. It al-
lows people to be more exible, be-
cause say you dont like taking notes
or writing, but you love thinking
(or whatever), then you can do what
youre good at. Jonah Braverman 18
reafrmed this opinion, saying of his
chavruta learning in Talmud class, It
gives me another view on the text.
All in all, working in groups can be
benecial to a learning environment
if properly organized. Group partici-
pants must each contribute work in a
way that is best for them and use their
advantages to contribute to the group.
Group members can then assist each
other in areas where they work best.
Group collaboration clear-
ly has its benets, but as described
above, creating an environment where
all members put in full effort can be
difcult. Individuals must have incen-
tive to fully contribute to ensure full
group participation. English chairper-
son Diane Bohs described her vision
of best- case scenario group work.
I think working in groups can be a
positive experience. However, I also
believe that each person in the group
should be held accountable for his
piece of the material; rather than just
have one group grade, its a group
grade, but its also individual grades.
As described, an excellent way to pro-
mote individual effort would be to
grade based on independent perfor-
mance as well as group performance.
In such a case, each participant would
have to contribute individually and to
the group as a whole to obtain a good
assignment grade. This would ensure
that slackers do not take credit where
it is not deserved, but that each indi-
vidual also participates in the group
effort.
In nal analysis, social loaf-
ing is an unavoidable result of group
work. Some individuals will always
rely on others for their work, while
others will always be relied upon.
Group collaboration can be promoted
by grading students based on both in-
dividual and group effort. Learning
in a group setting, when properly or-
ganized, can serve to create a better
learning environment for all members
of the group by allowing students to
share their different perspectives and
contribute where they are most pro-
ductive. The virtues of working in a
group are accessible to both slackers
as well as hard workers.