shevuon, may 25, 2012

Last Friday, the Gann Academy student body put aside calculators,

laptops and textbooks so they could showcase their face paint, hairspray and colored clothing. Color War had arrived!

Color War officially began with a breakout ceremony on Tuesday, May 15th during Hakhel. The Gann commu-nity was then divided into three teams, each grade comprising one team. Color War kicked off with students meeting with their grades and then separating into different sections to participate in a variety of sports and arts ac-tivities. Students took their tal-ents to Gann’s courts and fields and played basketball, soccer, Ultimate Frisbee and volleyball. In addition, three other groups per grade were assigned with creating artistic pieces that would be displayed in front of the judges at the day’s conclu-sion. These activities included songwriting, choreographing dances and making plaques. Then, after a ruach-filled lunch session, the students made their way over to the gym for a good old-fashioned dodgeball tourna-ment. Following the dodgeball tournament, students spread themselves around the building to partake in a wide array of events for Gann’s version of the Apache relay race, the “Road to Jerusalem.” After the Apache, members of each team filed

into the gym and sat together with their teams for the closing ceremony. After each team’s dance, song and plaque commit-tees showed off the fruits of their labor to the judges, the winner of Color War – the green team – was announced, signaling the end of the intense and eventful day.

At Gann, the role of Color War is to build community

within grades. According to Of-ficer of Programming Brittany Gellerman, Color War serves as a tool to “unite each grade, teaching them all to work to-gether towards a common goal.” In this respect, Color War was certainly a success, as it gave many students the opportunity to bond with their grades through the different events and activi-ties. Freshman David Kleinberg remarks, “Color War was a great opportunity to bond as a grade. It was the joint effort to win that brought us all closer.”

In addition, the students dis-

played an immense amount of spirit during the cheers and ac-tivities. The spirit of all partici-pants was one of the factors that made this year’s Color War such a big hit. Gellerman adds, “This Color War was very successful in the sense that every grade had strong enthusiasm. Everyone re-ally wanted to win, so everyone played their hardest, bringing up the energy of the school as a whole.”

Color War arrives towards the end of the school year, which is a time where teachers often assign final projects and assign-ments. Because the conclusion of the year is a stressful time, Color War gives students a chance to spend one day without worrying about major assess-ments and final projects. Says freshman Josh Lange, “I enjoyed the opportunity to relax and take a break from the stresses of school life.” On the other hand, the fact that Color War occurs during the most stressful time of the year makes it hard for some to appreciate it. Lange adds, “I did hear complaints from some of my classmates because they would rather have the day to do homework or study for...finals.”

One of the most gratifying parts of Color War is winning the competition. This year, the green team got the satisfaction of seeing their hard work and abun-dant grade spirit translate into a Color War victory. Sophomore

Religious Jews Protest Dangers of the InternetTens of thousands of Orthodox Jews gather in New York to discuss proper internet usage.

A Walk/Run/Bike Ride for the CureGann students participate in the Boston Walk for Hunger, Pan Mass Challenge and others events for charity.

Friday, May 25th, 2012 • ד׳ בסיון ,תשע״ב • Shabbat: 7:51 - 9:00 • Volume 15, Issue 5

Student Council Executes Successful Color WarBy Jonathan KoralnikSpotlight

Page 2 Page 3

In Here• Both teachers and

students attend Playhem X: The Heifer Games, presented by the Red Curtain Drama Club.

• Rabbi Daniel Lehmann returns to Gann, propos-es changing the symbol of Judaism to a more pluralistic image.

• After over a month in the upstairs gallery, the Samuel Bak paintings are returned to Facing History and Ourselves.

Out There• Celtics fall to the Sixers

75-82, forcing a Game 7 in Boston Saturday night.

• Facebook stock is opened for public pur-chase, raising questions about the fairness of the sale process.

• Anti-immigration rallies in Tel Aviv turn violent as Israeli citizens protest the influx of illegal im-migrants from Africa.

The red team competes in the “Road to Jerusalem” Apache during last Friday’s Color War.

Credit: David Knopf

Shevuon Hatichon שבועון התיכון

continued on page 2

Upcoming Events:5/27-5/28 Shavuot5/28 Memorial Day5/30 Senior Beach Day5/30 Sports Banquet5/31 The Looking Glass6/1 Ma’avar Ends

Shevuon hatichon, Friday May 25th, 2012 • ד׳ בסיון ,תשע״ב • Shabbat: 7:51 - 9:00 • Volume 15, Issue 5

Last Sunday, May 20th, tens of thou-sands of ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered at New York City’s Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, to raise awareness about the dangers of using the Internet and how one should use modern technology in a responsible way. The event was so heavily attended that the Mets’ normally sparsely attended stadium was filled to the brim, and organizers were forced to rent the nearby Arthur Ashe Stadium for a break off event. While women were not allowed to attend the rally itself, they could watch it, ironi-cally, on an online stream made available by the event’s organizers.

According to Jewish Daily News an organizer stated that the protest would be “a prayer rally for the success of [the community of Israel’s] war on technology which threatens the sanctity of the homes of Israel.”

Advertisements promoting the rally in Haredi newspapers pointed out that “seri-ous family-related problems have been cre-ated” through the Internet. The ads call on the readers, saying that “something must be done so they won’t be hurt.” The letter, signed by leading Israeli religious rabbis, concluded, “The Lord will guide us in a truthful path.”

The event was no small feat. The rally cost approximately $1.5 million, including renting a Major League Baseball stadium and bussing in thousands of black-hatters

from dozens of states. Despite taking cen-ter stage, the Citi Field protest was not the only major event. A counter protest was staged outside of the stadium to speak out for the victims of child sexual abuse within the community.

Many ultra-Orthodox Jews are op-posed to using the Internet because of the Internet’s potential to encourage behaviors that violate Halacha, such as “loshon hara” (slanderous gossip) on social media web-

sites such as Facebook. Also, the Internet pornography industry poses serious viola-tions to Jewish values of decency. While the protesters may hold that such viola-tions may distract us from more important activities like prayer and Torah study, the rally had other motives. According to law-yer Eytan Kobre, the spokesman for the Citi Field rally’s organizer, the ultra-Orthodox

Jews’ intention was not to call for an end to the Internet but rather to learn how to re-strain our use of the Internet enough so that the Internet’s “downside” does not take a toll on our “focus and concentration” on more important matters. There is a “spec-trum of [Internet] usage” amongst ultra-Orthodox Jews, Kobre says, that results in a need to raise awareness of the Internet’s dangers. While ultra-Orthodox Jews such as Shlomo Cohen, a participant in the rally, use the Internet for business and shopping, Cohen himself admits that “desires are out there” within Internet users that must be controlled if the Internet is to be used on a regular basis.

The Internet has become so ingrained in modern lifestyle that it is hard to imagine life without it. Even the ultra-Orthodox Jews who rallied at Citi Field use the In-ternet for business, and many own iPhones and Android phones; services such as a “Kosher GPS App” that helps users locate synagogues and kosher restaurants were advertised at the rally. The rally itself was even streamed online by the event’s orga-nizers so that those who could not make it to the event could still be spectators. Ultra-Orthodox Jews’ own usage of the Internet demonstrates how valuable a resource the Internet is, and the rally serves as a remind-er that with all of the Internet’s benefits, it still has many drawbacks that we must remain aware of and deal with accordingly.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews Publicize the Internet’s DangersBy Gil ProppSpotlight

Credit: http://www.theblaze.com

Tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews gather at New York City’s Citi Field to voice fears about internet usage.

Color War continued from page 1

Nikki Teperman says, “Winning Color War felt amazing. It was really rewarding for us to win because I saw throughout the day how hard everyone was working. The green team has won Color War so many

years, and it felt really good to be back on top.” Teperman is eager for next year’s event because the green team will have the opportunity to repeat as Color War champions: “I’m already excited for next

year because of the success of this year’s Color War. I’d like to be able to leave Gann continuing the green dynasty.”

Be sure to look out for Harrison Shecter and Carl Haber’s Ma’avar cover album, Blind Date, expected next week!


With finals right around the corner and the beautiful weather finally coming around, summer is in the air. The long awaited summer vacation, besides giving us all a necessary break, also marks a time when on any given weekend, hundreds, thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of individuals come together to walk, run, ride, dance or almost anything else. These gatherings aim to raise funds for various charitable causes such as discovering a cure for cancer. Several members of the Gann community will be amongst the thousands that participate in such events.

For many, motivation is found in friends or family members that have experienced a given disease or condition. These partici-pants take part to raise money for a cause that is “near and dear” to them. Some do it to compete; others do it for the exercise or because a friend asked them to join with them.

While some of the events are national in scope and some are focused on a very particular geographic area, many of the better-known events have gotten their start in the Boston area. Included in this list are

the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Walk for Hunger, the Red Sox Foundation/Mass General Hospital Race to Home Plate and the Jimmy Fund’s Pan Mass Challenge.

Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger, which began in 1969, is the oldest continual pledge walk in the country and the largest

annual one-day fundraiser to alleviate local hunger. With 554,000 Massachusetts resi-dents struggling to put food on their tables, the Walk has provided essential support for the most vulnerable among us – children, elderly, disabled and unemployed. In 2010 alone, over $3.8 million was raised through

the efforts of 42,000 walkers and 2,000 volunteers. Although freshman Claire Shoyer says that she originally participated in the walk because a friend invited her, she was inspired to participate after seeing “so many people walking for the same cause.” Shoyer, who is one of many Gann students who has participated in the Walk for Hun-ger, further notes that she has continued to walk every year because “the walk is a great time to talk to people, it’s good ex-ercise, but mostly because it’s for a great cause, and I love actually being able to help people.”

Just last Sunday, senior Jeremy Jick joined thousands of others to participate in the Run to Home Base, which started and ended at Fenway. The proceeds from this run, which is co-sponsored by The Red Sox Foundation and the Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program, are used to help wounded service members, veterans and their families deal with the “invisible wounds” of war such as combat stress and traumatic brain injuries. Jick, who admittedly loves to run, became involved because he “thought it was a really worthy

Do You Walk the Walk?By Abby SchwartzStudent Lounge

43,000 people participated in the 2012 Boston Walk for Hunger.

Credit: http://www.projectbread.org

Parshat BemidbarBy Aaron Segal and Sarah KusinitzDvar Torah

“From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: ye shall number them by their hosts, even thou and Aaron. And with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of his fathers’ house” (Bemidbar 1:4-5).

In Parshat Bemidbar, Moshe and Aaron are told by God to collect all the men above the age of 20 and perform a census. After the census is finished, Moshe and Aaron pick the leaders of each tribe. The people who are picked by Moshe and Aaron have their names changed. Their names are not changed literally but the spiritual meanings of the names are changed. From then on, the selected leaders are not known as Abi-dan son of Gideoni or Pagiel son of Ochran but as the Abidan son of Gideoni and the Pagiel son of Ochran. These names become a symbol of pride and power. After they are given this position, many more people

know the leaders than before they were selected. Even in the time of the Torah, names were very important and held much significance.

The importance of a name became much more than just a handle by which to be ad-dressed following the census. Tribes began to live together in segregated camps where they could be more tightly knit with their communities, which were communities based around one commonality – a family name. Special responsibilities were given to several tribes, such as the Levites and the Kohanim. The Levites had the task of creating a sanctuary for the use of all tribes, which became the nucleus that the tribe-specific camps were built around. Their task was so important that they were not included in the census, for it was already known that their mission was constructing the temple for the rest of the tribes.

Even today Jews put a special emphasis on the importance of names. When a child is born into a Jewish family, there is a nam-ing ceremony for the child. Additionally, it is a Jewish tradition to name your child af-ter a deceased relative. This tradition is an example of the importance of names within the Jewish community. Family ties and ancestry are so central to the Jewish people that Jews name their children in memory of the dead.

Both in the Torah and in modern Jew-ish life, we choose to honor our family and our ancestors by carrying on and passing down their names. Although you may have never thought about it before, your name is a very important characteristic about you and represents your family and where you come from.

continued on page 7


Only One Sammy Adams Single

Streamline Newton Años 90’s Vol. 1

Ships In The Night Mat Kearney Young Love

Food For Thought

Credit: Apple Answer to trivia: Dr. Marshak

Mother Heifer’s Advice Column

One of the sinks in the basement bath-

room has too much pressure and gets me wet.

The answer is simple. Use the other one! We are fortunate enough to be blessed with the privilege of two sinks in each bathroom. But if the other sink is being used and you must use the spraying sink, just take a few steps back, extend your arms, turn that knob and hope that you don’t get soaked! It can be pretty embarrassing to get water all over your pants. And if all else fails…you could use Purell!

Teacher Trivia

Which teacher is

the tallest member

of his biological

immediate family?

Who closes the door when the

bus driver gets off?

Why does the Hulk’s shirt al-

ways rip but not his pants?

If one synchronized swimmer

drowns, do the rest drown too?

Answer to puzzle: The odds are against you

Rabbi Baker at the Student

Council Shabbaton:

“It’s hard to be God.”

Quote of the Week

Solve the Word Puzzle!

Credit: http://kids.niehs.nih.gov

5/21 Daniel Dinjian

5/22 Josh Goldstein

5/23 Melissa Epstein

5/23 Cameron Pearl

5/24 Hannah Finkel

5/24 Naomi Lieberman

5/25 Mira Kaplan

5/25 Coby Coll

5/25 Lauren Gluck

5/25 Alana Windmueller

5/26 Atarah McCoy

5/26 Will Hirschtick

5/26 David Kleinberg

5/27 Hannah Hiam

Picture of the Week

Credit: http://abasketballjones.com


J.P Morgan’s $2 Billion Trading BlunderBy Jacqueline PollockIHOT

J.P Morgan Chase & Co., one of the lead-ing banking corporations of security and investments, made a grave mistake when the Chief Executive Officer, James Dimon, failed to notice the bad investments that had begun to create massive losses at the bank. The company itself is responsible for assisting persons, large corporations and the government through increasing capital and guaranteeing a client’s deliverance of security. However, as a result of Dimon’s oversight, the company lost $2 billion in what seemed like a matter of minutes. Associates later reported to the Wall Street Journal that “when Mr. Dimon saw the numbers, he couldn’t breathe,” an expected response to a slip up of that magnitude. Al-though it is known that there were multiple intricate trades that led to the company’s major loss, the company has yet to dis-close much information on the matter. The majority of the information that has been disclosed has come from key competitors of the company. The bulk of the debt as-sociated with the banking corporation has been accrued by selling insurance contracts known to most as “credit-default swaps.”

In the following days, the country was in a state of shock concerning the bank-ing company and its negligence. During Elizabeth Lowenberg’s geometry class, she articulated her surprise upon hearing the news, adding that the financial blun-

der could affect millions of people who invested their money into the company. Ju-nior Will Hirschtick agreed, saying that he “could not believe that an error that huge went unnoticed until it was too late.”

The company, whose financial damage has now increased to an estimated $5 bil-

lion, has not only added another blemish to their track record, which was already ques-tionable as they rapidly expanded over the past decade, but has also placed the rest of the company in serious financial jeopardy. In an attempt to contain their $2 billion financial error, the company has had to cut off almost $25 billion in shareholder value.

This extreme mishap has made many people question how large corporations are handling their money. When asked about the topic, senior Hannah Vaitsblit expressed

her opinion, saying, “It was an unfortunate and preventable crisis, but at the same time it is expected that big banks will be and are constantly taking major investment risks, and thus they must be responsible for dealing with the consequences of assuming those risks.”

People are not only blaming the com-pany as a whole; they are also blaming Dimon, the co-chairman of the coopera-tion. Despite Dimon’s successful track re-cord, he made a detrimental error, costing the company billions. When asked how he could allow something this staggering to occur, he remarked, “The big lesson I learned: don’t get complacent despite a successful track record. No one or no unit can get a free pass.”

Ultimately, the crisis has raised sev-eral questions regarding the role of any executive position in a large cooperation. Additionally, the nation’s financial leaders have started to wonder whether or not new regulatory rules will help prevent future economic crises. Vaitsblit, however, still believes in large banks holding power and stands against the government getting overly involved in some financial issues. As she remarks, “If the banks fail, then let them fail. And if they can pick themselves up again, then that is a sign that they truly deserve to be ‘highly recommended and trusted.’”

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., an investment banking company on Wall Street, has been criticized heavily as of late in the media.

Credit: http://www.usnews.com

History Almost Repeats ItselfBy Oshri OlsbergIsrael

Only seven months after the assassina-tion of Yitzhak Rabin, Binyamin Netanyahu defeated Shimon Peres in the 1996 Israeli Prime Minister elections. Netanyahu won by just one percent. Three years and many terrorist attacks later, the Israeli Knesset lost its trust in the Netanyahu administra-tion and held a “vote of no confidence,” where it was determined that Israel would have its Prime Minister elections earlier than scheduled. Netanyahu lost in these elections.

In 2009, Netanyahu became the Israeli Prime Minister for the second time, and three years later, early elections will be

held once again. This time, however, Ne-tanyahu was the one who called for the

early elections.There were several factors that played

into Netanyahu’s decision to hold early elections, none more prominent than the issue behind the Tal Law. The Knesset passed the Tal Law about ten years ago, and it exempts the ultra-Orthodox commu-nity from serving in the IDF if they choose to study Torah instead. In February, Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled that the Tal Law was unconstitutional, and the Law is set to expire in August. The issue with the Tal Law was that Israeli citizens didn’t feel that the burden of Israeli society, namely the mandatory army service, was being equally shared among all Jewish Israeli citizens of all religious backgrounds.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu calls for early elections.

Credit: AP

continued on page 6


At Gann Academy there are many clubs to choose from, each with different goals and initiatives. Many seem to enhance the Gann community, but I question whether all Gann clubs meet this mission. Often I hear Hakhel announcements and see Student Lounge posts for clubs that seem ill-formed and ready to die off.

Most of the time, I find myself judging a club and doubting it’s validity from the mo-ment I hear the concept and who is leading it. In my estimation, the downfall of these organizations, more often than not, stems from club leaders who only care about the club for personal gain, particularly for col-lege applications. I have seen and heard of students that come to a club for just a month or two and then put it on their college ap-plications. Sophomore Ellie Pasternack agrees, saying, “How could it not happen?! I’m sure people ‘join’ clubs for college and go to only one meeting and then never come again.” The same apathetic attitude often applies to club leadership.

Students at Gann are raised in a highly competitive, college-oriented culture that pressures students to excel, be it preparing for the SAT, taking all advanced classes or working their way up to a particular form of leadership. Students strive to display leadership in order to impress colleges, of-ten competing to becoming a varsity sports captain, the lead in a musical or leader of a

club. The consequence of this competitive culture is that students express fake inter-ests in order to appear more attractive on a college application.

If people who are not serious about its purpose and mission form a club, the club will not attract other students. Pasternack decided to go to the lunch meeting of a club she had never been to before and reported, “It was run entirely by juniors. They didn’t

care about the opinions of the underclass-men present.” She continued, “Why would I have [shared my ideas] in an environment in which I felt my opinion wouldn’t be val-ued or taken seriously?”

The clubs that thrive, however, are the ones where the leadership cares about the success of the club and not about their own personal gain. Leaders that ask themselves, “What is this club doing for my commu-nity?” rather than, “What is this club doing

for me?” are the best kind of leaders and the ones who make their clubs grow and flourish.

My advice to anyone who wants to start a club or to be the leader of an existing club is to ask yourself, “If all the colleges I applied to accepted everyone, would I still want to be leader of this club?” If the answer is yes, and you have the time and energy to start or continue that club, then you should do it and feel proud that you did. If the answer is no, you should rethink your goals and understand that you are potentially doing more damage to the com-munity than good. The best clubs at Gann are the ones that many people are passion-ate about and oftentimes the ones with the most competitive leadership election pro-cesses. It may be hard to start a club or be leader of a club you are passionate about, but that is exactly what will make it great. Clubs with competitive election processes weed out any undesirable candidates, leav-ing only the best students suited for the job. Those students often times need a lot more motivation than just college applica-tions because the clubs they are running are demanding and difficult to run. Ultimately, if you want to start a long lasting and suc-cessful club, know that it is not a decision to be taken lightly. Keep in mind that a club should always benefit the school before it benefits its leaders.

An Apathetic Attitude Towards Clubs at GannBy Jacob Shannon, Guest WriterOpinion

Credit: Jeremy Kelleher

Clubs promote their questionable purposes with misleading advertisements that encourage active participation.

Netanyahu announced that he would create a new law to resolve the issue of the Tal Law. He stated, “As I have already de-clared prior to the ruling, the Tal Law in its present form will not be extended...In the approaching months we [the Knesset] will formulate a new bill that would guarantee a more equal sharing of the burden of all parts of Israeli society.”

The connection between the Tal Law, or possibly another similar new law, and early elections was that the parties within Netan-yahu and the Likud Party’s political coali-tion were split on the issue of the Tal Law and what lies beneath it: the fact that the ultra-Orthodox community can be exempt from army service. Had enough members

within the Likud Party coalition disagreed with the Likud Party’s stance on the issue, they could have broken off from the coali-tion, and the Likud and its coalition would no longer have been the majority in the Knesset.

Netanyahu believed that this summer would have been an ideal time to hold an early election because his popularity is at an all time high due to his successes in office, including the return of Gilad Shalit and the decline in terrorist attacks in Israel during his time in power. Had elections been held in September, polls show that Likud would have won 30-32 seats in the Knesset, whereas their biggest opposition, the Labor Party, would have only won 10-15 seats. In

Netanyahu’s opinion, “it is better to have a short election campaign of four months that will restore political stability.”

Nevertheless, just as it seemed as though the Knesset was going to dissolve itself and elections were going to take place in September, the Likud Party formed a new coalition that included the Kadima Party. With the new addition of Kadima, Likud’s coalition now secured 96 of the possible 120 parliamentary seats. Even if certain smaller parties break off from the coalition because of disagreements concerning the Tal Law, the coalition will still have the majority, and therefore there is no reason for Netanyahu to hold early elections. The Israeli government is stable...for now.

History Almost Repeats Itself continued from page 5


Writers

Ben Bryer ‘15, Rachel Butler ‘14, Harrison Dale ‘15, Aaron Dvorkin ‘13, Annika Gompers ‘14, Daniel Gray ‘14,Aaron Hunt ‘15, Gabriel Karger ‘13, Jonathan Koralnik ‘14, Joshua Lange ‘15, Sara Newman ‘14, Oshri Olsberg ‘14,

Eleora Pasternack ‘14, Jacqueline Pollock ‘13, Rebecca Pritzker ‘13, Gil Propp ‘13, Sarah Salinger ‘15,Abby Schwartz ‘13, Maya Sinclair ‘15, Jacqueline Teperman ‘13, Nicole Teperman ‘14, Adam Yates ‘15

PhotographersBrittany Gellerman, Jeremy Kelleher, Sarah Litwin, Alicia Zolondick

Entertainment PageJosh Chartock, Michael Handler

Editor in Chief Sloane Grinspoon Managing Editor Jonah Kriger Layout Editor Lily CohenAssistant Editors Rachel Brody, Jordana Gardenswartz & Matthew Zackman Copy Editor Maxwell Fineman

Faculty Advisor Shoshanah Zaritt Faculty Consultants Deb Carroll, Matt Conti & Jonah Hassenfeld

cause,” further stating that the race through Boston “was an opportunity to help and have fun [while] doing [good in the com-munity].”

Perhaps one of the biggest events of this summer will be the annual Pan Mass Chal-lenge (PMC), which raises money for the Jimmy Fund. Under founder Billy Starr’s direction, the PMC has grown consistently over the past 32 years from its modest beginnings to an event that draws 5,500 cyclists from 36 states and eight countries. Raising more money than any other athletic

fundraising event in the country, the PMC generates half of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue, which goes to support cancer re-search at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Junior Aliza Holstein, whose family has cycled in this event several times, notes that “there is great energy, and everyone there is passionate about the cause, and you really feel as though you are making a difference.” Holstein has participated in several other events of this type and has also volunteered at the Boston Marathon handing out water and popsicles to support

the participants and cheer them on at the finish line.

In addition to the many students and faculty who have participated in runs and walks, a number of clubs and athletic teams have also elected to share the experience as a group. There seems to be a universal sen-timent and feeling of pride in the accom-plishment of finishing a race/run/walk and raising money. As Jick notes, “participat-ing in walks, runs, and races is an amazing way to fundraise for a good cause and give back.”

Walk For Hunger continued from page 3


Just last week, the Girls’ Varsity Tennis team won their last two games of the sea-son, securing their third consecutive IGC title. The girls were well prepared and hun-gry for their final win last Thursday versus Brimmer and May after beating Boston Trinity Academy a day earlier. The unde-feated season was kept intact even through their most difficult game against Boston Trinity, which head coach Boxer says was won “by the narrowest of margins.”

The team has a very notable undefeated record of 6-0 and has been able to maintain an extremely successful season despite the lack of seniors due to long-term injuries. Both of the senior captains of the team, Sarah Waxman and Ilana Wasserman, were injured for a large part of the season and

were unable to play in many of the impor-tant games. While it was hard to not be able to take part in the team’s accomplishments, Wasserman still appreciates the team dy-namic and says, “It was difficult for sure, but it was also really nice to see the other girls on the team step up and take more responsibility on and off the court.” Espe-cially in last week’s game versus Boston Trinity, there were many position changes due to the absence of the seniors. Wasser-man later added, “The girls adjusted very well to the new lineup and really stepped up their games to keep our streak going, which was awesome.” Even when the pres-sure was on to uphold their streak, the team stayed composed and was rewarded with a victory. Merissa Jaye, a sophomore on the

team, says of the championship, “I’m so proud of the team. Everyone worked very hard. There were so many new members this year and also many new adjustments, and winning the IGC title shows how we all came together in the end.”

The uninterrupted streak of winning the IGC shows the tennis program’s improve-ment over the course of each year. The team clearly has grown stronger, and its trophies and banners can prove that. So, congratulations to the Girls’ Varsity Tennis team for their consistency and devotion to the team. The undefeated season and win-ning the IGC are a true representation of all the hard work put into this season; all of it really paid off!

Last Thursday, Gann’s Ultimate team took home the MBIL championship in a game against league rival CSW. Ultimate, along with cross-country and tennis, is one of several Gann teams to win a champion-ship this year. In addition to winning the league title, the team also remained unde-feated.

Winning the title did not come easily. Ultimate met five days a week, including the long Sunday practice every weekend. Sophomore Keren Radbil said that during practice, she “[put] in all of [her] effort while having fun with some of [her] closest friends.”

Ultimate is known as a highly competi-tive sport but is also very enjoyable. Soph-omore Noah Bernays described it simply as “ultimate” and went on to great lengths to explain how the sport was physically and mentally demanding. In a sport where you cannot simply use force to take out other players, strategy is more important. Fresh-man Eytan Deener-Agus gave valuable insight on the team dynamic. Through extensive scrimmages, Deener-Agus says

head coach Simcha Cohen exposed them to game situations quickly. “We would start off with stretches; then a small throwing warm up and maybe another small drill, and then we would jump into the game,” said Deener-Agus. He went on to describe a fond team memory, capturing the tight-knit atmosphere of the Ultimate team: “We

were still getting used to each other as a team but had a perfect shutout, and we had everyone on the team play, which is always very cool. The next day, we all got bagels sponsored by Simcha because we had a bagel. Get it? Zero [points allowed].”

Unfortunately, being a relatively new

sport, Ultimate is sometimes criticized as being “less than a sport” or “an activity.” However, with the recently established USA Ultimate Professional Frisbee League, these feelings of enmity have begun to dis-sipate. Junior Josh Schwartz dismissed this idea, saying, “Color War gave me a new respect for competitive Ultimate Frisbee. I didn’t think it was as tiring and strategic as it turned out to be.” Freshman Jonathan Oppenheimer agreed, claiming, “Contrary to popular belief, Ultimate takes a lot of athletic and cognitive ability. You have to actually be skilled at sprinting, and, of course, throwing and catching a Frisbee. In addition, there are a ton of positions and plays to learn and execute. I know I worked harder in some of those practices than I ever have in a sport before.” Despite some differing opinions in the sports world, the majority of Gann seems to be supportive of Ultimate and their dedication to their team!

Congratulations to the Ultimate team on winning the league title!

Varsity Coed Ultimate Takes It To GoBy Harrison Dale

Gann’s Own IGC ChampsBy Nicole Teperman

MVP of the Week

goes to Rachel Nieves for being

nominated to become the

MVP of the IGC Lacrosse League.

The Shevuon Hatichon staff would like to wish you all good luck on finals!

shevuon, may 25, 2012

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